Ava watched as the ball rolled down the lane. "Ah it's going to be good," Ryan watched the ball as it knocked down 8 of the 10 pins. "Nice shot."

"Yeah. Not bad," Ava mumbled as she picked up another ball from the runner, a smirk forming on her face. She rolled it down the lane, the ball going perfectly in between the two pins, knocking them both down. "Yes," Ava pumped her fist as she looked up to the score board. She was way out in front, her score already almost double of Ryan's. She walked across to the table and took a drink of her mountain dew. "Let's see if you can do better this time." Ava gave a cheeky grin.

"I'd do better if you let me use the bumper lanes." Ryan muttered as he picked up a bowling ball.

"No," Ava shook her head. "That's cheating."

"It's not cheating," Ryan protested. "They are there to help."

"Yeah for like 5 year olds," Ava retorted. "You are just pouting because you suck at this and you are getting beat. Like really badly."

Ryan frowned. "I'd be better if you let me use the bumper lanes." Ryan said again.

"Oh stop pouting and take your shot." Ava said, Ryan doing as he was told and rolling the ball down the lane, the ball quickly veering to the left, and only managing to knock down 2 pins. His second shot was even worse, the ball falling into the gutter about half way down the lane.

"Ah man I suck at this," Ryan pouted some more as he walked over to the table and took a drink of his cola. "Bowling is definitely not going to be our Sunday date day thing." Ryan said. Ava widened her eyes as she looked at Ryan.

"Sunday date day?" Ava questioned.

"Yeah. Like every Sunday we'll go out on a date. Find a thing we like to do together and do it." Ryan told her, giving her a little smile.

"I got the concept of Sunday date day," Ava told him. "I just didn't know if this was actually a date or if we were just hanging out as friends," Ava exhaled. She wanted to know what was going on between the two of them. Or, what Ryan thought this was. "I know we hang out a lot more without Izzy and Lily now, but it just feels very much like we are just two friends hanging out."

"I'd like it to be a date," Ryan spoke shyly. "If that's okay with you?"

Ava felt herself smiling. "Yeah. It's fine with me."

Ryan smiled shyly. "I uh….good," Ryan stepped a little closer to Ava. He liked her. He really did like her, but he felt kind of nervous. This was the first time he'd been on dates and the first time he ever really felt like he liked someone as more than just a friend. He knew they were just getting together, but the thought of being intimate was something he definitely wasn't ready for. "But I….I wouldn't be ready for…you know….uhm…." Ryan rubbed the back of his head. Ava looked into his blue eyes, that normally sparkled, but right now, looked rather worried.

"Ryan, it's not like because we are going to start dating we need to start being intimate right away." Ava told him.

Ryan gave a sigh of relief. "Good. Obviously I want to one day but I just don't feel ready for all that and you are so experienced and I worry that just kissing wouldn't be enough."

"I've been with one guy." Ava told him, sounding a little offended.

"What about Kyle?" Ryan questioned.

"I don't think we did anything," Ava replied. "I know there was a few times where we'd skip school and get drunk at his place but I….I can't be sure I guess, but I don't remember ever sleeping with him," Ava told Ryan. "Is it that hard to believe that someone like Kyle could just be lying to cause trouble?"

"I suppose not." Ryan answered.

"And to be honest, I actually rather we didn't rush into anything. I…." Ava took a deep breath. "I rushed into it with Jared because it was what he wanted and then look what happened there," Ava pursed her lips, looking downwards, her hand brushing over her stomach. "I'm okay to wait. I'd rather we waited too."

Ryan smiled as she stepped closer yet to Ava, his arm wrapping around her, his hand resting on her back as he pulled her against him. "Okay. Well at least we are on the same page," Ryan smiled. He felt his heart beating a little faster as he looked down at Ava's lips. He slowly leaned down and placed a quick, soft kiss on her lips. He pulled back for a moment, looking into Ava's deep, brown eyes. He lightly caressed her cheek with his hand before he leaned in for another kiss, Ava putting her hands on his arms, this kiss lasting a little longer. Ryan cleared his throat as he pulled back, both of them with smiles on their faces. "So, we should get back to the game, huh?"

"Sure." Ava nodded as she pulled away from Ryan. She walked over to pick up a ball to take her shot, a smile forming on her face as it looked like things were finally getting started with her and Ryan.


