A/N: Sorry for the delay! I actually have been sitting on this one for a few weeks, feeling like maybe it's missing something. I can't identify what it's missing, so it's now or never time! Please enjoy, and as always, thanks for reading and reviewing!
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Slowly, she worked her way up the stairs at Patrick's mom's house with a tearful Annie. This was the first time she'd taken stairs since her attack, even at her own home. Patricia felt a bit remorseful when she revealed they didn't think about whether they would have issues with the stairs and offered her the couch. Well, it wasn't something they normally thought about either, so with help last night, she made her way up the stairs. She would be more celebratory for doing it on her own right now but for Annie.
Once she was upstairs, Annie started to sob. She laid in bed next to her, stroking her dark hair.
"Do you want to tell me about it?"
"My parents hate me!"
"You know, daddy thought his mom hated him. We're visiting her now."
"But after a really long time. Do I have to wait this long to talk to him again?"
Him. Tommy. She wanted her dad. She rarely mentioned Melanie, which raised some questions for her that she didn't ask out loud. Of course, he had fawned over Annie since the moment she was born. In fact, Tommy never missed a beat to show, or send, photos of his little girl to whoever would pay attention. They were close, but Melanie was also in the picture. She only seemed to mourn the loss of one parent. Though she never pried into it, not wanting to open wounds, she wondered how quickly Melanie had fallen off. Annie only seemed to mourn the loss of one parent. Not the other. In some ways, it was strange to her. In others, she remembered how she took her mother's death and how she took her father's death. For one, she felt a profound loss. For the other, she was just glad it was over.
"Do you have something you want to tell him?"
"I want to tell him about school and soccer and about my friends!"
"Hmm. Maybe you should write it down in your journal, so you can remember all the things you want to tell him."
"I have all of my art, too. He hasn't seen any of my pictures in a really long time!"
"I know."
"Does he know I play soccer now?"
"No."
"Why doesn't he call me? I wouldn't ask to go home! You can tell him that I like living in California!"
She sighed. She could make up a lie about how he really wanted to talk to her, but she'd already stretched that truth far enough. He hadn't hoped to hear from her. He did call out for her that day in Chicago, but she'd never let Annie around him when he was like that. He may have slapped her, but he could have really hurt Annie. She didn't need to see, or remember, him that way.
"Do you know his special juice?"
"Yeah, it makes him mean, but he doesn't really mean to be like that. Not really. He would love me more if he didn't drink that."
That gave her pause. Annie was six. She was already looking for reasons to excuse behavior that hurt her. It was just like she'd done with dad. They couldn't keep going like this. She was a little girl and didn't deserve to carry the weight of adults. Besides, would she grow up thinking people could hurt her because of their own problems?
"Annie, I need you to understand something. It doesn't matter if someone means to hurt you or not. It only matters that they hurt you. Do you understand?"
"But it's his special juice!"
There was a part of her that wanted to say that it wasn't the drink. Perhaps if Annie had been older, she would have. Though, she knew that part of the truth here was that Tommy adored Annie before whatever set him on this path. He loved her enough to make sure she was safe and away. That meant something-but maybe when Annie was older and could understand that at least he'd loved her enough to send her to a place where she would be cared for and loved. Right now, she needed to find a way to explain the complexities of her father being an alcoholic who was currently sitting in jail to a six year old.
"People are responsible for their own actions, even when they drink special juice. He got into trouble drinking his special juice, and he went to jail. He can't call all the time because they don't let you make phone calls at any time in jail."
"Jail?"
"Yes."
"When does he get to leave?"
"I don't know." Truthfully, she'd not checked into it since their call. He didn't want her help. Screw him.
"But you're a police officer. Can't you make them let him go?"
She shook her head. "That's not how it works."
"Then what do police officers do?"
"We do lots of things. We try to protect people and bring justice to people who are hurting."
Annie was quiet for a moment. "Do you have to be a police officer anymore?"
She blinked. "Why would you ask that?"
"I don't want you to leave me, too."
"I won't leave you."
"Not on purpose. What if the bad man comes back and hurts you?"
"He won't." Thankfully, all mentions of McAllister's death at her hands were out of Annie's earshot. She'd been grappling with that one enough on her own and her willingness to do it again if the situation ever arose. She didn't want to scare or confuse Annie.
"How can you be sure?"
"I just know he won't. Are you afraid that he will hurt you? I wouldn't let that happen."
"I'm afraid he'll hurt you! Then, who will want me? The judge might make me go live with strangers and make me leave my school."
