Disclaimer: I don't own The MBS

Chapter 10 (Kate's POV)

I can still vaguely remember being a little kid and having Milligan read to me. It was funny because for so long all I could ever remember about him was that trip we took to the mill pond. But since we found each other again it's like a new old memory will just pop up sometimes. So little by little it seems like I'm piecing things together. Maybe all the emotions and things from becoming a parent myself is to blame. Either way I'm starting to think that the impossible has happened. I actually managed to love my dad just that much more.

And I know that's got to be because of Amy. She keeps making me think about everything Milligan must have felt about me. About all the things that are important to a mom and dad. The little things you never imagined would matter before. But now they do, in fact...well they mean everything. Like quiet Saturday evenings spent listening to corny children's books.

"And so David the grasshopper promised that he'd become the greatest violin maker to ever live." I wanted to laugh as Reynie finished reading and slowly closed the picture book. Amy sitting in his lap looked so close to sleep I knew she'd give in any second. And sure enough it wasn't much more than a moment or two before her blue eyes fluttered shut. Reynie slowly stood, careful not to wake her. After disappearing down the hall with one sleepy little Muldoon he reappeared in the doorway of the sitting room.

It was so easy to see the relief on his face from getting her to go to sleep that I had to laugh. "I guess miracles do happen…" He mumbled with a smile as he sunk back into the sofa. I just smiled wider. "All the time, or so I've heard right?"

He smiled a little shyly over at me. "Or so I've seen…"

For a second there we both just looked at each other. I knew what he meant. It was something else being a parent had taught me. Walking over slowly I leaned to kiss his forehead before sinking into the seat next to him. "Just so you know Reynie, I've seen a couple myself."

He smiled again before reaching for another book sitting on a side table. Palindromes was written in a neat script on the cover. "Oh Connie and Sticky's gift right?" I asked looking over his shoulder.

He nodded. "Yes, a Palindrome is a word or phrase that is the same spelled forwards or back. I read a book on them when I was younger actually."

I just gave him a playful smirk that wondered if there was a book he hadn't read.

"I guess they reminded me of something important back then…"

"Like what?" I asked without taking my eyes off of him.

He was silent for a second before he shuffled in his seat and looked back over at me. "About halves and wholes I guess. About things that fit together no matter how different they seem."

I grinned softly. "That sounds a lot like love, huh?"

He nodded with a nervous smile. I never stopped being amazed at the fact that Reynie still blushed in front of me sometimes. But it told me something about him. Something that seemed more important than anything else.

Smiling a little wider I leaned back and folded my hands behind my head. "Well I'm glad you used to think love was important, that way you didn't give up until you found it." I looked over at him and winked. "Even if I kinda found you."

He looked down, the grin still softly on his face. "I didn't even realize I was looking. But I guess if you just keep moving forward as best you can then…" He looked over at me and smiled a little wider. "Whatever the reason I'm glad I met you Kate."

What was ironic was just how sincere he looked right then, like he wasn't about to take anything in his life for granted. He still didn't get it... Grinning I reached over and wrapped him up in what might have doubled as a headlock instead of a hug.

"I love you. Let's not complicate it anymore than that…" Pulling back I looked him straight in the eyes. "We're our own Palindrome, ya know? We just don't work on our own." For a second there I almost thought he was holding back tears but I decided not to mention it. Instead I just beamed him a smile that was twice as big. "And thankfully Reynie, we don't have to." I laughed as I slapped his back playfully before hopping off the sofa and walking over to the window.

"And speaking of inseparable pairs… Get a load of this." Curiously Reynie stepped over to look out the window with me. Down below we saw another classic Palindrome. Two people that seemed so different and yet… Yep there they were together. Sticky and Constance were sitting in the back yard and looked to be knee deep in a sappy conversation of their own. I grinned. Or at least as sappy as Constance would ever let herself get.

"I hope it gets to be the four of us." Reynie said softly and I knew just what he meant. The fact was I had wished that all the way back when Reynie and I had just spilled the beans about our own feelings. But something told me we didn't have anything to worry about.