Maggie walked into Alex's room. Alex was sitting on the bed, eating her lunch, or at least, picking at it. She wasn't a fan of the hospital food, but it was all she'd get for the next couple days at least. "Hey," Maggie smiled at her wife. "Thought I'd come and give you some company."

"I'm okay," Alex replied. "You should be with Hayden. Please, I don't like the idea of her being on her own."

"I okayed it for Kara to be with her without us being there," Maggie said as she sat down on the chair next to the bed. "Is that okay?" Maggie wondered if she should have done that without Alex's permission.

"Yes of course," Alex gave a little smile, glad that Hayden wasn't alone. "You are her Mama. You get to make choices just the same as I do," Alex said, her hand going onto Maggie's arm, rubbing it softly. Maggie smiled weakly, looking downwards. "Sweetie," Alex exhaled lightly. "You want to talk about it?" Alex knew there was something on Maggie's mind. She knew already that she was struggling with Hayden being born early and being in the NICU.

Maggie sucked in her bottom lip as she looked up at her wife. "She's just so tiny," Maggie spoke quietly. "I want to hold her, of course I do, but she's just so tiny and fragile and vulnerable and it scares me because I…" Maggie trailed off, taking a deep breath. "I don't want to hurt her."

"I know it's scary," Alex told her, her hand rubbing Maggie's arm again. "And I know that she is small, and fragile and she's vulnerable, but she's also our baby girl," Alex spoke softly, comfort in her tone. "She'll be tougher than you think too."

"Yeah?" Maggie murmured. "I don't even know how to hold a baby, never mind a preemie with all her wires and stuff. What if I pull something off?"

"You won't," Alex shook her head. "The nurses and doctors are there to help with all that," Alex assured her. "Babe, it's important that you start bonding with Hayden right away. She needs a cuddle from her Mama."

"I want to give her a cuddle, of course I do," Maggie admitted, taking a deep breath. "I have this fear that I am going to hurt her because I am holding her the wrong way."

"Look, the nurses or doctors are going to put her in your arms until you feel comfortable enough with picking her up yourself. They are going to lay her how she should be. All you gotta do is hold her," Alex assured her. "It will come naturally, and it'll get easier the more you hold her, and you'll be more comfortable in time," Alex wasn't worried to much just yet. It wasn't like Hayden was weeks old and Maggie still hadn't held her. She was only about 8 hours old. "I was nervous and anxious about holding her too but as soon as Dr Lawson placed her in my arms, I was….I can't describe the feeling." Alex shook her head.

"But it's different for you," Maggie spoke quietly. "She's biologically yours. That connection, that bond, it's already there and I….what if she knows I'm not her real Mum and she doesn't like me?" Maggie's eyes glossed over with tears.

"Hey, sweetie, no," Alex got out of the bed and bent down in front of her wife, her hands rubbing her thighs. "You are as much of a Mum to Hayden than I will ever be. We are both going to be on that birth certificate. We are signing the papers to make her legally your daughter. She is your baby girl," Alex assured her. "And surely Emmi goes to show that biology doesn't matter. The way you are with her and the way she looks back at you," Alex welled up, thinking about the bond that Emmi and Maggie had. "We both love that little girl more than anything, right?"

"Mmm." Maggie nodded her head. She did love Emmi more than she ever thought would be possible.

"So, if you can form that sort of bond with a child we adopted when she was 5-years-old, then with a baby from birth?" Alex brought her hand up and lightly rubbed Maggie's cheek. "Hayden knows you are her Mama," Alex spoke softly. "You spoke to her all time when she was in my belly," Alex said. "You were always feeling for her and she'd kick when you spoke. She always reacted most to your voice and your touch," Alex told her, rubbing her cheek again. "Sweetie, you will bond with Hayden. Don't be scared to try because it is going to be fine. You'll be an amazing Mama to our baby."

Maggie took a deep breath. "You'll be there, right?" Maggie questioned. "You'll be there to make sure I'm doing it right and that Hayden is okay?"

"Sure I will," Alex nodded lightly. "We'll always be there for each other. We'll get through raising Hayden together, yeah?"

"Yeah." Maggie nodded, pursing her lips.

"Okay, so, how about I finish my lunch then we'll go back to the NICU and we can have some time, just me and you with the little one, yeah?" Alex questioned. "There's no pressure for you to hold her right away either," Alex wanted to make sure Maggie did this when she felt ready and not because she felt like she had to or was pressured into it. "We can start by you just giving her arm a little stroke or something like that. Get comfortable touching her then work up to holding her."