"If anyone hurt me, then you would stay with daddy and Charlotte. That's how this works. We're your parents now. The judge won't make you go anywhere."
Annie hadn't dug into this at home. For the most part, she liked talking about her bravery and heroism to anyone who would listen, but she hadn't asked any questions or asserted any fears until now. Maybe she should have checked in with her sooner.
"But I don't want you to get hurt and leave me, too."
"Annie, sometimes people get hurt even when they're not police officers. We can't always control when someone is sick or if they just get hurt. You know, Grandma Annabeth died when I was 12. We didn't expect that to happen. A man was drinking his special juice, and he hit the car your grandparents were in with his own car."
"Oh, like the time daddy hit the fire hydrant?"
She shifted her head. "He what?!"
"He drank some of his special juice, and he crashed into the fire hydrant. He told me that even if I was scared, I should be very nice to the police officer." She furrowed her brow. "Then, he pinched me really hard."
"You were in the car?"
"Yeah, and I asked the police officer if we could go home. He took us home in his car! It was so cool!"
"When was that?"
"It wasn't long before I came to live with you."
Her first ride in the back of a police car. At five! If Tommy was before her now, she'd strangle him. Not only had he pulled one right out of dad's hat by pinching her so hard so she would cry to get him out of trouble, he endangered her life before using his daughter to get him out of trouble. Sometimes, she was glad that he had the presence enough to know that he was in a really bad way and should send Annie to her when he did. Other times, she had a lot of questions. How could he live through what they did and still turn out this way? How would he live with himself when he came through this, if he ever did?
Annie brought her out of her reverie. "Is that how Grandpa died, too?"
No, unfortunately, he'd stuck around for several more years to torment the family before wrapping his own car around a tree while drunk. "No, but my point is that people get hurt, or they get sick, but you will always have a home. We are your parents now. If one of us is hurt or sick, you still get to stay here."
"But what if daddy comes back? What if he wants me to come live with him?"
Once, she might have been more hopeful on the subject. "I don't think he's coming back, and you're not going back to live with him."
Perhaps her answer was curt, but it was the truth. If he went up for murder, he would be there for a long while. Besides, it was her job to protect and raise Annie.
"Do you want to go back and live with him?"
"I like California." She liked school and her friends, but she still missed Tommy. Patrick was right. They needed to raise their daughters to be strong individuals, not rehabilitation centers for men, or anyone else who would take and take until they pushed you to your breaking point.
"It's okay if you want to go back, but I can't lie to you, Annie. I don't want you to go back there because I think you were hurt there. And I don't want you to be hurt."
"Daddy didn't hurt me."
"You don't think so now, but one day, you might see it differently. Just like Grandpa hurt me."
"Grandpa hurt you?"
She nodded. "He used to drink special juice, too. He'd throw things at me and hit me. He would make me cry so I could get him out of trouble, too. Then, he'd make me clean the whole house and make sure everything was taken care of like the way adults are supposed to do. Little girls shouldn't have to act like adults, Annie. It's not a good way to grow up. Your daddy and I don't want you to grow up that way. We want you to be a little girl until you're not a little girl anymore, and even then, you'll still be our little girl."
"Were you mad at grandpa when he drank special juice?"
"Yes."
She nodded. "I was mad at daddy, too. I still am because it made him not like me anymore. I hate that special juice! How did you stop being mad?"
She touched her mother's cross, hanging from her neck. "I spent a lot of time thinking about Grandma and what she would have done or wanted us to do. I thought about how much she would love us and protect us if she were there. I just knew she was watching us from heaven."
"Oh. Do you think she's still watching?"
God, she hoped not. Almost on instinct, she reached for the clasp on her necklace. It was a bit difficult to maneuver with her arm, but she did it anyway. She smiled as she placed the necklace around Annie's neck.
"Maybe. I think it's time for her to watch over you. I think you should wear her cross now. She will protect you, too."
Annie touched the necklace and cross pendant in curiosity. "Are you sure?"
"I'm sure. You gave me Charlie, so I think it's only fair that I give you this. But I need you to be a big girl. Make sure you always take care of it and don't lose it. That's really important."
"I will be a big girl, mommy. I won't lose it." Annie rolled over and snuggled into her. They fell asleep that way.
That evening, they enjoyed some grilled food that Paul made for them, along with some sides Patricia had made. She felt a bit guilty because she had intended to help her, but instead, she took a nap with Annie.
Instead, she helped with the dishes that evening.
"I'm so sorry I wasn't up to help prepare dinner."
