Tara pressed print on the reports she needed to sign and swung her chair around to head toward the printing room.
She swiped her ID to release the pages and as she waited for them to spit out, another woman walked into the room, looking through her own report.
Tara crossed her arms lightly at her chest.
"Alice."
Alice looked up in surprise.
"Tara. Just came to grab new staples."
She blinked several times and put her folder by her side. There was a bit of an awkward lull.
"Ella said she saw you all at park…with Jesse."
Tara nodded cordially.
"Yes. She and Robyn ran off to the skate park so I only saw her for a second. Getting so tall. She'll be at the twins' birthday, I hope."
Alice nodded quickly.
"Yes, yes of course. Jesse will drop her off," she replied and there was another one of those lulls, "So…how are you?"
"I'm pretty good, actually," Tara answered easily, "How are you doing? How's…Dennis?"
Alice reached across and rubbed her opposite arm awkwardly.
"Not on the scene anymore."
Tara shuffled from one foot to the other.
"Oh. I'm very sorry."
"I'm not. He was a snob," Alice replied with a candid sneer, "Finally realizing I've been a bit of a snob. And lost a great man for it."
Tara frowned as Alice's sorrowful gaze met Tara's.
"And some friends."
Tara opened her mouth to speak but closed it again unsurely. Alice looked down bashfully.
"Not the time for my personal woes," she said self-deprecatingly then glanced at Tara with an arched eyebrow, "…but there's some rumors going around the office."
Tara nodded evenly.
"I'd guessed that would happen."
"Is it true?" Alice asked, though not scandalously, "You're adopting another charge?"
"We're fostering him," Tara corrected, "But that could be an option down the line. At his age, it will be his choice if he'd like that or not. We're just focusing on the immediate future right now."
"Of course," Alice replied quickly and looked at Tara as genuinely as she ever had since the day she found out Tara was to become her boss and those bitter lines had appeared on her face, "I've got your back."
"Thank you, Alice," Tara replied sincerely and watched as she grabbed the staples she needed and turned to leave, "Alice?"
Alice turned back and Tara extended some sincerity.
"Would you like to grab a glass of wine this weekend?"
Alice stalled for a moment.
"I've been laying off the wine lately," she admitted.
Tara nodded quickly.
"Cup of coffee?"
Alice smile brightened up her face and was clear of any lines of bitter concern that had resided there before.
"I would love to get some coffee."
Tara smiled softly.
"Liam is coming to us for the day on Saturday and I have to bring Kayden to pick out his bedroom furniture on Sunday. But I'm around Friday."
"Jesse picks Ella up from school on a Friday," Alice replied in a soft tone, "So that works great."
"See you then," Tara smiled and Alice left with a similar one on her face.
As Tara stopped to finally sort her paperwork, another person entered the room.
"Hey Brandon," Tara greeted warmly.
Brandon stepped back like Tara was contagious or something.
"Uh…I don't think we're supposed to be speaking."
Tara looked up and grinned wryly.
"Only about Kayden's case. We're allowed to say hello."
Brandon let his arms fall by his side.
"Right."
Tara sensed his nervousness and offered him an arm squeeze of encouragement.
"You've got this."
Brandon felt comforted by Tara's presence.
"It's hard since Josh and I got put on separate teams," he said, then rolled his eyes, "Which I realize sounds pathetic."
"You are more than capable of taking on any case you're given," Tara reassured, "I've watched you grow from a college student who didn't know a thing into a caseworker with multiple charges under his belt. You do a great job, even if you're not on my team anymore."
Brandon chuckled.
"Miss you, boss," he said affectionately, "What can I say, Ross just doesn't smell as good during team meetings."
Tara threw him a sly wink.
"But he's well-seasoned and wise so listen to him."
Brandon nodded and rolled up on his toes.
"Not to be insubordinate…"
"Oh, now you decide not to be insubordinate?" Tara joked with him, "Not like the time you put a whoopee cushion under my chair."
Brandon blushed.
"Adolescent prank?"
"You were in graduate school," Tara shot back, shaking her head, "Even my seven-year-old at the time said it was 'kiddie stuff'."