"Oh we'll all be stuck together I just know it. They just," I paused as I dug around in my bucket until I found my spyglass. Aiming it out the window I smiled. "They just have to be difficult about it. But what should we expect from Constance, right?"

Reynie laughed a little. "Should we be spying on them?"

I shrugged as I lowered the spyglass. "Leave it to you to be the voice of my conscious." Then I brightened. "I guess that does just go to show how much we need each other."

Then crossing my arms I forced myself to look a little more seriously at him. "But really Reynie, I think we should just share some of the endless love they showered on us in the way of sly comments, right?"

He just sighed a little as he playfully gave me that "look." It was the look that helped to balance me I guess. The same one I used to gauge if the tree really was too dangerous to climb, or maybe if I was being too impulsive. I guess it was the other half of the look I gave Reynie when he worried or was tempted to just play it safe. In our time of being married I'd learned that we'd be better off listening to each other and the "looks" that went with it.

So with a sigh I shrugged. "Fine, I'll just let them be. But-" Well, that but was cut short by the noise we heard suddenly from down the hall. Amy. Needless to say it only took about three seconds before both of us were standing in her bedroom door huffing. Or at least poor Reynie was huffing. Amy was standing up in her crib with her tiny hands gripping the bars. She seemed physically alright, but the look on her face said she was clearly upset about something.

"Ka!" She shouted in what almost sounded like a funny command coming from a 12 month old. I guess what was even funnier was that somehow Amy hadn't ever picked up "mama" or "dada." Instead she called us garbled versions of "Ka" and "Re." But when you stopped to think about it, I guess it made sense that she'd pick up on what we called each other and try to imitate it. But either way I knew I'd been summoned, so with a smile I walked over to her crib and patted her head.

"What can I do for you Amy-bug?"

She just stared up at me for a second before reaching toward me in what could only mean "pick me up or else." So I did, but she wasn't satisfied at that. Nope, she kept squirming and pointing toward the floor. So I slowly lower her down expecting she just wanted to crawl around. But instead she sat there with a look of determination on her face.

I raised an eyebrow at Reynie. "She's not sick is she?"

He just frowned before he knelt down on the floor next to her. I did the same which she seemed to like. Looking for me to Reynie and back again she then looked straight ahead. But bracing her tiny arms on Reynie's knee she pulled herself up on her wobbly feet. He was about to reach and grab her but I grabbed his hand before he could. No, instead I just squeezed his palm and gave my own "look." I finally understood what that little determined look meant. It was like all the Wetherall in her had settled on her face. So I knew she could do just about anything she set her mind to. I wasn't even surprised by what I saw next.

With all her focus she took a few fumbling steps forward before she stumbled back onto her knees. I wanted to just scoop her up in my arms, but I knew she needed this, yeah even if it meant taking a free falls. So I let her try again. And this time she made it few steps further before she lowered back down to her knees. Then turning to look back at us a big smile slowly spread across her face.

"Ka, Re!" Was all she shouted, but I got the feeling it meant something like: Look at the amazing thing I just did!

"You did it Amy-bug!" I said as I reached to wrap her up in my arms. She just laughed as she leaned into me. When we both looked over at Reynie she went quiet suddenly. We both did. I'm guess she didn't understand why there was water falling down his cheeks. No, not the way I did… But either way, when he smiled down at her she happily smiled back. And when he wrapped his both up in a hug that honestly felt tighter than my own, well let's just say I may have had a little water works myself.

Yeah, but you know mostly…

Mostly I just felt more complete than I ever had.

Was that what a Palindrome meant? To be so much a part of someone that you both became one and the same?

I smiled when I thought of that… And when I thought of Sticky and Constance. They were both just starting out. It was only the beginning. Well, really it was for all of us. It was only the start of everything…

How far could we go with forever waiting?

Well, I figured there was only one way to find out...

Thanks so much for reading this story, and please stick around for at least one more chapter coming soon!