A/N: So sorry for the delay! I am going through a bit of a rough patch, and it's been a bit hard for me to focus on writing. Thanks for your patience.

He stayed rooted where he was. He wasn't exactly upset with his wife, but he was incredibly frustrated. Since when did they keep secrets from each other? Why would she keep such a big secret from him?

She rubbed her head. "Where are the girls?"

In situations of worry, that was her go to question. She always worried about the girls and where they were, afraid of what they may see or hear.

"They're upstairs with Maisie and Jason. As soon as the arguing started, they got the hell out of Dodge. I couldn't blame them though. I wish I could literally be anywhere else on Earth. What the hell happened, Teresa?"

He could tell she was preparing herself to speak as she flicked her wrist. "Are we going to fight about this? Because I had to leave work in the middle of the day–on the day we caught a high profile case in which I now have to coordinate with the FBI! So, I'm driving home and I've got my brother blowing up at me because he believes that I'm sabotaging the best thing he's ever had. Amanda was pissed at me…Patrick, I really don't want to have to fight you right now."

While he was frustrated over this situation, the tears welling in her eyes and her voice catching in her throat made that disappear. Obviously, she wasn't okay.

He opened his arms, and she walked into his arms. She squeezed him tightly as she hugged him.

"We're not going to fight, baby. I just…I don't know what's going on."

"Honestly, I don't know either. I don't know why everyone is so angry. I didn't do anything besides just try to be there for Amanda when she was in need!"

"I can understand that, but I'm a bit concerned that we now have secrets."

Not just about this. For weeks, Teresa had been running around keeping secrets. She had late meetings and disappeared quite a bit to take calls. He shared everything with her, and she was usually pretty open with him, but she had something major going on that she wouldn't even share with him.

"That's just it: we don't have secrets, Patrick. Amanda needed someone yesterday, and I ended up being that person. That's it! I didn't want to be caught in the middle of anything!"

He rubbed her back. "I know. Is that what took you so long to get back last night?"

"Yes."

Her story about showing Amanda around town was rather flimsy. Not that he didn't trust her or that he thought she was up to no good, but she also wasn't a very accomplished liar. He could see right through her story.

He just sighed. "Well, I guess we're in the middle of it now. I can't believe…wow. It's a lot to take in."

"Jimmy doesn't know. He's pissed at me because he thinks I've been working against them behind his back, but he doesn't know that she's pregnant."

"Did you tell him?"

"Hell no! It's not my place to tell him."

"Sure, but he probably should know."

"And Amanda should tell him! I just don't want to have to handle all of this right now. He's my brother, and she's your sister. It's messy."

He figured it would be messy at the outset of things, even if Amanda and Jimmy seemed to be in love. No way this wouldn't involve them, but Teresa was trying to be optimistic and supportive. Well, that's where this got them: a screaming match between his mother and sister in their home.

"Mom seemed rather calm when she got back, so whatever you did…"

"I didn't do anything. They just needed space."

"Well, I hope that was enough space for them to work it out. That was a huge blow out."

She guffawed. "That was nothing, and I'm sure they will work it out."

"Nothing? Teresa, I was trying to calm them down for well over an hour! Nothing Paul or I did worked!"

"It's just typical family stuff! Patrick, she was so upset because she loves her daughter. She just wants the best for Amanda and feels like she's not good enough for any of you. She doesn't want her kids to repeat her mistakes."

After saying that, he could feel her tense. She hadn't meant to say that part aloud. He didn't need her to say it out loud to know that mom was on edge about this situation and other stuff. In many ways, she overcompensated often.

"Of course, she's good enough for us, but I have sensed what you're talking about. I invited Paul to go golfing on Wednesday."

"Golfing? How's that going to help?"

"Well, I'll get to know Paul a little more, and maybe it will put mom at ease a little more to see us spending time together. She's still afraid that I'm keeping her at arm's length for a reason."

"If that were true, I doubt that's…"

"It's part of it though."

He'd put off spending time with Paul more so because he didn't know what exactly he was supposed to do with Paul. What kind of relationship were they meant to have? He certainly didn't reject mom because she'd moved on with her life, but he could see how she might think that. He just didn't need a dad.

He stood there for a little while longer holding Teresa. "Maybe we should head in. Annie and Charlotte will be getting hungry soon."

