"So this where you lived?" Willow asked him looking around as everyone seemed to disappear to give them privacy.

"I grew up on Prince Edward Island when Dad died. Mom and Dad—Rilla and Ken," Jimmy explained. "She looked after me during the war when I was little, we always had a special bond. When news came about what happened to Dad, they adopted me. We were living in Kingsport at the time which is in Nova Scotia. You were just a baby, we moved here a little over twelve years ago. Roe, was born here she's fourteen, and Oliver is sixteen, while Clara is almost seven," Jimmy told her. "I wrote to you twice a month, then once a month. I still have the first letter you wrote yourself to me."

Willow only nodded. It almost didn't seem fair that Jimmy had grown up in such a home, surrounded by people who cared about him. His old bedroom was clean and orderly, with old family photos of the Fords with young Jimmy, and later the rest of the children. Hidden behind is a photo of her Mother and Jimmy, before England, pictures of the woman he called mother now as a young teenager with a curly-haired infant. What surprised her the most was a small wallet photo of her younger self still tucked into the corner of a frame.

Photos of her, all the silly portraits her mother made her sit for years.

"The others are at my own house, I think Mrs. Clarke found that one while cleaning," Jimmy told her.

"What do you remember about the trip to England the lead up to it?" Willow asked her brother curiously.

"What do you mean?" Jimmy asked as he sat on the bed.

"I found some letter mixed in with mothers, I don't think mother's family liked Dad much," Willow said. "From what I read Mom's family refused to acknowledge you existed. They didn't even want you to come on the trip," Willow explained. "Mom's family was against her marrying Dad, moving to Canada, taking care of you."

"They didn't treat you bad did they?" Jimmy asked quietly, taking in all the information.

"They were stern, a bit controlling but they weren't violent if that is what you're asking," Willow told him with a shake of her head. "So you're married?"

"Yeah, we got married back in February," he says gruffly, cheeks tinging red. "Small affair at the courthouse nothing elaborate much to Mom's dismay."

"You're not enlisting then?" She questions him bluntly.

"I'm a police officer, I am needed here," he says looking at her. "I'm not sure your stance on war Willow, but this house, this place isn't exactly a patriotic sort of house. Mom and Dad both have scars from the first war in different ways and refuse to do more than necessary."

"So you're a pacifist?" Willow looks at him.

"I am doing my duty here," he says eyes narrowing trying to understand who this person was who said was his sister.

"Your wife is expecting?"

"She is," Jimmy nods his head. "She is due in the fall, she's helped me look for you for three years. Constance works for the Children's Aid Society, which is why she was a bit shocked you just took a child across the ocean with you."

"Well, Martine didn't make it out how she was and the good-for-nothing father didn't care or want it, she gave birth in I middle of a war. Fleur needed safety as much as any other child, that is her name by the way." Willow tells him almost defensively.

"I know, I understand," Jimmy tries to placate her looking at her. Taking in the young woman who was someone he could have only imagined. Her accent was neither English nor French, her hair golden blonde and straight, her eyes golden brown, more golden than his. She looks like their father in many ways but has Adeline's smile and nose.

"Is something on my face?" She asks at his quietness.

"No, No, sorry it's been so long since I thought of him, you look like him it was strange for a moment," Jimmy says shaking his head. "We should call it a night, I am going to run home and get a few things for Connie and me," Jimmy says looking at the clock.

"You don't have to stay," Willow tries to tell him.

"Yes I do," Jimmy says shaking his head. "I've waited years for this and we should contact your grandparents to let them know you are alive."

Willow nods her head and he reaches out out for a moment before letting his arm fall.

"I'm glad you found me, even if we are different people," Jimmy says after a moment. Unsure of what else to say.

Jimmy finds his wife half asleep when he makes it back to his old home after running home. She looks at him from the makeshift bed on the floor of the old mattress they have stashed away for such events and family who visit.

He helps her undress and pulls her nightwear over her head, hands caressing the growing bump. He was memorized by it, knowing that it was his child in there. Swift kicks underneath the warmth of his hands greet him and he smiles exhaustedly.

"What's going through your head?" Constance asks him.

"Of all the time I've spent looking, of all the time wondering and what ifs. I didn't think she would ever come to find me, but at the same time she's an adult and I don't know her. It's been so long and yet she still came for an older brother she doesn't even remember?"

"You're family," Connie says quietly.

"Do you think the child is hers and she's too afraid?" Jimmy asks her.

"It's hard to know, but she doesn't look like she's had a baby anytime in the past year?" Connie says looking down at herself. "What was she doing in Paris by herself did you ask?"

"I didn't even think of it," Jimmy says sighing. "I could barely think, I just kept looking at her, wondering how lucky she was to get out of there now. At the same time, she's a literal stranger and I'm afraid to press for answers because I don't want to her run off if there is something more to this?"

"You're a stranger to her as well Jimmy," Connie reminds him. "Give it some time, get to know each other and it will be easier."

"I just don't know what to do, if it was just her it would be easy but the last thing we need is a baby as well to look after?"

