So it occured to me as I started this chapter that it's been a while since I've actually written story that was predominantly about Steph. Lately my main characters have been teenage girls, so I found it bizarre to be writing froim Steph's POV to begin with, but I think I got the hang of it again.

Chapter 1

"Why didn't you bring the boys?" I asked as we approached the Porsche in the parking lot of the facility that had practically been home for the last three months. It had taken me a week to convince Carlos that I really was ready to come home. He was of the mind that I should stay there, where the professionals can help me, until I can walk again. It's easy for him to say. He's used to being away from the real world. Away from the things and people he loves. Each day I'd spent inside that glorified prison was utter torture. Being away from my boys for so long was killing me. Fortnightly visits just weren't enough to keep me satisfied.

Speaking of satisfied. Carlos was never going to be satisfied unless he was seeing that all my needs were met and that I was taken care of. Hence, the argument I'd lost when we started to leave and he insisted on pushing my chair. And I just knew that once we reached the Porsche he was going to lift me up and deposit me in the front passenger seat. If he had his way I would never lift a single finger, let alone let me heft myself into the car. This was going to be a constant struggle; a hard learning curve for him. He had to let me do things for myself, no matter how much it pained him.

"They're helping the guys back at home," Carlos informed me, parking my chair next to the car and coming around in front of me to unlock the passenger side door. "I asked them to come but they wanted to make sure things were ready for you."

I smiled. My boys were so thoughtful, but I would have preferred they come to bring me home. I was looking forward to seeing their faces light up when they realised that I really was coming home with them. Finally. I'm not going to lie; I was disappointed when Carlos walked through that door alone. Now, he moved to lift me from my chair without so much as a word and I knew that asserting myself where he was concerned was going to be hard, but I had to start now or I'd never get around to it.

"Carlos," I said, putting my hand on his arm to still his actions. "Let me do it myself." I could tell he was going to argue the point again, so I added, "Please?" As much as he didn't like it, he nodded shortly, and stepped back, allowing me to do my thing. I'd never done a chair to car before, but I was confident that it wouldn't be too different to any other thing I'd heft myself onto in the past. It took me a moment to figure out the best way to go about it, but eventually I was in and Carlos was stowing the wheelchair in the backseat.

The ride home was spent, for the most part, in our usual companionable silence. I turned the radio on about half an hour into the drive, keeping the volume low enough that we could talk if we so chose. We didn't. And for the first time in weeks I found myself thinking about the accident.

I was on my way back to my parent's house after a long and busy day. The backseat was filled with packages I needed to take to the office that I was mentally rearranging, Tetris style so that they would all fit in the trunk with the groceries so that the boys had room to sit when I picked them up. I was so distracted by the packages and the new to do list that was forming in my head that I had no idea what was happening until suddenly I was trapped in the car with a truck across my hood.

I couldn't move from the waist down, my legs pinned under the weight of the car. It didn't hurt, at least not yet, but it was uncomfortable, and I was pretty sure it would hurt the moment I stopped thinking about the things I needed to do. Like call my parents. Automatically, I reached for my phone I kept in the console of the car and dialled my parents' home.

"Frank speaking," my dad's voice travelled down the line.

"Daddy? It's Stephanie," I said, trying to make sure my voice remained calm and even. I knew all too well the tremble I got when I scared or upset and I didn't need Dad to be worried right now.

"Pumpkin?" he questioned, speaking louder than he had originally. "Where are you? I can barely hear you over the commotion in the background."

I took a deep breath, closing my eyes so I wasn't tempted to look at said commotion and start to freak out. "Something came up and I'm not going to be able to pick up the boys until much later," I explained, matching his volume so he could hear me. "Are you alright to keep them a while longer?"

"Of course, Stephanie," he said instantly. "We'd be happy to. Your mother is in the kitchen fattening them up with cookies right now."

I smiled. Mom and her cookies. She could get you to do anything with those cookies. Homework, housework, the works. "If it gets too much call control and one of the guys will pick them up and take them to Ella," I reminded, knowing that they would never call for Ella to take over, but also aware that they were getting on in years and sometimes they got a little worn down.

"We'll be fine, Pumpkin," he assured me. "You just take care of yourself."

We said good bye and I hung up just in time to keep him from hearing the approaching sirens. Then suddenly everything was hectic, I couldn't keep up with everything that was going on. There was shouting all around me, buzzing and whining and creaking. I was hauled out of the car and strapped to a stretcher and then suddenly Carlos was there, holding my hand and muttering soothing Spanish. I had no idea what he was saying and was having trouble concentrating on his voice with the pain screaming through me.