Patricia waved her hand as she flashed a smile. "Please! You're walking around in a boot, heavily pregnant. You need the rest. Besides, I'm used to preparing food."
"Well, I wish I were making a better impression."
"A better impression? Paddy has been singing your praises, and from what I can see, he's not really embellishing."
That made her blush just a bit. "I suppose he thinks highly of me."
"He does, and I can tell the feeling is mutual."
"It is."
"So, he tells me that he met you at a bar, while you were hustling pool."
She laughed awkwardly. "I wish we would come up with a better story to tell people."
"Why? That one is perfectly fine. Did you beat him?"
"I did."
"Then, that's sweet, even." She laughed, making her laugh a bit, too.
"But then, he beat me on a double or nothing. So, I made him treat me to a drink."
"Of course. Though, I am curious. You don't seem like two people who necessarily had a lot in common."
"Well, not really, I suppose. He was just easy to talk to. Like you, he made me as a cop nearly immediately. When he didn't make a big deal out of it like most men would, I agreed to see him. We just went from there."
"I see. I'm glad the two of you came together for Annie."
A look of guilt flashed across her face. There was a small lull in their conversation as her mother in law's unspoken words hung in the air. She wished someone had been there for her son.
She placed her hand on top of Patricia's. "He's doing fine."
"He is now, but that doesn't change how he was left to flounder around alone in the world."
"No, I guess it doesn't. You know, one commonality we had was our background. I think being able to think about family...differently...brought us together."
"I wish he hadn't had to think of family differently." She was starting to shake, so she tightened her grasp on her hand.
"Hey. He's okay. He's fine now."
Patricia started to weep softly. "I was a terrible mother to him. Who the hell listens to an eight year old when they say they hate you and never want to see you again? It was my job to make him see me, and if I had, I would've known the truth of things. I just started a new life and let fleeting moments of guilt wash over me. I was supposed to do something! He deserved better."
Truthfully, he had deserved better. Maybe before knowing more about the situation, she might have been straightforward in telling her that she'd hurt her son so much. But there were layers and pieces here beyond their control.
"No parent is perfect. I think we are all just doing the best that we can at any given moment."
"Of course not, but I suppose all of my children have suffered because of my bad decisions."
"For what it's worth, I don't think I've ever heard him blame you for a single thing. Of course, maybe he would have benefitted from a relationship with you over the years, but the man I know doesn't sit around and think about the ways he's suffered. He looks ahead; he builds."
Another silence fell between them. "Why did you tell him to look for me?"
"I'm sorry?"
"He told me that someone he trusted with his life thought he should reach out. I'm sure that was you. Why?"
"You wear Saint Patrick around your neck. Did you tell him why you wear that medallion?"
"Well, I...no...but I asked you first."
She smiled at her. "I thought of how much I would want to share life with my mom. I couldn't imagine her being out there somewhere, under any circumstances, but away from our family. It made me wonder, and I just mentioned it to him. I know that it's something deep down that he would think about from time to time. Patrick looks ahead, but he also doesn't forget as well as he thinks. He was afraid you'd reject him after learning you had three other kids, but the joy he wore when he talked to you...well, I've only ever seen him wear that look one other time."
"I see. Why do you think I wear the medal?"
"Saint Patrick. Patron Saint of Ireland. I doubt you wear it for religious reasons. You're not that religious. You don't have any other iconography around the house. You wear it because it reminds you of the home you left: your firstborn son."
Patricia grinned, reminding her of her husband's sly grin. "Well done."
"I've got skills too. I am a detective."
"I can see that." She laughed. "I just hope that it's not too late."
"I don't think it is."
The next day, Paul and Patricia drove them to the airport. As he said goodbye to his siblings, she noticed there was some brief tension with Amanda before he whispered something in her ear. She nodded and gave him a hug. She was curious, but she knew better than most the secrets that siblings might hold.
At the airport, his mother hung onto him, walking them to the security checkpoint.
"Paddy, I'm so happy you came to see me this weekend!"
"Me too, mom."
"Don't you dare be a stranger! I added you to our family group chat, so you check in with us every day."
"I will, but we are going to see you again in a few weeks."
Patricia reached for her hand. "I know. We are coming to Teresa's shower. Paul will get our hotel reservations made, and…"
Hotel reservations? They'd just spent the weekend with them! They had plenty of space. Why would he let them stay in a hotel?
"No! Don't be silly! We have plenty of space. You're staying with us!"
Patrick looked at her strangely. "Teresa, I think they want to get a hotel. That's fine."
