One of the maids went to open the door, but JJ did, instead politely requesting that she go help in the kitchen. Heeding her words, the maid left, allowing JJ to open the door.

Kaida was the first person over the threshold, and even though she still had on her coat, mittens, and boots, she squealed with delight when she saw JJ.

"Auntie Jenny, we're here!" she hugged her. "Nana and me—what was that?"

Kaida took a step back and shook her head, trying to clear it; she'd just been kicked in the side of the head.

JJ laughed as she massaged her bump. "That was one of your cousins telling you hello and happy birthday."

Kaida lit up. "May I hug my cousin again?"

"Thank you for being so polite, and you may, but it looks like your hands are full." JJ observed.

Indeed, Kaida had come bearing a gift, and she showed them to JJ, giggling, "Flowers for Auntie Emmy's parents! Will they like them?"

"Oh yes, baby angel. Now how about you go hang out with Auntie Emmy? I bet she can hold them for you while you take your outside things off."

Kaida thought this was a good idea and was a little taken aback to see Emily in a wheelchair, but after Emily promised her she wasn't broken, Kaida got over her nerves and went over to her, leaving JJ free to talk to her mother.

"Hi, mom!" JJ chirped. "I'm so happy to see you, and happy birthday!"

Sandy had already put her things away and was now surveying her baby girl. Her hair and make up were done very nicely, but the real emphasis was on that JJ was wearing: she had on silver flats, black dress pants, and a dark purple-colored blouse that really showed off the size of her baby bump. In Sandy's eyes, her daughter was adorable and glowing.

"Thank you, and I'm so happy to see you!" Sandy hugged JJ and motioned towards her bump. "How are you and the babies?"

"We're doing wonderfully, and the kids just got extra jumpy. Maybe it's because they're smelling everything that Emily's parents made."

JJ put her hands in the small of her back to offset the extra weight as best she could and blew out a breath as she got pushed by Alexis' hands and nudged by Olivia's knees.

"Feel this, mom." JJ took her mother's hands and put them over the area where Alexis and Olivia were kicking the most. "I can never get enough."

Just like when JJ had let Elizabeth feel her bump, the twins kicked for their other grandmother, thrilled to hear a new voice.

"Wow." Sandy remarked in awe. "Maybe they'll take up soccer, just like you did."

JJ immediately pinched the bridge of her nose. "For the sake of my sanity and Emily's, I hope that if they don't all take up quiet, normal nerdy hobbies like chess or the debate team, that it's just one of them of them that goes that route."

Sandy just laughed in amusement before moving on to Emily.

She was definitely delighted to see her and she hugged her, but when it came to her injuries, she turned into an anxious mother hen.

"First Jenny's arm, and now your leg?"

"My ankle, too."

Sandy sighed and made a sign of the cross. "Where were you when this happened?"

"Ironically, New York again."

"Of course!" the older woman threw her hands up, almost in a way of resignation. "Is anything broken?"

Emily shook her head. "No, but my leg is bruised and my ankle is definitely sprained."

Sandy expressed her sympathy, recalling all of the bumps, breaks and bruises she'd had over the years. "I'm sorry, Emily. Is Jenny taking care of you?"

"Rehabilitating me, but yes."

Emily's usage of the word 'rehabilitating' didn't escape Sandy's notice and she realized that there was definitely a story there, but chose not to press the matter since Kaida was in the room.

"Well, good. How is the baby?"

Emily lit up at the mention of her son, smiling broadly when she felt him turn over. "Very happy, especially because Kaida began doti—"

DING DONG!

"I'll get it!" JJ said as she hurried over to the front door.

She opened it to let in the rest of her family, and when she let them in, she hugged Archer and Cho before turning to Cho's parents, hugging them, as well.

Toshio and Sakura were both in their mid-sixties now, and had also known JJ since she was ten. Though they were technically the parents of her sister-in-law, they had always loved her like a granddaughter, and had always been very proud of their accomplishments. It did their hearts very well to see that she had a family of her own. What JJ didn't come to appreciate about Toshio and Sakura until she was older was that they mirrored her Alabama relatives in that he was a business president and she was his companion, traveling with him and keeping the books. JJ hadn't seen them since the trip to Tokyo Disneyland, and that had already been over a year ago.

"Thank you so much for coming!" she told them.

"Well, we were already coming to meet our new grandsons," Toshio said. "And we've been curious about the rest of your family, Emily in particular."

He passed her to Sakura, who hugged JJ warmly.

"And besides," she added. "It's your mother's birthday and Kaida's birthday, as well, so there's no way that we'd miss a chance to celebrate those, especially now that the whole family is in town."

JJ just smiled, and when the older couple put their things away, she noticed Toshio pick up a tote bag full of a number of brightly wrapped parcels. She was curious about the, but she forced herself to stay on topic.

