He no sooner hung up the phone heading the door close again followed by Mary Rose calling in. "Hey anyone home?" Jamie quickly pushed the phone aside turning to stir the pot listening as Mary Rose's footsteps came closer stopping just inside. "Hey dad."

Jamie turned around smiling at his daughter brushing off the conversation he'd just finished. "Hey how was school?"

"It was school. Joe is coming in now he's talking to some girl in his class out front in case you were wondering." Mary Rose spun around starting upstairs to finish her homework and say hi to her sisters. Sighing under his breath Jamie set the spoon aside checking on Joe from inside the bedroom window.

Joe food facing his classmate Violet standing arms length away smiling at her. She returned the smile brushing back her long brown hair behind her shoulder flirtatiously signing a response to his question. Sighing Jamie went back to the kitchen so he could finish dinner before Eddie got home.

Joe came in a minute later smiling wide as he approached his father tapping his shoulder signing hey dad, just wanted to let you know I'm home."

Smiling Jamie signed back "thanks how was class today buddy?" At twenty years old Joe looked more like his father smart and curious but extremely shy especially due to his disability which prevented him from asking girls out in high school. Now he takes classes at John Jay for criminal justice.

"It was good but can I ask you a question? I really like this girl in my class and I want to ask her out but I'm not really sure how to. I want to get to know her better but I get all nervous around her," Joe sighed frustrated at being tongue tied when he spoke to her, fumbling with his hands.

"I can definitely help you out buddy. How about after dinner we talk in your room just us okay?" Jamie rubbed his son's hair watching him skip upstairs happily. Shaking his head he turned back to the sauce.

Eddie came home after five holding her head tiredly a pounding headache forming after meeting her new partner a veteran Detective who orders her around. "Hey lambchop," she greeted stopping to kiss him before opening the cabinet for two Tylenol.

"Hey long tour today?" Jamie stepped behind Eddie rubbing his hands into her shoulders to relieve the pressure. He leaned over nuzzling her glad she came home.

"Yea my new partner is a complete jerk always trying to tell me what to do and he's rude," Eddie sighed taking two Advil with a glass of water. She turned into Jamie leaning against him rubbing her head.

"Why don't you go upstairs and rest until dinner is ready." He kissed her forehead lightly letting her lay down while he finished dinner.

When the sauce was boiling Jamie drained the pot of macaroni carrying plates to the table two at a time. He went upstairs taking two steps at a time stopping in each room to tell everyone dinner was ready getting Eddie last. "Hey babe,how are you feeling? Are you up to eating dinner?"

"Yea the Advill helped and I'm starving." Grinning Eddie got up following him downstairs to join the family for dinner.

After saying grace Eddie looked around the table at her kids. "So how was school today?" She immediately caught Rebecca and Sophia exchange a nervous glance shifting in their seats. "What's wrong "

"We want to hang out in the city with a group of friends and dad said he would talk to you before telling us if we can go,"Rebecca explained quickly with a soft smile to her father hopeful he would say yes.

"Well it's fine with me if your dad says it's okay just call us when you get there and when your leaving.." Eddie gave her a quick look warning her this was their chance to prove they could act responsibly.

Rebecca and Sophia both nodded excitedly eating their dinner so they could let their friends know.

Keeping his promise Jamie cleaned up after dinner taking Joe upstairs to talk privately. They sat on his old bed his room exactly how he left it since dorming two years ago. "So you want to ask this woman out huh? Do you talk to her a lot," Jamie signed.

"Yea we meet before classes and talk sometimes we study together, she's a sophomore too," Joe quickly signed back.

Jamie smiled, amazed that he was having a conversation with his son about asking someone out. "Okay so tomorrow when you see her ask to talk somewhere private a quiet part of the building and ask if she's free Friday or Saturday to go out with you? "

Joe nodded, picking up his hands to sign again. "What if she says no."

Sighing, Jamie replied, "unfortunately that happens buddy but trust me it'll be her loss because you're a great young man. Just ask her and don't worry about that okay…"

"Thanks dad." Joe smiled feeling a little better after talking to his father. He went downstairs wanting time with his mom before heading back to his dorm room so he could study even already receiving straight a's.

Jamie staged on the bed searching the room with a smile on his face recalling how many times he tucked his son in, read to him and cradled him when Joe was fussy. Now all of their kids were grown, the girls would be turning sweet 16 in a month, are starting to go out with friends.

Giving a shake of his head he wished it was possible to turn back time.