"Mama!"

Lindsay groaned and rolled over opening her eyes and trying to give Ben a smile.

"Honey, what are you doing?"

"Time to go to the 'quarium?"

"Benjamin, it's five in the morning."

"And?"

She smiled and ran a hand through her hair.

"Honey, it's too early to get up."

"Why?"

"Because I said so. Why are you wearing a suit?" she asked, taking in his attire.

"It's a 'portant day."

"Honey, I think you'll be more comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt."

"But mama. I wanna look nice. It's our day."

She smiled and played with his tiny hand in the blue light of the dawn.

"Okay sweetie. Want to climb in bed with me for a little while?"

"I can't wrinkle my suit," he answered, patting his tie down and pushing his glasses up.

"Why don't you kick off your shoes and take your jacket off and come have a little rest. If you don't you're going to be tired and cranky by lunch time and then we won't be able to have our whole day."

"Okay mama," he sighed, taking her suggestion before climbing up into the bed. "Why you and daddy sleep touchin'?"

"What do you mean?"

"I sleep in Cole's bed, we not like to touch. Too hot in'nere. I snuggle sissy but she too hot later. Daddy snuggle you all the night long."

"Yeah well I really like snugglin' your mama," Adam said in a gravelly voice that made Lindsay want to tell Ben that he could go and rest in his own bed. "And all you kids have an iron grip on snuggling her most of the time, so I gotta take it where I can get it."

Ben thought about that for a minute, reaching up to play with Adam's wedding ring.

"It not get hot?"

"Well-"

"Adam," Lindsay warned.

"No, it doesn't. Not when you love someone like I love mama."

"Oh, I get it. When you love so hard, nothin' else is bad."

"Yeah, that's right."

"Will I love a girl like that someday? The way you love mama?"

"I hope you do find love like that, buddy. It's the best thing in the world."

"I know 'cuz you two are always smilin'."

Adam tightened his grip on her and she closed her eyes locking this moment so tightly into her heart that nothing could ever take it away.

"Time to get up yet?" Ben asked after a moment of silence. "We go pick up Dunner and go have a day."

"Not yet, honey. When the clock says that it's six, we can get up and start getting ready."

"I taked a shower already."

"You did?"

"Yes. It was cold. I shuvered."

"Shivered?"

"Yes. Like snow in there."

"Honey, why didn't you turn the water warmer?"

"Not know how. Thought the hot water was sleepin' still."

"Ben you are one of the coolest kids ever."

"I know that, daddy. It because I try to be like you."

Lindsay snickered and kissed the top of Ben's head, noting that his hair was still a little damp and worrying that his early morning shower might turn into a cold later. He rolled over and smiled at her, reaching up to run his finger over her lips.

"I love you mama. Happy we gonna have a day together."

"I'm happy too."

"Where sissy gonna go?"

"We're going to trade sissy for Junior for the day."

"Oh, she go with Austin. Cole and Isa and Sarah in school?"

"No, Sarah doesn't have school this morning."

"Sissy and Sarah play. Me and Dunner play. Cole and Isa school. That how it works."

"Yes. Now close your eyes and rest a little more, okay? You were up for an hour last night and you're going to be very tired later."

"Okay. I'll close my eyes now."

She rubbed his back gently as he fell into sleep. The nightmares had stopped for a few weeks around Christmas time, but then they'd started up again. She was wondering if it had something to do with the weather, that it got darker earlier or something, and she was hoping that the closer they got to spring, the less he would have them. He didn't wake up as frantic as he used to, but he was more willing to talk about it now which meant they were up for a lot longer. He took marathon naps in the afternoon to make up for it and they were really just trying to go day by day at this point and make sure he was healthy and happy. As long as that was happening they weren't going to stress out about the nightmares.

"You'd better go back to sleep too, babe," Adam suggested. "You're spending the day with two little boys who communicate telepathically."

"Yes, but they both love me dearly and would never drive me crazy if they could help it."

"Whatever..."

"Binyin!"

"Dunner!"

They crashed into each other with hugs and excited chatter while Austin giggled at Ben's outfit.

"Should I have put Daniel in something a little nicer?" she asked.

"No, Ben is just weird. He's been up for hours, running around the house, counting up as high as he can, looking at the aquarium website and asking me about a million times when we're leaving."

"Daniel's been doing the same thing. We should have let them Skype or something."

"That would have been a good idea, why didn't you have it yesterday?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, turning her attention to Avery. "Hey sweetie girl. Are you going to come see me or are you attached to your mama today?"

"Mama," she answered, burying her face in Lindsay's neck.

"Don't you want to stay here and play with Sarah?"