"Sounds good." Maggie gave her wife an appreciative smile. She wanted to hold Hayden, of course did, but she couldn't help the feelings of uncertainty. She took a deep breath, knowing that with Alex's support, she'd be able to begin bonding with their little girl.


Alex was doing kangaroo care with Hayden. They had a little blanket covering them, providing Hayden with some warmth and also Alex with a little more privacy. Alex saw the curtain moving and saw Maggie arriving back, Emmi with her. They'd gone for dinner with Kara and Eliza, but where now back to see Alex and Hayden again. "Mum," Emmi gasped. "Hayden Grace is out of her incubator." Emmi leaned down close to look at Hayden as she was lying against Alex's chest.

"Yeah she's getting a little cuddle time." Alex smiled at her daughter before looking up to Maggie. Maggie bent down and looked at her youngest daughter, her hand going to the shoulders of her eldest.

Maggie eyes widened. "She's in a hat. Why does she have a hat on?" Maggie's eyes were stuck on the little pink hat Hayden now had on.

"She's okay," Alex said. "Her temperature just dropped a little. But she got the hat on and she's all good now." Alex tried to sound reassuring, so Maggie wouldn't freak out too much.

"You're sure?" Maggie questioned.

"Yeah," Alex told her. "We can get the doctor back and let her explain, if it'll make you feel better?"

"Oooh Mr Neil?" Emmi questioned.

"No sweetie, he's finished his shift. It's a different doctor now," Alex answered, her hand very gently rubbing Hayden's back as she held her. Emmi pouted. She liked Dr Lawson. "Uhm, Dr Munroe, I think she's called. Uh, you wanna call for her?"

"No, it's okay," Maggie spoke quietly, looking down to Hayden again. She took a deep breath as she very gently – and slowly – brought her hand down and lightly touched the top of Hayden's arm that wasn't covered by the blanket. She smiled lightly and rubbed her again. "Hey, I think she's opening her eyes," Maggie said, looking up to Alex with a grin. "Or has she done that already when I was gone?"

"No," Alex shook her head lightly, a smile on her face as she leaned her head down to the side to see Hayden's face better. "You saying hello Jelly girl?"

"I told you they'd be brown," Maggie felt herself choking up as she gazed down into Hayden's dark eyes. "Hey, sweet girl." Maggie's voice broke as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Mama, why are you crying?" Emmi questioned. "It is not a good thing that Hayden Grace has opened her eyes?" Emmi wondered.

"Yeah, yeah it is sweetie," Maggie sniffed back as she wiped her hand over her cheek. "Sometimes people cry when good things happen," Maggie looked at Hayden again, her brown eyes still open. "Hey Hayden," Maggie smiled as she looked at her little daughter. Hayden's eyes stopped moving, like she had focused on Maggie. "I'm Mama," Maggie spoke softly, her hand gently stroking Hayden again. Hayden closed her eyes for a moment, before opening them again. "You have such beautiful eyes, Jelly girl, you do." Maggie smiled as she looked to Alex, who was smiling down at her.

"Mum," Emmi patted Alex's arm, to get her attention. Alex looked to her eldest daughter. "We went to BurgerFuel for dinner and I got a chicken burger, fries and a strawberry milkshake." Emmi grinned.

"Ah wow," Alex widened her eyes. "And I was stuck here with horrible hospital food." Alex scrunched her face up and Emmi gave a little giggle.

"We can go when you and Hayden Grace get out of hospital. It will be soon, yeah?" Emmi wondered.

"Well," Alex bit her lip. "I'll probably get to go home in a few days time," Alex said. She knew nowadays new mums and babies usually got out pretty quickly, but because of Hayden being in the NICU, Alex was allowed to stay a little longer to be closer to her baby. "But Hayden is probably going to have to stay a little longer."

"Oh," Emmi pouted sadly. "But I want her to come and see the room that me and Mama did for her." Emmi said, her eyes looking down to Hayden who still looked like she was staring directly at Maggie.

"She'll see it sweetie," Alex wanted to move her hand, so she could rub Emmi's arm, but she was afraid to change her grip on Hayden. She glanced at Maggie then looked to Emmi again. Maggie put her hand back on Emmi's shoulder, rubbing it gently. "One day you can give her a little tour of the whole house, huh?"

