"So your parents are coming in today for Jude's birthday and you are going to pick them up?" Stef confirmed with her wife.

"That's the plan. Mike has Brandon for the day and I am dropping off Callie at Lilly's house on the way. That just leaves me with the twins and Jude. That is doable for the airport by myself I think."

"Do you have a leash for our little boy?" Stef asked with a smirk.

"Of course not! I hate it is when I see parents attach something to their kids like that. They are children, not animals. Jesus will be fine. I will put Jude on one side and hold his hand with my free one. Mariana will stay with me. Besides, my parents haven't even met the twins in person yet."

"You are right. It sounds like you have it all under control." Stef kissed her wife and then wrapped her arms around bringing her into an embrace.

Lena pulled away. "There is not time to start that right now, Babe. Later. Now, you have to leave for work and I need to make everyone presentable as Mike will be here soon."

Stef took a deep breath. "You are right. I will get the kids up and get the bigger ones on the path of getting themselves ready. You want the twins in the clothes you bought for them yesterday, right?"

"Yes. They only get one first impression with my parents. It would be great if Brandon and Callie looked a little nicer than sometimes also. In fact if you could pick out something for each of them that sort of coordinates with the twins it would be perfect." Lena said picked out her own clothing for the day.

"I can do that. I better get moving though if I am going to get that done before work." Stef walked into the nursery where Jude was already awake, but happily playing with his toes. "Good morning, Little Man! Let's get your diaper changed and put you in something perfect for today."

"Mama!" Jude babbled pulling himself up and reaching for Stef.

"Close, I am Mommy. I think you will get it eventually. Everyone else has." Stef quickly changed his diaper and then started looking for clothes. "We are looking for something for you that is sort of a bright green. I think I remember you having a shirt that color. What do you think?"

"Mama!" Jude said again smiling and glad to be out of his warm pajamas in the cool morning air.

Lena walked in. "Oh, I got him something that matched Jesus. It is still downstairs in the bag. I will go ahead and take him in just is diaper. It will work better for his breakfast anyway."

Jude was eating solid foods most of the time now. From experience both mothers knew that it was easier to clean him up if he didn't get the food all over his clothing. "Good point. Here you go." Stef said handing off her baby.

"Mama!" Jude proudly said again and received a kiss from Lena.

"Yes, I am Mama! And you are my little Jude who is going to be one in just two days." Lena cooed back at him.

Stef walked into the boys' room and turned on the light. Jesus stuck his pillow over his head. "Good morning, Buddy!" Stef said removing his pillow and kissing his head. "I am leaving for work, but Mama wants you get up and put on your new clothes."

Brandon sat up a little. "I don't think I have new clothes, Mommy."

"No, you don't, but we are going to find something in your closet that will match. Go to the bathroom and when you come back I will have the outfit ready for you." Brandon hopped onto Jesus' bed on his way down disturbing the younger boy who was still sleep. "Get up, Buddy." Stef tried again gently. "Today you are going to the airport with Mama to meet Grams and Gramps in person. It is a big day."

Jesus sat up and Stef called that a victory. She went over to the closet and found Brandon something he could wear. He ran back in the room and she handed it to him. "Thanks, Mommy!"

Stef kissed his head before walking into the girls' room. She turned on the lights in there also. "Good morning, princesses."

Callie sat up squinting a little. "I don't think it is morning yet. I want to sleep more."

"You are going to play with Lilly this morning, Bug, remember? Then Mama is going to pick you up with Gram later?"

"Oh yeah!" Callie exclaimed jumping out of bed and into Stef's waiting arms. Stef gave her a kiss before putting her back down.

"I get to pick out your clothes for today. While you are playing with Lilly, try not to get dirty."

"Okay, Mommy, but I don't want to wear tights, please. It is too hot. And I don't want to wear a bow in my hair or a dress." Callie directed. "And I don't-"

"I am picking, remember? I don't ever make you wear tights and I don't think I am going to put you in a dress either. As for the bow, Mama is doing your hair. Tell her."

Callie walked through the door leading to the bathroom while Stef went to get Mariana up. "Good morning, Miss Thing. It is time to get up." Stef said as she kissed the girl on the head.

Mariana smiled a little and blinked several times. "Good morning, Mommy." She said with a little yawn.

"Mama wants you to put on your new clothes that you bought with her yesterday."

Mariana smiled bigger. "I want my sparkly shoes, too."

"That will work for me." Stef then smiled thinking how different her little girls thought. "I bet Grams will take you to get your nails done pretty after she gets here, too. She loves that kind of thing."

Mariana got up and started changing into her new clothes. Stef looked in the closet and found shorts and a nicer shirt that would work for Callie. She laid them on the bed and went to check on the still sleeping Jesus.

"Good morning again, Buddy. It really is time to get up." Jesus rubbed his eyes and yawned. His medication had slowed him down enough to sleep and by balancing his system they found he was not a morning person. "Go use my bathroom and then come back here and get dressed."

