Here's an early pre-Easter treat!

"Brookie, can I stay with you and dad when you finally get married," Stephie asked, as she helped Brooke prepare for the party.

Where on earth had that question come from, Brooke wondered? Instantly her mind recalled when Stephanie and Eric sued her for custody, and Ric and Bridget lived with them. Every night her children weren't in their beds in her house, she grew a little more distraught and heartbroken. Looking into Stephie's eyes, she knew she had to approach this lightly. Ah, the joys of a blended family. "Are you and your mom having problems?"

Stephie shrugged. "I just don't fit in," she whispered.

"Fit in how?"

"I don't know…Thomas- - Thomas he makes mom laugh and smile. And Phoebe is just like her, but me. All mom does is yell at me and punish me. I heard her tell Gramps that I was pigheaded. What does that mean?"

Little kids with big ears. "It means stubborn. Ric was stubborn, too. And he once accused me of liking Bridget more."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Why? You love us all equally and treat us the same."

"Bridget was very easy going. If I said, 'No,' 90 of the time she would listen. But your brother. Ugh! If I said, 'No,' he wanted to know why and sometimes he would go do it anyway," Brooke chuckled as her battles with Ric flashed through her mind.

"So because he got punished more than Budge, he thought you loved her more?"

"Yes."

"Well, that was silly."

"It was, wasn't it? Your mommy loves you even if you are sometimes pigheaded," Brooke said, leaning over and kissing the top of her head.

Stephie smiled slightly. "Brookie?"

"Yes."

"I miss dad not living with me. He would let me sit in his office while he designed and I could do whatever I wanted as long as I kept it to a dull roar and sometimes he would ask me what design I like best. Me, not Phoebe."

Her heart broke for this little girl and the pain that the ending of Ridge's and Taylor's marriage had brought into her life. Oh, how she was reminded of the tears that Bridget and Ric had shed. "I know your dad not living with you all the time is hard. He's so sorry that the divorce hurt you and so is your mom and so am I. They both love and adore you- -"

"I know, but over here I'm not always getting yelled at, and I'm not Phoebe's lesser twin or Thomas' mouthy younger sister. Over here, I'm the oldest and I get to help out with Ricky, Hope, Dawnie, and Will, when he's over here. And plus dad's much cooler when he's around you and you're pretty cool, too," Stephie finished suddenly very shy.

"Stephanie Anne Forrester, you're not Phoebe's lesser twin or Thomas' mouthy sister. You are a beautiful, intelligent, young woman who stands up for what she believes in, and I'm very proud and honored to know you. Okay?"

"'kay," she replied quietly.

"And while we do have a good time over here, there is also discipline over here also."

"I know, that's why I'm in the kitchen helping you."

"Yeah," Brooke agreed, trying very hard to keep the smile out of her voice and off her face, "well, next time I say no skateboard diving into the pool, I mean it."

Brooke bent down and looked directly into Stephie's eyes. "But know this - anytime you need me, I'm here for you. And before you make any final decisions about where you want to live, think about it hard."

Stephie nodded and then pulled Brooke in for a kiss and a hug. As they held each other, Stephie said, "I love you, Momma."

Brooke felt the tears instantly welling up in her eyes. This was the first time Stephanie had called her anything other than Brookie. She squeezed her a little tighter. When her emotions were under control, she let Stephie go. She would treasure this moment forever in heart. "Take the fish out to your dad for him to grill."

"Okay, Momma," Stephie grinned.

"Okay, Daughter," Brooke smiled, causing Stephie's grin to widen as she left the kitchen. Sometimes life was just great.

A hand reached around her and stole a carrot from the platter she was working on.

"Nick," she reprimanded and slapped his retreating hand, "wait until it goes outside."

"Next time I will," he smirked, picking up her left hand.

"Nice rock. So sewing boy is going to finally make an honest woman out of you. I was wondering what this family gathering was for."

"Couldn't it be that he just wants to spend time with his brothers and sisters?"

"Nah, there was a gleam in his eyes when he invited me and I just saw the dragon lady and Mass arrive."

"You know he's making small steps to see if they can all have a relationship."

"And are you okay with that?" he questioned, stealing some dip.

Brooke slapped his hand again.

"Ouch!"

"Keep your hands away from my food. But to answer your question, he misses Stephanie and he wants a relationship with her, if at all possible."

"Yeah, but at what cost?"

"I have no doubts that the kids and I are the number one priority, and if Stephanie and Massimo can't or won't accept that, then their relationship with him will have so many boundaries that it won't be funny," she told her future brother-in-law.