"It was so dumb," Brandon admitted, laughing, "Thank you for giving me a chance."
His nose scrunched.
"A lot of chances."
"I would hope someone would do the same for my son if they saw the potential in him that I saw in you," Tara replied sincerely and chuckled, "Now I better get out of here before I'm accused of collusion."
Brandon lifted his hand in a wave and Tara returned to her desk to file what needed to be filed.
She stopped for a moment to take a breath and smiled.
"Alice McNally?"
Willow paused from buttoning up her pajama top and frowned at her own words.
"Kenter. Whatever she's going by these days."
"Uh-huh," Tara nodded as she ran a brush through her hair, "Is that an issue?"
"No, no," Willow shook her head, "She just hasn't been around in a while."
"Her choice, really," Tara answered non-committal.
"I know that. And I know you tried," Willow answered, coming up behind Tara to embrace her, "So I'm just wondering what's changed? Last I knew she was parading around with Mr. Pinkie Pretentious and turning green with envy that you dared be offered a job above her."
"And I think she's realized she's lost everyone in her life because of it," Tara replied, settling her hands where Willow's were crossed at her stomach.
Willow dropped a kiss on Tara's neck and held her hands up as she walked away.
"All I'm saying is I'm still team Jesse."
"We're all team Jesse," Tara answered clearly, "But we can be team Alice too. They've worked it out for Ella's sake. She was a huge help to me starting my career, don't forget."
"You don't owe her," Willow countered.
"No, but I like her," Tara replied as she pulled up the sheet and slipped under it, "At least, who she was before she…"
"Went all mid-life-crisis-narcissistic-Barbie on everyone?" Willow asked, getting in bed at the other side.
Tara arched an eyebrow and Willow held her hands up again.
"If she's really changed…or changed back…then that's great. But she can't just drop us all and think she'll be welcomed back like nothing happened."
Tara found Willow's hand in the sheets.
"No one is asking you to do anything you're not comfortable with."
Willow rolled herself onto her side.
"What about asking me to do things I am comfortable?" she asked, letting her finger follow the curve of Tara's neckline, "Because I find this…pretty comfortable."
She kissed Tara's collarbone.
"And this…"
She kissed lower.
"And this…"
And lower.
"And this…"
Tara approached the exit of her work building where Alice was standing in her scarf and jacket with her hands in her pockets.
"You ready?"
Alice smiled softly.
"Yes. Do you have anywhere in mind?"
Tara nodded.
"Willow and I meet up for lunch sometimes in a place just a couple of blocks away. Great coffee. Even better cannoli."
"That sounds like heaven," Alice smiled, somewhat nervously.
Tara brought her to the spot she'd met Willow right at the beginning of that week to discuss taking in Kayden. It felt like months ago. Kayden had slotted in so easily it was like he had always been there, though Tara did have to make sure the girls left him alone when he'd come back from his time with Brandon.
They didn't understand the intricacies of why he came to stay with him nor how trying a meeting with your social worker can be. To his credit, he was never short with them, just a bit quiet and withdrawn. Tara was glad they would finally be giving him his own space tomorrow.
They ordered coffees and a cannoli to share and picked out the only seat left in the place, right in the corner.
Tara lifted her circular mug and took a long sip of mostly foam from her latte until she hit the caffeine she craved.
Alice did much the same and was even slower to return her cup to its saucer. She nervously sloshed it from side to side.
"It's been a while since I did something like this with anyone but Dennis," she admitted, swallowing softly, "Or Ella of course. But she says I'm not as fun as Daddy."
Tara watched lines of insecurity pepper Alice's face. It was never a trait she had associated with her before.
"What happened?" she asked softly, "Suddenly you and Jesse were getting divorced and we barely heard from you anymore. Then you stopped showing up at all."
Alice's hands joined together and her arms bent out in front of her; the cushion to which she promptly dropped her head. She slowly sat back up and sighed.
"Jesse and I were fighting. It wasn't even that bad but I got it in my head that everything that was wrong in my life was because Jesse likes sports and beer instead of art and wine and culture. I thought I deserved better. And then you got promoted and I thought I deserved your job. I thought I deserved more. I couldn't even see everything that I had."
