7th January

"Sam I was thinking."

"Yeah..." She said, looking between me and the TV as we sat watching Fear factor.

"Well…I've been thinking a lot…"

"I get the fact you've been thinking Luka." She chuckles.

"Well, if you think it's a good idea- I want to adopt the kids."

"Oh wow, that's amazing. I know the girls will be ecstatic but do you think Jak will be happy?"

"I think so; we got quite close when I was out there." He twists his thick silver ring. "And I meant all the kids- Leioa, Lilia, Jak and Alex."

"You want to adopt Alex?" She turns round to look at me and I nod.

"I want us to be a family, a proper family with the same surname."

"Surnames don't make a family. But, I think it's a great idea." Sam gets up from the sofa and comes over to me. "I want us to be a family too."

"We're going to be complete." I say, laying my hand on her flat stomach, imagining a tiny baby growing in there.

"In 6 months, that reminds me- I have a scan on Tuesday."

"What time?" I mumble into her hair, kissing along her collar bone. She chuckles and rolls her head back.

"2pm. Are you working?"

"Yeah, but I'll take a break." I continue my assault of her neck until we hear a quiet whimpering. Sam sits up and looks over the top of the sofa.

"Lil?"

"Sammy, I had a 'mare." She pads over to us and scrambles onto our laps. "Can I watch Scooby Doo?"

"Ten minutes, then I'll come and read you a story." Sam slips in the video and presses play, then returns to my side and hugs Lilia to her chest. Within 5 minutes, they're both asleep.

"Come on you two." I turn off the TV, carry Lil back to bed and tuck her in, then go back for Sam.

8th January

Luka rubs his hair with a towel and grins at me, sitting on the floor looking pale.

"Don't smile, I'm in pain."

"Pain?" His smile drops.

"My throat hurts. From the puking- no need to worry."

"Oh, okay." He kisses the top of my head and starts running a bath.

"Luka, I hate to break it to you, but you've just had a shower."

"It's for you."

"But…"

"No buts, I'll make breakfast. You relax."

"Well the boys and Lilia's lunches are in the fridge. Lil's is the pink one."

"I know- I picked it."

"And call me when they're leaving-I want to say goodbye."

"Ok."

"And can you give Lei some juice and put on cartoons…"

"Sam, shush. I know what to do." I smile and slip into the water. I must have drifted off because almost immediately Luka is calling to say the boys are leaving. I scramble out of the tub and throw on a jumper and some sweatpants.

"Bye Jak, have fun. Be good-don't let him drag you down." I nod at Alex and smile. Jak laughs and punches Alex on the arm.

"Al, have fun. Don't cause too much trouble-I don't want to have to come up to school on your first day back." He nods and hugs me.

"Bye Mom, bye Luka."

"Bye Sam, bye Uncle Luka." They rush off down the steps laughing, Alex with his skate board and Jak with a pair of blades he picked up from the guy across the hall.

"Right, I'll take Lil to kindergarten and go straight to work. I finish at 2."

"That's perfect. My shift starts at 12 so I'll take Lei to day care and you can pick her up when you leave."

"Bye Lil, have fun!" She grins and hugs me then goes to open the door.

Luka bends down and kisses me then shoos Lilia out the door, and I persuade Leioa to stop watching cartoons and have a wash. Then we both get dressed and go to the supermarket for some groceries.

"Okay, Lei come here. I don't want to lose you." She runs over and holds my hand while we sail down the aisles. "Right, your challenge is to find me some bread." She loves the grocery game, and she's getting better at finding the right stuff.

Suddenly I hear a loud thud and a cry. I rush round the corner and see Lei on the floor, crying.

"Hey, what happened?" I ask as I scoop her up.

"I fell over my lace." She snuffles and burrows into my neck.

"Oh, sweetie. You got my bread though." She nods and smiles a little. "Did you cut yourself?"

"No, I just splatted."

"Phew, no broken bones then!" I say melodramatically then laugh. I arrange her on my hip and we carry on shopping.

"Erm, you're Samantha Taggart aren't you?" A lady comes over, smiling.

"Yeah…"

"Oh, I'm Julia Powell- Jake's mother."

"Oh Hiya."

"I didn't know Alex had a sister." Mrs Powell smiles at Leioa who smiles back weakly.

"Oh…she's…erm, this is Leioa Kovac. She's my fiancé's niece but our soon-to-be-adopted daughter."

"Oh, wow. Is she…"

"Croatian." I answer, jiggling her around a bit to get comfortable.

"That's super. Well, I won't keep you. Take care." She scurries off and I shake my head. All the mothers at that school think I'm some sort of weirdo.