Chapter 20

"It's not fair, I wait my whole life for a little sister and I'm gonna be in a different state when she's born."

Antonio raised his eyebrow. "Eva, you know we don't…"

"Dad" she cut off, taking her hands from Sylvie's belly and looking up. "It's a girl. Trust me."

Sylvie had to laugh at the look of sheer determination on Eva's face, as though she could will the baby to be a girl using only the power of thought. "There's a good few months before the baby's here yet, don't worry."

Eva stood up. "You better give birth on a weekend so I can come home" she said. "I don't care how much the plane ticket costs."

"After last time I thought you'd be happy to be in another state during the birth" Sylvie laughed.

Eva was still glum. "I want to be in a different room, Sylvie, not a different time zone."

Sylvie hugged her step daughter. "The semester will fly by and you'll be back to meet the baby in no time. You'll be glad when you're up all night because you're partying and not because there's a newborn screaming the house down."

"Sounds much better" Diego said, walking through from the kitchen. "Take me with you?"

Eva ignored her brother and sniffed. "I'm being stupid."

"You're not" Sylvie replied. "I get it. We'll all miss you too."

"I won't" said Diego, taking a bite of his toast. Eva aimed a half-hearted kick in his direction and Antonio shook his head at his children.

"Is your suitcase in the trunk? We've got to leave for the airport soon." Antonio was doing his best to keep busy and not think about the fact his baby girl was leaving for college. He suspected he would get back to the car after dropping Eva off at the terminal and the tears would come, but for now he was trying to ignore his emotions. He was so proud of her, moving away and starting the exciting new chapter in her life, but the selfish part of him wished she was staying right where she was.

Eva nodded in reply to her dad's question and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. She looked from her father to Sylvie to Diego. "Where are my favourite brothers?" she asked, taking a deep breath. "I need to say goodbye."

"I'll try not to be hurt by that" said Diego. "But I will admit the twins are cuter than me. Just."

Matteo and Gabriel were playing with their cars noisily on the living room rug still in pyjamas. Eva crouched down behind them. "Hey boys" she said, stroking Gabe's hair and trying not to cry.

Matty looked up from across the rug and held out a blue plastic van. "Will you play?"

She smiled. "I'm sorry, I can't right now. Do you remember what we talked about? How I have to go away for a while?"

At this, Gabe stopped playing and looked up too. He put down his car and shuffled closer to his sister. "Now?"

Eva looked at the confusion on their little faces and wanted to cry again. "Yes. But I'll be back before you know it."

Matty flung his arms around her and Eva gave him a squeeze. She stretched out her other arm for Gabe. "Can I have a hug from you too?" He obliged, and Eva hugged both her little brothers tight, savouring the moment. "I love you both so much" she said, trying to sound upbeat. She kissed them both on the head then pulled away. "Be good ok?" The twins nodded earnestly, and Eva stood up and turned away quickly before she burst into tears.

Sylvie watched the scene and felt like crying too, and she was sure that this time it wasn't just the hormones. Beside her, she felt Antonio start to go too and she reached out to take his hand. He looked across with a sad but grateful smile.

"Let's go before I change my mind" Eva said, her head down. She stopped when she got to her Dad and Sylvie and smiled nervously. "I'm ready."

"Travel safe" Sylvie said, hugging her departing step-daughter once more. "You'll have so much fun when you get there, I'm super jealous."

"I'll try" Eva said. "Bye Sylvie." She looked at her father and nodded.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to Diego?"

"Oh no Dad, I'm coming to the airport with you." Diego stuffed the rest of his breakfast into his mouth and Antonio pondered the prospect of spending over an hour in the car with his two teenaged children.

"He's only coming to make sure I really go" Eva said, sniffing back her tears.

"You know it" Diego replied.

"Hey sis."

Antonio had returned home from taking Eva to the airport just after midday to find his sister, niece and sons standing in the driveway. Gabby ushered the little kids onto the lawn out of the way and Antonio parked the car. He looked confused to see her.

"We're going to the park!" Gabriel yelled, answering the question that was on the tip of Antonio's tongue a little louder than necessary.