If he wasn't mistaken, he heard her belly rumble. "Maybe they've reached some sort of agreement. But Jimmy really doesn't know?"

"No. I don't think she's ready to tell him."

"I guess that's her choice. I just know that I'd want to know. He kinda seems like he'd want to know, too."

"I'm sure Jimmy wants to know too. She just has to come to terms with this first."

He nodded, pretending to understand. He knew this was different for women than men, but he would also want to be involved. When Jimmy declared that he wanted to have all of this with Amanda, he assumed that meant a family. Even though he could see that women had special considerations, it bugged him. How much did his own wife deal with without telling him? What was she dealing with now that she wouldn't tell him?

Perhaps she would tell him whatever it was that had her distracted in her own time.

Unwinding his arms, he reached for her hand before leading them inside. When they got inside, he stopped.

On the couch, Amanda sat between mom and Paul. They both had an arm around her. Mom was stroking her hair. Suddenly, Amanda looked so much smaller than the young woman he knew. He saw a little girl about Annie's age. That's probably what they saw too: their little girl dealing with a life changing event.

Mom smiled as she spoke tearfully. "We're so proud of you, honey. You always have our support, no matter what."

"I love you, mom. I don't know if I could ever be as good of a mom as you are, but I want to try."

"Oh, honey. You're going to be a great mom when you're ready!"

He honestly had no idea what he was watching beyond it seemed very personal, like something not meant for outsiders. He started to walk toward the kitchen when they noticed they had visitors, and Amanda spoke out.

"Patrick and Teresa?"

He looked at Teresa. "Yeah, we are just going to go to the kitchen. You guys can stay here as long as you need."

Amanda waved her hands. "No, it's okay. I owe you both an apology for how I acted today, especially you Teresa. You were there for me, and I really appreciate it. I was awful to you earlier. I'm sorry. I can't believe I spoke to you like that in your own home."

She nodded. "Of course, Amanda. It's okay."

Amanda stood from the couch as mom tapped her back. "I need to go call Jimmy."

"Ok, sweetheart. Let me know if you need anything."

Amanda nodded as she left the four of them sitting there.

"And I should apologize to all of you, too. I shouldn't have been carrying on like that. I hope I didn't scare the girls."

He answered this time. "I'm sure they're fine, mom. Is everything okay with Amanda?"

"Everything is perfectly fine, Paddy. She needed time to think, and I overreacted. You think you will always be such a big part of your kids' lives, but one day, they don't need you even for the biggest decisions!"

Paul took her hand. "Honey, that's because you raised a very strong and independent young woman. She's fine. She'll let us know when she needs something from us."

"Well, I had good help."

Now, they were smiling at each other. Paul was really good for mom. Despite his own reservations about a relationship with Paul, he was so good to mom. He could tell that he loved and respected her so much.

Teresa squeezed his hand. When he looked at her, she was nodding toward the left mom and Paul there, gazing at each other.

In the kitchen, Teresa immediately hit the refrigerator. Grabbing a yogurt, she let out a heavy sigh.

"What the hell was that?"

"A family working through something."

"Yeah, well, we are never going to carry on like that with the girls."

"You say never now, but you never know what's going to happen. We used to have blowouts from time to time. It comes with the territory!"

"Please don't act like this is all normal."

"I hate to tell you that it is somewhat normal. Granted, it usually happens in the family home, but disagreement that leads to argument is a part of life."

"Come on. You don't really think that, do you?"

She sighed. "Honestly, I do think that all families have disagreements. We have disagreements all the time!"

"And that's different. We don't shout at each other."

"No, because we simply stop talking when we reach that point."

"I like to think it's because we have no desire to act that way. I mean, look at you. You're a pro at regulating your emotions around the girls!"

She blinked. "So? I don't want them to have to experience every adult emotion that I go through. I know I'm not a field agent anymore, but some of the most heinous shit comes across my desk daily, and I have to navigate spaces of deep disrespect, anger, and distrust. Is there something wrong with letting the girls be little while they're little?"

"No, but you wouldn't shout at me in front of the girls."

"Not on purpose, but Patrick, part of having a family and loving people is the downside of sometimes getting angry with them. It's like how you were poised to yell at me in the yard."

"I was not!"

"You were, but what stopped you?"

"I saw how upset you already were by all of this."