Her lips pursed together so much they turned white.
"I thought I was better than all of you and so I pushed you all away. Told myself I was living my perfect life. Then Denis cheated on me and I woke up one morning alone in bed with my daughter across town with her father having a better time than she has with me and I realized I'd thrown everything away for nothing."
Tara's hand gently covered Alice's.
"I'm so sorry, Al. That must have been really tough."
Alice's eyes filled with tears.
"I don't deserve your sympathy."
Tara squeezed.
"Sure you do."
Alice laughed; a little bitter but mostly just sad.
"I've missed you, Tara," she admitted, catching the corner of her eye with her sleeve, "I know I never gelled with the group as well as the rest of you…but you were still my group."
"I can't speak for the group," Tara nodded evenly, "But you're still my friend."
Alice looked away and sniffled. As she did so, she spotted a few sets of eyes quickly look away. She looked up to Tara quizzically.
"Do the wait staff keep staring at us?"
Tara glanced around and spotted the same thing Alice had. Her lips smirked on one side and she spooned a piece of cannoli off to present to Alice provocatively.
"I think they think that I'm cheating on Willow."
Alice laughed again but it was much more boisterous albeit letting out a few tears. She accepted the offering on the spoon and looked as two wait staff whispered scandalously.
She looked back to her friend with the gratitude and sincerity she'd owed her for a long time now.
"Tara thank you…for making some time for me."
"I was always here, Al," Tara replied softly.
Alice nodded.
"I know," she said sadly, "I wish I'd realized that sooner."
Tara raised her mug and smiled.
"To second chances."
Alice matched her in action and expression.
"To second chances."
"I'm gonna catch you…I'm gonna catch you!"
Liam giggled ferociously behind his pacifier as he toddle-ran around the coffee table in his not-even-three-foot frame.
He was so busy looking behind to see if Willow was close to catching him that he didn't spot Tara coming into the room and plucking him up with kicking legs below him.
"I got you!"
Liam threw his head back and laughed heartily, his pacifier dropping out and to the floor, but he just kept laughing.
"Oops, binky bugs!" Willow said, picking it up from the floor, "I got it."
She kissed Tara's cheek as she passed, who threw Liam up in the air and caught him to nuzzle their noses together.
"I love you, Liam. Aunty Tara loves you."
In the hallway, Willow accidentally crashed into Robyn as she came sliding down the handrail and jumped off without care for her surroundings.
"Bean, what have we taught you about looking before you leap?" Willow said in exasperation.
"You didn't, Tigger did," Robyn replied and stuck out her tongue as she picked up the pacifier Willow had dropped again, "These things are stupid and full of plastic."
Willow cackled, loudly.
"If you only knew the terror we went through trying to get you off one of those things."
"As if," Robyn scoffed, pushing the pacifier back into Willow's palm.
"Entirely," Willow replied with a sure nod of her head.
"You're probably thinking of Emily," Robyn brushed off, turning her face away haughtily.
Willow put her hands on Robyn's head and kissed her zigzag parting.
"I'm most certainly thinking of you, precious daughter."
"Gross," Robyn pushed Willow off and grabbed her skateboard, "I'm gonna go give the street some character."
She left and Willow smiled after her.
"Tiny Tara," she said and chuckled to herself, "Angry Tiny Tara."
She washed the pacifier and brought it back but Liam didn't seem to miss it. He laughed and laughed with Tara as she sat with him on the sofa and dropped him between her knees.
"Takes after his Daddy," Willow commented sarcastically with a wry smile for Tara as she sat between them.
"Dah-dee," Liam said brightly, "Dah-dee bite!"
Willow shook her head in Tara's direction.
"I told Buffy to move his crib out of their bedroom…"
She reached out to tickle Liam's belly.
"Hey, Liamy…who wants to get into our jammies?!"
Liam started to pout, making his green eyes wide and brown hair flop into them.
Willow found herself mirroring his sad look but tried to perk herself up again. She lifted him up into the air.
