"I didn't know you were coming!" I say rather shocked as I see Faith, and the baby of course as I got home from working the morning shift. "When did you get here? Where is Jem"

"Last night, we were at my parent's place, Jem is getting us some drinks with your mother," Faith says answering my question about Jem. "Do you want to hold your niece?" She asks offering me the bundle she had in her arms.

"Can I change and wash my hands first?" I ask her looking down at my coffee-stained clothing.

"Of course," Faith says nodding her head.

I skip upstairs, slightly sad that Owen was at Ken's for the morning and afternoon, but I am sure they'll be around for a few days anyway. I change quickly into a casual t-shirt-style dress and wash my hands thoroughly.

"Hello there," I say taking the almost two-month-old from Faith when I come back downstairs. "Oh my, you do look a lot of Jem don't you," I say cheekily. "But you have your mommy's eyes don't you?" Faith laughs out loud as Jem comes with mom carrying cups of tea.

"I see you met Poppy," Jem says knowingly.

"I swear it's like looking at you baby pictures," I tease him. "These little red curls and all," I walk the length of the porch, bouncing slightly in my step as she looks at me curiously.

"Looking a bit too comfortable with that baby of mine sis," Jem says gruffly.

"Oh hush," I say shaking my head. "Your daddy thinks he's always so funny. Just because your new baby scent is intoxicating doesn't mean I'm gonna go out and get me another one. You see your older cousin Owen is my baby, the first grand baby. You're going to have all the girls to play with one day."

"So how was everything?" I ask Faith in turn which she understands was about labour.

"It was well I suppose? I mean everything was better after the epidural," Faith jokes and laughs lightly. "I don't know how you managed to do it without one."

I mainly shrug my one shoulder. "I'm not a fan of needles, and I had some good support?" I say.

"Where is the minion?" Jem asks looking around.

"With Ken," I answer simply. "I worked this morning, and since he is finished for the next little bit. Makes a bit more sense for him to watch her other than daycare all the time?"

"What is he doing for the summer?" Mom asks curiously joining in.

"This and that? I don't know really. Maybe Research? What do university teachers do during their breaks, write a paper maybe? He doesn't seem worried so I'm sure he has it all figured out?" I tell her and I can see Jem watching me closely.

"So how long are you here for?" I ask them trying not to give myself away to my watchful brother.

"Just a week, it's the last of my leave to be used up from Poppy's arrival," Jem says. I went back to work a week early to save a week for this." He explains to me. "Of course, Faith is off for the year."The concept of parental leave is vague to me at best since it was something I never enjoyed and with Joy having the twins so close to Delilah I knew she and Matt had been living off one income when her benefits had been exhausted. Still, I nod my head in agreement with them.

"We saw you on the telethon," Faith says speaking up. "You were lovely, your dress was very pretty on you, of course, tell Ken that he did great as well."

"Thank you and you can tell him, he'll be over at some point with Owen. But it was a fun, but long evening either way." I say with gratitude.

"I'm sure it was, I hear you got an internship with the local station?" Jem asks as I still walk and rock his daughter.

"I did, it's even paid, I start in June, so a few weeks to prepare and relax," I tell him. "Will you be around for Owen's birthday? It's just family and a couple of friends,"

"Of course, her gift is in the trunk of the car still actually, I can give it to you to hide away. I heard that the Fords are in town the Party not till the weekend?" I look at mom who mainly shrugs.

"It's the least I could do for them, actually have her birthday day to spend time with her," I explain to him and I can see mom frown. "Actually I should go do some laundry so I can pack tomorrow," I move to hand Poppy back to one of her parents. Jem takes her and cuddles her closely, I can see why he decided to be an OBGYN, despite it being a rather female-dominated area. He was good with babies, and most likely his patients as well.

"I don't see why you're going?" Mom says still displeased at my decision apparently. "Owen should be able to spend the weekend with them alone."

"Because, spending the night with Ken a few times a week is a whole lot different thing than spending almost a week in a house she doesn't know without her mother," I tell her simply. "Plus they invited me and honestly it will be nice to get out of the house and just relax for a few days now that school is finished."

I remind her subtly that between exams, a telethon my class helped host and work I've been busier than usual.