"And that's part of being a family, too: noticing how you impact your loved ones and seeing what they need. It's a skill the girls are already learning, and it's a skill we keep working on too."

"Wow. When did you go and become a therapist?"

She swatted at his arm. "Oh hush! It just comes with the territory. Trust me. But you know it was okay for you to be upset with me, right?"

"Sure. But you didn't do anything wrong. Not really."

"That doesn't mean you always have to rationalize your emotions. You're allowed to feel things, too."

Placing his hands on her waist, he pulled her close to him. "I know. You make me feel a lot of things. How do you think Jimmy is going to react?"

She shrugged as she offered him a bite of fruit from her fork. "Honestly, he's serious about Amanda. He put an engagement ring in the layaway for her."

"I got the seriousness from his comments, but a baby is different. Do you think Jimmy is ready to be a dad?"

Despite Amanda's earlier declaration, he got the sense that's where it was headed. She just needed to know she had support no matter what her decision was.

"I mean he's putting some weight behind wanting to be a family. I don't know that he's ever seriously talked about having a kid, but I assume that's something he wants. I don't know, honestly. I know that he's serious about Amanda enough to take this and what she wants seriously."

He nodded. He really hoped that was the case. It was a bit freaky how quickly things had moved between them, but they seemed to be in love. Once their secret was out, it definitely put a lot of things into perspective. But that probably seemed a bit freaky for them as well: everyone knowing about this and the details of their relationship.

Noting his wife's smile as she munched on her fruit bowl, he was suddenly wistful as his stomach seemed to fill with butterflies. Once a strange feeling, it wasn't anymore. No, it was how his wife often made him feel.

Today, the butterflies helped him realize something. Maybe it was nice to be around so many people who were in love. After all, things happened quickly for them, too—and Teresa and the girls made him incredibly happy. Maybe there weren't timelines on love and happiness. Maybe this would work for Jimmy and Amanda.

Teresa's phone buzzed in her pocket. "It's Madeleine. I need to take this."

With that, she was off to the patio. He made his way upstairs to the girls' play room where he found his sister and brother.

"So, what happened?"

Jason rolled his eyes. "Mais, you know Amanda will tell you soon enough. You don't need to gossip in front of the girls."

Annie jumped up, her pointer finger in the air as she exclaimed: "I like gossip!"

Of course, Charlotte tried to follow suit but promptly fell down on her bottom. He grinned at his girls.

Jason ruffled Annie's hair. "Because you're spending too much time with your aunts, and not enough time on the field!"

"I spend plenty of time on the field! Aunt Maisie said you can still talk while you're on the field but not in the middle of a game. You gotta keep your head in the game!"

Maisie, clearly proud of herself, smiled as Jason looked at him. However, he also had the benefit of knowing that Annie, along with Riley who she proclaimed was her best friend forever, had just discovered High School Musical. It was becoming her new obsession.

Jason ran his hand through his short blond hair. "I don't envy you, man."

He nodded, immediately understanding his younger brother's meaning. Jason was rather calm and laid back, preferring to spend a lot of his time outdoors when he could. They had next to nothing in common…until one afternoon he learned that Jason was also into surfing. That opened up a new line of conversation and bonding for them, and they talked about trying to schedule a trip before Jason returned to school in the fall.

He just needed to mention that to Teresa. Now that she was expecting again, he wasn't so sure about leaving her alone with the girls in case she needed something.

"So, Patrick?" Of course, Maisie redirected him to her question.

"Everything seems to be good. Amanda went to call Jimmy."

Maisie narrowed her eyes as she nodded. "I'm going to go find her."

"Maybe you should."

And she was off with Jason not far behind her, leaving him with his girls. Charlotte had already made her way to him, and she was sitting there playing with her bear at his feet.

"Daddy, are we getting another cousin?"

"I don't know, Annie."

"But grandma said Aunt Amanda is pregnant. That's what that means, isn't it?"

"Most of the time, but Aunt Amanda will let us know what's happening when she's ready."

"I hope we get a girl cousin this time!"

"You're having a girl cousin soon. Aunt Karen is having a little girl."

She shrugged. "We need more girls for our soccer team!"

He just laughed at that. Sometimes, Annie's sweetness could still surprise him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

On Wednesday morning, he gave the girls their breakfast and got them situated. Leaving them home alone in the middle of the week while Teresa was at work was kind of a big deal.

"Daddy, can I go with you?"