"Yeah," Emmi grinned, clearly liking the idea. "I will show you everywhere, Hayden Grace." Emmi smiled down at her little sister before stepping back in fright as a beep came from one of her monitors.

She'd stepped back onto Maggie's foot, but Maggie didn't care about that right now. She was just more worried about why one of Hayden's monitors had beeped. "Alex, what is that?" Maggie's eyes were wide with panic.

"I don't know." Alex tried her best not to freak out because she was holding Hayden. It wasn't long before a nurse appeared from behind the curtain. She looked to the monitor before looking to the very distressed parents and frightened big sister.

"Nothing to worry about," The nurse looked rather calm. "We know the different sounds of the beeps. It was her pulse oximeter. That beep just meant that it had moved," The nurse looked down to Hayden. "She must have just slightly moved her hand or foot." The nurse didn't sound panicked at all, which put Alex at ease, although Maggie still looked a little worried.

"You are really sure?" Maggie questioned, Emmi looking rather scared as she leaned back against her Mama.

"Positive." The nurse assured her.

"Thank you for letting us know." Alex smiled at her. She knew the next few weeks weren't going to be easy, so she was glad the staff were all so lovely and were able to keep them calm and at ease.

The nurse smiled again before she looked to her nurses watch that was attached to her uniform. "That's actually the half hour up, I'm afraid." The nurse told her. Alex looked disappointed, but she knew for now Hayden needed to be under the bili lights to help get rid of her jaundice. The nurse removed the blanket before she lifted Hayden from Alex. As the nurse got Hayden back into the incubator, Alex put her vest top back on, then stood up from the chair so she could see Hayden better. Emmi walked across to Alex and hugged her side on, Alex putting her hand on Emmi's back and rubbing it gently.

"Uh….Miss Nurse?" Emmi questioned quietly.

"Yes?" The nurse looked down to Emmi. "And you can call me Penny."

"Well, Miss Penny," Emmi exhaled. "Can I bring another hat from home for Hayden Grace or does she just have to have that one?"

"You can bring her a hat from home," Penny smiled as Emmi did. "We'll wash it here first but then she can put it on," Penny told her. "You can even put it on her if you wanted. Or help one of your Mama's."

Emmi looked a little panicked at the idea as she shook her head. "Mummy will do it." Emmi said, looking up to Alex.

"Okay, well you bring her any hat you'd like, and we'll get it washed and put on her okay?" Penny said, and Emmi nodded.

"I'll be back to check on her later. Maybe you can get the next hold." Penny said as she glanced over to Maggie. Maggie looked a little unsure but nodded at Penny as she walked away. Maggie walked closer to the incubator, next to Alex and Emmi.

"You know this is the first time it's just been the four of us together," Alex noted as she wrapped her arm around Maggie, Emmi in-between them. "We should have got the nurse to take our first family photo."

"Yeah," Maggie agreed. "We can ask the next time she comes by to check on her vitals." Maggie murmured. She was watching, seeing that Hayden had closed her eyes again now she was back under the bright lights. She took a deep breath as she glanced at her wife, before looking back to Hayden. She opened the latch on the side of the incubator, bringing it down, creating the hole for her to put her hand through. She tentatively put her hand in and very gently, ran her finger over Hayden's arm. Hayden's eyes opened for a moment before they closed again under the lights.

"See," Alex spoke quietly. "She knows when it's her Mama." Alex said, before leaning to the side, placing a soft kiss on Maggie's cheek.


"And they all lived happily ever after," Eliza closed the book she'd been reading to Emmi. "The end." Eliza added as she put the book down on the bed side table.

"That was a good one," Emmi smiled. She'd heard the story about a hundred times she clearly still loved it. "Goodnight Grandma." Emmi yawned.

"Goodnight darling." Eliza leaned down and gave her a kiss.

"Do I get to go to the hospital again tomorrow?" Emmi wondered. "Because I said I'd take a hat for Hayden Grace. I want to take her the lilac coloured one with the purple hearts on it."

"Yeah, I'll take you after school and make sure I've got the hat, okay?" Eliza told her.

"I need to go to school?" Emmi frowned. "I want to go to the hospital all day." Emmi gave a little pout, clearly not liking her grandma's rules.

"Hey, it's the last week of school then you are off for the whole summer," Eliza told her. "Plenty time to be with Hayden then, yeah?"