Avery whimpered and held on tighter while Lindsay tried to pry her off.

"Honey, mama won't be gone for long," Lindsay soothed. "Stay here and play with Sarah and Austin, okay?"

"No!"

"Mama, she not comin' with us!" Ben said, crossing his arms. "Not fair!"

"She's not coming with us, Ben, I promise."

"Averylin, I got a tea set, wanna see?" Sarah asked, tipping her head to the side and holding out her hand. "It's pink and purple."

Avery glanced down at her and sniffled, then nodded as Lindsay lowered her to the floor.

"Bye baby."

"Bye mama."

"Be good."

The girls moved to the other side of the room where Sarah had her tea cups set up on a small card table.

"She'll be okay, Linds. Go, before the boys declare mutiny and wander off by themselves."

"Alright. Cheng, Eng, are you two ready?"

"Yep!"

"Binyin, why your mama always calls us other names?"

"I dunno," Ben answered with a shrug before picking Junior's coat up off the floor. "Here. Put this on."

Junior took it from him and put it on and they each grabbed onto one of Lindsay's hands, pulling her out the door.

"Boys, slow down. The aquarium will be there all day long."

"But feedin' time, mama!"

"Oh yes, feeding time."

"Hurry up Aunt Lin!" Junior sighed, hitting the door close button on the elevator. "Can't miss nothing."

"Alright, alright," she chuckled. This was shaping up to be a very long day, but she was going to enjoy every second of it.

"Mama, why that opatus got a log?"

"The octopus has a log because they put his food in there and he has to figure out how to get it out."

"Why?"

"Because in the wild all the animals have to figure out how to get their food, and they need to do that at the zoo too."

"Binyin lookit, it's changin' colors!"

The boys pressed their faces as close to the tank as they could, staring in at the octopus that seemed so other-worldly. They stood there entranced for a good ten minutes before asking to move on to the shark tanks. She held their hands tightly as they made their way through the crowds, and they kept a good speed up, sticking as close to her as they could. They finally made it to the shark tanks and the boys were pleased to find that the turtles were in the same tank. They held hands as they stood by the glass, pointing out the different things in the tank, and making up names for things they didn't know. Sometimes they didn't speak at all, one would point and the other would nod in understanding. She marveled at their communication skills, smiling at the memory of when she'd first noticed it, when they were just a few weeks old. They'd both been laying on a blanket on the floor, heads turned to the side as they stared at each other. They gurgled and cooed quietly, not taking their eyes off the other baby. It had been like that ever since, especially before they were verbal. Lots of time spent just looking at each other, seeing if one could do things that the other had accomplished already. She remembered them hugging each other and crying when they were separated. They never fought, weren't competitive with each other, and she knew that their friendship would probably last their entire lives.

"That shark's eyeball is lookin' at me!" Junior announced. "Watchin' where I go!"

"He wants to gobble ya," Ben replied. "Shark bait, ooh ha, ha!"

Junior chuckled and shook his head.

"Aunt Lin, what's your favorite in here?"

"I like those ugly fish over there," she replied, bugging her eyes out and making a fishy face before she leaned in to kiss his cheek.

"Hey mama, fishy kiss me too!"

She smiled and obliged.

"Are you boys ready for lunch?"

They both shook their heads and she sighed. They'd already been here for over an hour and while she was glad they were this occupied, she would have liked to sit down for a few minutes.

"Hey Binyin. I didn't knowed you was wearing your flashin' shoes."

"Yup. They was all I finded in the dark," Ben replied, stomping his foot to set off the lights in his shoe. "Daddy buyed them for me at the computer. They from the 90's."

"Oh, wow!" Junior said, his voice one of awe. "They are from a long, long time ago."

"In a glassery far, far away."

Within seconds they'd transformed their arms into light sabers and were whooshing around loudly. Lindsay grabbed both of them gently and shushed them.

"Boys, a Jedi never displays his light saber in public. He uses the force."

"Oh yeah. I forgot. Don't tell daddy."

"Okay, I won't."

"Shark," Ben said softly, waving his arm in front of the glass. "You will swim now. I am not the droid you is lookin' for."

"Me either," Junior whispered. "Your food is thattaway."

Lindsay chuckled and pulled them both into her arms.

"Oh, what would my life be like without you two?"

"Borin' aunt Lin. Real borin'."

"I'm gonna play on slide," Ben said excitedly as Lindsay leaned down to tie his shoe. "And swings. And that tater-tot!"

"You mean the teeter totter, honey?"

"Yeah. What you gonna do, Dunner?"

"I gonna be a helitoptacer."

"A dinosaur?"

