March 27th was Adriana's birthday. Her fourth birthday. Stormy weather during the week hid the normally beautiful weather that entered Miami early that morning. The sun shone through the palm trees as a slight breeze blew through open windows and into Calleigh and Eric's home. The weather that day was going to be perfect; 75 degrees and sunny.

At 10:00 the Delko house was fairly quiet. Eric was busy in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on some party treats for Adriana's fourth birthday party, which would start soon. Calleigh and Adriana were sitting on the couch, Adriana curled up in Calleigh's lap watching cartoons. How lucky was Adriana that both her parents managed to get the day off?

By 11:30, their house was no longer quiet . At that point six children between the ages of four and five were running through Calleigh and Eric's house. They would run in and out of the back door, laughing and playing. Natalia offered to come over to help keep the herd of little ones under control. She and Calleigh sat on the couch while Eric and some of his neighborhood friends (whose children were attending the party) stood outside grilling hotdogs.

"Pow, pow, pow... I GOT YOU!" Adriana yelled, chasing her friends.

Calleigh caught her by the arm and pulled her aside. "Uh, uh. No m'am. No children playing guns in my house. Do you understand?"

"Yes, mama." Adriana said breathlessly.

"Thank you. Why don't you and your gang go play outside for a while, please. Natalia and I will get your cake ready, how does that sound?" Calleigh asked her.

"YEAH! YEAH! YEAH! Mommy! Puh-lease, will you?" she answered excitedly. "Then can we eat hotdogs and get presents?"

"Yes, I think daddy's almost done. Go get your friends and tell them it's almost cake time. Then go outside and wait."

Natalia and Calleigh got together everything they needed to take outside for the party. A huge white iced cake with pink trim awaited Adriana and her friends as Eric finished grilling and setting aside the food and condiments for their party-goers. Calleigh also brought out drinks, plates, forks and vanilla ice cream. When the two women walked outside their were greeted by a table of eager children, Adriana bouncing in her chair as she saw the cake her mom carried out.

"Ooooh mommy!" Adriana exclaimed. "It's so pretty!"

"Let's eat these hotdogs first, then we can dig into that cake, okay princesa?" Eric told Adriana. "What would you like on your hotdog? You're the birthday girl, so you get to pick first."

"Just ketchup, please, daddy." Adriana answered.

"Wow, she's really got those manners down pat, doesn't she?" Natalia told Calleigh.

"Yeah, we've been working really hard on that. She does really well most of the time unless she's tired." Calleigh answered her.

"Well, you've done a really good job with her, she's an awesome kid. I can't believe she's four already." Natalia said.

"Aww, thanks!" Calleigh said as she and Natalia took a seat. "I was just thinking about that this morning - she's already four. Whew! I am so hungry, I think I could eat three of these things." She said as she picked up the hotdog Eric fixed her, just the way she liked it; chili, mustard and just a few onions.

Natalia laughed as Eric handed her a hotdog, then took a bite after asking, "What, are you eating for two or something?"

I might be, you just never know. Calleigh thought as she smiled.

"What was that look, Cal?" Natalia asked quietly. "Are you hiding something from us?"

"Me? No! I'm not." Calleigh said laughing. "Eric would love it if I was though."

"What Cal?" Eric asked, his attention towards Calleigh, "I thought I heard you say my name."

"Nothing at all. Just saying how great your hotdogs are." She answered with a smile.

After everyone was finished, or mostly finished, their hotdogs, everyone sang Happy Birthday to Adriana. The six cake-loving children devoured their cake and ran to play in the backyard so that the adults could clean up and get Adriana's presents ready. Calleigh excused herself to their bedroom to find a few presents she'd hid high up so that Adriana couldn't find them.

I have been really hungry lately, she thought. I'll wait another week... she was interrupted but Eric, who was peeking his head in their bedroom door.

"Cal, you alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just getting a few things for Adri." she answered.

"Okay, it's just outside you weren't talking about my hotdogs. I know that. What were you and Natalia talking about?"

"Nothing, really."

Stall tactics, great. Eric thought. "Calleigh... what's going on?" he asked cornering her, his hands reaching over her shoulders and touching the wall behind her, planting kisses on her neck and trailing them up to behind her ear. She couldn't help but to let out a soft "hmm".

"Eric, I'm okay, I've just been really hungry today. It's probably nothing." Calleigh finally admitted. " I didn't really eat a big breakfast."

"If you're sure that's it. But you know I'll get it out of you sooner or later." Eric said smiling, letting Calleigh wriggle herself from under his arms and back into the closet to reach one more present.

"Is that where you hide my Christmas presents?" he asked slyly.

"Like I'm ever gonna tell you that!" She teased playfully, her sweet Southern accent making it's presence known. She kissed him on that cheek and hurried back out, not wanting to leave the guests alone any longer.

"Mommy! Come on!" Adriana said, as Calleigh opened the back door, Eric following her close by.

