3

"I love you."

Gil looked up from where he and Jamie were looking at a spider. "I know that. I love you too."

Catherine made her way down the stairs, trying not to recoil at the bugs in the room. She had designated the basement as Gil's bug room, but it still gave her the creeps to know that beneath her house crawled some of the weirdest and most disturbing creepie crawlies she had ever come across.

She walked over to him, kissing Jamie on the top of the head before kissing her husband lightly on the mouth. "And don't you dare think I'm going anywhere."

"Good," Gil replied. "Because if you weren't around, I might have to pack it in too."

"Well, then neither of us can go, because who'd take care of the kids?"

Gil kissed her lightly. "This is all going to be okay, right, Cath?"

She smiled at him. "I can't predict the future, honey. But I'm pretty sure everything will be okay."

He patted his lap. "You know, there's room here for both you and Jamie."

Catherine smirked. "I know you. You just like a pretty girl sitting in your lap."

He grinned back at her. "Only if it's you, darling."

--

Lizzie tapped her foot slowly as she watched the door. The teacher had announced that the parents would be there soon, and she was eager to get out.

Some of the kids here were weird.

Her face lit up as she saw her parents arrive, and her younger brother Jamie in his stroller. "Mommy! Daddy!"

Catherine held out her arms as her daughter ran towards them. "Hey, sweetheart. Did you have fun at kindy?"

"They made me be a boy."

"Excuse me?" Gil's eyes were wide.

Lizzie pointed to a toy house in the corner. "They made me be a daddy when we played house!"

"But you play house at home," Catherine reminded her.

"But I use REAL boys!" Lizzie cried, pointing to Jamie.

Catherine and Gil tried not to laugh.

"What else did you do apart from play house?" Gil asked.

"Played outside with the boys. They're funner," Lizzie replied.

"Fair enough," Catherine said, taking her hand and leading her to the car. "You're a lucky girl then. You have two of them to play with at home."

"What about that one?" Lizzie asked, pointing to Catherine's swollen abdomen. "Boy or girl?"

"We don't know yet," Gil replied. "It might be both."

Catherine glared at her husband. "I am NOT having twins. We'd know that by now."

Lizzie's eyes widened. "TWO babies? Aaagh!"

--

"You're cracked."

"I am not." Gil placed Jamie in his play pen and Lizzie beside him.

"Gil! You're throwing me a baby shower!"

"Of course I am!"

"Gil…this is my fifth child."

"It's still a celebration, isn't it?"

"Of course it is!"

"Then everyone should get a chance to celebrate it." He kissed her gently. "It's exciting, Catherine. We're having a baby."

She lifted an eyebrow. "No kidding."

"Then everyone should participate."

"Yeah, mom! I'm participating!" Matt placed a bag down on the coffee table. "And everyone's coming!"

Catherine narrowed her eyes. "Who's cleaning up?"

Gil smiled sweetly at his wife. "Me, darling."

She smiled back at him, crooking a finger. "Come here."

He made his way over to her, sitting beside her on the couch. She put his arms around her waist, and then rested her hands on his back. "I love you."

Gil grinned. "I love you too, Cath. Very, very much."

Their lips met in a soft kiss, and Matthew watched with disgust as the kiss deepened. As the doorbell rang, he watched his parents ignore it, and then rolled his eyes, heading to the door.

He peered out the peephole and then opened the door. "Hi, Uncle Warrick. Hi, Aunt Mandy. Mom and Dad are making out on the couch. Can they breathe in there?"

Warrick looked at the little boy for a moment, and peered around the corner. Rolling his eyes at the sight of the wrapped up couple in front of him, he groaned. "Yeah, Matt. They can breathe."

"Are they stuck to each other?"

Mandy chuckled. "No, honey, they're not stuck."

"Guys?" Warrick knocked on the wall. "Your son is asking some questions here that I don't feel real comfortable answering."

Gil and Catherine separated, looking both guilty and pleased with themselves. Lindsey had begun making her way downstairs at the doorbell, and she looked between her parents and the new arrivals.

"Oh geez. Were you guys kissing again? You need a hobby."

"I have a hobby," Gil reminded her. "Your mother."

Catherine rolled her eyes and gently poked him in the side. "Behave."

Warrick smirked. "So…"

"We have juice!" Matt cried, racing into the kitchen. "Want some?"

"That's our subtle little icebreaker," Gil said, getting up.

Before their embarrassment could go any further, Greg and Claire arrived.

"Hey guys," Greg smiled. "Happy baby shower!"

Claire rolled her eyes. "I promise, I didn't give him any sugar today."

"Except for my cereal," Greg said proudly.

"You only get that for the toy," his wife told him.

"Dirty!" Greg told her, waving a finger in admonishment.

"How do you stay sane, married to him?" Catherine asked.

"Believe me," Greg said, "she's just as crazy as I pretend to be."

"The different being is that he's not pretending," Claire muttered.

"Hey! I resemble that remark."

Claire sighed and handed over a basket. "Congratulations, Catherine."

"Thanks," Catherine replied, taking the basket. "Let's go out the back. It's nice out there."

The group went out to the back of the house, taking the little ones with them. Gil soon let Nick and Debbie in with their kids, and the children all commenced racing around the backyard.

Claire nudged her husband with her foot. "Go on. I know you want to."

"Who me?" Greg asked, an innocent look on his face.

"Greg."

Greg jumped up, kissing his wife on the forehead. "I love you, baby." With that, he was off, racing after the other kids in the backyard.

"So, not long to go now, right Cath?" Nick asked.

"Three months," Catherine replied. "Luckily. I can't take being all puffed up much longer."

Gil's hand snaked over her belly. "You're beautiful."

"Don't you dare start kissing," Lindsey threatened.

--