"Uh, Candace... did it ever occur to you that Ferb was in pain?" Gretchen asked.
"He never said anything," Candace said.
"Vertebrae in his neck were broken and he's been walking with a cane since he was fifteen," Gretchen pointed out.
"Then how did..." Candace indicated the sleeping Alexander in her arms.
"Some things are worth the pain," Ferb replied.
Gretchen turned to him, "You never mentioned-"
Ferb cut her off, "You knew the instances. When I would get too..."
Gretchen reddened and nodded.
"How much pain would you be in?" Candace asked.
"It varied. I've got some strong medications I take when necessary," Ferb replied.
"Is that why you don't work with Phineas? Too many physical demands?" Candace inquired.
"No. I'd rather have a good relationship with him. There were times we'd be at each other's throats because he wanted one thing and I wanted something else," Ferb replied.
"Is that why you requested a separate bedroom?" Candace asked.
"That, and I wasn't going to be there for most of the year after I turned thirteen," Ferb answered.
Candace nodded, "Phineas was kinda bummed about that."
"I had to leave. I needed to find out who I was," Ferb said.
"You were always Phineas' sidekick," Candace noted.
"That's the point, there had to be more than just being his shadow," Ferb remarked.
"Dad said that you had a job, an actual job, by the time you were fourteen," Candace said.
Ferb nodded, "I was working with an automotive firm and a couple of engineering firms." (1)
"And Mom thought you were teasing me," Candace said.
"I wasn't."
"We know that now."
"Phineas didn't do so well when he was left to his own devices," Ferb noted.
"What do you mean?" Candace asked.
Ferb raised an eyebrow
"He continued to build and create things," Candace pointed out.
"Yes he did, but the overall design wasn't as intricate," Gretchen remarked.
"You guys always came over, all the time," Candace said.
Gretchen shrugged, "Phineas still made everything fun."
"It became really awkward after you two went to England to study and Isabella would come over with the remaining troop members," Candace stated.
Ferb's eyebrow crept up again.
"It took all I had not to tell Holly off," Candace admitted.
"What'd she say?" Gretchen asked, curious.
Candace waved her hand, "Something about you two being secretly married."
"Let me guess, we also had three children and a dog," Gretchen said.
"I know you wouldn't have a dog, Ferb's allergic; but yes she insisted that you had a child and possibly another on the way," Candace replied with a nod.
Ferb rolled his eyes.
"What did she say when you finally admitted you were pregnant?" Candace prompted.
"She was very bitter. She said I went to England with Ferb so we could start a family then come back and pretend everything was fine," Gretchen replied.
When Ferb's brow furrowed, Gretchen was quick to add, "Katie, Isabella and Adyson got on her case about it."
"And the others?" Candace asked.
"They weren't too happy with Holly either," Gretchen replied.
"It doesn't matter now. We have our little family," Ferb remarked.
"Does she have children?" Candace inquired.
A look of discomfort crossed Gretchen's face as she replied, "I don't know, I hope not. With her attitude, that wouldn't be a healthy environment to raise a child."
"From what you say, it sounds as though she hates men," Ferb noted.
"She's under the belief that 'If you don't get what you want out of a relationship, then it's time to move on,'" Gretchen said with a sigh.
"That is a very poor belief," Candace noted.
"She learned it from her cousin...and unfortunately got into Isabella's head with it," Gretchen returned.
"When did that happen?" Candace asked.
"When Phineas and Isabella were dating," Ferb supplied, as Gretchen had previously metioned to him.
"Everyone thought that was the relationship that would last," Candace mused aloud.
"They're still close friends," Gretchen pointed out.
"Phineas didn't date anyone for the longest time, then five months after he started dating Sienna... He got her pregnant," Candace remarked.
"Mum was not happy about that," Ferb said with a grimace.
"When she found out," Gretchen pointed out.
"Good thing you two were on your honeymoon when that hit the fan," Candace said, knowing that the three of them had known before it had come out to the rest of the family.
"We had just gotten back to the hotel after a day out," Ferb said.
"Ferb was going to check the itinerary from his e-mail when..." Gretchen began.
"I had no fewer than ten messages from Phineas," Ferb finished.
"We agreed to read the messages but not respond to them immediately," Gretchen explained.
"We were on our honeymoon, after all," Ferb added.
"What'd you guys do?" Candace asked.
"We were a little bit in shock, about Linda's reaction that is," Gretchen said.
"I sent him a message back, repeating something that I had already told him," Ferb said.
"Was it the one citing that he should step up and take care of his girlfriend and their unborn child?" Candace asked.
Ferb nodded in reply.
"You've always been there to give him advice," Candace remarked.
"If I remember correctly, I suggested that because he obviously loves her he should get married to her," Ferb said.
"He wasn't ready to become a father," Candace noted.
Ferb glanced at his son, "I'm not sure I'm ready either, though I've had more time to prepare."
"No one is ever fully ready for a baby, Ferb," Candace pointed out.
"You sure about that?" Ferb asked.
"Yes," Candace replied then turned to the younger woman, "Gretchen how do you feel about becoming a mother?"
"I'm anxious. I don't want to make any mistakes," Gretchen admitted.