"Would you like to come meet Emily before we all go to see her parents?"

"Of course!" they said in unison.

Quite pleased, JJ led them over to the others and addressed her girlfriend first.

"Em, these are Cho's parents, Toshio and Sakura Kanagawa. I've known them since I was ten, and they've always loved me like a granddaughter."

"Wow." Emily held out a hand to them. "Hello! I'm so happy to meet you!"

"And we're so happy to meet you, dearheart." Cho told her as they shook hands with her. "We've heard stories about you from Sandy, and it's very lovely to finally meet the person whom Strawberry has decided to spend the rest of her life with."

Emily immediately turned to her partner. "I get 'JJ' and 'Jenny,' but Strawberry? Did you have a redhead phase at some point?"

JJ turned beet-red. "The only time I've ever had red hair was the period when I went to Coachella and Burning Man in the same year. Strawberry is an old childhood nickname that's been stuck with me for most of my life because my Strawberry Shortcake obsession that Rosaline started when I was three. It ended when I discovered Star Wars."

"You were that kid?" Emily asked with a little too much glee.

JJ hung her head. "Oh, my God…"

Sandy cleared her throat when she saw how embarrassed JJ was getting. "How about we go find Emily's parents now?"

"Yes, please." JJ said, quickly commandeering Emily's wheelchair so she could push it for. "Follow us."

JJ's and Emily's family followed them down the hallway and into the kitchen. Maximo and Elizabeth were waiting, and when they saw everyone, they both became emotional.

In recent recent years, they'd finally given up on hoping that Emily would ever get married or have any children, but then in quick succession, she'd 1) come to them to tell them that she was going to start the process of IVF treatment, and in the spirit of helping her, they decided to fund as many attempts as her heart desired; 2) met and fallen in love with JJ; and 3) decided she wanted to marry JJ.

Now, she and JJ were at their house with the half of the family that accepted Emily into their fold without a second thought.

The sight was more than Maximo and Elizabeth could have ever hoped for, and it made them overjoyed.

They came back to earth when they saw Emily rolling her chair out of the way as JJ took the reigns of the conversation.

"Everyone," she said to the Jareaus and the Kanagawas. "These are Emily's parents, Maximo and Elizabeth Prentiss. They are as good as parents to me, and they even made everything on the menu tonight."

"We are so pleased to meet all of you." Elizabeth told them.

"So very pleased." Maximo added. "Welcome to our family."

When the older members of the Jareau-Kanagawa clan thanked their hosts, JJ moved to the rest of the introductions.

"Max, Lizzie," JJ said as she began indicating the others. "You've already met my mom from that Skype session the other night, but this is my older brother, Archer and his wife, Cho, and Cho's parents, Toshio and Sakura. They've known me since I was ten and have treated me like a granddaughter ever since."

Emily's parents were dazzled by the new people, but at the end, Elizabeth spoke up, having kept track of all the names on her fingers the whole time.

"Sandy, Archer, Cho, Toshio, and Sakura make five, but there should be six. Where is Kaida?"

At this, Emily laughed. "She's hiding behind my chair, but I'm sure you can coax her out."

Remembering how shy Emily had been at that age, Elizabeth called out gently to her. "Will you please come out, Kaida? We heard that today is your birthday, and we have presents for you!"

Kaida withdrew from her hiding spot immediately and looked at Elizabeth in surprise as she brushed wrinkles out of her fluffy blue party dress.

"Really?"

Elizabeth nodded. "We also added some extra presents because we know that you're going to be a big sister soon!"

Kaida was taken aback, but remembered her manners. "Thank you! What do I call you?"

"Nana Lizzie, if you'd like. Do you want to come open a present before we eat?"

Kaida nodded and then plucked the flower bouquet from Emily's lap and presented them to Elizabeth.

"Look, Nana Lizzie! I brought irises flowers for you and Auntie Emmy's daddy!"

"Oh, thank you, sweetie—they're beautiful!" Elizabeth gushed. "Will you come help me pick out a vase? I've got a room where I keep all of them!"

Instantly intrigued, Kaida followed Elizabeth across the kitchen to a smaller, separate room where she kept her fine china, vases, and the like.

"We brought presents, too." Toshio said of the tote bag he still hand in his hand. "It's just something that we like to do."

Maximo turned to mush. "Well, why don't we see what you brought, hm? The dining room is just over this way."

He led them all to the dining room table, and when they sat around it, Cho's parents divvied up the presents and handed them out. When Elizabeth and Kaida returned, placing their vase of the freshly watered irises in the center of the table, Kaida was shown her presents, too, and she happily tore into a few.

Before long, the whole family was opening new gifts and showing each other what they'd gotten.

There was nothing but love and joy in the air.

Dinner could wait just a little bit longer.