"I'm sure it will be nice for you to get away and have some time away," Jem says which surprises me. I nod my head and open the door but Jem keeps talking. "Strange enough that my baby sister is turning twenty. I mean you can't keep her in the house forever Mom?"

"I just don't think it's a good idea," Mom reiterates to Jem.

"Mom, it's Uncle Owen and Aunt Leslie, they used to watch us as kids. Plus Rilla can make her own choices in her life. You allowed all of us that in college, plus she's impressed us all between school and motherhood. I think we can cut her a bit of slack these days?"

"Yes! It's the Fords, Mom, I've been spending time with them since Owen was born. It will be the same business as usual, and I can talk to Ken's Dad about the internship, and figure out things before I start?" I try to reason with her. "Plus you and Dad are more than welcome to come out for the birthday celebration they have planned for her as well. You know that you're always welcome."

Mom just sighs. "We don't wish to intrude on their time with their granddaughter, we can have our celebration on the weekend.

"Then don't complain mom," Jem says for me and Mom swats at him before motioning to hold the infant.

I use the moment to sneak away and grab the laundry that I needed to do for me and Owen. Still in disbelief that Jem seemed to be on my side of all sides to be one.

"Uncle Jemmy!" I hear Owen shout from upstairs as I do up my jeans after flushing the toilet. Truly it was a wonderful moment when I could go pee in private haha.

"Rilla?" I hear Ken call out and his footsteps on the stairs.

"One second," I say as I quickly wash my hands and dry them off. I open the bathroom door and smile at him. I look behind him, seeing no one so I give him a quick kiss.

"I wanted to go over the plan, you are still joining?" He asks hesitantly. "You never mentioned Jem visiting?"

"I didn't know he was coming, so they won't miss me for a few days, they'll still be here when you drop me back off," I tell him. "I don't want to be rude to your parents after all," I say quietly.

"Only if you are sure," Ken says making sure of my decision.

"Actually he told me to come and told mom that it wasn't a big deal, so I think it's fine," I reassure him.

"Well, I will pick you up tomorrow then," Ken says with a nod of his head.

Ken picks me and Owen up, and thankfully Mom was busy with Jem and Faith, I told them I would be back in a few days and would see them then. After buckling Owen into her seat and bags in the trunk of the car we left, It's been a little since I had been to the old summer house that was a half-hour drive away.

He takes my hand as we drive away, kissing the back of it sneakily. We make small talk, and sing along to the music playing.

"Mommy's song!" Owen says shouting as she hears the familiar chords of cruel summer come on.

Ken looks over at me and I shrug. "It's a song to describe how I felt about summer. Also, the line, If I bleed you'll be the last to know. Sort of hit home in a way I never thought about before?"

"I can see why," Ken nods his head. "I would have never needed to know, though I should have been a bit more thoughtful about it in hindsight?"

"How? Even if you asked for me to be like hey It came, I was sixteen and wouldn't have been able to anyway," I tell him truthfully. "Not to you at the very least way too embarrassing."

"And it's not now?" Ken asked looking at me.

"I think we passed embarrassing moments during many doctor appointments and labour," I tell him with a small laugh, knowing that just last week I had been complaining about cramps to him and feeling blah because of my period. "I mean I will refuse to ever use the washroom in front of you, girls have to have some privacy after all. "

"Fair enough," Ken joins in on a laugh. "I promise to at least leave the room if I need to fart for now," he jokes because the other night when I had been over he accidentally let one loose while we joking around the kitchen and laughing.

"Oh, what a gentleman, some much better than the brothers I grew up with," I tell shaking my head at my brothers who passed whatever wind they felt like not caring who exactly was around.

I was about to change the subject when all you heard with a long squeaking sound and then a giggle.

"Owen!" I exclaim shocked.

"I tooted mommy!"

"Clearly! Just like your father," I tease her and Ken at the same time while shaking my head once more. Ken only grins before he moves around as if he's lifting his none driving leg. "Don't you dare mister," I warn him.

"Fine fine," Ken says laughing.

"Thank you, and Owen what have we talked about when it comes to certain things?" I ask her turning to look at her in her seat and she looks at me with a pout.

"Owen finds a place to toot by herself?" She says unsure of the answer.

"Yes, you excuse yourself to be polite to others who may not want to hear your bum talk," I tell her. "What else though if you accidentally toot?