"Well, Annie, no. I'm going to spend some time with Grandpa Paul this morning. Just me and him."

"Why do you need time with just him? When do we get to have our time together?"

He sighed as the guilt crept up inside of him. He and Teresa made sure that Annie did get some time alone with them, focused on the things she liked to do, but he and Annie were never alone since Charlotte arrived.

"Hey come here." He reached out for her and pulled her close to him, meeting her eyes. "You know you're my girl, right?"

She nodded. "Yes, so can I go?"

He grinned. Though he felt a bit of guilt, he also knew how Annie's extortion could work. "Still no, but I wanted to tell you that you're a special little girl. I know we don't always have a lot of time alone together like we used to, but I still love you."

"But you will have less time when the babies come."

"No, that's not true. It will be a lot like it is now. I'll be home while mommy goes to work. You're still very important to us, and we want you to do things that make you happy. And you know what really wouldn't make you happy?"

"What?"

"Going to play golf!" He roared as he moved in quickly to tickle her belly.

"Not tickling! Daddy!" The laughter of a child erupted deep from within her belly.

"Don't you like the Tickle Monster? Do you want to go play golf with Tickle Monster?"

She was still laughing. "Okay! Okay! I don't want to go!"

He stopped tickling her abruptly and pulled her into his chest for a hug. "I love you, Annie."

"I love you too, daddy."

"And besides, I think Grandma has a fun day planned for you."

Mom appeared beside him. "That I do. Come on, Annie! I've heard you've been wanting to build a birdhouse."

"A birdhouse?" She looked at him as he nodded. He had no idea what craft mom had planned for them to work on, but Annie seemed to like the idea. "Awesome!"

With that, she was out of his lap and into the kitchen. An illogical part of him wished she would stay that little forever.

"Ready to go, Paddy?" Paul approached him. For some reason, hearing him use the name reserved only for his mother these days grated on his ears. Though, he probably listened to her call him that all the time, so that was how he also related to him.

"Yeah. Let's go." Giving the girls one final farewell and kisses goodbye, he headed for the door as Charlotte started to wail.

"Daddy!"

He turned back to her. "It's okay, baby. You're going to stay with grandma."

"Mah mah…and daddy!"

"No, daddy is leaving for just a little bit. Charlotte is staying here with Annie and grandma. I'll be back in a few hours." He kissed her little forehead again and willed himself out of the house even though his legs felt like lead as he listened to her cries intensify.

"She'll be fine, Paddy! It's ok. Grandma has you, honey." He heard mom call out as the door closed behind him. He hoped he wasn't traumatizing her by leaving. He always told the girls when he'd be back. They had to know he'd be back.

When he got into his car, it took everything he had to start it. Why was he doing this again? He looked over at Paul, who was getting his seat belt on, and he remembered why. Thus, he started the drive to his Napa Valley country club.

He laughed a little bit when he thought of how silly it probably was to maintain this membership. He rarely entertained guests like this anymore, and this place was not that friendly to small children. It wasn't like he could bring the family here–though it worked out nicely to bring his step-father here to golf.

Their ride was mostly silent, filled with a bit of small talk about what "beautiful country" this was. Getting clubs for Paul, they determined that they would just check out the driving range instead of playing a traditional 9 or 18 hole game. He was completely fine with that as it meant they had no real reason to stay out longer than either of them wanted to stay, and he could get back to the girls if he needed to.

"So, Paddy, how's the business going?"

"Good. My business manager was an excellent choice, and she somehow managed to increase our profits this past year."

"That's amazing. Have you given any thought to going back to the office?"

He shrugged. "No, not really. I've been in the office a few times to handle things, but the manager handles most of the day to day operations. If she needs me, I am there."

Paul turned to face him. "Really?"

"Yeah, really. I enjoy staying home with the girls and being hands on in their lives. And it takes a lot of burden away from Teresa. I take care of school pickups and drop offs, school vacations, and making sure we have dinner three times a week."

"Wow. That's a lot."

"Well, I tried to go for a full seven nights a week, but Teresa wasn't having it."

Paul laughed at that. "I can't believe you've not thought more on going back to work or at least hiring a nanny."

"Why's that?"

"Well, call me old fashioned, but being a homemaker is an entirely different kind of career. I did not have it in me to be a homemaker."

"Sure. It's just something I like doing and want to do for my family."