"Who…wants to fly to get into our jammies?!"
She jumped up and began to fly him out of the room and up the stairs, to much renewed giggling.
They passed by Kayden coming down the stairs, whom Liam flew right over and elicited smiles from them both.
Tara spotted him loitering in the doorway as she walked around the coffee table to straighten everything up after Liam's clumsy, wayward hands had gone wild.
"Hey Kayden," she greeted easily, "Been looking through that catalog I gave you?"
Kayden shrugged his shoulder and looked down so his messy hair all fell into his eyes, not unlike Liam.
"Kinda."
Tara smiled and faced her attention toward him.
"What did you see?"
Kayden shrugged again. He did that a lot.
"You should just get whatever's cheapest."
Tara nodded slowly.
"Well, something doesn't have to be expensive to be nice. But you'll have to live in it, so you should like it too."
Kayden just looked down again.
Tara paused. She looked at Kayden contemplatively, then sat back on the couch and patted the spot beside her.
"I think we should have a chat."
Kayden obliged, swinging his body rhythmically off the door and over to sit.
Tara sat back casually but made sure her gaze was received.
"I think you feel like we shouldn't spend money on your room because you don't want to be a bother. And you probably think that you think that because you're scared we'll put you back in the system."
Kayden's eyes widened and his hands started to rub together nervously. Tara put her hand over his shoulder and pat-pat-pat it as she had on her babies' butts when they were fussy.
"But I think really you think that because you don't think you're worth it."
Kayden froze. Tara smiled sadly.
"And that's because people have made you believe that," she said, swallowing deeply at the injustice, "Just like someone did that to me."
Kayden's head flew sharply toward Tara. His eyes took a bit longer to catch up, but they did.
"Wait…oh. Was it…?"
"My father," Tara nodded, having to take a deep breath to not let some of those overwhelming feelings of her youth coming back up.
Kayden immediately bristled.
"Was it 'cause," he asked, his gaze moving away skittishly, "You know, you…"
Both knees bounced uncomfortably.
"With Willow and stuff?"
"Oh," Tara replied, shaking her head softly, "No. He didn't know that. At least not when I was growing up."
Kayden's eyes flit toward Tara.
"Why?"
"I spent a long time asking myself the same question," Tara smiled sadly, "Until I finally realized that it was nothing to do with me. They were his reasons. And his demons. And I wasn't responsible for them."
"Where is he now?"
Tara pursed her lips cautiously. She wanted to be honest but their children didn't know of that 'grandfather'; he didn't even deserve the title in her mind.
"Left," Tara answered eventually, "A while back."
Kayden's head fell down between his shoulders.
"Tony's not going anywhere."
"He's stuck," Tara replied with a convincing nod of her head, "You're the one who's moving forward."
Kayden took a minute, then slapped one hand against the other.
"Do I have to go to Dr. Carter next week?"
"Do you not like her?" Tara asked gently.
Kayden did that shoulder shrug again.
"She's alright," he said, scratching under his ear, "I just feel dumb going there."
"I go to therapy, you know," Tara volunteered easily, "And Willow and I go together sometimes. It helps us. And we don't have to be fighting or anything to find it helpful, it's just good to make sure we're dealing with all of our emotions healthily."
She finished with such pep that Kayden couldn't help but smile.
"I guess I could see him again."
Tara leaned in and pressed a kiss on the side of Kayden's forehead.
"Come to me if you ever need to talk," she requested softly, "Willow too. She studied psychology, you know. She doesn't practice but she's good at burrowing out those brain worms, as she calls them. Those little thoughts that wiggle in there and won't let go."
She smiled thinking of Willow and Kayden watched the joy brighten on her face quizzically. He looked away again and reached behind to scratch an itchy spot on one of the healing cuts on his back.
Tara watched the way his face rippled with discomfort as he moved.
"Kayden, do you need me to put some salve on your back?"
Kayden's brow furrowed in Tara's direction.
"What's that?"
Tara's heart broke but she didn't let it show.
"Just some ointment. It helps everything heal and feel a little better."
