Asher pulled into the driveway four days after Andy's birth. Allison had insisted on running every possible test for Andy and it had taken a couple days. Allison had been in more pain then they predicted following the surgery so the extra day had been needed.

"Mom, dad," Everly rushed down the ramp at full speed.

"Hi princess," Asher greeted as he took the car seat from the back of the car.

"Hi baby girl," Allison greeted.

"Can I hold Andy," Allison asked.

"Inside," Allison assured, "we're going to come in and rest. I'm sore and tired baby."

"Can I hold him," Everly asked again.

"You can on the couch," Allison promised, "I'll need to feed him soon."

"When can I give him a bottle," Everly asked.

"Soon," Allison assured, "we have to be home a few days and let dad give him a bottle first. Dad hasn't fed him yet."

"Why," Everly asked.

"Because it takes a few days for me to have enough milk to start pumping it," Allison replied, "then I'll start and put a few bottles in the fridge so you and dad can feed him. But mainly I want to freeze it for when I go back to work."

"Did I," Everly asked.

"Until you were two and a half," Allison replied, "you were a very slow eater as a new born."

"Will I be able to have a baby," Everly asked.

"I think you will," Allison replied, "no one really knows if they can or not until they try. There's not a great way to predict until a woman tries to get pregnant and have a baby."

"Allie,' Asher asked.

"I'm okay," Allison replied, "a bit sore.'

"What hurts,' Asher asked.

"What I was complaining about at the hospital,' Allison replied.

"Meds," Asher offered.

"After he eats," Allison replied, "he's waking up. Ev can you go grab me a glass of water while I get him set up to eat?"

"Ya," Everly replied, getting off the couch and transferring to her chair, she rolled towards the kitchen and filled a big cup with ice and water.

"You okay," Asher asked.

"We've done this before," Allison replied, "he needs to eat. I'll probably go to bed when the kids do tonight."

"You should rest," Asher agreed.

"Rest with two kids," Allison laughed, "do you remember when we brought Ev home? She cried every hour on the hour for the first three weeks all night."

"You'd fall asleep nursing," Asher replied, "you would lay on your side in our bed and feed her and fall asleep."

"Don't let me do that," Allison insisted.

"I will again,' Asher replied.

"Ash what if," Allison asked.

"Then we do what we've always done we fight for him," Asher assured, "Allie they did every test you could think of."

"I wanted the MRI,' Allison insisted.

"Why when every other test was normal," Asher asked.

"To make sure," Allison replied, "I'm so scared. Ash I can't do this.'

"You can," Asher assured, "it's okay to be scared babe. We will do this together. He's content. Ev fussed when you fed her."

Allison soon fell asleep on the couch with Andy in her arms and her feet in Asher's lap. Everly read quietly in her favourite spot on the love seat. She was startled by the door bell and using her crutches went to look at the door.

"Auntie Ava,' Everly opened the door to her mom's best friend.

"Hi Ev," Ava smiled hugging the girl.

"Mom, dad and Andy are asleep," Everly told her favourite aunt.

"Can you go wake them," Ava asked, "gently."

Everly woke up Asher who went to the entry to get Ava.

"Ava's here," Asher whispered to Allison waking her up gently, "you want me to take him?"

'Check his diaper,' Allison suggested.

"How are you feeling," Ava asked sitting down with Allison.

"Exausted and sore," Allison admitted, "but I was sore and tired with Ev. We were so young then though. How did I do this at 18?"

"I don't know," Ava said.

"But what's going on with you,' Allison asked.

"Brendan asked me to move in with him," Ava smiled.

'Will you," Allison asked.

"I am," Ava replied, "when my lease is up in October, it doesn't make sense to break my lease now and pay the penalty."

"So he's the one," Allison asked.

'He is," Ava smiled.

"There's my little man," Allison smiled as Asher brought the baby back.

"Can I,' Ava asked.

"Ya," Allison agreed.

"He's precious," Ava cooed while holding the baby boy, "hi Andy I'm auntie Ava. I'm your mommy's best friend."

"Have you hear from Liv lately,' Allison asked.

"No," Ava replied, "I hope she's okay. Two kids on her own with dead beat dads. I don't know what she's thinking. Last I heard she was pregnant again."

"I don't know," Allison replied, "I can't really judge. I got pregnant in high school and had Ev senior year."