"And that's fine, but it seems like that's all you do. Is Teresa really going to keep working once the twins arrive?"

"Yeah. Why wouldn't she?"

"Seems her career is a lot of responsibility and keeps her away from the kids."

"She's never away from the kids. In fact, she's also here when we need her." What was he driving at here?

"I'm sure that's true, but little kids need a lot of care. They need their mom around."

"Well, my kids have their dad around most of the time, and their mom is around when she's not working or if they ever need her. Is there something you're trying to say here?"

He swung and drove the ball on his tee with that nine iron so forcefully that he broke the tee, watching as it floated out a good 150 yards before dropping.

"Not really. It seems I may have upset you though."

"I mean, a little. I don't come to your house and criticize your family structure. I wanted to be a stay at home dad. I'm happy with that. Teresa is happy in her work, and it seems like you're trying to say she's an absentee parent. Or keeping me from some goal I don't have."

"I do think that you would benefit from getting out of the house more. Charlotte and Annie would probably benefit from having her present a bit more. I mean, look at the difference between when you leave and when Teresa leaves Charlotte!"

"She's a toddler! And what makes you think that? Because they're girls?"

"No, but it seems like the girls look at you a lot for guidance that they probably need from Teresa."

"And there's nothing wrong with that. The girls know they have a responsive father. Doesn't sound real progressive, Paul."

He chuckled. "I didn't mean it in some sexist way. I just think if you're the one with the more lucrative position, it's not really a hard choice to balance your time differently."

"For our family there is no choice. I can monitor my business from the sidelines and still turn a good profit."

"That takes a lot of trust."

"Like I said, I have a good business manager."

"But you set all of that up and you're letting someone else handle it. It just seems it would make more sense for Teresa to step away from work and let you keep working. The girls need their mom around. I just know it was always great for Amanda and Maisie to have mom around."

He saw red. Was it not good enough in Paul's mind that the girls had their dad at home all the time? Did he have some old school ideas on how a family should be organized that he was trying to impress upon him here?

Of course he knew how good it was for kids to have their mom around!

"Yeah, I guess you'd know all about kids needing their mom, wouldn't you? I know better than anyone what it's like not having your mom around!"

Shit. He didn't mean to say it. He didn't want to say it. He couldn't believe he said it. Paul was not to blame for what happened between his parents. He just struck a nerve.

Paul quietly switched out his clubs.

"I figured this is why you avoided me like the plague."

"I didn't say…"

"It's okay to feel that way."

Mom wouldn't think it was okay. She'd be beside herself.

"I don't feel any kind of way. I was just a little heated over your comments about my family's decisions."

"And because I'm the man who took your mother away."

"I didn't say that."

"You implied it. It's okay to talk about these things. We don't have to avoid it. You've worked things out with her, but you've not worked them out with me."

He didn't respond. Instead, he hit the ball he teed up a while ago. Then, he hit another. And another. He was running through them quickly now, hitting them until his hands shook.

He didn't mean to get caught up and say it, but the truth was…he felt that way towards Paul sometimes. He got to take mom and start a new life with her. Even if he was good for her and he loved her, that life never included him.

"It isn't fair."

"What isn't fair, Paddy?"

"Paddy…why do you call me that? It's a child's nickname. I'm not a child!"

Paul shrugged. "It's what your mom calls you."

"Yeah, because it's what she called me when she last saw me when I was seven years old."

"And that upsets you."

"No. It pisses me off for reasons you can't imagine!"

He nodded. "I can understand that. Do you want me to call you Patrick instead?"

"You know what? I don't care! Call me what you want! And what is your deal? Why are you Mr. Understanding?"

"I think you've had to process a lot in your life, and everyone needs empathy. What pisses you off?"

"Do you want to know?"

Paul laughed softly. "Well, I asked. Never ask a question that you don't want the answer to."

"For starters, I don't think you ever went without a roof over your head. You never had to rummage through garbage to eat because your dad didn't puzzle out that an 8 year old needed food provided for them. You never had to dress and act like a freak to make money! Amanda, Maisie, and Jason always had everything. Mom had everything."

"She didn't have everything."

"Of course she did. She had…"

"She didn't have you."

"I get that mom had to make tough choices. I don't blame her for that, but she left. She still left me there. I didn't get the benefit of having anyone care for me the way that Amanda, Maisie, and Jason do. And you know what? My girls are never going to know what THAT feels like!"