Kayden offered a fleeting glance, which Tara took as acceptance. She stood up and went into the laundry room where there was a shelf with a first aid kit. She took out the salve and brought it back to the living room, where she closed and locked the door.
"No one will walk in, don't worry."
She sat back where she had been and showed Kayden what the salve looked like. He slowly pulled his t-shirt up from so his back was exposed and Tara gently rubbed the ointment in as she had at various times in various places for all of her children.
Kayden was tense for a few moments, but he slowly relaxed under the loving touch.
"That feels nice," he admitted, then after another beat continued quietly, "They had a rug with a guitar on it."
He paused.
"In the catalog."
"Yeah?" Tara smiled easily, "You liked it?"
"Yeah, it was cool," Kayden admitted on an exhale.
"We'll put it on the list," Tara replied brightly, "See anything else?"
Kayden slowly smiled.
Willow pushed her head into the living room where Tara was holding a sleeping Liam sprawled across her lap, sucking on his pacifier.
"Hey, I need to pop out," she whispered.
"Convenient when they're just starting to put the furniture together," Tara replied quietly as she looked over with a wry smile.
"Oh, and what are you, the human blankie, doing to help?" Willow replied, raising her chin with faux-haughtiness.
Tara rolled her eyes playfully and held her hand above Liam's pudgy red cheek.
"Sometimes I wished we'd had another."
Willow moved over and sat on the arm of the seat beside Tara. She gently rubbed Tara's upper arm, far enough away from Liam so as not to wake him.
"I know it was hard for you. Having the hysterectomy so young. But we really couldn't have handled another little one."
Tara just nodded. It wasn't like she'd ever even asked Willow to carry again for them, either.
"You're right. We couldn't have handled another baby."
Willow squeezed Tara's arm.
"I'm sorry you feel that way though."
Tara smiled softly.
"It's funny," she said, her brow creasing as if she was confused by her own words, "I was sitting here looking at Liam sleeping…and I don't feel the same sense of missing out as I have before. I don't know why that peace has come over me all of a sudden."
"I'm glad it has," Willow replied and watched Tara watch Liam with a serene smile on her face, "I really do have to go out for 30 minutes though."
Tara looked up and quickly nodded.
"Yes, of course. Will you pick up some napkins for dinner? I'm just going to put the food on the table and let everyone help themselves."
"Have you made enough for a Buffy-sized appetite?" Willow asked with an arched eyebrow, "Keeping in mind that her not-even-two-year-old son ate as much as JJ did last night."
Tara smiled softly.
"You can call my crockpot the never-ending bowl of deliciousness."
"Oh, I do," Willow grinned, "Nightly."
Tara pushed Willow's shoulder.
"Go. Gimme a kiss."
Tara turned her head so Willow could peck her lips.
"Love you," Willow said as she pulled back.
"Love you," Tara answered, "Check on the girls on the way out?"
"Sure," Willow smiled and slid off the couch to grab her purse and head outside.
On the front lawn, Emily was lying on a blanket Tara had put out there earlier to have a picnic with them all and Liam. She was doodling in a sketchbook that she'd asked for after Kayden showed her his. She was happy and quiet, in stark contrast to her two sisters who were tussling right there in the grass.
"Hey, HEY!" Willow called as she came over to pull them apart, "Do NOT kick your sister!"
Robyn fell off to the side in a huff.
"I wasn't kicking her," she protested, sticking her tongue out at Lily when Willow's back was turned, "I was loving her with my foot."
Willow sighed and held her arms a foot apart between them.
"Just break it up, okay?" she said with a sternly arched eyebrow, then looked across the lawn, "Emmy, you good?"
Emily looked up, readjusted her glasses, and nodded before burying her head with her pencils again.
Willow gave Robyn and Lily a futile disciplinary look; she knew they'd be back at it as soon as she was gone again.
Inside, Tara heard the car pull out of the driveway then just minutes later she heard footsteps on the stairs. Buffy walked into the living room and kneeled down to brush her hand against Liam's soft hair.
"I do make good baby," she said with a satisfied sigh and smiled up at Tara, "Just checking in."
