This is based off a prompt request I got today from Lilliie. I've gotten a few great prompt requests recently. I'm trying to keep up with them as best I can. The next one I plan to write was a prompt request from guest about when Erin and Jay go ring shopping for Erin's wedding band. If you go back and read chapter 19 of the original story "Unexpected" the next chapter will fit in right after that. You don't have to worry about that now though, just a heads up for my next update. Anyways enjoy this chapter. :)

"What's for dinner? I'm starving." Erin asked while walking into the kitchen with five-year-old Macy riding piggyback. She had just arrived home from work and was attacked by her daughter the second she walked through the door.

"I haven't decided yet." Jay walked around the counter and gave her a quick welcome home kiss. "I don't really feel like cooking anything, do you? We can just order in?"

"Yes!" Micah piped up from the counter where he was sitting on a stool doing his homework. "I want egg rolls and general tso."

"Yuck!" Macy added in her two cents.

"If we planned our meals around what you like we'd have PBandJ three times a day, Macy girl. I'll make you something we have here, because I'm with Mic. Chinese sounds perfect." Erin spoke.

"Alright I'll call it in." Jay searched through his phone for the contact of their favorite Chinese place.

Erin took Macy back out into the living room and Micah followed. "How was school today mister?"

"It was fine I guess." Erin was expecting that answer. It was like pulling teeth trying to get Micah to actually give the details of his day. Macy on the other hand was always eager to spill every minute detail of her day.

"Thanks for sharing. Sound like you had a great day." Erin playfully sassed her son.

"Mommy, what's this?" Macy asked curiously pointing to a mark on the back of Erin's right arm.

"That is a scar I got when I was little." Erin answered not particularly wanting to give more details.

"Let me see." Micah stood up from the couch and walked over to the other side of Erin. "It's a perfect circle, mom."

"Yeah I know." Erin chewed the inside of her cheek hoping they'd let it go, but knowing her kids she was in for a million more questions.

"What's it from?" Micah asked reaching out to touch it.

Erin sighed. She didn't want to lie to them. She also didn't want to hurt them with the truth. She decided to tell them just in the most delicate way she possibly could. Although there isn't really a gentle way to say your drug addict father burned you with a cigarette when you were six years old.

"It's from a cigarette."

"You don't smoke." Micah cut her off.

"You're right I don't. It wasn't my cigarette. It happened when I was about six years old. I didn't really have parents that loved me and took care of me the way that daddy and I love you guys. My dad would get very angry, and when he got angry he got very mean, and one day when he was mad he stuck his cigarette on my arm and he burned me."

"Chinese should be here in thirty-five minutes." Jay announced strolling into the living room. He froze when he saw the expressions on his family's faces. Micah had his eyebrows pulled together giving off a look of sadness and confusion. Macy looked as though she was about to burst into tears at any second, and Erin looked melancholy but also like she was worried about the kids. "What's going on out here?" He asked concerned.

Macy looked up at Jay with big sad eyes. "Mommy's dad was not nice to her. Her hurt her. He burned her." She pointed to Erin's scar.

Jay gave his daughter a sad knowing look and nodded. "Yeah. He did."

Macy began to cry her voice quivered as she began to speak. "But why would he do that? Why would somebody hurt a kid?" She cried out.

Erin's heart broke for her daughter's fresh loss of innocence. She knew this day would eventually come. The kids would ask about their grandparents some day, and she'd have to tell them, she just wished they could have waited a little bit longer.

Micah reached over and grabbed Erin's hand tightly in his. At nine years old he understood that not all parents were like his. He knew that kids were sometimes abused. He just never knew his mom was one of those kids.

Jay scooped Macy up his arms and took a seat beside Erin on the couch. "I don't know why someone would do that, baby. I don't understand it, and your mommy doesn't understand it, but sometimes it happens. It's sad, but not all mommies and daddies treat their kids nicely."

"I just don't get it." The little girl cried out burying her face into her father's chest.

"I know, baby." Jay kissed the top of her head and held her close. He looked up and saw the look of heart break in Erin's eyes. She was hurting because her little girl was hurting. She had moved past the abuse a long time ago, but seeing her children so upset about it brought back some of the pain. Jay reached his free arm out and pulled Erin into his side. He kissed her temple sweetly. "I love you." He whispered to her.

Micah snuggled into Erin's side, and she ran her fingers through his short blonde hair. They sat it eerie silence for awhile. There was nothing more to say at that time. They just needed to find comfort in each other as a family. The only sounds were Macy's occasional sniffles, which eventually turned into her continual quiet snoring.

Jay carried Macy up to her bed leaving his wife and son alone on the couch. After a minute Micah spoke. "Can I ask you a question mom?"

Noticing that her son was nervous Erin sat her hand on his back. "Go ahead. You can ask me anything you want."

He stared down at his lap. "Did he just burn you the one time?" He didn't look up at her until he finished the question.

"I was only burned the one time, but he did hit me sometimes too." She answered honestly.

Micah wrapped his arms around her torso and hugged her. "I'm sorry, mommy." It was a rare occasion that he called her mommy anymore.

"It's okay, Micah. It was a long time ago. The man that used to hurt me isn't dad anyways. Grandpa Hank is my dad. He loved me and took care of me, and that's what a real dad does. It doesn't matter if we share the same blood."

"Like me? You and dad are still my mom and dad even thought we don't have the same blood."

"Exactly. That is exactly what Grandpa Hank and Camille were to me." Before anything else could be said the doorbell rang from the deliveryman.

Jay hurried down the stairs to the front door. "Got it."

A couple hours later, after tucking Micah in for the night, Jay came downstairs to find Erin curled up on the couch under a blanket watching TV. He knelt down in front of her blocking her view of the TV. "Hi, beautiful."

"Hi." She gave him a halfhearted smile.

Jay leaned in and gave her a tender kiss. After pulling away her stroked her cheek lightly. "How are you doing?"

"Well, I've had better nights."

"I know. Me too." He stood up. "Can I join you?"

Erin sat up allowing Jay to lie down on the sofa before she snuggled in on top of his chest. Erin exhaled deeply; finally ready to break down in his arms. "She was so heartbroken. The look on her face, Jay, she was just so sad and confused."

"I know." He rubbed her back and placed a kiss in her hair.

"I should have just made something up. I should have lied. She wasn't ready to hear the truth yet. She's just so little and innocent." Tears streamed down her cheeks as she spoke.

"No, baby it's good you told the truth. It was a learning experience. She needs to know that not all parents are like us. Not all kids are loved like she and Micah are, and it's good that she understands that now. She knows how blessed she is now."

"Micah, our sweet boy just held my hand. He just wanted to protect me from it all. He's so much like you. But I'm never going to get the look on Macy's face out of my mind, Jay. She looked so lost, and it was like I broke her by telling her the truth."

"Erin you are the strongest, smartest, most incredible women I know. You have the most amazing heart and mind and they are the reasons I fell so in love with you. He didn't break you. He didn't break the most beautiful parts of you, and our little girl has her mommy's loving heart, and her mommy's stubborn mind. This is not going to break her either. She's sad and confused, because its shocking news for her, but she's gonna be just fine when she wakes up in the morning."

"They're gonna be just fine?"

"100%. I have no doubts."

Erin nodded against his chest. "Okay."

"You handled their questions so well tonight, with so much grace. I love you, and I'm so proud of you for telling them the truth."

"I couldn't have done it without you."

"Yes you could have, but I'm glad I was here to help."