'You can," Ava said, "you and her dad are still happily together, you finished med school Allie you did it right. Liv is partying and dumping her kids on her parents."

"We've had tons of help from mine," Allison argued.

"Help not raising Ev," Ava said.

"A lot of help," Allison said.

'Do you think I could do it," Ava asked, "be a mom?"

"I think you would be an amazing mom," Allison replied, "is it that serious?"

"Brendan and I are talking about it we're 28," Ava replied, "I want a baby. I love yours but I want my own."

"What's Brendan saying,' Allison asked.

"He wants kids," Ava replied, "but not with my work schedule. Annie wrote my reference to start my nurse practitioners courses in January. But it's 2 years."

"So we'd be 30," Allison replied, "Ava that's average for a first baby. I know Andy is my second but Ash and I got started so young."

"Should we,' Ava asked, "we've talked that once I move in we stop birth control."

'It's your choice," Allison replied, "it took us almost a year from deciding to getting pregnant with Andy."

"Ev," Ava asked.

"Knows how babies are made and about sperm and eggs," Allison replied, "she's in her room on her ipad. We teach her the facts and biology."

"And," Ava asked.

"Like always be honest with her," Allison replied.

Andy began to fuss in Ava's arms.

"Do you mind if I feed him," Allison asked.

"Your baby and your house," Ava shrugged, "you're breastfeeding again?"

"We'll do a mix but I want to do the first month exclusively," Allison replied, "I've done it before I know I can. But he's eating about every 90 minutes today."

"What does Asher think," Ava asked.

"He's supportive," Allison assured.

"Little man," Ava asked.

"Different baby," Allison replied, "healthy so far. And my family is being so helpful with Ev. she's spent a lot of time with Leo and Theresa. They're great with her."

"Leo has a new girlfriend," Ava asked.

"Theresa," Allison replied, "military ortho suregon. She's good. She's so kind and gentle with Ev and sorted out problem with the left KAFO looking once. They took her swimming and Theresa was helping with the brace after and fixed it in the garage and Ev has been so much more mobile since."

"Good," Ava replied, "how do you get along with her."

"I haven't spent much time with her one on one," Allison replied, "she's nice enough and I like her for Leo."

"Do you think," Ava asked.

"I don't know her well enough," Allison replied, she smiled down at the baby in her arms.

"You seem good," Ava said.

"I feel good this time," Allison replied, 'hoping I won't panic."

'You're a seasoned parent," Ava replied.

"Maybe," Allison replied, "we've done it this far with Ev but he's a new baby."

"And you'll be as amazing with him as her," Ava replied, "and he'll be as happy as Ev."

"He's hungrier than i remember her being," Allison said, "but you and a baby?"

"I'm ready," Ava said, "I can be a mom."

"You'll be a good one," Allison smiled, "they'll be lucky to have you."

"Soon," Ava said, "it's time we're ready."

"We are," Allison agreed, "and you saw me and Liv mess it all up so we're good."

"I'll need you," Ava agreed.

"Do you want him back," Allison offered the baby to Ava.

"Always," Ava smiled taking the new born.

In her room Everly was trying to create something to attach a seat for the baby to her walker or wheelchair. She wanted to be able to move her brother herself and help take care of him. She had taken everything out of the three tiered medical cart in her room and put it in a dresser drawer and on her bookshelf. She found an old doll bed and was using pipe cleaners to attach it to the top of the cart.

"What are you doing," Asher asked coming in.

"Making a cart for Andy." Everly replied.

"No way," Asher replied, "you are not putting your brother in a doll bed on the medical cart. Put it back together as your medical cart."

"No," Everly argued.

"Ev," Asher warned, "we know you want to help but that is not safe for either of you. Mom and I are working on a solution for you to be able to help carry him safely when he is a bit bigger. For now you can hold him and even change his diaper. Read to him sit on the floor and play but no kids are carrying him around for now. Not you and not your cousins. When he can sit you can have him on your lap in your chair and roll around."

"I want to carry him," Everly pouted.

"Let mom and I look into safe ways," Asher replied," we might be able to find something that works with your chair but for now no. Everly it isn't safe for either of you. We have to make sure you are safe and healthy."

"But," Everly pouted, "I want to be a real big sister. I can't because I'm broken."

