Sorry I didn't get this chapter up yesterday. I worked a graveyard shift last night, and another short shift during the day. So when I wasn't working, I was sleeping! But here it is. Hope you enjoy it.

JULY 12

Willow grinned as she sat next to my stepmom. Roman ran to her, climbing into her lap. All of my siblings loved Willow. And Willow was pretty good with my siblings, which I was so grateful for. That was another thing that should have been a big clue for me that it wouldn't have worked with Brittany. She didn't like kids. I complained a lot about obnoxious siblings, but I actually did like kids. I wanted some of my own someday. Not five, like my mom. Definitely not five. But maybe two or three.

"I can't believe your baby brother is two. And I missed his birthday party last month. I wished I could have made it. He was, what, six months old when we first met, in the hospital?" Willow asked. "And I didn't meet him until he was about nine months old. But still. It really doesn't seem like that much time has passed."

I nodded. "Sounds about right. I can't believe I've known you for a year and a half already. Time goes by way too fast. And Roman is growing up crazy fast. He can talk up a storm when he wants to, though he doesn't seem to be very chatty today."

"Too fast," Charlie said, smiling fondly at her son. "I don't like it. I want him to stay cute and little like this forever."

Jon shook his head. "Nah. I want him to grow up so I can teach him how to skateboard and then we can go skateboarding together."

"You can do that with Stryker."

Jon sighed sadly. "No, I can't. Stryker's gotten really good on a skateboard, but he's going off to college soon, and he'll be living four hours away. We won't be able to just...hang out whenever."

I shrugged. "What can I say? I really like University of Albion's drama program. I've heard it's one of the best in the country. And they've got a good nursing program for Willow. It's a win-win situation. Pappy's not too thrilled about me breaking the family tradition, but he's the only one who feels that way. Nobody else really cares."

Charlie's gaze flickered from me to Willow. "So. What exactly are your plans for the future, you two? Will you guys get married?" she asked, a small glint in her eyes. "Have kids? What? Are you even thinking that far ahead yet?"

Willow and I both shrugged. It wasn't that we didn't know what our plans for the future were. We'd talked about it, a little bit. We hadn't made any definite plans yet, but we'd talked. We both knew what we wanted. "Eventually, we'll get married," I answered. "I don't know when, but at some point in the future."

"And we do want kids," Willow added, playing some sort of clapping game with Roman. "Two or three, but no more than that."

Charlie grinned. "Two is a good number. Jon and I are thinking we might have one more at some point."

"How's the furnishing for your place coming along?" Jon asked us.

"Good," Willow replied. "I think we have everything we need, except the big appliances. We'll order those right before we move, and have them delivered to the rental house. But we've got most of the other stuff already."

"What day are you moving in?" Charlie wanted to know.

"The last week of this month. But we don't have to pay any July rent at all, which is really nice," I said.

Jon looked impressed. "Yeah it is. How'd you manage that?"

I shrugged, grinning. "They were a bit desperate to get it rented, not that there's anything wrong with it. We went and checked it all out before we signed anything. The owners put it on the market a little late, and most students already had dorm rooms, which are a little cheaper. This place is actually a little bit expensive, but Willow and I wanted the privacy or a house instead of a dorm room. And we're not thrilled with the idea of an apartment. And since Mom and Dad are paying for my tuition, Mamie and Pappy offered to help us with rent every month. So we're covered."

"Arthur and Merlin can certainly afford it," Jon said.

"They can. I'm certainly not complaining. This will give Willow and me a chance to save up for our own kids. Mom and Dad were smart and started a college fund for each of us kids. I think Willow and I will do the same for ours."

I'd certainly been lucky. Mom had once told me that she had considered giving me up for adoption, when she first found out she was pregnant, because she thought I might have a better life with someone else. She wasn't sure that being raised by a teen mom was the best for me. I was glad she hadn't. My life had been great. Not perfect, but pretty dang close. Even though she'd had me as a teen, she'd made a good life for herself and for me. And Mamie and Pappy had helped her out. They hadn't kicked her out, like she'd first thought they would. I couldn't have asked for a better life. I just hoped that I could provide the same kind of life for my future kids that I'd had.