"No Binyin! A helitoptacer! It flies!"

"Oh, a hoclitoctor."

"Helicopter," Lindsay corrected with a grin, grabbing Junior so she could button up his coat.

"Yeah, that. What are you going to do, Aunt Lin?"

"I think I am going to sit my tired self down on this bench for a little while."

"Grown ups is boring."

"Thanks guy."

The boys ran off to the playground and she sat down, taking a deep breath. She loved them and she loved how well they got along, but they were exhausting. They'd been very good, and she'd never had to remind them to hold hands or to talk in lower voices or anything. But for some reason she felt in need of a very long nap.

Junior knelt down on the ground and picked up two handfuls of pine needles then put one in each hand then started to spin around in a circle, making buzzing noises. She wasn't sure how that was a helicopter, but if that's what he thought he was, that's what he was. Ben had started to climb up the slide but suddenly stopped and jumped down, his shoes lighting up when they hit the bark chips. Lindsay wondered what had made him stop, but then she saw two little girls playing on the tire swing.

"Hi, I'm Ben. I'm four," Ben announced as he walked over and stuck his hand out. This was not normal behavior for him and she sat there intrigued and amused. "That is Dunner. Wanna play with us?"

The girls just looked at him for a minute, then got off the tire swing, walking away, while Junior continued to spin in a circle, oblivious to the fact that Ben was trying to procure them some kind of preschool double date.

"You wanna play on the slide with me? Girls?"

They continued to walk away and he chased after them, begging to play. It wasn't until they were obviously heading back home that he pulled out his wild card.

"But I'm four!" he hollered after them. "I'm Four! I'M FOUR!"

Lindsay didn't want to laugh at him but she couldn't help seeing Adam as a child and she snickered a little. Ben bowed his head in defeat and walked back over to her quietly.

"Honey, what happened?"

"I just wanted to play with them girls," he sighed. "I even telled them I am four."

"I know, sweetie."

"I was just tryna fall in love like you and daddy."

"Oh Benjamin," she chuckled, pulling him into her lap. "You don't need to fall in love now. It will happen when you are a little older. You will find someone that you love with all your heart and the best part of it is that it will take you by surprise. You won't even be looking for it, someday it will just happen."

"What I do to kill time?"

"You just keep being the best Benjamin Ross in the whole world, just like you already do now. Keep being a good friend and a good brother and someday you will fall in love. Don't rush it though, okay?"

He nodded and sighed a little.

"I really thinked one of them girls could be the one, mama."

"Honey, you're going to think that a lot as you grow up."

"Cole knows he gonna marry Isa."

"He just says that because they're best friends."

"I not gonna marry Dunner! His feets smell."

She didn't have an answer for that so she just laughed.

"Ben, I don't know who you're going to marry, but I don't want you to try and figure it out now because you might miss out on the adventure of it. Okay?"

"That make sense. I'm gonna go play with Dunner now."

He slid off her lap and walked over to his friend, who was getting very dizzy and wobbly.

"Binyin. I gotta go potty."

"It's over there."

"I cannot walk."

"I help you, Dunner," Ben said, throwing his arm around Junior's shoulders. They made their way to the small bathroom and stepped inside and Lindsay wondered how long it would be before they figured out they'd gone into the girls bathroom.

It was a while before they emerged again, Junior's face pale and Ben's face terribly worried.

"Mama! Dunner throwed up!"

"What?" she asked, standing up and crossing the grass to meet them. She knelt down and kissed Junior's forehead to gauge his temperature, noting that his skin was clammy.

"He finished goin' potty and then he just throwed up!"

"Honey, are you okay?"

"My tummy hurts from spinnin'," he whispered. "I don't wanna be a helitoptacer no more."

"Okay. Should we take you home so you can rest a little?"

"No aunt Lin. I don't wanna go home! It's not time yet!"

"I know sweetie. How does your tummy feel now?"

"Feels rumbly."

She ran her fingers through his blonde hair and sighed. His stomach might just be upset from spinning around, but he was the kid that never got sick and the fact that he didn't feel better after throwing up had her a little worried.

"I know you two aren't going to like this, but I think it's time to go."

"No! Mama you promise a whole day! You sweared!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie. I'll make you a deal though. Once Junior's feeling better, you two can have a sleepover."

"Promise, mama?"

"I promise, Benjamin."

"Well okay. Dunner I not want you get sicker."

Junior nodded slowly, his eyes on the ground.

"I sorry, Binyin. I wreck your day."

"Nu-uh! We goed to the 'quarium and had hot dogs for lunch and played at the park a little. If you not get sick, we not get a sleepover later. It's okay, Dunner," Ben assured, patting his friends back. "We take you home to your ma."