"Oh honey, you'll make plenty of mistakes," Candace replied.
"We've read some books on parenting," Ferb said.
"Okay, that's one thing. Now put that theory into practice," Candace remarked.
"We know we have to feed him every two hours, day and night," Gretchen said.
"What are you going to do when he sleeps for four hours straight?" Candace asked.
"The book says to wake him up," Ferb answered.
"Now you've got screaming, angry baby on your hands," Candace said with the utmost seriousness.
A worried look settled on to Gretchen's face.
"Do you mind if I give you a little advice?" Candace asked.
"Go ahead," Ferb replied.
"If he's sleeping, then it's not a good idea to wake him up. He'll let you know if he's hungry," Candace said.
"But the book is written by experts," Ferb protested.
"Who have probably never had children," Candace pointed out as Alexander woke.
"But..." Ferb tried protesting.
"Babies don't come with a manual, Ferb. I'm sure Dad will tell you that. Phineas found that out the hard way," Candace cut him off gently.
"What happened?" Gretchen asked, curiosity getting her.
Candace stood to her five eleven stature and handed Alexander back to his mother.
Ferb raised an eyebrow at her to prompt her into explaining.
"Well let's say Phineas did a little too much bouncing," Candace said as she sat back down.
"He made Lillian sick?" Gretchen asked as she cuddled her son.
Candace gave a confirming nod, "She must have been three months old at the time. Sienna had just finished feeding her and Phineas thought she had been burped."
Ferb visibly cringed, "Mental note, don't bounce the baby."
"They love it, though. Just be gentle. Give it a try," Candace said.
"Now?"
"Yeah."
Gretchen handed Alexander to Ferb.
"Hold him against you. Make sure you keep a hand behind his head, and just gently bounce," Candace instructed.
Ferb looked extremely unsure of what he was doing but did as Candace had instructed.
"That's right. Now hold him tight... there you go," Candace said.
"He's not going to be ill is he?" Ferb asked.
"Are you afraid of a little milk?" Gretchen asked, amused.
"Considering the current trajectory, yes," Ferb replied.
Alexander squirmed and started to cry.
Ferb quickly handed him back to Gretchen, "That's enough for now."
"Ferb..You're not going to break him," Gretchen said.
"He might just need a diaper change," Candace said.
Ferb glanced at Gretchen.
Gretchen looked down the back of the diaper, "I don't see anything."
Candace picked Alexander from Gretchen's arms, and said to him in a baby voice, "Are you giving your parents a hard time already? I used to give your father a hard time, yes I did."
Alexander gurgled.
"He's wet," Candace stated in her normal voice.
"Oh," Gretchen blinked.
"He's not going to be dirty every time. How about you give him a change Ferb?" Candace said.
Ferb blinked.
"Come on Daddy, I'll help you," Candace said as she brought the baby over to the soft chair, "Now put down a cloth."
Ferb put a hospital cloth on the chair, "We'll need a new diaper."
"Now you're catching on. Don't forget the wipes," Candace said with a smile.
Ferb brought over a fresh diaper and some wipes, "Now you're going to tell me the used diaper needs to come off before the fresh one goes on."
"Very good genius," Candace said with a smile then helped Ferb with the diaper change.
"That wasn't too bad," Ferb noted.
"No it wasn't," Candace agreed.
"Aren't dirty diapers worse?" Gretchen asked.
"Sometimes," Candace replied.
Ferb carefully picked Alexander up, "Are you sure the diaper will stay on?"
Candace looked at it, "Yes, you don't want it too tight. You don't want it too loose either."
"I can understand that," Ferb replied as he held Alexander, upright and against his chest.
"Cradle him, Ferb. That way you can enjoy him," Candace said.
Ferb smiled slightly, "I'm actually enjoying this."
"See? You aren't going to hurt him," Gretchen said.
"You're learning and that's a good thing," Candace said.
Gretchen got up out of the bed.
"Something wrong Love?" Ferb asked.
"Bathroom honey," Gretchen replied, going into the small enclosed room.
Alexander stretched, yawned, and closed his eyes.
"Newborns don't stay awake for long do they?" Ferb asked.
"No, they sleep quite a bit. Though that will change in a few months," Candace said.
"He'll be awake during the day more?" Ferb asked.
"If you're lucky. Amanda was a night owl," Candace replied.
"Before he was born, he seemed to have the same sleep schedule as Gretchen," Ferb said.
"Maybe he'll keep it that way," Candace said.
"I hope. That'll make things easier," Ferb replied.
"Just a moment Ferb," Candace said as she dug into her purse.
Ferb raised an eyebrow at her.
Candace pulled out her phone, "I need to take a picture of this. You'll thank me later."
Gretchen sighed as she sat back down on the bed, "I know the first thing I want to do when I get home."
"What's that?" Candace asked.
"Take a nice walk around the block. I'm bored sitting in bed," Gretchen answered.
Candace laughed lightly.
"I understandwhat you mean," Ferb said.
"Good thing I was never put on bed rest," Gretchen commented.
"Knowing you, you'd be bored spitless," Candace noted.
RW26Z AE/N: 1- Please refer to chapter 5 of Life Turned Upsidedown.