"Hi Dad," Emily greeted shifting her toddler on her hip while the baby bag started to slide from her shoulder. Cal stepped in quickly to grab it and she let him take it without insisting that she could do it on her own. Emily was not afraid to ask for help. He had no idea where she got that from. Both he and Zoe were stubborn through and through.

"So how are you?" Cal asked, letting her come into the house. She had a key but she always knocked.

"I'm good. Tired," she gave a slight self-depreciating expression. "Running around after this guy."

"And how are you Ethan?" Cal asked as they headed further into the house. The boy had dark brown hair, a round face and the wide round, light brown eyes of his mother. He looked a bit like a cherub angel but Cal knew for a fact he was a typical boy, running, climbing, destroying.
Ethan buried his head into his mother's neck. Emily laughed. "Oh so now you've gone all quiet."

In the kitchen, Gillian turned from the bench, where she had made coffee. The boys were either out at some sporting practice or a friends 'studying'. Or just out of the house for a while on a Saturday. Gillian approached where Emily was standing. "Hi Em," she greeted and then her attention was immediately on the dark haired little boy. "Hi Ethan." She gave his wrist a little shake.

"Can I have a kiss?" Cal asked, stepping in closer.

Ethan shook his head.

Everyone laughed and he looked a little surprised, but still determined.

"How about a hug for Poppop?" Cal asked instead.

Ethan went to shake his head again but apparently changed his mind. He reached out his arms and Cal smiled and took him. "Aww thank you," he cooed giving the baby a squeeze. Gillian asked how Emily was and she replied she was fine. She asked how Gillian was and Gillian replied she was fine. "How about that kiss now?" Cal went on.

"Kiss for Pop Pop," Ethan responded, leaning forward to press his wet mouth against his grandfather's cheek. When he pulled back he made a smacking sound.

"Thank you," Cal smiled warmly, fighting the urge to wipe the drool from his face.

"Now Gramma," Ethan turned to Gillian. There was one thing Cal and Emily were united on when it came to Ethan, and it was that he had three grandmothers and two grandfathers. Zoe was Gandma (Grandma) and Cal was Pop while Ajay's parents were Old Ma and Old Pa. Which really helped cut down on any confusion. And Gillian was Gramma (Grandma).

Ethan threw out his arms towards Cal's wife so he let him go. Gillian took him with a delighted kind of noise and a smile and then: "Wow you're getting so big!"

Ethan wrapped his arms around her and gave her the same wet mess of a kiss, smacking his lips together after wards, his face expressive and smiling, pleased with himself. Gillian thanked him and gave him another squeezing hug. She headed to the couch with the boy adding absently that there was coffee.

"Did you bring a crowbar?" Cal turned to his daughter.

Emily gave a laugh. "No I was just going to sneak out the front and leave him."

"I know where you live," Cal told her in a low voice. They retrieved coffee and went to sit on the couches too.

Gillian was a little awkward about being called Grandma as well, despite Cal assuring her that not only had she helped raise his daughter, albeit from a slight distance, but that she was part of the family and that Emily would want it that way. But as always, she was worried about stepping on Zoe's toes which Cal thought was just ridiculous. They'd been married longer than he and Zoe had been and longer than Gillian and Alec had. They had fifteen years in total now; when was she going to learn that she was Emily's family too?

Emily asked where her brothers were. They liked Ethan a lot more now they were actually able to play with him. "I have no idea," Cal answered.

"Owen is at the batting cages with his friends and Lewis went to the movies," Gillian answered. Just went to show how much Cal knew. Where did he get studying from? Ethan squirmed his way free and got to the floor, sliding backwards down the couch, watching Gillian to see if he had escaped unnoticed and whether she was going to tell him off or not.

Cal was sitting on the two-seater at a right angle to his wife and he was watching his grandson while the two women talked. "Ethan," Cal got his attention. "Want to have a book with Pop?" He signed 'book' and pointed to himself. Ethan pointed to himself. Cal nodded 'yes'. "You go get a book." The kid knew where the books lived and Cal didn't really get a lot of enjoyment listening to two women talking about diaper rashes and developmental milestones. He gave a toss when it was his own kids. And he did care about his grandson too. But he would get the highlights later. Right now he wanted to read with the boy. Ethan shuffled his way along the couch and reached the books. He went to grab one but they were so stuffed in the shelf it wouldn't budge no matter how hard he tugged. Cal gave a little chuckle and got up to help.

He sat at the edge of the couch next to the bookcase. "I'll help you?" He asked, placing his right fist into the palm of his left hand and moving them both towards Ethan.

"Stuck," he noted. "Real stuck."

"Yeah there's too many," Cal agreed. "This one?" He pointed to one book in particular and Ethan nodded. Cal eased it out and pulled it free and gave it to the boy. Ethan snatched so Cal kept his grip on it, easily stronger than the nearly two year old. Ethan looked up at him, brown eyes wide. "Thank you?" Cal tried. He brought his fingers from his mouth forward, all pointing upwards.

"Fank you," Ethan responded moving his hand up to his mouth and then towards his grandfather. Cal let the book go and Ethan immediately shoved it towards him again. "You read."

"Climb up buddy," Cal took the book and held it out of the way while Ethan pulled himself up Cal's legs. Cal helped him a bit and he settled in his grandfather's lap, his head resting against Cal's sternum. Cal lowered the book and opened the cover. Farm animals. This had been one of Lewis's favourite books around the same age. That was probably because of the new fascinating noises he had discovered animals made when he'd gotten his hearing aids.

Cal managed to read four more books before they were interrupted. Each time Ethan climbed down and selected one off the shelf that Cal had to pry free. Even with four removed from the group the pressure was still too great for the toddler's little muscles. At least Cal was keeping the kid entertained enough to let his mother have a break. And then the front door slammed and everyone was distracted for a moment.

"Hi Mum I'm home!" Owen hollered from the hallway. He rushed into the room and stopped up short. All the adults were looking at him. "Oh hi Emmy," Owen greeted. He went over dutifully to hug his big sister. Ethan pushed himself out of Cal's lap and to the couch cushion next to them.

"Did you have a good time?" Gillian asked her eight year old.

"Yep," Owen nodded.

"Wen!" Ethan exclaimed throwing himself to the floor. Owen turned to see the toddler and his face brightened a little more.

"No rough play," Cal warned.

"Dad," Owen complained. "That was one time."

"Yeah well," Cal went on. It still scared him. Children were breakable and Owen didn't realise that. He didn't even realise that about himself. He thought it was funny to take a ball from the pitching machine in his butt cheek. He wasn't laughing so much when it hurt so badly he couldn't sit down for several days without some serious agony.

Owen took Ethan upstairs and Cal felt a little pang. Now his reading buddy was gone he was going to have to actually pay attention to the conversation. He just hoped they weren't talking about lactating. That was the lowest point of all conversations combined. Wait, what was that about having another kid?