Stef walked down the stairs to Lena who was busy making scrambled eggs for the family. "I made you a few eggs first since I know you really don't like them this way." Lena said showing Stef a plate of fried eggs.

"Thank you, wife!" Stef said kissing Lena again. "The kids are up and moving. Callie doesn't want a bow in her hair, but I think Mariana would wear two… Jesus is moving slowly so far this morning, but he is up." Stef stopped talking to eat her eggs.

"Did you tell Callie that Grams and I would pick her up? I think we will come get her before lunch. It would be best if we didn't have a cranky Callie all evening because she didn't get a good nap."

"I told her. She is excited about playing with Lily as well as seeing your parents. I also reminded her to try to stay clean. Karen is usually pretty good about that, though." Stef took another bite and then remembered something else. "Karen told me yesterday that they have a bag of clothing to pass down to us. It has some things for Callie and some things for Jude. It seems that Ms. Lily has finally been on a good growth spurt."

"I will see if we can pick those up on the way back since I need the trunk space for my parents' luggage." Lena looked at her phone. "You better go, Babe! I don't want you to be late."

After one more kiss, Stef left. Lena finished the eggs and put them on four plates at the table. She also put some on Jude's tray which he picked up and tried to get to his mouth. Brandon was the first one down the stairs.

"Good morning, B! Eggs are on the table. Would you like me to make sausage or bacon this morning?"

Brandon walked over to Lena and wrapped his arms around her waist and got a kiss to his head. "Good morning, Mama. I would like that bacon you make, please."

"Turkey bacon it is. You are the first one down here so you got to choose." Lena got the bacon out and began cooking it while Brandon sat down to his eggs. Lena got out four cups and filled each of them with milk. "Is everyone else moving upstairs?"

"Yes. I think they will all be here soon."

Quick steps were heard coming down the stairs. Jesus appeared and was now to his full before medication speed. He swooped by Jude grabbing a handful of eggs off of the tray much to Jude's delight.

"Good morning, Jesus!" Lena said walking over to the boy to place him on a stool and kiss his head. She went over to the medicine cabinet and looked out one of his pills. "Go ahead and take this, Baby. I am making bacon."

"Thanks, Mama." Jesus took the pill with one gulp of milk. He had become very good at that since he went on medication a few months ago.

He started eating his eggs in handfuls before receiving a look from Lena. He then picked up his spoon to play in his eggs. "I need ketchup."

"No, we don't put that on eggs or bacon, Bud. Just eat them."

Callie and Mariana came downstairs about the same time. Each received a hug and a kiss from Lena. Mariana still needed help getting onto her stool and Lena lifted her up before serving each of the kids some bacon. "Does anyone want toast?"

"No, just ketchup."

Lena wished Stef had not introduced him to ketchup as now he ate it on everything. She finally gave in and got the ketchup for him. He squirted it all over his food before she took it back. Lena then sat down near Jude with her food and a bowl of rice cereal for Jude. "Girls, is your room still clean? Grams and Gramps are going to be staying there the next few days and I really don't want toys and things to be all over the floor. That's why I cleaned your room last night."

Callie and Mariana looked at each other. "Yes, Mama. It looks very clean." Callie said in her best lying voice.

"After breakfast I will be checking on it when we move your clothes to the boys' room. I certainly hope that is true and we won't have to start the day with a time out for both of my little girls."

Mariana gasped a little and Callie nudged her. "It will be perfect. I think we are both done eating now, Mama, may we go upstairs?"

"Actually, you may both go upstairs and clean your room. Then, come back down to eat." Lena said sternly so that Callie would know that Lena already knew.

Both girls hopped down and went up the stairs. A few minutes later they were back down and Lena helped Mariana back onto her stool. "Are you going to check under the bed?" Callie asked sort of casually.

"I am moving your beds together to make one big bed, so yes, anything under the bed will be seen. Does that make a difference, Callie?"

"Maybe." Callie said taking another bite before hopping back off of her stool and going back up the stairs.

"Did your sister shove things under the bed, Mariana?" Mariana nodded. "I just cleaned your room last night. How many things could possibly be out? All you two were doing was getting dressed this morning, right?"

"Jesus got into our kitchen and Callie threw animals at him…"

"And you couldn't find your bow!" Jesus interjected so this couldn't all be blamed on him.

"So, did you open the drawers to climb to the top one and wind up dumping a few of them, Mari?" Lena asked rubbing her head a little.

"Yes." Mariana answered quietly.

"Did you clean up the clothing just the way I showed you?"

"No, it went under her bed with the kitchen and the animals."

"Then it sounds like to me that you need to go back upstairs and help put things away the correct way, yes?"

"Yes, Mama." Mariana got back down and went up the stairs to help Callie.

The doorbell rang and Lena went to answer it. "Hey, Mike. He is finishing breakfast. Come on in. Do you want anything? We have extra eggs and bacon."