I was pulled from my memories by a squeeze on my hand as we turned into our street. "Don't be mad," Carlos stated when I glanced up at him, "But the guys wanted to welcome you home." He nodded out the windscreen and I followed his gaze to the black SUV parked in front of our house. "It's just Tank, Bobby and Lester," he explained. "I didn't want to overwhelm you. I told the rest they could wait until you were ready to go in to the office and they could welcome you back then."

Silly man, didn't he understand I was perfectly capable of handling a dozen or so men invading my home to show their appreciation of me? He was being extra thoughtful, though, so I couldn't very well come right out and say anything against it. Instead, I smiled and laid a hand on his thigh. "Thank you," I said, giving a little squeeze.

The moment we pulled into the driveway, the boys came racing out onto the front porch, big grins on their faces with their damp hair flying all over the place. They were excited to see me, but not as excited as I was to be home with them once more. Before even Carlos could get his seatbelt off, they were at my door, wrenching it open and climbing in to sit on my lap and hug me.

"We made a ramp for you," Matias informed me, placing a big sloppy kiss on my cheek.

"And lunch," Eduardo added.

"Peanut butter and olive sandwiches," they said together.

"Well then we better get inside and eat them before the uncles do, huh?" I enthused, hearing the back car door close as Carlos retrieved my chair and set it up for me. "Off you get, Mommy's gotta get out of this car." The boys moved out of the way and ran halfway up the ramp while Carlos positioned the chair for me and I hauled my ass into it. Before he has a chance to do it for me, I rolled back just enough to close the door myself and then spun around to head to the ramp.

The boys were still halfway up when I started my way up, standing and pointing down at the boards below them. "We hammered these ones," Edi said. "And we didn't even hit our fingers like Uncle Lester did."

"I'm sure they're the most stable of them all," I told them knowingly, glad to see that as soon as I acknowledged their achievements that they hurried the rest of the way up to the porch, clearing my path. Carlos, I noticed, walked a few steps behind me, as if he thought I might lose my momentum and start rolling backward. I did a mental eye roll at his protective nature. I loved it and all, and it had kept me safe for years, but he knew I could do this on my own, I'd proven it to him last week. I didn't need his safety net.

As I followed the boys into the house I couldn't help but notice it was immaculate. The toys that usually littered the hall had been put away. The dirty sock pile that was usually next to the muddy shoes were missing. Even the stubborn scuff marks on the walls and floors were gone. The whole house had a fresh, lemony scent about it. I had to wonder how long it would last. The bigger question on my mind though, was who had done all the cleaning? God knows I've never seen Carlos with a mop or broom in hand. Don't get me wrong, I know he pulls his weight in keeping the house spick and span, but in seven years of marriage, I'd never once caught him in the act. My theory was he did it either when I wasn't home, or before I got up in the morning.

I carefully manoeuvred my chair through the doorway to the kitchen and was greeted with the sight of my three favourite Merry Men standing under a homemade banner that read, "Welcome home, Mommy!" while the twins climbed up onto chairs to stand in front of them.

"On the count of three," Tank murmured when I came to a stop in front of them. "One, two, three."

"Welcome home, Mommy!" the boys yelled, throwing their hands in the air at the same moment the guys shouted, "Welcome home, Steph!"

"Lunch time!" Mat and Edi cried. I watched with a warm smile as they jumped off their chairs like synchronised pencil divers and ran to the fridge. Edi pulled it open and Mat reached in to grab a large platter filled with cut up sandwiches – it was pretty apparent they'd made them with minimal help – and carried it to the kitchen table. Once Mat was out of the way, Edi reached in and carefully brought over a pitcher of what looked like purple kool-aid. Meanwhile, the men took their seats and Carlos moved a chair away from the table to make room for me. He looked like he wanted to guid me into place as well, but I shook my head briefly, silently telling him that I could do it myself. His fist clenched at his side to show he wasn't happy about it, but he let me wheel myself into the space he'd created between Mat and Edi without comment.

Throughout lunch, I listened alternately to the stories and recounted tales of my sons and those of the men. I was amused to see that they were all eating the sandwiches the boys had made, despite the fact that they usually screwed up their noses when I offered them peanut butter and olives, and drinking the purple kool-aid.

"Is my tongue purple?" Lester asked, poking it out for everyone to examine. When we all confirmed that it had been stained by the grape flavoured drink his eyes got wide and he turned to Bobby. "You gotta help me, man!" he exclaimed. "I'm sick! I'm gonna die!"