"We'll figure it out," Connie squeezes his hand and cuddles into him as they both settle into the bed. "Look on the bright side, she's eighteen and if her grandparents protest, they can't come after you for kidnapping?" She tries to make him feel better.

"True, but you didn't sign up for this either," Jimmy says kissing the top of her head.

"I signed up for everything when I married you, this included. It will be okay, just give it some time and it will be all right you will see." Connie tells him. "Though for the record for a small second, I wanted to hurt when some girl came looking for you holding a baby."

"I wouldn't expect anything less," Jimmy says chuckling before he yawns. "Though you are the only person I have been with in that way in the past…three-four years?"

"Good," Connie says

It was still early when Willow had woken up, the cold April morning creeping into the room as she shivered and huddled under her blankets. She was rubbing her eyes when she focused on the small black-haired child sitting on the edge of her bed like an imp.

"Ahh!" She yelped loud enough that Jimmy came into her room not long after. Wearing casual clothing of long-sleeved henley and brown trousers.

"Clara!" He scolded the child. "You don't sneak into people's rooms as such,"

"I didn't want her to miss out on the pancakes, Jimmy," Clara said innocently as she crawled over the bed to her older brother and held out her arms. He sighed and picked her up, letting her legs wrap around him as she hugged him.

"Apologize Imp," Jimmy told Clara sternly.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you," Clara said quietly as she rested her head on Jimmy's shoulder.

"Apology accepted," Willow said as she was unsure of what else to say.

Jimmy set Clara down and told her to go back downstairs to her room. "Sorry about that I should have warned you about her."

"She's cute," Willow settled with a short pause.

"She's spoiled," Jimmy corrected her with a shake of his head. "Breakfast is about in a half-hour."

Willow nodded and watched him leave. She quickly pulled on her wooden stockings and was about to open her small suitcase of things hoping for something clean when there was a knock on the door. She goes to open it and finds the younger girl holding something in her arms.

"I wasn't sure what you would be more comfortable in, but I threw in a pair of pants," Rowena tells her, who is wearing her pair of baggy denim trousers, belted at the waist with a pretty fuzzy peach cardigan simple shirt under it.

Willow nods her head taking the offered items. There was even a brassiere and package of new briefs. She looks at the redhead, who still had her hair in curlers and scarf and clear hazel eyes unable to place her age.

"Mom left out a toothbrush and things in the bathroom for you," Rowena adds on. "There's hairpins and a brush as well if needed."

"Thank you," Willow tells her.

"Our Aunt and Uncle lived in Paris for a decade, Tante Lily would love to know if it had changed any since they moved back six years ago," Rowena tells her before turning at the sound of her name. "I'll let you get ready."

When she made it downstairs the other kids were at the table and talking amongst themselves. Mrs. Ford had her friend's baby in her arms drinking from a bottle.

"Good morning," Ken said to her kindly as she took the empty spot of the table. Clara looked at her as she sat on her father's lap at breakfast. She had never seen such a scene she wasn't sure how to act or what to do.

Breakfast was never like this in England or even asked the school when it was full of teasing playful comments. The slightly younger but tall young man whose hair was curled widely on his head was quiet but often helped the housekeeper by taking his already finished plate to the sink and grabbing the coffee pot at the same time. While his sister Rowena was going on about her friends at her school. Even in Paris, breakfast was never like this, then again when were they ever up for breakfast?

"Also what is this darling little one's name?" Mrs. Ford asks her. "You never said.

"Fleur, it means flower," Willow tells her. "She's six months old."

"Do you mind if I take her to the hospital today? I just want one of my co-workers to take a peek at her. She seems pretty healthy, but might be good for a check over?" The older woman asks her.

"Co-worker?" Willow asks brow furrowing.

"Mom's a doctor, she works in the women's hospital," Ollie says from his spot. "A psychologist, not doctor doctor," he clarifies.

"Oh, I wouldn't have guessed," Willow says quietly and Connie comes out in a day dress looking green.

"I thought morning sickness was supposed to stop at some point?" She groans, handing running over her much larger bump than yesterday.

"Not always, and trust me it can be worse," Rilla tells her daughter-in-law. "As long as you can eat and gain weight, I wouldn't concerned." She puts the infant into the old high chair, and hands Ken the spoon for the baby's oatmeal who took it without question like he was used to this. Her grandfather would have never, and she isn't sure if her father would have either from the stories she knew.

"You mean like you were throwing up blood?" Oliver says quietly and Rilla looks at him sharply but her eyes soften quickly.

"That was…I'm sorry I frightened you," she settles with, reaching out to caress his hair. "But breakfast everyone, eat up."

The table turned to other conversations, what they planned to do over spring break and how Rowena was going to be the lead in the school play. At one point the little impish girl crawled into her chair to eat her breakfast. Which made her look at her plate, the pancakes were different than she expected but they were light and fluffy and could be topped with maple syrup or Jam, except for Mr. Ford who had a bowl of oatmeal and toast.

"Jim-Jam can I come to play with Basil?" Clara asked him knowing the police dog now had a home at Jimmy's place that Rilla didn't object.