Gabby crouched down to zip up his jacket. "We are" She said laughing. She stood up. "How was this morning?"

Antonio shrugged. He was saved from having to speak by his oldest son coming up the path.

"Hi Aunt Gabby" Diego said. He waved and jogged up the front steps, letting himself into the house.

"Hey kiddo" Gabby called after him. She turned to her brother. "Sylvie asked if I could take the boys for a couple of hours, I don't think she's feeling too well." At the concerned look on Antonio's face, Gabby quickly set his mind at ease. "Don't worry, I think she's just exhausted."

Matteo had run at his father and wrapped himself round his legs. Antonio ruffled his hair. "Are you sure you don't mind?"

"Not at all. Ruby and I were heading to the park anyway, weren't we Chicken?"

In her stroller, the toddler squirmed at the sound of her name. "Hey Rubster" Antonio greeted his niece and offered his fist for the cutest little fist bump ever. Even though she wasn't yet two, Ruby understood and obliged, giggling at her uncle.

Gabby only rolled her eyes. "We'll be there for a while" she said to Antonio. "Come and find us if Sylvie's feeling better."

"We'll see" Antonio said, already wanting to head inside and check on his wife.

"We should go" Gabby said, half to Antonio and half to her nephews. She held out her hand to Matty and Antonio prized him away from his legs.

"Have fun" Antonio said. He stood on the driveway for a minute as he watched Gabby and the kids disappear down the street to the park.

Inside, he found Sylvie on the sofa with her eyes closed and Pixie curled up asleep on her lap. The kitten was purring loudly. Sylvie opened her eyes when she heard him approach, she hadn't been sleeping.

Antonio crouched in front of her, gently placing his hand on her knee. "Are you feeling ok? Gabby said…"

Sylvie nodded and touched Antonio's hand where it lay on her leg. "I'm fine. I just don't have the energy for the boys today. I feel a bit bad about palming them off on Gabby."

Antonio sat down on the couch. "Don't be silly. They're a handful, you're allowed a break once in a while."

Sylvie was reluctant to let go of her guilt. "The whole point was for me to spend as much time with them as possible while I still can."

"It's not like you won't ever see them when the baby's born."

Sylvie made a face like that was exactly what she had been thinking. "How did you and Laura make it work? When Diego came along?"

"I honestly don't know" Antonio said, before thinking too late that maybe that wasn't what Sylvie wanted to hear. It felt like a million years ago his oldest children were small "But we did. And we will make it work too. Please don't worry." He kissed Sylvie on the cheek.

"I'm sorry" Sylvie sat up a little straighter. "Enough about me. Did Eva get off ok?"

"Yes" he said, a touch of sadness in his voice. "She spent most of the car ride to the airport making me promise not to take Pixie to the shelter."

Sylvie laughed. "What did you tell her?"

"I told her you would kill me if I did."

Sylvie looked down at the sleeping cat. "She's right. I've grown quite attached to this fluff ball." She looked up at her husband. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"The cat?" Antonio was deliberately trying to avoid the question but Sylvie continued to look at him and after a second, he relented. "It was ok. I think. Ask me again in a couple of days. I think I'm still in denial. It's hard to accept that my little girl is now a grown woman and doesn't need me anymore."

Sylvie lay her head on Antonio's shoulder. "She'll always need you. A girl never stops needing her father."

"Can I get you anything? A glass of water? Something to eat?"

Sylvie took Antonio's questions as a sign their conversation about Eva was done, but instead of trying to get Antonio to talk some more, she simply smiled and place her hand on his chest. "No, I don't need anything. Just you." She nestled down deeper in Antonio's embrace and closed her eyes.

Antonio hugged Sylvie and was happy holding her in his arms, happy that he could focus on looking after her for a bit and not on his own complicated feelings about Eva leaving for school. His fingers interlinked with Sylvie's and he closed his eyes.

It seemed as though an hour of peace and quiet and a quick snooze on the sofa was all Sylvie really needed. She was feeling a lot better, but she suspected that her new-found peacefulness wouldn't last long.