"Okay, let's open these presents." Calleigh said. "Adri, you sit here and your friends can sit near you in a circle so that everyone can see."

"Daddy, can you sit beside me?" Adriana asked.

"Of course I can. Calleigh, will you hand me a garbage bag so I can put the wrapping paper in it when she's done opening her presents?" Eric said, sitting down next to Adriana, getting on her level as well as the other little ones who naturally moved closer to him.

"There's something about him," Calleigh whispered to Natalia, "that kids just love. I don't know what it is. Every time we have Adriana's friends over, they want Eric to play house or throw the ball with them or whatever. It's actually really cute. He's so good with kids."

"I know, I've noticed that too." Natalia said. "Well, Eric is just a big kid himself."

"I'm gonna have to agree with you on that one." Calleigh said. Then the two began to laugh.

Adriana had a wonderful time opening, or rather in the case of a four year old, ripping the paper off of the boxes and finding out what her friends got her for her birthday. A doll, puzzle, pocketbook, pair of plastic high heel shoes, and 2 stuffed animals later, Adriana and her friends were back out in the backyard playing once again. One of her new stuffed animals - a tiger, who she quickly named Carlie - became the new plaything. They put the stuffed animal in one of the swings and pushed it around. Eric laughed when he heard her tell her friends to watch out for the mulch, that it could cut them. He knew she still thought about her accident when she fell off the swing. He also knew that a week after it happened she wanted to get back on the swing. Eric and Calleigh were very surprised that she wasn't afraid of it, but wouldn't let her on it until her stitches were out.

As the last of the party guests left, and Natalia went back to the lab, Eric and Calleigh cleaned up the last of the mess from the party. Adriana sat quietly "reading" a book. She had that book read to her so many times she had memorized most of the words.

"Come here, my sweet little four year old." Calleigh said, scooping Adriana up. "Did you have a good day?"

"Yes, it was fun!" Adriana said, her eyes sparkling. "Can I have another birthday tomorrow?"

"No, it doesn't work like that, sweetie." Calleigh said, laughing, before sitting on the couch with Adriana still on her lap. She held her close, curling Adriana's curls around her finger. She loved that Adriana had a good mix of her and Eric's hair. Just enough curl to not be terribly hard to manage in the morning.

"Adri, I remember when you were born." She started.

"You do?" Adriana questioned looking up into Calleigh's eyes. "Was I little?"

"Oh yes, you were very little, and daddy and I were afraid we would hurt you because you were so little, but we got the hang of it pretty fast." Calleigh answered. "We both held you and talked you all night long when you were born and you looked at us with your tiny eyes and we saw how perfect you were." She held Adriana and rocked her.

"Mommy, am I always going to be your baby?"

"Yes, you are always going to be my baby, and daddy's baby. Forever." Calleigh said, kissing her forehead. Adriana's eyes were almost closed at this point. The party wore her out and now she was happily in Calleigh's arms. Calleigh rocked her a little more before she lay down on the couch, Adriana curled up on her stomach. It wasn't long before Calleigh was asleep herself.

"Cal? Adri? Where are you..." Eric started, then saw them sleeping on the couch, "Oops!" he whispered. He found a blanket and covered them up, smiling. He grabbed the remote and turned the television on, hoping to find some football to watch while his favorite angels napped. When Calleigh woke up, she placed Adriana back on the couch while she and Eric fixed dinner.

"Okay, here's the deal," Calleigh began. "Remember how you said that having another little one running around might be fun?"

"Yes..." Eric said, a smile forming on his face, praying for what he thought Calleigh might say next.

"Well, I'm not totally positive, but something's telling me we have a bun in the oven." she answered.

"You really think so?" he asked.

"It wasn't just today I felt hungry. It's been like that for three days. When I first thought I was pregnant with Adriana, I felt just like I do now. Sometimes my body is not really on track, just depending on how stressful work is, so I don't know if I'm over thinking or if I'm pregnant, but something is definitely going on. Don't get too excited yet, let's wait a week and see what happens, okay?"

"Okay!" Eric said, his face already lightening up with the possibility of a baby in the near future. He kissed Calleigh, and held his lips to hers until he started chuckling.

"Cal, really... I hope you are pregnant." He said, rubbing his hands on her stomach.

"Why?" she asked.

"Because your so gorgeous when you are pregnant, you hair gets all shiny and...just...wow... I mean... your so beautiful now, don't get me wrong, I just love you when you have that pregnant glow."

"Ha! You mean, the little time between the morning sickness and the too big to walk and function time?" Calleigh said.

"No, you look good the whole time, trust me." he answered.

"Smart man, Eric. Smart man. You're such a charmer, you know that?" Calleigh said, giggling.

"I aim to please...you, that is." Eric said, kissing her a final time before returning to his spaghetti sauce that was beginning to boil.

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So I am ending it there. As soon as I have time, I'll add a chapter. Possibly titled "One Week Later." You'll just have to wait and see. ~ EmilysMiamiSunrise.