"She didn't want that. Patrick, you have to understand that she was only 22 years old when I met her. When I look at any one of my kids at that age, that's what I see: still kids. Still trying to learn how to survive in the world and learn to be who they are."

"Like I said, I understand."

"No, you don't. Do you know that for months she squirreled away money to come get you alone? Thinking we were on the same wavelength, I asked her a few times about getting married. She wasn't sure if she should marry me or even live with me. Instead, she wanted her own place. I couldn't figure out why. I told her I was happy to take care of her. I wanted to do it. When she finally told me what had her so upset, I took her to come get you. We tried to get you, and now it seems like that was all smoke and mirrors anyway."

He shrugged. "I guess so."

"Weeks after we went to get you and she wouldn't get out of bed, I took her to a lawyer's office. We tried again. Only this time, the lawyer just looked at her and asked if she could have more kids. When she said that she believed she could, he chuckled and said: 'Well, there's your answer. You abandoned the other one and there's nothing you can do about it. Just forget about him. You're young enough to have more, and it seems like you've done better for yourself anyway.' I had never seen such a sight; I had never been more angry about anything in my life. For two days straight, I stayed with her as she sobbed, blaming herself for all manners of things and coming to terms with never seeing you again. And I couldn't take that pain away from her. No matter how badly I wanted to."

"I understand that. I'm not mad at her. I'm not mad at you. There are just things I will never have."

"Like what?"

"Amanda, Maisie, and Jason got to have a real life and a real childhood. They got parents. I mean, that whole fight the other day? Admittedly, I didn't get what was going on beyond people yelling at each other in my house. Teresa had to explain it to me in terms of it being what families do: they fight and they make up because they care. I never had anyone to care. Not before Teresa. You question why I like staying home and part of it's because I want my girls to always know I'm there for them. They have me no matter what. I care. I can see that's how you are, but…"

"You didn't have that, and you're a little jealous."

"I'm not jealous."

"Jealousy is as good of a feeling as any other. Your siblings all had a much different life than you did. I get it."

"Yeah, they did. Nothing we can do about that now besides move forward."

"Do you ever talk to your dad?"

He scoffed. "Hell no."

"Have you ever expressed that disappointment you felt in how he raised you?"

"I've not seen him since I was 17. I wouldn't know how to contact him. Even if I did, he wouldn't care to listen. He'd just want something."

"People change over time. I have to say I don't have the fondest memories of your dad, but people can change."

He laughed. "If my dad walked in right now, he'd ask me what angle I was working by marrying a cop. Then, he'd ask me for money. But probably not before setting me up in some sort of con."

"Maybe he hasn't changed, but it seems your mom has. Or at least what you thought of the situation. Maybe he's changed enough to hear you out."

"Doubtful."

"And the other thing that I've not really known how to say is that…well, you have me. I know you're an adult now. But you still have me if you need anything. You always will. It's a promise I make to all of my kids."

His hands stopped shaking.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

That night, he wrapped his arms around Teresa as soon as he closed their door. "Come here, my love."

She looked up at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He caught a whiff of her hair; he loved that scent. "Are you okay? You've seemed a bit off today."

"Just a conversation with Paul."

"Golfing went that great?"

"He…I acted like an impulsive teenager. I was kind of a jerk to him. Maybe I should apologize."

"What happened?"

He hesitated for a brief moment, but her wide eyes expressed what he had already known to be true anyway: he could tell her anything. Unwinding her arms and taking his hand, she led him to their sofa to sit down. He took the time to explain the conversation to her as she listened attentively while rubbing his back.

"Honey, it sounds like he was okay with everything that happened. Almost like he expected it."

"I just expect better of myself, you know?"

"Better how? You expressed vulnerability to Paul as a father figure."

"He's not…"

"You just said that he promises all of his kids that he will be there for him. He meant you, too."

He blinked rapidly a few times. While he followed their conversation, he didn't read that deeply into it.

"I don't know. I guess. I just made it seem like I'm bitter."

"And it seems he understands that you're not and what upset you. He's a pretty understanding guy."

"I am picking up on that."

"Kinda like another guy I know. This guy is very smart and handsome. He's also very understanding and helpful."

"Understanding and helpful? Go on…"

"He lets his wife work outside of the home. That seems like a pretty big one."