She walked hand in hand with Antonio slowly, knowing that when they reached their destination there would be chaos. Part of her wanted to keep walking past the playground and spend the rest of the afternoon lying in the shade of the trees with her husband. But the other part of her wanted to be with her children, and after letting Eva go this morning, she knew Antonio needed it too. Even if he wouldn't say it.

"This is nice" Sylvie said, smiling up at Antonio as they walked. "I think I'll try and get outside more while the weather's still good. Take the boys to the lake, maybe next week. Before I'm too big to get off the couch, anyway."

Antonio kissed her temple. "Sounds amazing. I wish I could play hooky from work and join you but someone needs to pay the mortgage." Sylvie hit him on the arm for that, but his padded leather jacket took the brunt of the force.

They weren't the only family in the neighbourhood who were making the most of the weather. Before the playground was in sight Sylvie could hear excited shouts and laughter from the kids on the swings and jungle gym.

Antonio unlatched the gate and the hinges squeaked as he pushed it open and held it for Sylvie to walk through. She gave him and exaggerated nod of thanks for his chivalry as she passed and he bowed in response. Sylvie laughed.

She scanned the playground for Gabby, Ruby and the twins. She was too busy looking that she didn't notice the tiny person running towards her until they collided with her legs and made her jump. She stared down and expected to see one of her boys but was surprised to see the child that had run into her was smaller and blonde and wearing a pink coat. It was little Lottie. A different twin.

"Hey there" Sylvie said, surprised.

The little girl grinned up at her. "Hi!"

"Hi Sylvie" Naomi smiled apologetically as she approached. "Sorry about that, she got away from me."

"Not a problem at all." Sylvie crouched down to Lottie's level. "Hi sweetie, you good?" She nodded bashfully, then turned back to her Mom. Sylvie stood up slowly. "Where's Jessie?"

Naomi laughed, scooping up her daughter. "One guess."

That's when Sylvie spotted her boys chasing each other around the base of the climbing frame, with Jessie hot on their heels. Sylvie looked on with amusement for a minute then turned to Antonio. "Your sons are already a hit with the ladies" she said, grinning.

Antonio responded with a smirk and a shrug. "They're Dawsons, what can I say?"

Jessie caught up to Gabe and threw her arms around him. He was surprisingly tolerant with her. Perhaps this toddler crush wasn't so one sided after all.

"You look really great Sylvie" Naomi said beaming. "How are you feeling? How's the baby?"

Sylvie smiled at the girl's concern. Sylvie put her hand on her bump. "Growing rapidly. I feel ok. Most of the time. You know…"

Naomi nodded. "Is it a lot different to having twins?" she asked, curious. Then quickly added "not that I'm planning on any more. Ever." She looked at Lottie who had a fistful of Naomi's hair and was tugging it gently for her own amusement.

"Not yet" Sylvie said. "But I'm sure it will be easier the later in my pregnancy I get. I'll keep you posted."

They found Gabby sitting on a swing with Ruby in her lap. The motion was sending the little one to sleep. Gabby was watching the twins so intently that she didn't immediately see Sylvie and Antonio approach, but when she did she smiled and stood up from the swing. "Are you feeling better?" she asked Sylvie, shifting Ruby to her hip. Ruby opened her eyes, perturbed at being disturbed, and buried her face in Gabby's shirt.

"Yes, I am. Thank you. I hope the boys haven't been any trouble."

"Oh no" Gabby said, exchanging a glance with Naomi. "Good as gold."

"That doesn't sound like my kids" Antonio said, looking at his sister with scepticism.

"Well, there was a minor scuffle over who would go down the slide first but nothing I couldn't handle."

"Have you two met before?" Sylvie asked Gabby and Naomi. She chose to ignore the news that her kids had been fighting.

"No" Gabby confirmed. "But the girls saw the boys and practically flew out of their stroller to go and play, they clearly knew each other. We started talking."

"What are you doing all the way over here anyway?" Sylvie asked. Naomi didn't live or work in this neighbourhood.