"It's nonsense! We just spent the weekend with them, and they can spend the weekend with us!"
A brief look of worry flashed across his face, which was strange. He hadn't had any problems staying with them. She just shrugged it off. After saying their goodbyes, they left to head home. On the plane, she held him.
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Back in Sacramento, the following weekend was quite busy. On Saturday, they had Grace's baby shower. On Sunday, Madeleine and the kids were moving into the old house.
"Hey, boss! How are you?" Grace reached to embrace her when she saw her. The older redhead woman standing next to her looked at her with a look of fascination. She couldn't quite put her finger on it until she spoke to her.
"I'm good. How are you? You know that you don't have to call me boss at your baby shower, right?"
"Sorry! It's a habit. Hey, Patrick!"
He just waved at her. "Hey."
"I want you both to meet my mom. This is my mom, Joy. Mom, this is my boss, Teresa Lisbon. This is her husband, Patrick Jane."
She extended her hand, but Joy went in for a hug. "Oh Teresa! I've heard so much about you! You're not exactly what I expected at all, but I'm glad we finally get to meet you!"
Not what she expected?
"It's nice to meet you, too!"
"My Gracie really looks up to you! Though, I wish she would take your lead and get married before my grandchild comes. Like the world needs more fatherless bastards!"
Her eyes widened a bit as she just nodded. Fatherless? What the hell do you say to that?
"Mom!"
"What? Grace, you weren't raised to be a single mother."
Rigsby sighed. He looked both exhausted and exasperated. To her knowledge, he'd not spent much time with Grace's folks until this past week.
"I'm standing right here. It's good to see you, boss...I mean, Teresa."
"Wayne, it's good to see you!" He reached down and gave her a hug. From Joy's comment and the way he looked, he really needed it.
As she leaned out, she could tell that Joy was glaring at her. She just looked back at Rigsby before grasping for his hand. "Why don't you come help me get settled in?"
She whispered into his ear. "So, what's her deal?"
"She thinks I'm trash and will abandon Grace within the month."
"Did she say why she thinks that?"
"Honestly, I think it's that she thinks I'm trash. Everything just seems...beneath her. She's criticized everything this week, from Grace's job to her waste of a degree to having a baby with me."
"Rigsby...Wayne, don't take it too personally. Families can be tricky."
He shrugged. "Well, little does she know I just bought an engagement ring."
"Good. I'm sure she will appreciate that."
After helping her get settled, Wayne took Patrick inside where the guys were set up with beers and cards.
Grace had a lovely shower. She and Wayne declined to find out the sex of their child, so they had nice pastel yellow and green themes. And the cake? She wasn't sure who made the cake, and she made an effort not to find out. She ate three pieces of it on her own!
Throughout the shower, Joy took jabs here and there at Wayne to her daughter's embarrassment. She loved Wayne like her fourth brother, and Joy was hitting her buttons. She made eye contact with Madeleine, who had pinched her thigh twice now to get her to not say anything.
Joy huffed. "Grace, I just hope you know that I had higher expectations for you! I hoped you would have higher expectations for yourself."
Poor Grace was completely flustered. "What expectations, mom?"
"For starters, this job! This is not you."
"You've never gotten over me choosing to become an agent! And by the way, it's totally me. I love my job!"
"You had so many opportunities to do something better with your life. What kind of woman wants to be running down criminals?" Again, she and Madeleine made eye contact and she softly shook her head, reminding her this was not their drama. Then, Joy turned to them. "I'm sorry, ladies. I'm sure this work is perfectly fine for you, but I'm not sure why Grace thinks this is something she should be doing."
She zoned out for a moment, suddenly thinking about Grace's sense of defeat after her attack. While she'd always hoped to empower her, and indeed it was one of the reasons why she chose a young, rookie, female agent ahead of other male junior agents to join her team, maybe Grace hadn't received that same sense of empowerment elsewhere.
When she returned to the present conversation, she noticed Madeleine was rubbing her head. "You're heavily pregnant by a man who has no sense of family!"
And of course, the conversation ended up here. Surely, Grace and Wayne could make the best decisions for them. They certainly didn't need rings to be a family because there's certainly more to it than that! Madeleine was married to a man who had a sense of family...until he just decided that didn't suit him. It's why she was moving tomorrow. Who created all of these boxes for families to exist in in the first place?
"Wayne and I talked about getting married, and we're not sure if it's the right time for us. You know that!"
"That's not what I mean. Well, no. It's part of the problem here. Grace, he's trash. You are too good to be having children with a man like that!"
