Amy parked her rental car in the same spot Mary's car had been parked the day prior. She quietly opened the door and climbed out, making her way to the now familiar headstone. Kneeling in the grass next to it, she let out a sigh. "Hi, Missy. I know we were just here yesterday because it's been a year since, well, you know. I didn't get a chance to talk to you and wanted us to have some time alone, just the two of us. I told Sheldon and your mom that I forgot something and was running to the store to get away without being questioned. It's Christmas Eve, so I figure I've got some time before they start to get suspicious of what's taking me so long."

Smoothing her skirt over her legs, Amy smiled to herself. "You're going to be an aunt. I haven't told anyone yet, not even Sheldon. I found out last week. I'm planning to tell him in the morning. That's not why I'm here, though. Levi and Theo have been living with Sheldon and me for a year. We've loved every minute with them."

Amy paused, searching for the words to share what the latest development was with her nephews, finally opting to be straightforward, "Ricky wants to give up his rights for the boys. He said we could adopt them. Said it's what you would want. We convinced him to wait to do anything for a few more months, just to be sure this is what he wants. We'd love to have them stay with us. Sheldon and I decided we're going to talk to Levi and Theo if and when Ricky gives up his rights and let them decide if they want us to adopt them or if they want us to keep things the way they are now."

"Um," The neurobiologist took a minute before continuing. "Theo's been calling us mom and dad since about four months after you passed. Levi got really upset the first few times he heard Theo say it, so we'd remind Theo that we're Aunt Amy and Uncle Sheldon. Levi has referred to us as mom and dad a few times, but quickly corrects himself." She paused again, "I guess the reason I wanted to stop for some girl talk was to ask if it's okay if we adopt the boys if that's what they want after Ricky gives up his rights?" Silently, Amy waited for a response she knew would never come. "I should get back to the house. I'm sure Sheldon is starting to wonder what's taking me so long. Merry Christmas, Missy."

Children's laughter woke Sheldon and Amy early the next morning. Sheldon rolled over, groaning, "I guess we need to get up."

"I talked to your mom last night," Amy replied without opening her eyes. "She said she'll keep the boys occupied until eight so we can sleep in a little."

"We did have that rule growing up. Mom and dad got to sleep until eight, then we'd do presents and breakfast," reminisced the man, slipping his arm around his wife and attempting to pull her close before noticing her resistance. "Is something wrong?" Amy slipped out of bed, retrieved a small box from her suitcase, and rejoined Sheldon in bed. She handed him the gift and smiled as he examined it. He turned it over in his hands, confirming, "I thought we agreed we weren't giving each other gifts. I didn't get you anything."

"It's for both of us. Open it," the smile on Amy's face grew, watching Sheldon gently pull the ribbon across the box.

He methodically folded the ribbon after removing it, handing it to Amy, before lifting the lid. He opened the gift, glancing at the contents of the box before looking at his wife. Removing a sonogram photo from the small box, he inquired, "Is this what I think it is?"

"I found out when I went to the doctor for my regular physical at the beginning of last week. It was part of the regular blood work they did. I had no clue, I swear," she defended herself, watching the corners of Sheldon's mouth slowly turn up. "I wasn't sure how far along I might be, so they were able to get me in for an ultrasound that afternoon." She reached across to point at the image Sheldon hadn't taken his eyes off. "Those two spots, there and there, mean it's twins." Sheldon's finger tapped on each of the spots Amy had pointed out. "I wanted to tell you when I found out last week, but I thought this would be better. You're not upset I waited to tell you, are you?"

Sheldon shook his head, dropping the sonogram image in his lap. "We're having twins!" he exclaimed before processing what he'd just said and began to hyperventilate. "We're having twins? We're about to have four kids. How can we have four kids?"

"Shh," Amy soothed him, pulling her husband into her arms. "It will be okay. We've done pretty well with Levi and Theo over the past year, I think we'll be okay with having twins. I'm only about eight weeks, though, so we have to be quiet because I don't want everyone to know yet."