"He's been an Angel. Pardon the pun," Tara replied with a kind smile, "Thank you so much for helping out."
Buffy shook her head with a grin.
"I lug things, you change diapers. I know which end of the deal I'm on," she quipped as she stood and put her hands on her hips, "So, I have to ask."
She quirked an eyebrow.
"Do you use your job as a front to find new sons?"
"Because I've done it twice in sixteen years," Tara laughed with a self-deprecating roll of her eyes.
"Twice more than most people," Buffy returned with a chuckle.
Tara shrugged one shoulder easily.
"What can I say, Buffy? Everything aligned to make this happen right when it needed to most. It feels like he's always been here."
Buffy nodded understandingly.
"He's a nice kid. Quiet. Insisted on helping."
"He's been through a lot," Tara said quietly, "But he's retained his sweetness."
"Sounds like someone else I know," Buffy replied with affection and threw a sly wink Tara's way, "I'm going to go make sure Angel isn't trying to read the instructions upside down again."
She bent down to press a gentle kiss on Liam's forehead.
"You good with my boy?"
"I adore your boy," Tara returned, holding him a little tighter.
"Likewise," Buffy smiled as she stood, "Plural."
Tara felt her mouth go a little dry as Buffy said that and just nodded in return. Buffy left them alone again and Tara found herself fighting off a lump of emotion in her throat.
It didn't take long for Liam to wake from his nap and not much longer than that for Kayden to appear, looking a little lost.
"Hi honey," Tara greeted and Kayden held his opposite arm and looked down at the floor in response, "Everything okay?"
"Uh-huh," Kayden nodded, "They, um…your, um, friends said I should come downstairs so they could finish it off."
"Oh, they want it to be a surprise," Tara smiled, "That's very sweet of them. Do you want to play with me and Liam?"
Kayden nodded and sat on the floor with them to help Liam get his little colorful pegs into the open slots of a toy hedgehog.
"Yeah, that's green," Kayden smiled when Liam coordinated right, "Good job."
Tara smiled with slightly raised eyebrows.
"You're good with him."
Kayden blushed and didn't say anything, but did continue to play.
A little while later there were heavier steps rocketing down the stairs and Buffy, Angel, Jesse, and Xander appeared with a light sheen on their faces and pleased smiles they kept sending to each other. Even Angel looked keen to be involved.
"Dah-dee!" Liam called out excitedly, reaching out for his parents, "Mah-mah!"
"Hey slayer," Buffy cooed as she took him in her arms, "Were you good for Aunty Tara?"
Liam bobbed his head.
"An' Kay-Kay!"
Kayden blushed all over again but all of the adults pretended not to notice.
"We're all done up there if you want to take a look," Xander supplied helpfully.
"I'll take you up," Tara offered and put her hand between Kayden's shoulder blades, "There's beers in the fridge for you non-designated drivers and snacks left out while we wait for dinner."
They all clambered into the kitchen while Tara walked up both sets of stairs to the attic with Kayden. He seemed nervous, so Tara didn't rush it and just took it step by step. Once they were up there, Tara pulled back the sliding door and stood back to let him take it in.
She had to take it in herself.
It was all black and white, centered around the black and white guitar rug on the floor that Kayden had first picked out. Two walls were white and one feature wall was black and had the bed and nightstands backed up against it. He'd chosen simple but functional furniture; a dresser, a wooden bed frame, a bookshelf.
A hand-built desk had come courtesy of Xander with a sturdy chair, well-cushioned and designed to be sat in for however long homework took.
Tara had offered (well, she'd offered Willow) to get him a TV out of fairness because JJ had one but he'd politely and shyly refused — Tara thought it was because he was embarrassed about the money but really he just wanted an excuse to still be able to hang out with JJ.
He hadn't realized yet that he didn't need an excuse.
Kayden sat on the end of his bed and looked around in wonder.
"You like it, honey?" Tara asked gently.
Kayden could only smile and nod. Tara came to sit by him.
"I have something for you," she said and reached into her pocket to pull out a phone.
Kayden looked at it, confused.