"Wayne is a good man!"
"Oh please! He'll be gone within the year, and then what? What will your opportunities for a good marriage look like? What kind of man will want to marry a single mother?"
"Would you be happier if we married?"
"Yes, but in an ideal world, you wouldn't even be talking about this with the likes of Wayne Rigsby. I wish you understood how to value yourself! If you would have just continued onto law school after college like we talked about, you would have such better options. Yet, you'd rather play police officer. I blame your father for encouraging this."
Grace's sobs intensified, and Madeleine sighed. Something inside of her broke. They were here to celebrate the birth of Grace's child. Yet, her own mother was stressing her out over what exactly? She totally thought everyone here was beneath her feet, including the father of her grandchild.
She couldn't hold back anymore. "Don't talk about him like that! I've known Wayne Rigsby for years. He's a good man, and he's like a brother to me! I watched them fall in love, and they are truly in love. I don't know what your deal is with him. He loves your daughter, and she's having his baby. Get over it!"
Madeleine just tsked and looked away as Joy spluttered.
"Who are you to tell me anything? Clearly, you don't have good judgment either!"
"Excuse me?"
"I mean, putting my Gracie in the position you've put her in."
"Mom!"
"And what does that mean exactly?"
"You get her here in this job, and she looks up to you and listens to what you say more than she does her own mother!"
"Well, I've never said anything about anyone's family. Those are private matters that we typically don't discuss. Though, it definitely seems like her mother is a pain in the ass who can't seem to recognize that people have the right to make their own life choices!"
"Oh, well you certainly have plenty to say right now! Did you encourage this?"
"Encourage what? Lady, they are two fully grown adults! You just seem to think everyone is beneath you. Why are you even here to ruin what's supposed to be a day full of love and support for your daughter who's a mom to be? Do you even care that you have a grandchild coming?"
Suddenly, she got up. "You're right. I can't support this! When you come to your good senses, Grace, you remember where home is! Don't call me before then."
With that, she stormed out, leaving Grace tearful. Everyone was frozen in place. Surely, no one expected the shower to go like this. Suddenly, she felt a bit guilty for how she had interjected there. Did she make Joy leave? Did she only add to Grace's stress by trying to help her?
Almost on instinct, she rose from her seat, going to Grace and wrapping her arm around her. "It's okay."
Tearfully, Grace spoke. "I'm so sorry, everyone! I don't know why she's acting this way."
"You don't have to apologize to us. I'm sorry you had to go through that."
Madeleine stood and smoothed down her dress. "Why don't we do gifts now?"
Grace's mood improved a bit with gifts, but she was clearly rather defeated. She didn't have to worry much about impressing family because her parents were gone, and she basically started a new life when she was just out of college. If the boys really hadn't liked Patrick, it would have caused some concern. But they lived thousands of miles away with their own lives and responsibilities. She couldn't imagine having that type of disconnect with her own mother like Grace. Her mother seemingly hated all of her daughter's life choices from her job to her partner.
She couldn't stop thinking about what had happened all the way home. That evening, and into the next day, as she sat with Annie, Mimi, and Will while the guys helped Madeleine get moved and settled into the house, she couldn't shake her own reaction. Of course, those were private matters that she got involved in between Grace and her mom. Perhaps it was an overreaction. Why had she done that?
The more she thought about it, the more she realized just how blurred her own line between private and professional matters had become. Though, not in a bad way. Grace and Wayne, just like Kimball, were her team. Madeleine, too. Those were her people. A family of a sort. They were hers to protect.
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"Babe, what do you want for dinner tonight? I was thinking we could make pizza. You flatten the dough out, and I can handle the rest?"
Granted, it was only 10:30am on a Friday, but when the pizza mood struck her, it struck. He just looked up from the book he was reading.
"Maybe, but I was thinking I would grab dinner from that Thai restaurant you love so much. I need to run a few errands before the shower tomorrow…"
"And picking up your family. Don't forget to increase our grocery order!"
"Oh, I won't. But I was just going to grab dinner after errands."
"I really want pizza. We can wait until you're back to work on the dough."
She didn't realize she was pouting until he moved the hair back from her shoulder and sighed softly. "Okay."
"What? Did the inspiration for Thai food suddenly hit you?"
"No, but I just wanted to make sure we have enough food."
"Enough food?" A strange look crossed his face, but she wasn't sure why he was being so funny about this. He loved pizza!
"Uh, yeah. I was just thinking we might want to make a few pizzas to have on hand to eat tomorrow."