"Hmm." Emmi still didn't look pleased about school.

"You can tell Jake and Summer about Hayden. And your teacher, Miss Taylor." Eliza suggested.

"Yeah I can," This seemed to cheer Emmi up a little. She gave another yawn before she looked to the side to the picture of her Ma and Pa that sat on her bed side table. "Goodnight," Emmi leaned forward and kissed the picture before she leaned up, wanting another kiss from Eliza. "See you tomorrow Grandma. I love you."

"I love you too, darling," Eliza gave her one final kiss before tucking her in tight, like Emmi liked it. She put the side light on then got up to her feet and walked across the room, flicking off the main light. She closed the door to about halfway. She walked down the hall and down the stairs, going over to the door to the basement. She walked down and knocked on the wall at the bottom of the stairs. "Ava," Eliza called out as she walked across the small living area and waited at the door to the bedroom. Ava looked up from her bed, and Eliza could see it looked like she'd been crying. "Hey, what's wrong?" Eliza asked. "Things not go well with Ryan today?"

"It was great," Ava responded as she sat up more on her bed, wiping her hand across her face. "We decided we wanted to date each other so I guess, well we're together."

Eliza pursed her lips as he saw the scan picture in Ava's hand. "Can I?" Eliza pointed to the bed and Ava nodded. Eliza walked over and sat herself on the edge of the bed, Ava moving closer to her. "It's okay to be upset. To let it out."

Ava ran her thumb over her scan picture. "I had a feeling it was going to be a boy," Ava opened up to Eliza. She'd not said this to anyone. None of her friends, not Alex, not Maggie, not Jenny the therapist. "I was going to call him Valen," Ava said, looking up to Eliza. "My Mum was Valentina so it would be a way of honouring her. Valen Martinez," Ava took a deep breath. "But Oscar, he…he took him away from me and now I'm going to get all this money one day and it's his money and I…" Ava trailed off, shaking her head. "I just want my baby." Ava's voice broke as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Oh sweetheart," Eliza enveloped Ava in an embrace, holding her as she finally cried some tears for her loss. "I know it's hard but it's good to let it out. You'll feel better, I promise you."

"But if I cry and grieve for him then there will be nothing left. It really will just be a loss." Ava's voice was muffled against Eliza's chest.

"You will always remember that baby," Eliza told her. "And you can plant a flower in the back garden in its memory," Eliza suggested. She was pretty sure Alex and Maggie had already suggested this to her and Ava had shot the idea down, but maybe that was because she wasn't ready to deal with it. "Or get a necklace or bracelet with some sort of pendant in the baby's memory," Eliza added to her suggestion. "And talking. Talking always helps."

"Yeah, I'm beginning to realise that from my sessions with Jenny," Ava pulled back from the embrace. "Sorry to put this on you. You're probably dealing with enough with the baby being born early and everything. Are her and Alex okay?"

"She's doing good for a 32 weeker," Eliza answered. "Uh they called her Hayden Grace."

"That's really nice," Ava managed a weak smile. "And Alex is doing okay?"

"Well, she's blaming herself but she's coping. And she has Maggie and she is just so wonderful and calming for her. And Alex for Maggie. They're great for each other," Eliza gave a little smile. "You okay? You want to talk some more?" Eliza questioned. She didn't want to push more out of Ava if she wasn't ready, but she wanted her to know she was there for her if she needed her. It had been 10 weeks since the miscarriage now and Eliza was worried that Ava was keeping it all in for too long but of course knew everyone grieved in their own time and way so it would come when Ava was ready.

"I'm okay." Ava swallowed a lump in her throat as she wiped her hand across her face.

"Well how about you come and join me up the stairs and we'll do ice-cream and a Netflix movie. Any one that you want." Eliza told her.

Ava gave a little nod. "Yeah, sounds good," Ava looked to the scan picture for a moment before she leaned across the bed and put it into the top drawer of her bed side table. She jumped off the bed and looked to Eliza as she stood up. "Hope you are ready for some trashy teenage romance drama." Ava grinned.

Eliza gave a little laugh. "Oh, I can't wait." Eliza murmured as they left Ava's bedroom and walked up the stairs. Ava walked into the living room to get a movie picked on Netflix and Eliza went into the kitchen to get the ice-cream and drinks to enjoy with the movie.


As always, thanks for the reviews. Thoughts on this one? :)