Ava smiled as she watched Elizabeth eating a piece of blue cake and Kayla eating a piece of pink cake. Jack also had a piece of blue and so did Cole while Harlow insisted on only pink.

The gender reveal party was drawing to a close and everyone was excited that they were having a boy and a girl.

"I'm so happy you're going up to help Livy," Elizabeth told Kayla. "She's going to love seeing you."

"Me too. I can't wait to meet the babies." She had "baby fever." She loved to hold and snuggle babies. She wanted to snuggle her own. Hopefully their case worker would have a birth mom in the next few months for them.

If not, she was fine. Harlow and Cole were hers and she loved them so much. Everything would be just fine.

That's what she told herself anyway. A few days later when she and Harlow arrived at Livy and Matt's cabin, her motherly feelings went into overdrive.

When she opened the door, she heard three babies crying. She and Harlow climbed up the stairs and found them in the master, Livy in tears.

"Hey, Liv. It's okay."

"I can't do this by myself," she sobbed.

Kayla picked up Wes and immediately felt and smelled why he was upset.

"Hi, buddy. I'm Auntie Kay. Everything is going to be okay."

Harlow put a bottle in Beckett's mouth and he immediately began eating so Livy could nurse Amber.

"Silence," Livy sighed, her cheeks red and wet from crying.

After Wes was clean and put in a different sleeper, Kayla helped him get latched on to nurse. By then it was time to burp Beckett. "Wanna help, Lolo?"

"Yes, Mama."

Kayla showed her how to pat his back and to listen for a burp. Then she settled back, snuggling Wes, inhaling his sweet baby smell.

"I'm sorry I lost it there," Livy apologized. "Matt had only been gone for twenty minutes."

"Don't apologize, Liv. Three babies is a lot. You're outnumbered."

"Can you burp Amber, please? And I think she needs a new diaper too."

"Happy to." Kayla laid Wes on the bed and asked Harlow to get a diaper for Amber.

About thirty minutes later, all three babies were sleeping, had dry diapers and full tummies. At Kayla's insistence, Livy took a shower to make her feel more human and then ate some leftover tacos.

As she ate, Harlow fell asleep in the master bed giving them a chance to talk.

"I'm really okay," Livy insisted. "Aside from missing you."

"I'm going to try to come up more often."

"I understand why you can't. You have your own family. But…" Livy shook her head. "You're my best friend, Kay. I feel like a zombie most of the time and sometimes I just need to talk to you."

"You can always call me, Liv. I know its not the same." Kayla hugged her big sister and then dried her cheeks. "You are an amazing mom, Liv. Don't listen to those thoughts in your head that tell you otherwise."

"Okay." Livy nodded and took a long drink of water. "I'll try. In the meantime, I need to pump."

"Take your time. I'll listen for them."

"Thank you. I'm so glad you're here."

Rosie, Lee and Chad Hickam, Mike's son, pulled into the driveway of the duplex. Rosie rushed to the door and knocked.

Ava opened it a moment later, Kinsey on her hip. "Hi, Mom!"

Rosie gave them both a hug and marveled over the belly that was protecting her granddaughter and grandson. "Oh, sweetheart. You are so beautiful!"

"Thanks, Mom."

"This is going to be great. You'll have much more room for this growing family of yours. Imagine how fun it will be to decorate."

"Mom, Elizabeth and Kayla said they'd help me…"

"Oh…"

"I mean you're welcome to help too, of course, but you live so far away and they helped with Kinsey's room."

"No, that's ok. I am busy. I don't know what I was thinking." Rosie headed back outside and sat in the truck that was now empty and chilly.

She understood. She had pushed Ava away for over a year. She didn't deserve to assume she was going to just accept her, forgive her.

Rosie wiped a tear from her eye and sighed. It wasn't the end of the world. It wasn't as if she had told her she couldn't come visit or come see the kids.

Ava climbed in the driver's side and shut the door. "Mom, I'm so sorry. Please come inside."

"Where's Kinsey?"

"Taking a nap," she told her, holding up the monitor. "Please come in. I can make us some tea. I have the ginger kind you like."

"Ava, I'm sorry if me being here complicates things. I know you're close to Elizabeth and Kayla."

"Mom, I want you to help too. I think we can all do it together."

"Its fine."

"So its true," Ava mumbled.

"What's true?"

"I get my stubbornness from you," she said, smiling. "Ben tells me that."

"Sorry, sweetie. Your husband is right," she smiled back.

"Mom, please help. You guys are kind enough to pay for the addition. Beyond kind. I want you to be a part of this." She seemed to be serious.

"Okay, if you're sure, I'd love to."

"Great. Let's go have some tea."

Drew and Kayla's house

"Dad?"

"Yeah, Cole?"

"I miss Mom."

"Me too, bud."

Cole put his pizza on his plate and rubbed his eyes.

"Your head hurt?"

"Yeah."

Drew worried about Cole. The poor kid was continuing to get headaches despite his new glasses prescription. It seemed to help at first but the pain was back. Something was telling Drew that there was an underlying problem. He prayed that it wasn't his cancer returning.

"Why don't we go get in our pj's, turn out the lights and relax? Maybe that will help."

"Okay."

"Why don't you let Jupe outside too? I'll put the pizza away."

Cole got up and let Jupiter out and wandered down the hall to his room.

Drew called Kayla. She didn't pick up though, so he left a voicemail. "Babe, I'm concerned about Cole. These headaches...I think we should have him get some tests. Please call me back. Love you."

Up north….