"Actually, I had a study date with my friend, she has an apartment a few blocks away. I had to bring the twins, my sitter pulled out last minute. They were getting restless cooped up inside all morning, and I was too. We all needed some fresh air."

Matty and Gabe spotted their parents and charged over, Jessie following in their wake. Matty reached them first and Antonio lifted him off the ground.

"Me too Daddy" Gabe protested, and Antonio picked him up as well.

"God, you guys are getting too heavy for this" Antonio protested with a groan, but he wasn't really complaining. Very few things in life made Antonio happier than holding his two young sons. And after seeing his eldest child leave for college that morning, Antonio was savouring this moment more than ever.

"I climbed aaaaall the way to the top today" Gabe was saying, reaching up to the sky with both arms to emphasis just how tall the climbing frame was. Antonio held him tighter so he wouldn't fall.

"That's awesome buddy, good job."

"And I ran really really fast around the whole park" Matty said, not wishing to be outdone by his brother. He looked from Antonio to Sylvie, wanting recognition for his own small achievement. Sylvie put up her and for a high five and Matteo obliged with enthusiasm.

"It's great you could come out, it's such a gorgeous day" Gabby said. She studied her brother, trying to gauge his mood after this morning. Antonio caught her eye and saw the look of concern on her face.

Sylvie noticed the exchange. "Why don't you guys show me how good you are at climbing?" Sylvie said to her sons. Antonio took the hint and lowered them to the ground. Sylvie took Matteo's hand but Gabriel ran on ahead and was already half way up the climbing frame by the time they reached him.

"I should get going" Naomi said, "I still have so much work to do."

"You don't have to leave" Antonio said, feeling bad. "Honestly. Why don't you stay a while?"

Naomi smiled gratefully, feeling slightly awkward. "Thank you, Mr Dawson. But I should get back to studying, I've already been out here longer than I intended. It was great to see you all." She lead her girls back to where the stroller was parked by the bench and Antonio and Gabby watched her go.

Gabby shifted Ruby onto her other hip. "She'd a sweet kid" Gabby said. "She was telling me some of what she's been through, I can't imagine."

Antonio nodded. "I don't know how she does it on her own. Sylvie's really helped her but she was strong to begin with. I think just knowing someone has her back is all the help she needed."

"Once Brett's decided someone's worth her time they have her loyalty for life." Gabby paused. "Hey, I didn't have a chance to ask you how you were feeling earlier." She reached out and touched Antonio's shoulder.

Antonio accepted the comforting gesture and smiled sadly. "It will be weird not having Eva around. I'll miss her, of course I will. But I'm so proud of her."

"She'll be amazing, she'll get straight A's, you wait." Gabby smirked. "At least one Dawson has to, right?" Antonio was about to protest, but in the end, he had to admit Gabby was right. The Dawson siblings had many great qualities, but academic excellence had never been one of them.

From dozing only moments ago, Ruby was now wide awake. She struggled in her mother's arms, wanting to be put down. She could see her cousins on the monkey bars over Gabby's shoulder and didn't want to miss out.

"Daddy look!" Gabriel squealed as he saw his father approach. He hung upside-down from the bars and waved enthusiastically.

"Jesus." Sylvie looked away from Matteo at the top of the slide and clutched her chest when she saw Gabe's stunt. "That kid will give me a heart attack." Antonio laughed though he knew he shouldn't and put his arm around his wife.

"Gabe, be careful. Hold on tight."

Ruby was still begging to join in. She reached her little arms up and Gabby had to struggle to stop her falling. "Oh no missy, don't you go getting any ideas."

Sylvie sighed. "Ok, it's time to go" she decided, clapping her hands. "Who wants a milkshake?"

Matteo reached the bottom of the slide bounded up to his mother nodding emphatically. "Me!"

Sylvie saw Naomi approach, Lottie and Jessie strapped safely into their stroller. "You're leaving? We were just about to go for shakes. Before someone falls and breaks a bone." She glanced quickly at Gabriel, showing no signs of coming down. Even the lure of a milkshake not enough to curb his jungle adventure.