"Relax, Uncle Les," Edi told him, grinning from ear to ear. "We've all got it, see?" And he and his brother both stuck their tongues out at him.

"Oh no!" Lester lamented. "Not you, too! You're too young to die!" He turned to Tank and Bobby who both revealed their purple tongues and I kindly obliged when he looked my way, but then he turned to Carlos who simply raised an eyebrow.

"Show us your tongue, Dad!" Mat encouraged around his latest bite of sandwich. "Stick it out!"

Carlos made no move to even open his mouth. I'd seen him drinking the purple sugar water, so I knew his tongue was just as purple as everyone else's, all we had to do was trick him into showing it.

Edi knelt up on his chair and began pressing at his cheeks and pulling at his lips in an attempt to get him to open his mouth. All that got him, however, were a few playful nips at his fingers. Mat came around the table next and tried to tickle him into submission, but after a few moments, Carlos turned the tables and Mat ended up in a laughing fit on the floor. I knew it was up to me.

I made like I was about to wheel myself back away from the table, which immediately had the men's attention. Bobby, Tank and Lester all opened their mouths to ask what I needed, but before they could get their words out, I'd locked eyes with my husband. "Carlos?" I said in a small voice and had to quickly suppress a smile as he appeared, knelt at my side in the next instant.

"What is it?" he asked eagerly, seeming happy that I was apparently asking his assistance after having refused it so adamantly earlier.

"Open your mouth," I commanded, a wicked grin creeping onto my features. I simply couldn't hold it back anymore.

"Ba-," he started to protest, but I'd grabbed his face, digging my finger tips into his cheeks to wedge them between his teeth and prevent his from closing his mouth. If there was one useful skill I'd picked up from being a mother, it would have to be this one. If I had a dollar for all the marbles I'd fished out of the boys' mouths while executing this hold, I'd have enough to buy a new pair of knee high C'est Bon boots.

"Stick out your tongue," I instructed my husband. He had no choice but to obey, letting his purple stained tongue inch out from between his perfect lips. "There you go, boys," I announced, and all five of them erupted in cheers as I turned his face for them to see.

When lunch was over the Merry Men insisted on doing the washing up for me, whereas the boys decided it was play time - apparently the novelty of having me home wore off right around the time I insisted they go wash their face and hands. So that left Carlos and I at the table to engage the busy men in conversation.

"It's good to have you home where you belong," the guys assured me as they prepared to leave. They each hugged me in the hall before moving to the front porch where Carlos was waiting to do their complicated secret handshake.

I followed them out and waited until they were walking down the path to their SUV before calling out, "Tell the guys I'll see them tomorrow."

They spun around with identical big goofy grins on their faces and mock saluted me before practically skipping to the car. Okay, so they definitely weren't skipping, but there was certainly an extra little spring to their steps.

Carlos turned to face me when the SUV had turned the corner. "Are you sure you'll be okay to go into the office tomorrow?" he asked, clearly mistaking me for some weaker person.

"I'm in a wheelchair, Carlos, not sick," I responded coolly, spinning myself around to go back inside. "Besides, I have to now; they'll be expecting me."

"Babe, they'll understand if you want to settle in at home first."

I stopped my chair just inside the door and twisted my body around to give him 'The Look.' "Ricardo Carlos Manoso, do not for one second think that just because I'm stuck in a chair means I'm just going to stay around the house all day. I've spent three months doing not much more than that, far away from everyone I love. I need to get out there. Get back in routine. Besides, the twins have school tomorrow, so I'd be here by myself."

"If you're sure," he said uncertainly, giving me one last chance to get out of it. Fat chance.

"I promise I'll be fine," I vowed, putting my hand over his as he placed it on the back of my chair. "And if I get too overwhelmed – which isn't going to happen, just for your information – I can always go up to the seventh floor apartment for some quiet time." He gave me a nod that he understood that he wasn't going to get his way on this and I turned back around to continue my way inside. "Oh," I called over my shoulder. "Remind me to talk to Tank about a driver roster for me."

"Babe," he said, which I took to mean, "I can drive you anywhere you want to go," but I knew better. He couldn't be there all the time, and I needed some semblance of independence.

"You have a business to run and clients to tend to, Carlos. You can't be ferrying me around every second of the day. The guys are gonna want to be able to do something to help out, and this is the best solution I can come up with. We'll split it into half day shifts and you can commandeer any shift you like at a moment's notice, but you have work you need to do and I don't want to keep you from it. Understood?"

Thanks for all the interest you showed last chapter, keep it up if you want to see more.