"We need to be able to keep in touch with you," Tara said with a smile, "Willow has…loaded it, or set it up or whatever it's called when you make it work. Our numbers are programmed in and you're on our family plan. But if you go over, it's coming out of your allowance."
Kayden took a moment to follow as he turned the phone around in his hands.
"Allowance?" he asked absentmindedly as his thumb roamed the screen.
Tara nodded.
"We'll give you 30 dollars a week and whatever amount you save of it, we'll match. If you want to take from those savings, you come and talk to us. Is that okay?"
Kayden's eyes widened as his brain played catch-up.
"Yeah, of course."
Tara smiled softly.
"Your allowance isn't tied to any chores. We expect you to help out because you're part of the family. But if you need a little extra, we might be able to find something to help you earn it."
Tara knew Willow would be rolling her eyes so hard if she were in the room right now because Tara tended to accept pleading eyes and a sweet smile as work enough for some extra cash.
Tara reached into her other pocket and took out three $10 bills which she pressed into Kayden's spare hand.
He looked down at it and began to feel overwhelmed. He pushed it back at Tara.
"Can I save all of it? You don't have to match it."
Tara smiled, slow and easy.
"It can be scary when your own money for the first time," she said gently, "You feel like you have to keep it in case it goes again. Or you spend it all quickly in case it gets taken back."
She pushed it back into his hand.
"But you can relax, sweetheart, okay?" she said gently, "You're not going anywhere."
Kayden slowly smiled too, then handed a ten back to Tara.
"What are you saving for?" Tara asked with a conspiring wink.
"Oh. Um…" Kayden started, frowning in thought.
"JJ started saving for a car around your age," Tara advised but thought quickly that that might be overwhelming, "But you can start off small."
Kayden smiled, embarrassed.
"I have to think about it."
There was the sound of the metal doors shaking as someone in heavy boots pounded up the stairs and JJ appeared in the hallway that separated the two rooms.
"Mom," he said as his eyes landed on her, "Is dinner ready?"
"Hello to you, dear son," Tara replied and walked over to give him a hug, "Twenty minutes."
JJ smiled and took a moment to look around the new room.
"Bro, your room is dope!" he complimented and grinned, "When do I get a remodel?"
"I'm sure if you helped your uncle out at his store, he'd help you build some new furniture," Tara smiled, patting his back.
JJ's nose scrunched.
"You know, my room is pretty cool as it is."
"Thought so," Tara replied knowingly and pulled at his arm, "I need you to help me carry the heavy dishes."
JJ faked a heavy sigh.
"Sometimes I think I'm nothing but muscle in this house."
"Heart muscle," Tara smiled at him and pressed a kiss to his cheek.
JJ waved her off, embarrassed but hugged her sidelong as they went back downstairs.
"I love you, Mom."
Downstairs, Willow closed the door of the hall closet right as JJ and Tara were coming down.
"I hear beer-guzzling and chatter. Is the room done?"
"Go have a look," Tara smiled.
"Will do!" Willow smiled, hugging Tara sidelong as she passed, "Dinner soon?"
"Like mother, like son," Tara chuckled, "Yes. Twenty minutes, but can you tell the kids ten?"
"On it," Willow replied and went back to the front door.
Only Emily was in view, like she knew she was supposed to be.
"Emmy, sweetheart, dinner soon," she said and Emily looked up and nodded diligently, "Where are your sisters?"
Emily pointed down the street and Willow sighed.
"Good girl. Thank you."
Emily started packing up her crayons — careful to put the right color in the right slot, much to Willow's relief and delight.
She heard her other two daughters before she saw them; yelling as they scuffled and rolled around on the sidewalk. There was a bunch of young boys on bikes or scooters around them, but they all began to skid out of there when they saw Willow approaching.
"Hey!" Willow called, quickening her step to pull Robyn off of Lily, "What have I told you about fighting with your sister?!"
"I'm not fighting with her!" Robyn protested, fighting out of Willow's grip, "Not for real!"
"Oh yeah, I've heard that one before," Willow scoffed as she eyeballed Lily to make sure there were no injuries she had to deal with.