He laughed out loud at that. "Of course. He's a proponent of women's rights. And I'm sorry I said anything about that. I didn't…"

"Hey, Paul has opinions. They're rough, and it's certainly something I've heard before or observed in my boss's tone when he's talking to me, but I guess it's something we've gotta get used to."

"What do you mean?"

"Parental figures giving their opinions. Your mom and Paul are fully part of our lives now. Now that they know us and feel comfortable with us, they're going to start telling us what they think."

"I don't think mom's never not told us…"

"I'm pretty sure Paul's comments came from her. I don't get the impression that she cares for our arrangement either."

"What? Did she say that? She didn't say that."

She shrugged. "Of course she's not going to tell us that! She doesn't want to upset you."

"How is that any different than Amanda? All of those years of medical school and they think she's going to give it up now?"

"They're older than we are, so their expectations are different. You're also their son, and you did say that Paul talked about it terms of finance. Amanda will always be the primary earner in that scenario."

"Well, if Paul is going to critique my family structure, I'm going to start giving him some unsolicited advice on his swing. It can use some work!"

She laughed as he pushed her hair out of his face. "Does it bother you? Are you thinking of going back to the office? We can start looking for a nanny. It's probably a good idea."

"It doesn't bother me one bit! Remember: I volunteered for this gig! Realistically, it's the best decision I ever made! Besides, if mom wanted to stay at home with dad, that would also work as well!"

He noted the smile on her face dampened a bit as she looked away. She didn't exactly enjoy her current role, and the Director sounded like a real dipshit. He'd let her come to that conclusion herself, but if she did decide to think more seriously about taking some time away and maybe doing something else, he would support that.

"So, this guy I know…"

"Yeah?"

"He's an amazing father to two very smart, very beautiful and kind little girls who are very much spirited just like he is."

He grinned. "You forgot husband."

"He's a decent husband, but a great dad."

He feigned hurt. "Decent?"

"If he gave me a foot rub, he might be the best husband."

"Fair enough." He tapped his lap indicating for her to bring her legs up. "I love playing with my wife's little toes."

She giggled as he tickled her toes a bit before getting into the serious business of the foot massage.

"So, I have some news for you."

"You're already pregnant. Can't be that."

"Shut up. I talked to Jimmy today."

"Oh?"

"He called to apologize over the phone. He said that a text message alone wasn't good enough for how he acted."

"I think that's right."

"Well, he did let me in on something."

"What's that?"

"He's looking to move out to San Francisco as soon as possible because he's over the moon at the fact that he's becoming a father."

He shook his head. "What?"

"It seems it's like I thought–at least from Jimmy's side of things. He asked me not to say anything and let Amanda talk about it. I just wanted to tell you…"

"Because we don't keep secrets."

"We don't. And I never meant to hurt you by not telling you what was going on. She just asked for my secrecy."

"And you did the right thing. I shouldn't have assumed or expected that you would tell me everything all the time. You were protecting my sister's confidence, not keeping a secret."

She smiled at him sweetly. "That's true."

"Wow. I really messed things up this week, huh?"

"No, you didn't. Dealing with families can be a challenge."

"I've never had such challenges in dealing with my family."

"They are your family, too."

"I know that, but…"

"The whole thing with you and Paul today, that was a family thing."

He'd have to think more about that. He had no ill will towards Paul. Golfing–and their drinks with lunch after–went okay. Paul mentioned taking him to his club next time they visited them in Vegas. But that's not what he meant.

"I mean you and the girls. You make everything so much less complicated."

"I'm glad to hear it, but eventually, the girls will start dating."

He laughed. "Sure. And you'll be here to run the background checks and tell me to calm the hell down."

Now, she laughed. "I'm not running backgrounds on 16 year olds."

"Show them your little gun collection?"

"Patrick! We can't threaten our daughters' suitors."

"It's not a threat. We're just showing them where danger lies."

She swatted at his chest. "We are not terrorizing kids."

"Alright, fine. We will do it your way."

"Good because I am the security expert here."

"And I'm the expert at drawing my wife's breath from her body."

She blushed. "Are you talking dirty to me, Patrick Jane?"

He shrugged. "Only if it's working."

He grinned at her before hopping up and offering her his hand. Taking it, he pulled her into him.

Everything was always right when he was with her.