A/N: Y'all are lucky I have the week off. Twice daily updates are not going to be a normal occurrence.

That said - I hope you enjoy enjoy enjoy - LOL! Until 4! xox-G

Chapter Three

Katrina got herself a new ticket and made her way to an open seat. Why is this bus so crowded? She thought as she pushed her hair out of her eyes. So annoying. She sighed as she sat down.

She leaned her head against the window - still reeling from everything that had happened today. She pulled out her phone and dialed.

A soft pleasant voice answered, as familiar to her as her own. "Hello?"

Katrina sighed again. "Hi Mom."

"Hi sweetie. How's it going? Go to a frat party yet?"

"GOD! MOM!" Kate said, exasperated.

"Sorry." Alison giggled. Her voice got serious immediately when she realized Kate wasn't laughing back. "What's wrong? You sound upset."

"I'm OK. I'm just coming home early that's all."

"Katrina Abigail - you don't fool me. Something's wrong. I can hear it in your voice. You had me pull out all the stops to get your father to let you go on this little trip. Now you haven't been there more than six hours and you're coming home? What happened?"

Kate didn't want to do this - not on the bus with a million people watching. Tears stung her eyes. "Danny and I, well…we broke up."

"Oh Katie…." Alison said softly. Her heart began to ache for her daughter. "What happened?"

"It's a long story, Mom - I promise - I'll tell you all about it when I get home." Kate wiped at her eyes again. "Can you please ask Grant to pick me up at 8:30? That's when my bus gets in."

"Honey? Are you sure you're OK?"

"I'm fine. Just don't tell Dad - alright? He's going to go crazy."

"I can't promise you anything." She said as she looked up and saw Rafe standing in the doorway. "Be careful, sweetie. We'll see you tonight."

"What's going on with her?" He asked, his voice concerned and slightly hurt. "I already know she's coming home. Honestly - Alison. I don't understand why she wants to keep it from me."

Alison looked at him and smiled. "Because. She's embarrassed. She fought with you to go on this trip and now…" Alison sighed. "She's coming home early."

"But why? What happened?"

Alison sighed, her heart breaking all over again. "She broke up with Danny…"

"They broke up?" Rafe asked, completely taken aback. His voice began to rise with anger. "Why? What did that little creep do to her? I don't care if I've known him since before he could walk. Just wait till I get a hold of him…"

Alison laughed at him and cut him off "…and plus, she knows - like you've just proven - that you'll want to beat him up because of it."

Alison grabbed his hand and squeezed tight. "I don't know exactly what happened yet. I'm sure she'll fill us in when she gets home. Until then, Rafe – listen to me, OK?" She made him focus and meet her eyes. "I know how much you love her but please. Do me a favor? Calm yourself. She's eighteen. I know you have a hard time with this – she's not a baby anymore."

Rafe looked off into space. "She was though. I remember it like it was yesterday. I don't know how it happened. They all grew up so fast."

Alison's heart spilled over with love. Rafe looked so distinguished, with the little bit of gray at his temples and the little wrinkles near his eyes. He was still as handsome as the day she met him, and he was never more handsome than when he was talking about their children.

She moved closer to him and his arms closed around her. "I know. Even Becky. She's almost as tall as me."

"As tall as you? Well - that's not so hard." He chuckled as he kissed the top of her head.

"Rafe." She sighed as she moved closer to him. "You know what I mean."

"I do. So. What are we going to do about it?"

Alison pulled back and gazed up at him. "About what? The fact that the kids are growing up? Umm - I don't know. Watch it happen?"

"We could start over - you know." He placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Oh yeah, right. That's a great idea." She giggled.

Alison stared up at him, not believing it was true. "Oh my God. You're serious."

"Why not?" He asked with a grin, already picturing what she'd look like in his mind. He loved how she looked when she was pregnant.

Alison began stammering. "Because. Because. I'm…forty - that's why not."

"You may be forty but you look exactly the same as you did the moment I first saw you." He said as he ran a hand across her cheek. "Absolutely beautiful."

"You're seeing things. Rafe…" He cut her off with a long, lingering kiss. She sighed as he pulled away. "Wow. OK…you're so good at that." She said as she tried to clear her head. She smiled at him. "It was an excellent try - but - I'm not convinced yet. We'll see."

"I bet I can convince you." He said with a glimmer in his eye. He pressed his lips to hers again.
Alison honestly didn't know why she was surprised. It was no coincidence that when Kate and Grant were both just about Becky's age they had another baby. Right about that time, Rafe couldn't bear the fact that the kids were off all day in school. He was disappointed that there wasn't a baby in the house anymore. Now Becky was the magic age and he was getting antsy again.

She'd have a dozen kids with him if there was enough time. Having one more was certainly something worth discussing, but there wasn't time now.

"Behave yourself - Rafe." She said with a laugh, squirming away when his hands started inching up under hem of her shirt. "I'd love to let you convince me but you'll have to do it later. I have to finish dinner and then we promised to take Becky for ice cream. After that, I'll bring Becky home and you can go pick Kate up at the station. She gets in at 8:30." She rose on her toes to kiss him quickly and then eased out of his arms.

He grinned as he watched her walk away. "How did you know I wanted to pick Kate up?" He asked.

She glanced over her shoulder and gave him a wink. "Because. I know you."