"I wasn't!" Robyn defended and shot Lily a wide-eyed look.
"She wasn't!" Lily quickly shook her head.
Willow let go of them both and looked between them.
"She was getting all worked up. She needed to get her energy out," Robyn explained, holding her chin up.
Willow looked at Lily, concerned.
"You know you should come to me or Mommy when you start to feel like that."
Lily looked down and scuffed her shoe.
"The other kids call me names when I have to go inside to do dumb stuff like breath. I just wanted to keep playing, Momma."
Willow rubbed Lily's arm gently.
"How do you feel now?"
Lily thought about it.
"Hungry," she settled on eventually and there was a little rumbling sound to confirm.
Willow smiled affectionately.
"When you were little and your stomach rumbled, you'd tell us your belly was telling you a story," she recalled fondly and stood up, putting a hand on each girls' back, "Come on. Dinner is almost ready."
Behind her back, Lily and Robyn exchanged a glance. Robyn crushed something in her fist and discreetly handed Lily two of the six dollars they'd collected from the other boys to watch them fight.
Once home again, Willow sent all of the girls off to clean up and went to the hall closet again. She picked out what she'd put there and making sure to handle it correctly, she quickly went up the attic. She let the item rest against the door and poked her head around with a gentle tap against the wood.
"Wow," she said brightly with a smile, "Looks great in here! You happy with it?"
Kayden was still sitting on the end of his bed, looking all around.
"It's amazing," he replied softly, "I still can't believe it's mine."
He blushed and looked down.
"Um, well, I mean…"
"Of course it is, it's your room," Willow replied and cautiously came to sit with him, "Kayden, I just wanted to say I know it must have been so difficult to just come into our home like this, especially with everything that came before."
Kayden looked up shyly while Willow offered a little sidelong hug.
"You've been a joy to have. I didn't even have to think about it when Tara suggested you live with us. You're an amazing, talented kid," she grinned to herself, "And I thought it wasn't fair that you weren't sharing your talents with the world. Us especially. So I got you something."
Kayden frowned as Willow skipped back over to the door and reached behind it. She brought back a guitar and held it out for him.
"The guy said you could swap it if it doesn't work for you but that this is the one a lot of kids your age have. Angel helped me pick the right one out so I hope you like it."
Kayden's mouth dropped.
"Oh my god."
Now he really was going to have to think about what to save for since his first wish had already been fulfilled.
Willow continued to hold it out.
"You gonna try it out?"
Kayden snapped to attention and took the guitar from Willow. He rested it in his lap and smiled. It was perfect. His old one was one that belonged to his father and needed to be restrung and had questionable gang affiliation marks on it but this one — it was new and varnished and shiny and felt like it was molded just for him.
He shook his head to focus and let his fingers find the cord he wanted. After a moment of settling, he started to play the opening bars of Can't Help Falling In Love.
"You know that song?" Willow smiled warmly, "That's an oldie. It came out before I was even born. It's one of my favorites."
Kayden continued to strum shyly.
"Oh, um…" he shrugged his guitar on his knee, "Tara. She said you liked Elvis."
"I do," Willow nodded, smiling even wider, "That's really sweet of you to remember."
Kayden ducked his head but was smiling too.
"Who does she like?"
"Tara? The Beatles," Willow answered easily, "Tara loves The Beatles.
Kayden looked up and swallowed.
"Thank you, Willow. I-I don't know what to say."
Willow came over and kissed the top of Kayden's head.
"You don't have to say anything. But you have to be on my side when I drag you all out to the fire pit to toast marshmallows and sing songs. Deal?"
Kayden just nodded quickly, silently, fighting the glassiness in his eyes.
Willow stepped away to allow him to have a moment.
"Dinner in ten, okay?"
"Yeah," Kayden replied gruffly, "Sure."
Willow smiled and left. Kayden swiped his sleeve over his eyes, then quickly picked up his new phone and looked up a tutorial for some Beatles songs.
He murmur-sang the lyrics as he followed along on his guitar.
"Blackbird singing in the dead of night…
Take these broken wings and learn to fly
All your life
You were only waiting for this moment to arise."