"You got that much faith in him? The dragon lady's claws are deep into him."

"They were deep into him and when you remove them, they leave scars, but we're dealing with it. You don't think he's changed? Every Wednesday for the past six months you've sat across from him at the dinner table and you don't think he's changed?"

"I still don't think the family dinner night was his idea, but I just want to make sure he doesn't hurt you again. In the past, it was his hobby was to hurt you. I don't want you to get hurt again."

Giving Nick her undivided attention, she replied, "Just like Ridge has changed so have I, and I wouldn't be here if I thought this was going to be a repeat of our last attempts at marriage." She paused, "Thanks for caring, but shouldn't you be talking to your brother like this?"

"Maybe, but you'll always be my favorite out of the twosome," he answered, kissing her on the cheek, laughing as he ran out of the kitchen with his stolen carrots.

Brooke laughed.

"I'm glad you came and brought Macy," Ridge greeted his brother as he flipped over the burgers.

"Thanks for the invite. And I promise Macy will behave herself," Thorne quickly added.

"You don't have to explain yourself, I know that you wouldn't bring her unless everything was okay," he assured his younger brother, but noticing Thorne's eyes were cast downward. "Thorne, what's wrong?"

Keeping his head down, Thorne admitted quietly, "I think Macy is drinking again. I can't travel down this road again with her."

Ridge sighed. The havoc Macy created when she was drinking was disastrous for everyone surrounding her. "I'm so sorry. If there's anything I can do, I'm here."

Thorne nodded, then hesitated before he finally asked, "Would I be the worst human being if I left her if she is indeed drinking?"

He wanted to laugh. His brother was asking him, the master at leaving women, or rather leaving Brooke high and dry, about when it was okay to leave your wife. He didn't want to be callous or seem hard hearted, but he had to answer truthfully. "What was the first thing they taught us about saving a drowning person in lifeguard training?"

"If the drowning person is fighting you and won't listen, you have to let them go and get yourself to safety."

Ridge nodded. "All you can do is plan an intervention with Sally, Darla, Clark, CJ, hell have a picture of Saul in the room too, if you think that'll help. But if she refuses your help, then it's on her, not on you. And remember, I've got your back," he reminded Thorne, pulling him into a hug. And for the first time, Ridge didn't feel his brother resist or hesitate going into his arms. So was this a sign of progress or was Thorne this torn up about Macy? He would take it as a sign of progress.

"I'm sure some of you are wondering what you're doing here and others of you are just wanting me to get on with it," Ridge said, standing up at the head of the table. "So it's simple and the greatest thing that has ever happened to me. This beautiful lady to my right has agreed to become my wife." He took Brooke's hand and kissed it.

Stephanie was about to say something when she felt Massimo squeeze her hand. He loved Stephanie with all of his heart and hated Brooke with all of his heart, but Brooke Logan was not worth going up against Sonny Corinthos. So he would make sure that Stephanie kept her mouth shut and her scheming to a minimum in trying to get Brooke out of Ridge's and the children's lives. Brooke had become a formidable enemy with her connected friends. He had resigned himself for the time being of putting up with Brooke if he wanted to have any place in his son's life. Maybe when the newness off this relationship started to wear and the therapy sessions ended, then he would subtly hint to his son that he needed a woman of good breeding to stand by his side, not some whore from the Valley. But he would tread lightly around Brooke and would make sure Stephanie did the same, which would not be an easy task.

Every head at the table subtly glanced Stephanie's way and was shocked to see or rather hear nothing come out of Stephanie's or Massimo's mouths. Had they changed? Had Ridge's threats really worked?

Brooke and Ridge looked from his mother to each other and shrugged. Brooke knew Stephanie's silence had to do with her threat to Massimo, but if that's what it took to make her new family work, then that's what it took. And Stephanie and Massimo's failure to be their normal selves might have a lot to do with those four beautiful guardian angels up there looking out for their family.

Maybe for a little while this peace and quiet she, Ridge, and the kids had been enjoying could continue. And Ridge could continue to concentrate on his therapy, her, their relationship, their family, and improving relationships with his siblings and repairing relationships with hers. He was making headway, but he still had a ways to go.

Standing up, she gazed into his eyes and saw the happiness and the weariness reflected back to her. Inwardly, she sighed. They were making progress. She wasn't 100 fooled by his mother's actions today. Her heart leaped inside her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a PG-13 kiss for the weariness. This marriage looked like it had a real shot, she thought, as her kids and their family clapped for the happy couple.