"Tomorrow?"
"Before the shower. May as well make them tonight and we can reheat them."
"Reheat pizza for tomorrow? We could just get Thai tomorrow."
He flashed a devilish grin. "Nah. I'm thinking pizza will be good. I'll help you get the dough made before I leave."
And he did. They agreed to wait until he was back to get the pizzas made. After all, she was ready for a nap. When she woke, he and Annie were both gone. She just took some time to watch a bit of television.
"Teresa! Are you awake?"
He called for her from the other side of the bedroom door. "Yes!"
"Are you decent?"
She furrowed her eyebrows. That was an odd question. "Yes."
Suddenly, the door swung open. "Surprise, sis!"
She gasped as she saw Stan and Karen making their way into her bedroom with Stan Jr. Jimmy wasn't far behind them.
"Oh my God! What are you guys doing here?"
Stan leaned in and hugged her before pointing at Patrick. "Your husband here thought it would be a good idea for your family to be here to celebrate the birth of the little one since we weren't here for your wedding."
"I just...I can't believe…"
Annie jumped up on the bed. "We surprised you, mommy!"
"Yes, you did! Okay, let me get up!"
Stan put his hand out to help her up. "That's a good call. I've been promised some good old, Reese Lisbon made, Chicago style pizza."
She looked at her husband. "And that's why you were worried we wouldn't have enough food."
He kissed the side of her head as he smiled. "It is."
Karen handed Stan Jr. to Stan. "I'll help you with dinner."
"Why don't you guys get settled in first? At least let Patrick show you around."
"Yes, I will be showing you to your room. Jimmy, you can take the same room as last time."
"Cool." Jimmy was a bit curt, but wasn't as rude as he'd been to Patrick when he left a few weeks ago. Perhaps they'd worked through some things. After all, Jimmy was here. If he were truly pissed, he wouldn't be.
As promised, Karen helped her with dinner. Just like old times, Stan and Jimmy practically guzzled their pizza. She just laughed when Patrick looked on aghast before asking if maybe they should also order takeout. Stan and Jimmy also laughed.
Jimmy responded. "Nah. I know I was just here a few weeks ago, but we really miss Reese's cooking. It's like going home to mom."
She stiffened a bit as both she and Stan looked at Jimmy who seemed to be playing back what he said. He was only five when mom died. Of course, he remembered her but not as well as they did. For most of his childhood, she basically was his mom.
"Oh, I didn't mean...I just meant…"
"It's okay, Jimmy. I know what you meant. Don't worry about it. If you guys want something else, we've got plenty of snacks. We can also order in like Patrick said."
Somehow, they all decided on a movie to rent after dinner and after Stan Jr. was off to bed. She loved that she got to see her nephew again. He was already so much bigger than he was the last time she saw him!
Though before bed, she realized they had a situation on their hands.
"So, did you like your surprise?"
"I love my surprise!" He smiled. "Do you want a...reward for being a good husband?"
He laughed at her suggestiveness. "I always love rewards."
She bit her lip, thinking of how to best accomplish this with her entire family in the house. When suddenly, it hit her. Family!
"Oh my God! Patrick, we invited your family to stay here too! Where is everyone going to stay?"
"Well, you invited them to stay here. I tried to get them into a hotel. Though, I did mention it in the group chat this week. Since it's just mom and the girls coming, they're going to share. Well, Maisie might stay in Annie's room."
"Annie will love her new roommate. Amanda's coming?"
"Yeah, we've been texting back and forth. She said she was looking forward to coming out."
"Really? It didn't seem like…"
"No, she just wanted a big brother when she was younger, but he was always absent."
She wrinkled her nose. Amanda hadn't been very nice to him when they visited, but she could tell they were making some inroads.
"That wasn't your fault."
"Or hers. It is just going to take some time and relationship building. That's all."
"So, how are you liking having siblings? I'm sorry you missed the childhood fights, but I'm sure you would have been the kind of brother to beat the other kids up on the playground for your little sisters."
"Beat them up? More like embarrass the shit out of them until they never did that again. I'd love to meet the guy who thought Amanda should be his servant."
She laughed. That was definitely how her Patrick did things.
"You know what's funny?"
"What?"
"When I met you, we were both flying solo. We both wanted a family."
"We did. We still do."
"And we have one...with a house full of extended family to boot!"
Patrick leaned in and captured her lips. "And I think that's wonderful."
"Me too."
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A/N: Just a few more chapters left in this story! Can you believe?