"To say cuse me," Owen chirps. "Daddy toots all the time, so does Uncley Lee, even Paw-paw and they never leave?"

I look at Ken asking for some parental input who was trying not to laugh.

"That's because they are family, sometimes family are comfortable around each other, but it is still polite to excuse yourself afterwards," Ken tells her. "As I do, when you are with me at home, because it's polite and you're a little lady after all."

I shake my head because if you had told me four years ago I would be having a conversation about passing gas politely to a toddler, well I probably wouldn't have believed it. Yet, here I was doing it like it was the most normal thing of the day for us, and while it will take plenty of reminding according to the early childhood book I found from the library. I was on the right track with manners. I didn't want to shame her for normal things, but announcing every time she passed gas, was a bit much and got old fast.

I'm a little nervous when I see Leslie and Owen Ford waiting outside for us on the porch.

"It will be just fine," Ken tells me, trying to reassure me and I nod my head. Ken goes around to grab Owen from her seat.

"You remember you gramma and grandpa?" He asks her quietly as it has been almost a year since they had seen her since they didn't come at Christmas this year in person. Of course the video chat, but it's not quite the same.

I get pulled into a hug my Leslie first

"Oh look at you, so grown-up looking," she says. I look down at my jeans and a cropped tee shirt. I still looked very much like a teenager, but I'm glad she thinks I look older. She moves to Owen who recognizes her enough to allow herself to be hugged.

"Thank you," I say quietly. "Hello Owen," I say to Ken's father.

"Lovely that you can be here Rilla," Owen says nodding his head with a kind smile.

"Grandpa?" My own little Owen asks looking at the older Owen with curiosity as she stood behind my legs after Ken put her down.

"Why hello there, where is the little one from last time? I feel like she was only this big?" He motions to a height and she giggles.

"I grow!" She says giggling, warming up fast it seemed to her grandparents.

"So you did!" Owen agrees with her.

Leslie motions for me to come along as the Men, and Owen deals with the bags since she refused to let anyone carry her little one.

"I put you and Owen in the room across from Kens," Leslie tells me leading me into the house. "Of course, you can do what you wish, but Ken explained that Owen doesn't know everything yet and you might want a separate room for now. It's the same that you usually stay in," she explains further.

"No, it makes sense," I say nodding my head and blushing. I wasn't expecting to share a room with him anyway.

"We are happy for both of you though, I know you have had worries but we think it's a good thing if this is both what you want. Plus, you are both adults and have your heads or hormones sorted out this time around." Leslie reassures me once more as she motions if I wanted something to drink as we stood around the kitchen island and I shook my head. The men were bringing the bags upstairs with Owen pushing her own little suitcase proudly. "So please don't be shy around us, or if you want us to watch Owen for the evening and you can go out for dinner and get a bit of time together without having someone underfoot. It's good for a relationship to get time alone after all."

"We manage all right, but thank you for the offer," I say with a smile but still find myself going red in the cheeks. "It will just be nice to not have to worry about people seeing or something, mom and dad know everyone."

"When are you going tell them?" Leslie asks curiously and I sigh.

"At some point I guess? I just know it will cause a fight and they won't like it because half of the time I'm still sixteen to them. Sixteen and at the dining room table with a positive pregnancy test. If I hold out no one can criticize, no one can tell us it's wrong or a bad idea. I hold out I can prove and say look, it's fine its been this long already, but at the same time, I'm old enough to know that if they find out from someone else, or by accident it doesn't look good either? There really is no right answer but I don't was to jeopardize what feels so right?"

"Well, being almost twenty means that they can't necessarily ban you from seeing each other," Leslie reminds me. "You know when everything came out, back when your mom was struggling with it all. I told her once that if she didn't smarten up she would lose you forever."

"You did?" I say rather shocked. I remember my mom struggling and admitting that she had to talk to a therapist about it, but not that it all came from Leslie.

"Sure I did," Leslie nods her head. "I believe I even told her that if she didn't stop driving you away, I wouldn't apologize for offering for moving you to Toronto to live with us. She didn't like that, and I believe she didn't talk to me for a good few weeks after that with the way she holds on to grudges sometimes."

"Sad part of it, I probably would have gone willingly to get away from them," I say quietly. "Though they do love Owen."