Having calmed down, Sheldon confirmed, "You didn't tell Penny and Bernadette yet?"

"No. But I kind of fibbed when I said I forgot something yesterday and had to run to the store. I went to the cemetery. I wanted to talk to Missy and told her. I thought she should know she was going to be an aunt."

Twisting himself in Amy's embrace, Sheldon wrapped his arms around her. "She would love this. Eight weeks means your due date is the middle of August, right?"

"August seventeenth," she confirmed. "I know it's not quite eight o'clock, but I think I'm ready to get up."

Late that afternoon, long after the presents had all been unwrapped and played with, Sheldon was with his nephews in his childhood bedroom, assisting Levi with assembling the Legos Santa had brought him. Levi, who had been quiet most of the day, suddenly, and barely audibly asked, "Can you and Aunt Amy be our mom and dad forever?"

"What?"

"I had a dream last night and I saw mommy. She said it was okay for you and Aunt Amy to be our mom and dad forever," Levi stared at his uncle as he nodded his head. "So, can you?"

Sheldon calmly walked out of the room and called down the stairs, "Amy, can you come up here, please?" Waiting until Amy joined them, he asked Levi, "Can you tell Aunt Amy what you just asked me?"

"Can you be our mom and dad forever? Mommy said it was okay when I saw her in my dream last night."

Gasping, Amy nodded, while also tearing up, holding her arms out to hug the boys. Once they were in her arms, Sheldon joined their group hug as she whispered, "Thank you, Missy."

From the middle of the group hug, Levi spoke again, "We aren't going back to live with daddy, are we?"

"Come here, let's talk about that," Amy motioned to the bed for the seven-year-old and her husband to join her.

Mary's voice came from around the corner before appearing in the doorway, "Dinner's ready." Sheldon made eye contact with his mother, shaking his head. She stepped back, nodding, seemingly understanding they need some time before joining the rest of the family downstairs.

Amy and Sheldon exchanged a look over Levi's head, Sheldon pulling Theo onto his lap as Amy began to explain, "Uncle Sheldon and I know the past year has been difficult for all of us and the one thing you've been looking forward to was being able to live with your dad again. We don't know for sure yet, but it doesn't look like your dad is going to be able to have you live with him. You'll most likely be staying with us forever. Is that okay?"

"When are you going to know?"

"We should know by the time you're done with school for the summer," Sheldon jumped into the conversation. "I know that's what we said last year, then we said we would know by Christmas if you were going to get to live with your dad. Your dad was ready for you to stay with us forever when he came to visit you at our house. We asked him to wait, just to be sure that's the decision he wants to make."

Levi processed what his uncle just shared, while inching closer to his aunt. "Do you want him to take us back? Don't you want us to live with you anymore?"

Draping her arm around the boy's shoulders, Amy reassured him, "We love having you with us and would have made this forever a long time ago. We only asked your dad to wait a little longer to be sure he doesn't regret this later."

"So, you can be our mom and dad forever?"

"If that's what you and Theo want and your dad agrees, yes, we'd love to be your mom and dad forever," Sheldon bumped his knee against Levi's leg, tightening his arms around Theo. "I think I heard gramma say dinner was ready. What do you say you and Theo wash your hands and head downstairs?"

Amy waited for the boys to exit the room before reaching for Sheldon's hand, "He's going to be devastated if Ricky changes his mind."

"I know," the physicist agreed, "But Ricky won't change his mind. He'd made his decision before he came to California two months ago. I think he used the trip as an excuse to be able to tell us in person. What do we do now?"

"We go downstairs and enjoy Christmas dinner with our boys."

Happy new year! I hope everyone has a safe and healthy year!

A review from MarisaFromBCN mentioned she had a friend who was in a similar situation in which they took in their niece and nephew, and ended up pregnant with twins not long after. While I didn't have this chapter written at that time, I did have it outlined and knew Amy was going to tell Sheldon she was pregnant with twins on Christmas morning.