"You really didn't have to carry Emma to bed," Alex whispered as Emily eased the sleeping preschooler out of her arms and onto the bottom bunk. Over her shoulder, Alex reminded Ethan, "Use soap when you wash your hands, please, Little Otter."

Emily tucked the blanket up over Emma's little form, then turned back to Alex with a soft smile. "I don't mind – poor thing just looks so cute while she sleeps that I can't stand to wake her up." She shrugged as if it weren't a big deal, even though she'd been carrying Emma most of the day.

Even though Emma was nearing her fourth birthday, the cancer treatments meant she was significantly smaller than her brother and she tired out faster. But the twins had been insistent that they wanted to do the zoo for Easter...and so long as there was life left in her body, Emily was going to do anything she could to help Emma feel normal.

"You're a soft touch, Emily," Alex accused playfully, a flirtatious smile playing about her lips.

"Am not," Emily fired back. She looked like she wanted to retort with an equally flirtatious remark, but before she could, Ethan had finished washing his hands, quite effectively ruining the silent conversation the two women shared in lingering glances.

"Em'ly, read me a story?" he begged.

Emily glanced from Alex to Ethan and back. "Oh, umm..." she stammered.

Alex too seemed hesitant. "I don't know, Ethan, Emily's had a really long day and..."

"Please," Ethan whined.

Emily sighed softly. "Sure, Buddy. But just one."

When Emily emerged from the twins' room, she was instantly pressed against the wall, Alex's lips on hers. Emily gasped into the kiss, surprised by the sudden physical affection in their thus far platonic relationship. After a split second of confusion, she momentarily silenced the little voice at the back of her head that couldn't help but question everything and kissed her back with all the pent up yearning she'd stifled for the past year.

But the voice would only stay silent for a brief moment... With a little whine, she pulled back from the kiss because she had to be absolutely certain. "Alex, what are you..." she asked. It wasn't the most intelligent of questions she'd ever asked, but it was the best she could do when her brain seemed to be refusing to cooperate, still replaying the kiss over and over in her mind.

"Em, I can't pretend anymore," Alex said breathlessly. Her gaze never left Emily's needing her to see how utterly and completely serious she was about this. "I'm tired of pretending that being your friend is enough. That I don't want more between us."

"More?" Emily rasped. She was finding it hard to believe this truly was happening after she'd spent so long wishing Alex might reciprocate her affections. She'd repeatedly told herself all the reasons why she couldn't/shouldn't/wouldn't act on her feelings for Alex, so now that it seemed they were, in fact, reciprocated, she was finding it very difficult to silence those reasons.

Alex tenderly tucked a stray lock of hair behind Emily's ear, then trailed her fingers down Emily's neck and along her collarbones. "I want you, Emily. I want you so bad, I have for so long..." She leaned in again, desperate to once again have her lips on Emily's. Her fingers found the top button of Emily's blouse and fiddled with it a moment, waiting for permission before she unfastened it, though she was clearly aching to do so...

And this time, Emily allowed herself to give in to the moment and the gorgeous, desperate woman who just so happened to be the star of every fantasy she'd had for the last year... "Bedroom?" she suggested between kisses.

Alex laughed into the kiss. "I like the way you think," she husked against her lips.

"So, umm..." Emily said slowly and a little awkwardly. "Should I...go?"

"Go?" Alex repeated, more out of surprise than anything else. "You want to leave?"

Emily pushed herself to sit up against the headboard and Alex followed suit so she was meeting Emily's gaze on the same level. With a tender smile, Emily cupped her cheek and murmured, "Believe me, the last thing I want to do is leave. I just...wasn't sure what you wanted."

"What I want," Alex whispered, leaning in until her lips were ghosting over Emily's, "Is everything. I want everything with you, Emily."

"What about the kids?" Emily asked, wanting to give herself over to the moment, but also needing to be absolutely certain first.

Alex gave her a look that seemed to suggest she'd forgotten basic math. "Emily, you've been their second parent for a year – maybe longer, if we're being honest – from the moment James got in his car and drove off into the sunset, you were there for those kids the way they need, the way they deserve."

Emily shrugged. "That's not anything special. It's just doing the right thing," she insisted.

"Exactly," Alex said, "That's just who you are and you have no idea how absolutely incredible that is." She shook her head slowly. "Ethan and Emma both adore you because you adore them. "So, of course I'm crazy about you."

Emily didn't seem fully convinced.

Alex moved to straddle Emily's lap, cupping her cheeks so she was forced to meet her gaze. "Emily, I could not have gotten through this tear without you. You have kept me going through what should be the worst time in my life...but because of you, it's been, well, not completely awful."

Emily couldn't help but laugh. "High praise indeed."

Lightly punching her in the shoulder, Alex said, "You know what I mean..." She shook her head slowly, smiling softly. "I mean that you're quickly becoming one of the brightest parts of my life and I don't want you to go anywhere. Not now, not ever." A beat. "Is that okay?"

Smiling softly as well, Emily stole a kiss. "It's more than okay."