"Of course they do, it was just a difficult time for everyone," Leslie agrees and tries to reason with the past. " But you should tell them yourself, I know I was scared when I told my parents I was in a relationship with Owen and I was only a few years older than you and they didn't like him at all, but we stood my ground and he eventually won them over?"

"Was it hard though?" I ask her, meaning her relationship with Owen, and their eleven-year gap.

"It's here and there? Our childhoods were vastly different and the music we grew up with was different as well. Really you just learn to roll with it. I mean I was only eleven years older than Thea, and that was probably the hardest thing to wrap my mind around, otherwise, you just learn to laugh about things and move on. I was in love with him, and nothing was going to change that and then Persis happened, and Ken came along afterwards and life was just life for us." Leslie tells me as she takes a platter of food from the fridge and pushes it towards me. It's all vegetables, cheese and deli meats.

"Everything should be soy-free in the fridge for her and the lower cupboard," Leslie tells. "Essentially if it's in her reach it's safe for her to eat. Anything else is in the higher cupboards, and there is wine and liquor downstairs in the bar fridge, help yourself to it if you want some time. I know Ken says you like wine."

"He makes me sound like an alcoholic saying it like that," I grumble.

"No, just makes you sound like a mother," Leslie says with a grin laughing and wrapping her arm around me.

The men join us, as Owen races around the house while repeating 'It's so big!' in every new room she finds.

We end up taking her down to the beach, while the water is still cold and the evenings cool she still runs around in her rubber boots collecting seashells and running against the waves, treating water like lava. Picking out the Lilacs that had already started to bloom, until she had a large handful of them to give to her grandma.

Ken carries her back to the house and we both get her tucked into the big bed and after another hour of chatting with his parents, with his arm draped over the back of the patio love seat in front of the fire pit. My legs are pulled up to my chest, and my hair down around my shoulders and I can feel him play with the ends of it absentmindedly.

"It's hard to believe that she will be three in two days," Owen the elder says still holding the doll that Owen the junior had left outside.

"It's believable to me," I laugh, thinking back to lying together in my little bed, timing contractions and waking up to my water breaking.

"So it would be," Leslie nods smiling before politely yawning. "I think I will turn it in, I have a cake to make tomorrow among other things."

"I shall follow, do you want the fire out now?" Owen says to Ken.

"I'll extinguish it," Ken tells his father, and with that, they leave us to our own devices. I cuddle more into Ken sighing. "It would have been tonight, our hours of timing contractions and course my waters breaking."

"I don't think I had ever been so afraid in my life," Ken says shaking his head. "And now she is running around and talking in almost full sentences when she wants to."

"Talking, walking, dancing, it's hard to believe some days how we lucked out with her," I say playing with his shirt as I twist around and place my feet on the other of his legs, knees bent as I look at hi.

"Well, it helps that you're a wonderful mother," Ken reminds me. "You're patient and try to understand her even when she is fussing or just having a tantrum."

"Only because I spent most of my life feeling misunderstood by my own family, I don't want her to ever feel like she can't trust me or come to me," I tell him. "Even about boys, birth control or needing a pregnancy test. I just want her to know she can always come to me—to us," I correct myself at the end.

"Well, hopefully, that last one doesn't happen," Ken laughs slightly frightened at the thought. "I rather not be a grandfather before I am forty."

"At least you would be close to forty, god I'll be thirty-three when she's sixteen Ken," I tell him. "God that is frightening in itself."

Ken chuckles and kisses the top of my head. "Don't think of it like that and it won't be as frightening."

"You're not afraid to older than a quarter of a century this year?" I tease him. "Twenty-six, what does one even want at twenty-six?"

"I have everything I want, so you don't have to get me anything," Ken says gently, his one hand running over my ankle.

"You're getting something, I even worked it into my budget," I tell him a matter of factly.

"Let's get through this birthday before we even think about mine," Ken retorts before stealing a kiss.

"Fair enough," I say sighing and nodding my head, looking at him with a pout until he kisses me properly as the fire slowly dies out and I sneak back into the room where Owen is still sleeping soundly in. I curl into her, brushing her hair from her face and kissing her nose as I breathe in her unique scent that makes me relax, looking over as Ken stands in the doorway. I wave him over and he gently joins me on the other side of the bed for a half-hour, just watching her sleep.

She was ours forever and we loved her in more ways than we ever imagined we could.