Sorry for the long wait. Here's the latest! Thanks for being patient.

"Brookie, do you have some more tape? I used all of this one," Stephie informed her.

"Sure do, here you go," Brooke said, handing Stephie a new packet of tape."

"Brookie, does this page look crooked?"

Brooke walked over to Phoebe and examined the page. "A little. Try this." Bending over, Brooke put all the pictures and borders off-center. "That works."

Phoebe studied the page and pictures and slowly nodded. "I'll make the other page crooked too, to match."

"Good idea," Brooke agreed. This had been a good idea, having the kids scrapbook all their pictures. The kids really seemed to enjoy it. They could carry the books from Taylor's house to Ridge's. Looking over at Thomas, she saw that he was half-scrapbooking and half-watching cartoons. She glanced over at Hope and Eric, or rather Ricky. She still wasn't used to the name change, but it took her a while to get use to Ric's too. Hope and Ricky were still sleeping on the blanket in the corner of the room. They'd refused to be away from their siblings for even a minute. Maybe Thomas, Phoebe, and Stephie were good for them, filling a hole in their lives that Ric and Bridget had left.

It was so good to have the house full of people and activity again. The house seemed so big with just the three of them. It was so deathly quiet when her babies were asleep. She felt like she was walking around in a mausoleum. She had considered selling the house, but she hesitated to bring about anymore changes to their lives, but most especially Hope and Ricky. And when she really thought about it, she kinda liked the idea of raising them in the same house where she had raised Ric and Bridget. She swore sometimes she felt their presence. Maybe it was just wishful thinking. Noticing the empty fruit bowl, Brooke grabbed it before the tears she felt welling up fell. "I'll be right back. No using the big scissors without me."

"Okay," they all murmured, engrossed in their own worlds.

She just barely made it to the kitchen before breaking down. Why weren't they here? Why weren't they here to see Ridge's kids in their house? Why couldn't they have lived to see Ridge become a better person? A better father? Correction. A father, period, to them. Were they scared when they died? Or were they too busy struggling to live? What were their last thoughts? Did they have any regrets? Anything they wanted to say to her? Oh, how she would do things differently if she had the chance.

Sinking to the ground, she buried her face in her thighs and sobbed. It was so hard. It was so hard, staying strong. She was so tired. She sometimes felt like Ricky and Hope weren't enough. She just wanted to close her eyes and be at peace, be with her four babies. They could all be together for the first time.

Suddenly she felt an arm wrap around her patting and rubbing her back alternately.

"Brooke, are you crying because Grandma doesn't like you?

Brooke looked up with red eyes, a running nose, and shook her head. "No, Thomas. That's not why I'm crying."

Thomas handed her a dishtowel. "I wouldn't tell if you were and I won't tell that you're using the dishtowel as a tissue."

Brooke laughed as she blew her nose and wiped her face. "Thanks. Now why do you think your Grandma doesn't like me?"

He rolled his eyes. "Brooke, everyone knows. Plus I hear her and mom talking about you sometimes. They don't say nice things."

Oh, Stephanie and Taylor. "You shouldn't listen to other people's conversations, it's not nice."

"I'm not."

Brooke gave him her best parental look.

Thomas lowered his eyes for a moment. "Well not all the time. Grandma can get pretty loud when she's upset. Does she really not like you cause you're friends with Dad?" he asked, incredulously.

Brooke sighed. Another generation aware of the war or rather vendetta and hatred Stephanie had against her. "It's complicated, Thomas."

"That's adult speak for you won't tell me."

"No, honestly, it's really, really complicated. I don't even understand it myself."

Thomas looked at her doubtfully.

"But if I ever figure it out, and you're an adult, I'll tell you."

"Let's spit on it."

He spit in his palm and held out his hand. Brooke immediately did the same and they shook on it. Thank goodness she had an older brother so she wasn't disgusted by this boy stuff.

"It's not cause you're a girl and Dad's a boy, is it?"

"Maybe, partly."

"I have girl friends. Will Grandma hate them, too, if she met them?"

"Oh no, sweetie," she assured him.

He nodded and sat next to her silently for a few minutes. "Were you crying because you miss Ric and Bridget?"

She nodded.

"I miss them, too."

Lowering her knees, Brooke pulled Thomas to her and wrapped her arms around him. "Tell me your favorite Ric story."

"Hmm. Let's see. How about the time he spent all day

teaching me to dive at Grandma's and Grandpa's house. I was- -Don't tell anyone," he said, cautiously.

"I promise."

"I was scared to dive off the deep end, but then Ric got into the pool and told me to dive and if I got scared he'd rescue me."

Brooke smiled; that sounded like Ric. "Did he have to rescue you?"

Thomas shook his head.

"You know who taught Ric to dive?"

"No. Who?"

"Your dad."

"Really?"

"Really."

"Wow! What's your favorite Budge story?"

"There so many. One year for my birthday, Bridget bought me a vase as a gift and then she accidentally dropped it when she was wrapping it. She was so devastated and she had spent all her allowance on the gift. But instead of letting that get her down, she made me a gift with her own two hands."

"What did she make you?"

"A card with a picture she drew herself and a cute picture of her and Ric. I still have her card to this day." Brooke let the pleasant memory wash over her.

"Are you Ricky's forever mommy?"

Where did that question come from? It had been a while since she had a child Thomas' age in her life. She was out-of-practice with these quick, out of nowhere questions. "Yes, I am."

"What about Amber?"

Boy, kids could ask the complicated questions. She thought for a moment about the best way to answer his question and then began. "Amber thought it would be best if I became Ricky's forever mommy."

"Because Ric died."

"Partly- -"

"I don't care what Mom and Grandma say, I think you're nice and pretty cool, even if you are a girl."

Brooke was touched. "Thank you," she smiled, "I think you're pretty cool for a boy."

"Well, of course I am," he said with confidence, sounding exactly like his father. Thomas turned to face her. "Next time you feel like cryin' Brooke, you don't have to hide from us or be ashamed."

"Oh, Thomas, I wasn't ashamed. I just didn't want to make you and your sisters sad."

"We wouldn't have been sad. We miss them, too. We would have hugged and kissed you until you stopped crying like Catherine does to us."

She pulled the miniature combination of Taylor and Ridge into a fierce hug and kissed him. "I love you, Thomas Hamilton Forrester."

"I love you too, Logan."

Brooke didn't know whether to laugh or cry, so she did both.