"Mommy, are you okay?" Cynthia watched as her mother struggled to bend, and noticed that the front of her dress was oddly shaped, almost as if she had a pile of blankets beneath it.

"I'm fine, sweetie," she replied, taking a seat on the couch. She gave a deep sigh. "Just a little tired."

"Why?" Cynthia climbed onto the cushion beside her. She laughed, deciding it was time for her to know.

"Come here," she took the girl's hand, placing it just below her heart. They could both feel a small bit of movement, as though something were growing there. She was about to ask when a knock sounded from the hall.

"I get it," the toddler bounded from the couch, laughing in delight when she saw who was at the door. When she returned she was in Justin's arms, smiling in content. But the look changed when she saw her mother. "Mommy's sick," she said to him. She pointed toward Ella's dress. "See; something wrong with her tummy."

"Oh, is there?" the grin had faded from his lips as well, feigning concern as he set the child back on her feet. He glanced at Ella, who just shook her head.

"Cynthia, why don't you go find your siblings?" said her mother. "There's something we should talk about."

"Okay!" Cynthia dashed from the room, once again bubbling with giggles. When she was gone, Justin took a seat beside Ella, wrapping an arm loosely around her.

"So…what's this we need to talk about?" he asked playfully. She giggled, putting his hand just below her heart. It was slight, but enough to feel. He looked up at her, smiling happily. He'd never had this chance before.

"So, wait a minute," Martin, slightly wide-eyed, stared at his mother and friend. "You guys are…together?"

Ella nodded. "That's right, but-"

"But why?" began Timothy. Tears had formed at the corners of his eyes, but they wouldn't fall.

Ella sighed. She'd known this was going to be hard, but had never thought how hard. She took a deep breath, trying to find the words she wanted. "Timothy, all of you, you know how special your father was to me. He helped to give you all life, as well as saved mine on more than one occasion. You should all know that I still love him, but also that, unfortunately, he can no longer be with us," she visibly fought to hold back tears of her own. "It's been a long time since his death, and I've grown to think of Justin as more than a friend. He won't replace your father, but he wants to be there for us since Jonathan no longer can…" she trailed off, not knowing what else to say. The children sat silently, considering the situation, then got up as one, filing silently from the room. The only one who didn't go was Cynthia. She toddled up to Justin, who knelt down to speak with her face to face.

"I don't remember my daddy," she said quietly. "When he left I was still a baby." She looked up, holding out her hands. He took her into his arms. "If you want to be there, then it's okay with me, but I don't know about the others."

She rested against his chest a moment longer, then slowly slipped free of his grasp. She then went out to go find her siblings. Normally, Ella wouldn't have allowed such a thing, but she had her eyes buried in the cloth of her dress. Soft cries emitted from her folded form. Justin sat beside her, holding her close. He loved her, as well as her children, and knew how difficult this must have been for her. Indeed, it had been months since Jonathan's death, but the children were still just coming to terms with his being gone. Cynthia seemed ready to accept him, that he was grateful for, but he didn't want any bad blood between him and the others, and wondered what he would do if they grew to hate him.

"I'm sorry you had to see that," she whispered. Justin gazed down at her, smiling tenderly. But it quickly faded.

"I should be the one to apologize," he said quietly. "I didn't think how hard it would be to explain this to them, or how hard it would be on you."

She smiled, nuzzling his neck. She didn't say anything, she didn't need to. She truly loved him, and the small grief of her childrens' shock was just a consequence. She was willing to accept their feelings, whatever they may be, and whatever events came because of them. She just hoped it wouldn't last too long.