"Sure. That would be great." Mike grabbed a plate and put some food on it before going and sitting on the other side of Brandon. "Hey, B."

"Hi, Daddy. I am almost done. I have to stay clean today, though, because Grams and Gramps are coming and I don't want to get my clothes all messy."

Mike laughed a little. "That shouldn't be a problem today. Just in case, though, go get some play clothes to take with us. If we are going to do something dirty you can change."

Brandon drank the last of his milk before turning to Lena. "I am done, Mama, may I go get clothes?"

"Sure, B. How about if you get the clothes you wore when you played in the mud at Grandpa Frank's house? Those are super clothes to get dirty in now."

Brandon got down and left to go upstairs leaving Jesus wanting to leave the table also. "I need to go." He said as he squirmed.

"I think you know how to ask…" Lena hinted.

"Mama, I am done. May I leave?" Jesus said urgently.

"Yes, you may. Good job eating and great job asking to leave." Lena praised. Jesus shot her a smile before following the others up the stairs.

"He seems to have come a long way since you got him. I remember seeing him the day he went into foster care. Almost a whole different kid. His English is good, too."

"The twins are doing well. It is surprising how fast four year olds can learn another language and communicate in it fluently. The group home before they came here really helped him with that, though."

"Are you still thinking about adopting them and making this permanent? You know his mother is now facing charges that will keep her locked up for a few years, right?"

"Yes, we are still working on their adoption. We wanted it to happen before school started, but that is now just two weeks away. Unlike Callie and Brandon, we really can't even have them just go by Adams Foster as it is a legal issue with their birth mother."

Mike nodded. "Well, I have not really done anything with either of them yet, but if they are going to be full-time members of this family my offer stands to watch them occasionally and do things with them like I do Callie. I am not coaching this year, but I would be happy to attend games if any of them play."

"Thanks, Mike. We really do appreciate your offer to spend time with our kids. We are going to be putting Jesus in soccer when school starts and maybe something else to keep his energy channeled." Lena heard yelling upstairs. "If you could watch Jude for just a moment, I am going to see what is going on upstairs."

Mike smiled. "Sure."

Lena walked up the stairs to hear Brandon yelling at Jesus. "You have to pick it all up! Mama cleaned our room yesterday too and now you have messed it up!"

"No! It is your room, you help!" Jesus yelled back.

Lena first glanced into the girls' room and saw Callie pulling out the last few items from under the bed. Mariana grabbed them and put them away. "All done." Mariana proclaimed.

"Great job, girls. Go downstairs and finish breakfast. If you can't get into your chair, ask Mike to help." They started for the stairs. As Lena stepped into the boys' room to patch up their squabble.

Callie went running down to Mike and greeted him with a hug and kiss to his cheek. "I missed you, Mike. You didn't come over at all last week."

"No, I didn't. I am here now, though. I am also coming over to Jude's birthday. I guess we need to set another time that we can go do something together." Mariana was shyly hiding behind Callie. "Hello, Mariana. I remember when Callie was a little afraid of me, too."

"I was never afraid of you." Callie said boldly not remembering her first several meeting with Mike at all. "She needs help getting on her stool. Will you help her?"

"Sure." Mike got up and approached Mariana. She was still scared, and made herself very stiff as he picked her up and placed her on the stool. "There you go, Little Lady."

"Mommy calls her Miss Thing. You can too." Callie said between bites. "Mommy doesn't love you in the way that she loves Mama. You guys can't have another baby."

Mike began to slightly choke on his eggs. "No, I guess we can't." He finally mustered.

"Mommy and Mama had private time last night and loved each other, but they can't have a baby. That's because it takes a boy and a girl to have a baby and they are both girls. I know because I am five and I know the difference…"

Lena came downstairs and heard the last part of Callie's conversation and saw Mike's face. "That's enough right now, Callie. Eat. Remember we don't talk about things like that with people other than Mommy and me."

"Mike is family, Mama." Callie offered.

"Yes, but he is not your mommy or your mama. Those are the only people that you need to be discussing our private times with. Just like how we say that unless someone is allowed to give you a bath they cannot see you naked? It is nothing to be ashamed of, but some things are private, Baby."

"Yes, but Mike knows about that stuff because he loved Mommy and they made Brandon, right?" Callie asked sort of innocently causing Mike to clear his throat.

"Well, I better see if Brandon is ready to go." He said standing up and putting his plate in the sink. Brandon came running down the stairs about the time with his extra clothes. "Go say goodbye to your mama, B."

Brandon went over to Lena and hugged her. She gave him another kiss. "Bye Mama. I will see you later tonight tell Grams and Gramps I say hi."

"I will B, and then you can tell them when you get here. I love you! Be good for your dad."

"I will Mama. I love you, too."

Brandon walked back over to Mike and they left. Lena looked at her phone again. "Callie, I need you to get the hairbrush and whatever you want in your hair. Send Jesus down here also. Mariana already has her bow down here. As soon as I can get the dishes done and both of your hair done, we will go."