He nodded and Lindsay picked him up, holding him close. He wrapped his arms and legs around her and sniffled a little against her as they walked to the car.

"Want my ma."

"I know, guy. It will only be a few minutes. Do you feel like you need to be sick again?"

He nodded as they approached the car and she reached into the pocket on the back of the seat, producing a plastic grocery sack. After checking to make sure there were no holes in it, she buckled him into the booster seat and handed him the bag.

"If your tummy feels sick again you can throw up in the bag, no harm no foul. Okay?"

He nodded and held the bag open, staring into it while Ben climbed into his own seat and buckled himself in.

"Dunner one time Cole done that too, pukin' in a bag. Nothin' to be 'shamed of."

Junior just nodded as Lindsay started the car and they drove the few blocks from the park to the Messers. The drive passed without incident and Ben climbed out of the car while Lindsay helped Junior.

"I did not throw up in the bag," he reported. "But I am gonna now."

He opened the bag and threw up and Ben stared at him half in disgust, half in shock.

"I am done now."

He threw the plastic bag in the garbage can on the sidewalk, then held his hands out to Lindsay until she picked him up.

"Okay, let's go inside."

Ben led the way and they went inside the building, then got on the elevator. Junior kept his head buried against Lindsay's shoulder, not even budging when they walked through the front door.

"What happened?" Austin asked, alarmed at seeing her son so limp.

"He's not feeling well."

"Threw up two times," Ben commented. "He needs to lay down."

"Daniel, are you okay?"

"Wanna lay down, ma."

Austin frowned and kissed his forehead before Lindsay walked back into the bedroom and settled Junior under the covers.

"You let me know when you feel better and we'll plan that sleepover, okay?"

"Okay. Love you aunt Lin."

"I love you too, guy."

She brushed his hair back and kissed his cheek before stepping out of the room.

"Does he have a fever?" Austin asked, peeking in at him.

"No. He was spinning around and then he threw up, but he didn't feel better after that, so I'm thinking it might be something else."

"Thanks for bringing him home."

"You're welcome. Where's Avery?"

"Crashed out on the couch. I think she hit a wall in her sugar high. She kept asking for cookies and Sarah kept feeding them to her because "she is just so cute," and she couldn't say no."

"Apparently Adam's not the only one that's been suckered by the face."

"I plead the fifth on that one."

Lindsay chuckled and went into the other room where Avery was sprawled out on the couch, snoring loudly while Ben and Sarah discussed the aquarium visit.

"Is Danny getting Isa today?"

"Nah, Mac is. He's taking her out for ice-cream after school."

"I bet she's thrilled."

"Through the roof."

"Family dinner on Tuesday?"

"We're planning on it. Danny said he would be a little late though."

"That's okay because it's Adam's turn to cook, so Danny might be doing himself a favor if he didn't show up at all."

"Oh, Adam can't be that bad of a cook."

"He's not, he just thinks he is and then he gets all frazzled… well I'm sure you can imagine."

"Oh yeah. I'll let you know if we decide we can't make it."

"Okay. C'mon Ben, let's go home."

He nodded.

"Austin, if Dunner needs me you will call me?"

"Sure, buddy. Thanks for being such a good friend to him."

"He's my best friend."

"I know."

"Okay mama, we can leave. I get sissy."

"No, Ben you know she doesn't like it when you try to pick her up when she's sleeping. I'll get her."

"Lemme kiss her first."

She smiled as he walked over to the couch and kissed his sisters cheek, then stroked her arm before leaning down and whispering something to her.

"What did you say to your sister?" Austin asked as Lindsay picked the baby up off the couch and expertly wrestled her into her coat without waking her.

"I telled her I loved her and missed her today."

"Well that was nice of you. I'm sure she's glad to hear that."

"Yep. I will play with her when she wakes up. She will like that."

Austin smiled and hugged him tightly feeling nearly overwhelmed at his tender heart.

"I'll see you next week, alright buddy?"

"Okay Austin. I love ya."

Lindsay hugged Sarah goodbye then gathered up her own kids and headed out. Ben held her free hand tightly as they made their way out to the car and he waited patiently while she got Avery buckled into her seat.

"Hey mama?"

"Yes Benjamin?"

"Thanks for the 'quarium and the park."

"Thanks for wanting to spend the day together."

He smiled and slid into the car, then wrapped his arm around her neck as she leaned over to buckle him in. He caught her eye and patted her cheek, giving her this certain look, the one that played over her heart as if they had shared a secret.

"I love you, mama."

"I love you too, Benjamin."