"You're finally home," Megan cheered when Danika walked into Evelyn's, "I missed you. You hardly emailed or texted."

Danika gave Megan a one armed hug.

"Not a proper hug," Megan asked.

"I don't want to hurt you," Danika said.

"You won't," Megan said.

"Teddy didn't like it," Danika said.

"It's okay," Megan said, "I want one. You also had a habit of leaping at your sister."

Danika gave Megan a proper hug.

"So camp," Megan asked.

"It was good but I want to stay at my school," Danika said.

"Boys," Megan asked.

"One," Danika said, "and he's coming to my school in the fall. He's cute and he's nice."

"Cute isn't a good description," Megan said, "are there pictures?"

"Some," Danika giggled.

"Then let me see," Megan said.

"You still want to," Danika asked.

"Always," Megan said, "what type of cool aunt would I be if I didn't?"

"But your baby," Danika said.

"I'm here," Megan said, "families grow, love grows. A new baby doesn't mean Nathan and I love you less or Allison. Love is amazing in that it can always grow, Danika it multiplies. And I missed you this summer."

"I was only gone a month," Danika said.

"But we missed our Danika," Megan said, "family things are too quiet without you."

"Me," Danika said, "you're the loud one."

"You're starting to come out of your shell more and more," Megan said, "you have a voice now."

"Can I baby sit," Danika asked.

"When the baby is a bit bigger you can babysit him," Megan agreed, "you baby sit Allison and do a good job with it. You're ready. We'll start with day time and go from there. But tell me all about camp!"

Danika sat with Megan and told her all about camp, even the things she hadn't told Teddy and Owen. Megan smiled at the young girl listening to her adventures and how excited Danika was.

"We still on for tomorrow," Nathan asked Owen.

"We are," Owen agreed, "you and I trying to fix up the attic room over the garage."

"Why," Nathan asked.

"We want another baby and fixing up that room will let us have a room for a baby or a guest room," Owen said, "just some more usable space."

"What are we doing," Nathan asked.

"Tomorrow we get the old flooring and drywall out," Owen said, "I'm going to do the work, it needs to be gutted before the electrician can fix the electrical."

"If you need another bedroom you could move," Nathan said.

"No," Owen said, "Teddy doesn't want to and it would be detrimental to move Danika. Dani is in a really good place going into her junior year. She's doing great. We think moving her might upset that."

"Is it that hard on kids," Nathan asked, "we can't live in your firehall forever."

"You could," Owen said, "I'm happy for you to and to do whatever you want to make it your own. Other kids you could move. Danika's trauma no."

"I thought that was better," Nathan said.

"But moving so we can have another baby she wouldn't take too well," Owen said, "I don't know if we'll even move her to that room even though it's bigger than her room now."

"She's closest to you isn't she," Nathan said.

"She is because Teddy put her there when they moved in, it's bigger than Allison's room," Owen replied, "you ready to be a dad?"

"No," Nathan said, "you were born ready mate. I'm not so sure I can be one. How did you know?"

"We were thrown into the deep end with an opinionated teenager," Owen said.

"She's a great kid," Nathan said, "you and Teddy have done so much."

"Thanks," Owen said, "it is a very strange relationship. Parent, brother in law, big brother."

"She looks happy with Megan," Nathan said.

"She loves Megan," Owen said, "she likes to talk to Meg. I didn't know if I was ready until I held Allison. I didn't feel like I had a real place in Dani's life until the first Christmas as a family. It was the three of us Christmas morning, she had just gotten her bike and we spent the afternoon before going to moms in the driveway in cul-d-sac and I taught Dani to ride her bike."

"You two ride a lot," Nathan said.

"I can get her to talk to me," Owen said, "have something special just you do with your son. Teddy can ride and will but she's not a huge fan. Dani loves it, I like to ride. So her and I go about once a week almost all year. Have that special thing with them."

"What about Allison," Nathan asked.

"I take her to swimming lessons," Owen said, "we go swimming."

"You get them active," Nathan said.

"We all like to swim but parent and tot swim lessons are on days I'm off and Teddy works," Owen said.

"What does Teddy do with your girls as her thing," Nathan asked.

"Story time for Allison," Owen said, "and her and Dani have cocoa and a cookie or treat every night after Allison goes to bed and Dani's homework is done."

"Simple," Nathan said.

"They are," Owen said, "we did a lot of research. Simple daily routines. Weekly rituals the kids can count on. A Sunday afternoon bike ride before dinner with all of you. Putting favourite treats in a lunch box."

"Which one," Nathan asked.

"Both," Owen said, "Dani gets hot lunch but we send snacks. She should be packing her snacks but we don't mind doing it. Her kiwis and strawberries are always eaten."

"She doesn't like our cooking," Nathan said.

"Megan can't cook," Owen pointed out, "she burned grilled cheese?"

"She does that," Nathan said, "she's getting better."

"We're not great but the kids eat it," Owen said.

"Dinners for Allison," Nathan asked.

"Little bits of what we eat," Owen said, "shes over a year. She likes food. She doesn't eat huge amounts but she does like food."

"What about teenagers," Nathan asked, "we've seen you guys and Dani. We're toying with the idea of fostering and would foster teens or older kids."

"Dinner is dinner," Owen said, "she gets to request one week night meal a week. Then we do one take out meal a week on the weekend. Dani gets a vote in take out."

"Meal planning for an older kid," Nathan asked.

"Protein, veggies, carb," Owen said, "like you do yourselves. Two is a lot. A teen like Dani who has lost their parents or family will have trauma and huge emotions. You've never seen a trauma reaction from her. Megan has but you haven't."

"Did she have fun at ballet camp," Nathan asked.

"Yes and no," Owen said, "learned a lot and met some nice kids but she wasn't ready to go for so long."

"Time to push her out of the nest," Nathan asked.

"No," Owen said, "letting her decide. She's leaning towards college over dance."

"Thats a relief mate," Nathan said, "major?"

"Psychology," Owen guessed, "she wants to be a clinical counsellor."

"Good," Nathan said, 'helping people."

"Exactly," Owen said, "kids aren't hard. Just be there and be with them. Both just need to know we're there and love them. It looks different for the two but they just need to know you are always there. And you fight for them. I've had yelling matches with Beth over Danika's education."

"Beth was no good for you," Nathan said, "lazy, shallow, dependent, whiny. She was only going to teach until you started having kids."

"She's a horrible teacher," Owen said, "so mean to Dani and didn't let her think. You can do this. 3 days?"

"Due in 3," Nathan said, "she can't take much more. She wants to ask to be induced on the due date."

"Teddy was done the last week," Owen said, "she was miserable."

"Meg is miserable," Nathan said, "and I can't help her."

"Just be there," Owen said, "and do what she asks you two. When are you going to get married? It's my sister you got pregnant."

"I love her mate," Nathan said.

"I know you do but she's my sister," Owen said, "I have to make sure she's okay."

"She is," Nathan said, "excited to be a mom. She loves being auntie but she's wanted to be a mom for years. She's happy over there now though."

Owen looked over to where Danika was still talking Megan's ear off.

"They both look happy," Owen agreed.