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Part 28

"This is so incredible," Mac whispered, later that night, as she and Harm peered around the door into children's bedroom.

Both children were now asleep in bed, in the same room, which Harm had set up for them, earlier. Their tiny forms underneath the blankets had Harm and Mac entranced.

"I know," Harm replied, with quiet reverence, "They're really here and they're staying…we've tripled our children, all in one day!"

Both he and Mac giggled like a pair of children themselves.

"They look so peaceful," Mac noted, quietly, "I was worried that they might be a little uncomfortable at first. This place is unfamiliar to them and so are we. But they've settled right in. It's like they've always been meant to be here."

"I suppose they're used to moving around, or at least acquiring new members in the family," Harm mused, but added, "But I think they always were meant to be with us…Somebody upstairs meant for us to find each other."

Mac smiled, as she mulled over the enormous steps each part of this new family had taken in the past year-and-a-half, to ultimately end up with five members, each with different biological roots, becoming family to each other. The thought was an amazing one.

"Are they asleep?" Mattie joined them, on the way back to her room from the bathroom, taking a peak between them.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, quietly, "Look at that! Is this exciting or what?"

Harm and Mac both smiled in agreement. After that, they quietly closed the bedroom door and went to bed themselves.

OOOO

"What time is it?" Mac sleepily asked her husband, as she awoke to discover him watching her.

"Nearly eight," Harm told her, "Sleep well?"

"Amazingly well," Mac told him, "considering how excited I was. You?"

"Yeah, me too…"

Mac's mind began to drift again and Harm could tell what she was thinking about. Of rather, who…

"I wonder if they're awake, yet?"

Obviously, their thoughts were in-tandem.

Mac listened carefully, but heard no sound of movement from anywhere nearby.

"I don't think so," she told Harm, "They had such a long day, yesterday. We should probably leave them to sleep in."

"Yeah," Harm agreed, albeit slightly ruefully, "Let's give them a couple more hours, at least."

Half an hour later…

"Tieg?"

"Hm?"

"We're really here, aren't we?"

"What do you mean, Tyler?"

"We're really here with Mr. and Mrs. Rabb, aren't we? Or was I dreaming?"

"No, you weren't…we are here. Look, there are our empty suitcases, which we unpacked last night. And the new toys that they bought for us. You didn't have a Dino-Robot at Mrs. Blakely's did you?"

"Nope," Tyler confirmed, "Do you think anyone else is awake, yet?"

"I can't hear anybody," Tiegan shook her head.

"I wonder if Mattie's awake…" Tyler asked, "I suppose we should wait until we know for sure."

"Probably," Tiegan agreed, "But do you think it'd be okay if I went to the bathroom? I don't want to wake everybody up by flushing…"

"It should be okay," Tyler told her, "I heard somebody go, last night and nobody woke up then. Besides, you can't wait until you're so desperate that you pee your bed. That won't go down well."

"I'm not going to pee my bed, Tyler," Tiegan chided him, "Okay…I guess I'll just be quiet, that's all…Do you know which door it is?"

"I'm not sure, it was to the right, I know that," Tyler shook his head, but suggested, "Maybe whoever went last night left the door open. Do you think you'll be able to find it okay by yourself?"

"I should be able to," Tiegan nodded.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Tyler offered.

"No, I'll be okay…" Tiegan told him, justifying, "Besides, we'll make more noise if there are the two of us."

"Yeah," Tyler conceded, "I guess you're right."

Luckily, the door had been left ajar the night before, so Tiegan managed to find the bathroom okay.

"Hey there!" Mattie greeted her, when she came out, "Did you guys sleep okay?"

"Yes," Tiegan nodded, "Tyler's still in bed…"

"No, I'm not," the boy piped up, emerging from behind the door.

"Good morning, Tyler," Mattie smiled, as she opened her door and gestured inside, "Do you guys want to come in and hang out?"

Tiegan and Tyler quickly looked to one another, then back to Mattie, nodding eagerly.

Her phrases and attitude were novel and slightly foreign to them, but they delighted in it, especially because she was older than them. They both felt privileged to be gaining not just a new Mum and Dad, but also a big sister, too.

They both settled on her bed, while Mattie went to turn on her music (on a low volume.)

They were sitting talking ten minutes later when Harm and Mac knocked, then both peered around the door.

"Good morning!" They greeted the two children and one young-adult.

All three of them smiled, replying, "Good morning."

"Did you all sleep well?" Harm asked, smiling when they all nodded.

"Would anybody here like to have pancakes for breakfast?" Mac suggested.

It was to become a Sunday morning tradition in the Rabb household, in the years to come.

"Yeah!" came the enthusiastic reply.

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