"Yeah, I have so much schoolwork to do."

Sylvie put her free arm, the one that Matty wasn't hanging off, around Naomi's shoulders. "Come on, I haven't seen you in weeks and you need a break."

Naomi shook her head. "This was my break."

"My treat?" Sylvie put her head to the side and looked hard at Naomi. "I can be very persuasive you know."

Antonio stood up from helping Gabby buckle a protesting Ruby into her own stroller. "I can vouch for that."

Naomi sighed. "Fine. But thirty minutes, that's all."

Sylvie nodded in triumph. The party was ready to leave the park. All but one.

"Come on monkey." Sylvie stood beneath one end of the climbing frame, her wannabe gymnast son still swinging from the other. "It's time to go, do you want to get down?" Sylvie waited a moment but Gabe shook his head, cheekily. "Now, Gabe" Sylvie said, her hands on her hips. The time for negotiating was over. Gabe kicked his legs up one more time and dropped the four feet to the ground, landing in the wood chippings on all fours like a cat. Sylvie closed her eyes, expecting the worst, but he bounced up unharmed with a proud grin on his face.

"When I said 'now', that's not what I meant" Sylvie said, exasperated, but she was talking to herself. Gabe had already run to join everyone else by the gate, leaving Sylvie to traipse after him. She put her hand on her stomach and talked to the baby. "I hope you're less trouble than your brothers" she whispered. "Those kids drive me crazy."

"Everything alright?" Antonio said, equal amounts of concern and amusement in his voice. He looped an arm around Sylvie's waist and she leaned into him, not saying a word. "Let's get out of here."

The diner they'd all ended up in wasn't any calmer than the playground had been, but at least there was nothing for Gabe to swing on or fall from. Ten minutes into their stay Sylvie was beginning to regret the milkshake idea. None of the kids needed to get any more hyper than they were already. But now that the twins were slumped on the couch watching a movie, the sugar crash very much in progress, she had decided that perhaps it was a good idea after all. They'd said goodbye to Gabby and Naomi and the girls at the diner and strolled home, in no rush at all.

At the kitchen table, Antonio had his hands around a mug of coffee and was blowing on it gently to cool it. Diego leaned against the breakfast bar slurping from the large oreo milkshake they'd brought back for him, knowing the protest that would have occurred if he found out they went for shakes without him. Sylvie sipped her tea, enjoying the quiet.

"I'll cook tonight" Diego announced. Antonio looked at him in surprise. "I want to surprise Liv on her birthday with a meal, I need to practice."

"I get it, we're the guinea pigs yes?"

"Yes" Diego confirmed. "I thought I'd make Pollo Guisado."

"Nice." Antonio nodded his approval at Diego's choice of a traditional Dominican dish.

"Abeula gave me her recipe but said she didn't have the patience to teach me to make it."

Antonio laughed. That sounded like his mother. "It was actually my Abuela's recipe" Antonio said. "Whenever me and your aunt Gabby would go and visit the whole house always smelled of home cooking. Man, I'm hungry already, this better be good."

Diego smiled bashfully. "Don't get your hopes up, it's will probably be nothing like it's supposed to."

Antonio left his coffee on the table and stood up. "That's why you practice." He clapped his hand on his son's shoulder. "Do you need a sous chef?"

"Sure. I've got all the ingredients, if I start now it should be ready at dinner time."

Sylvie left them to it and wandered with her tea through to the living room. Matteo was sprawled on the rug asleep and Gabriel was stretched out on one sofa. Sylvie put her cup on the table and sat down. Gabe crawled to her in his semi-conscious state and rested his head in her lap before settling down again. Sylvie stroked his hair and found her own eyes drifting closed. The day had been as exhausting for her as it had for the children. She could hear the clatter of pans and the banter between Antonio and Diego as they tried to fathom out the recipe between them and the gentle snoring of her son I her lap and was happy.

Their family was changing. Eva had left and pretty soon there'd be a new baby to join them, but the one thing that didn't change was the way Sylvie felt about them and how comfortable and content Sylvie felt when she was home surrounded by the people she loves.