"I know you're disappointed that you can't help as much as you want to," Asher agreed, "I'm sorry princess. And your used to having a lot of mom and my attention you've had all of it for 10 years. This is a hard adjustment for all of us. Things will settle down soon and we'll find our balance. Mom will home for the next few months with you and Andy."

"But mom doesn't have time for me," Everly whined.

"I hear that you want some time with mom," Asher replied.

"She came home and is only with Andy," Everly complained.

"I know," Asher replied, "she did the same when you were born. After dinner why don't I take Andy for a bit and you and mom can read or have some time."

"But she's tired and grumpy and auntie Ava just showed up," Everly snapped.

"Be patient princess," Asher tried, "mom will feel better quickly and Ava will go soon. I wasn't expecting her either. I was surprised she came. We need to just be the four of us tonight. Grandma is going to drop off dinner but she's just going to drop it off and go. Grandma knows we need a quiet night."

"You'll send me away with her," Everly worried.

"Not at all," Asher promised, "let's go see mom and talk to her I'll ask Ava to leave."

Asher slipped out of the room and went to the living room, "Allie Ev needs you. She's really upset. I'll take Andy and you go to her room."

"What's going on," Allison asked.

"She's feeling pushed out," Asher replied.

"I'll take Andy and you two be with her," Ava offered.

"No," Asher replied, "we're going to put Andy in his bed for a bit and the two of us need to be with Ev."

"I'll spend time with Ev," Ava offered.

"Ava it's okay she needs us ," Allison replied.

"I'll see you soon," Ava agreed, understanding that her best friend needed to be with her husband and kids.

Ava gave Allison a quick hug and let herself out.

Allison made her way slowly to Evs room and cautiously lowered herself to the bed. Everly was curled up on the bed facing the wall.

"Mom," Everly sniffled.

"Hi princess," Allison smiled, rubbing her daughter's back.

"You don't want me," Everly sobbed, "you're going to replace me."

"Never ever," Allison said, "why do you think that?"

"Because Andy isn't broken like I am," Everly pouted.

"Ev," Allison sighed, "look at me."

Everly slowly turned her head.

"You are not broken and dad and I will never ever ever replace you," Allison assured taking her daughters hand, "we will always be here and always love you. Even when you're a grown up you will always be our daughter. Everly dad and I just want you to be you and to be happy."

"But Andy," Everly said, "how can I be a real big sister when I can't carry him."

"Everly that doesn't matter," Allison said, "you will be the best big sister because you love him and you care so much. Everly we don't want you to be his babysitter that's not what older siblings do. I know you see it with Mitch and Sierras kids because they have so many but dad and I don't want that. You're not responsible for taking care of your brother."

"But you said help," Everly said.

"And we weren't clear," Asher said joining them, "until your mom was pregnant with you I was responsible for my younger siblings and it wasn't fair to me or right."

"When we said help we meant play with him, read a story, maybe watch for 5 minutes so I can shower or use the bathroom when dad is at work," Allison explained, "sing him a song and talk to him. Once in a while you can give him a bottle. Be a friend. We're not going to have you taking care of him."

"Everly taking care of Andy is not your job," Asher said, "that's mom and my job to take care of both of you. And you need us to in different ways. It can't and won't look the same because your two different people."

"What is my job," Everly asked.

"Be his friend," Allison replied, "be kind and loving. And Ev we would never replace you."

"With out you our family wouldn't exist," Asher said, "Everly we love you and want you."

"But the kids at day camp," Everly started.

"Are wrong," Allison replied.

"They said my parents would trade me in and out me in foster care so they could have a kid who wasn't broken," Everly sobbed.

"Princess," Allison sighed tears rolling down her own cheeks seeing how hurt Everly was.

"Never," Asher promised.

"Never ever," Allison assured pulling Everly closer to her ignoring the pain in her incision, "Everly we are a family and we will always be your family. I'm going to email the camp director and see what can be done and pull you out."

"What the other kids did and said was wrong," Asher replied, "they are wrong to even think it and it's them that looks bad."

"Everly you are so loved," Allison soothed, "you have so many people that love you. And dad and I won't ever stop loving you."

Everlys sobs turned slowly to hiccups before stopping as her parents held her and soothed her. As one child stopped crying the other started.

"Diaper and bring him here," Asher suggested.

"Ya we'll have some cuddles all of us," Allison agreed, "we need to be just the four of us for a few days."

Everly nodded.