Kayla gave Harlow a bath and got her snuggled in the triplet's room/guest room and then headed downstairs to call Drew.

"Hi," Drew said, his voice holding a worried tone, even if just above a whisper.

"Hey, you alright?"

"Honestly, I'm lost without you here."

"Honey, its only a week."

Drew got up and left the master so as not to bother Cole who had fallen asleep.

"I'm serious about this testing, Kayla. I have this really bad feeling that his cancer is back."

"Alright. Why don't you call his pediatric oncologist Monday? Get him an appointment."

"Yeah. I'm going to."

"Are you going to be okay until we get back?"

"Yeah."

"I love you, Drew."

"I love you more." He sighed and switched subjects. "How are the babies?"

"Perfect! Oh, Drew. If I could have babies, look out. We'd have a dozen."

Jack and Elizabeth's

"Jack Thornton, if you don't stop hovering, I'm going to go crazy."

"I'm not hovering."

"Yes. You quite literally are." He was standing behind her chair at the table. For no reason that she knew of. "Its been two weeks since my surgery. You don't need to do everything for me. I'm healed."

"I just want to make sure you have everything you need."

"Can you read the paper or maybe that novel you keep by the bed?"

"I'll clean the kitchen first and fold the laundry."

"Jack, I'll do those things. Please. I really appreciate everything you do for me but I enjoy folding laundry and the dishes make me happy."

"But…" he protested. She stood and gave him a kiss.

"Goodnight, sweetheart."

"Night," he sighed, walking upstairs to the bedroom. He had been wanting to finish that novel anyway.

But he couldn't concentrate. His mind was on his beautiful wife who not very long ago, he had thought was having a heart attack. He thought he was losing her. Thankfully it was only her gall bladder but that memory would stick with him.

He got out of bed, not bothering to put on a shirt, and found her in the living room folding laundry. He slipped his arms around her from behind and sighed into her neck. "I almost lost you, Elizabeth."

"Jack, it wasn't that serious. It wasn't my heart." She turned and stared into his green eyes, her fingers traveling up his strong arms to his shoulders. What a beautiful man she loved.

"When we didn't know that...I could feel you slipping away." He rested his forehead against hers. "I'm not ready for that to happen. Its too soon."

"Honey…"

"Let me take care of you. I need to take care of you."

She tilted her head slightly, her lips finding his warm and insistent. After a long moment, his fingers slipped under the hem of her shirt. "Do you think…"

She just nodded and allowed herself to get carried away...in the living room of all places.

The next morning, she woke up, realizing they were curled up together on the couch, under a blanket. "Morning," he whispered, kissing her shoulder and then her neck.

"I can't believe we slept here. We are going to be so stiff." They weren't spring chickens. She tried to sit up but he stopped her.

"Wait. Just stay here with me. Please."

"Its early. We need to get up and make coffee and…"

He stopped her train of thought by kissing her deeply, his hand on her hip pulling her closer still. "We don't have a schedule. That's the beauty of being retired. We could stay in bed all day."

"Jack, don't be silly. We are grandparents of six. Eight if you count the twins."

"So? You are my wife. If I want to stay in bed with you all day, I will. No phone calls, no laundry, no dishes. Just you," he whispered, kissing her again. "And me."

"What has gotten into you?" Not that she was complaining.

"Life is short. Let's make the most of it."

So, they made pancakes and coffee and they returned to the couch by the fireplace, talking for hours. About everything. And nothing. It was literally the best day she'd experienced in a very long time.

Before leaving for work, Ben had talked to Rosie and Lee about watching Kinsey so he could take Ava out for dinner. They agreed so when he kissed her goodbye, he told her to be ready for their date when he got home.

Now, he was going to be home in 20 minutes and she didn't know what to wear.

She finally found a maternity dress she had worn toward the end of Kinsey's pregnancy. It was a light blue flowered wrap dress and it made her feel pretty.

Next, she curled her hair and put on make-up, something she hadn't bothered with in quite a while.

When she wandered downstairs carefully, Ben was waiting at the bottom. She could see the love in his eyes. That made her blush.

"Hey," he said, kissing her cheek. "You look gorgeous."

"Thank you."

Ben offered his hand, which she took. Kinsey toddled over and reached up so he picked her up. "Hi, pretty girl. We will be back soon, okay?"

Ava kissed her cheeks. "I love you, punkin. See you later."

They heard her start to cry when they left, but they kept going, knowing tonight was important. They needed time alone.

He had made a reservation at Sava's near downtown Ann Arbor. His coworkers had raved about the place and he'd looked up the menu which looked great too.

As they sat at a counter height table for two, he reached for her hand. "I love you, Ava."

"I love you too." He kissed her fingers and smiled.

The menus were placed in front of them by the waiter. Ava looked at them and back at Ben. "Babe, these meals are expensive."

"We never go out. We can afford this tonight."

"Maybe we can share an entree?" That made her feel better. She was strict with their budget, especially now with twins on the way.

"Sure. The crispy potatoes and the flank steak sound good," he mentioned.

"That does sound good. Let's get that."

After eating and talking for a good hour after, Ben took her hand and led her to the car. "I'm glad we did this tonight," he told her, stepping closer and kissing her softly. "I've missed us, babe."

She wrapped her arms around him and sighed as he held her. "Me too."

"We need to do more date nights. At home. I know its going to be hard with three kids, but we need to make the time."

"I promise," she told him as her lips found his. She had a feeling keeping that well-intentioned promise might be challenging to keep though.