"Mom!" Andrew woke up to the sound of three high-pitched voices. He looked over to see the bed empty. He got out of bed, put a shirt on, and walked into the living room. Emily was balancing a toddler on her hip while her two daughters turned around to smile at him."
Andrew jolted up when he finally heard his alarm going off. He looked around to see that he was in his own apartment and not Emily's. He got up to shower before starting his day. When he got out of the shower, he put on clothes and walked into his living room. Unlike his dream, Andrew's living room didn't have three children in it, but his slumbering sister. He went into the kitchen to make them both breakfast. By the time he was done, she was awake and trudging into the kitchen. She avoided eye contact and murmured, "Morning Andy." "Good morning Nicky. Did you sleep alright?" She shook her head yes. "I made your favorite, breakfast tacos." That got a smile out of her as she sat down and dug in. They ate in comfortable silence but she felt her big brother's eyes on her. "Andy, do you love Emily?" Andrew's mouth hung open, "Where did that come from?" "She came to the hospital with you. You trusted her to talk to me in private. You guys left together. Wait, you didn't break up with her because she talked to me, did you?" He shook his head, "No, we didn't break up. I left her place because you texted me that you were getting discharged. She was sleeping when I left. Do I love her? I'm definitely smitten and falling hard for her." "She's good for you…good for us. She said she'd help me, you know get into rehab." "I know. Do you think that you'll stick with it this time?" Nicky shrugged her shoulders as she finished her breakfast, "I hope so. I want to stay sober."
Across town, Emily was busy in her kitchen making omlettes for brunch. She was pleasantly surprised when her daughters came back from their trip early. After 3 days, they had their fun camping and missed their mother. The came home at about 5am, so she let them sleep until late in the morning. She had just plated their breakfast when she heard them trudging into the kitchen. They both hugged her tight and went to the breakfast bar. While they ate, Emily asked "What kind of smoothie do we want today?" Mirabelle replied, "Grapefruit, papaya, and orange." Anais countered, "Guava, mango, blueberries, and raspberries." Emily chuckled to herself, noting how they always pick the opposite of each other. She made their two separate smoothies and decided that it was time to tell them about Andrew. "I need to tell you two something." Mirabelle is a mirror image of Emily's sassy side. "Something or someone. Mommy when we left you were kind of sad and now, you keep smiling." Anais was the sweeter one of the two; she kicked her sister's leg, "Don't be mean. What is it mama?"
Emily finished her cup of tea, "How do you feel about me dating someone?" Mirabelle sat up on her knees, "So, mommy likes a boy?" Anais was next, "a big boy." Emily rolled her eyes and laughed, "I'm serious girls. Are you okay with it?" They both looked at each other and jumped down from the breakfast bar and said in unison, "Mommy likes a boy. Mommy likes a big boy. Mommy's got a boyfriend. Mommy's going to get pretty for a boy. Mommy likes a boy." Emily couldn't help but laugh at her serious conversation turning into teasing by her daughters.