"Not today Clara, this isn't exactly a social call," Jimmy told her.

"Mummy, why can't we have a dog?" Clara asked looking towards her mother.

"Because I already have a handful of children to take care of," Rilla told her as she wiped off Clara's face with a rag to take away the jam and syrup. "

"Really?" Clara pouted. "who is that?

"You silly goose," Rilla says shaking her head, tucking into her breakfast quickly.

"Did you have enough," Mr. Ford said to Willow as he noticed her plate was barely touched. "We can find you something else if you don't like pancakes?"

I'm fine thank you," Willow says.

"So what were you doing in Paris," Connie asks her looking still pale but slightly better.

Willow looks at her unsure of what to say. "Just wanted to get away from my grandparents and away from their choice of husbands," she told her. "I was studying in art school and worked odd jobs here and there in the art scene?"

"And Fleur's mother? You met through work?" Connie asks curiously.

"Sort of? I filled in for a luncheon one afternoon, and she was there as entertainment" Willow says. "She was a ballerina at the opera!" She rushes to say.

"Like Christine in the phantom of the opera?" Rowena asked excitedly as if that was the most amazing thing she had ever heard. "Did she find her own Raoul to marry?"

"I suppose so?" Willow says nodding her head after a moment. "I mean she was a ballerina at an opera, but it wasn't haunted or something." Leaving off intentionally that Martine hadn't been married and the Father had refused to help at all. A producer, a patron who paid girls to keep him company, more than once Willow had been propositioned but she always told them no when she hung around them.

"So you paint?" Ken asks interest peaked.

"Paint, draw, colour, photography when I have a camera?" Willow says.

"Did you ever model?" Rowena asks. "Sometimes I get to model for the magazine when Dad needs something quick."

Willow looks around unsure of what to say at the point that Mrs. Ford takes pity on her.

"Alright, what are everyone's plans?" Rilla says looking at the time. "Ollie, Roe? Clara, Aunt Mary and Phoebe are supposed to come by for a walk in the park this morning.

"I thought we were supposed to go to Eatons?" Rowena looks up from her spot to her mother.

"Right," Rilla says. "Actually this might work, Willow I am sure you need a few things and for Fleur?"

Willow looks up worried. "I mean yes, but I don't have any money?" she says quietly.

"I have an account," Jimmy says speaking up, wiping his mouth with his napkin. "I can cover whatever you need right now, within reason at least," He says looking at Connie who only nods her head.

The doorbell rings and Rilla jumps up from the table looking at the time.

"I got it!" Clara exclaimed as she ran out of the room and went to open the front door. "Phoebe!"

"Sorry Marianne, we are running a bit behind this morning," Rilla sighed to her friend following her daughter.

"It's fine, I can wait with some coffee?" Marianne says going towards the kitchen. "Oh, you have company?"

"It's a bit of a story, but this is Willow, Jimmy's younger sister," Rilla explains to her friend with a look of I'll explain more later.

"Willow this is our good friend Marianne and her daughter, Phoebe. This is Willow Jimmy's sister from England."

"It's nice to meet you," Marianne smiled at her, though gave her friend a look of needing some sort of explanation, even more of one when Ken came into the hall with the infant in his arms and passed her to Rilla.

"And this is her Fleur, Willows friend was her mother but didn't make it," Rilla says looking at Willow who nods at her.

"Likewise, to you as well," she said to Marianne and Phoebe who giggled.

"I like your hair, it's pretty," Phoebe asked coming up to the blonde.

"Thank you," Willow said crouching down. "Yours is pretty too."

"Daddy gave it to me," Phoebe giggled. "That's what he says anyway. You talk funny."

"I am from England, we have an accent that is different than yours," Willow explained to her.

"Uncle Carl brought Juniper!" Clara shrieked as she saw her favourite goat from the

window of the house.

"Juniper!" Rowena shrieked as she raced out of the kitchen towards the front window.

Rilla looked at Marianne who sighed and gave a shrug. "The Meredith owns a small farm of sorts," she explained to Willow who was standing beside them confused about the goat.

"Is a goat all right to be out in this weather?" Willow asked. "Granted a farm is a better excuse than Marcel's perchance for keeping ferrets around that flat"

"Oh it has its own sweater to keep warm in and better the goat than the guinea pig," Marianne laughed. "I don't know what a ferret is, and I hope to keep it that way."

"They are annoying," Willow says shrugging.

"Most animals are," Marianne says with a laugh.

It was a noisy twenty minutes before Rilla and the kids cleared out of Oleanders End as she heard it be called. It was a short walk to the park. The girls chased Carl and Juniper as the women stayed behind wrapped up in their jackets with their hats and leather gloves. Oliver had stayed at home with his father.

"So do you think the Kid is hers?" Marianne asks Rilla.

"Honestly I'm not sure, but it doesn't look like she has recently been pregnant or nursing?" Rilla responds. "More curious who this Marcel is? She said she was an artist, but her friend her was a ballerina chorus girl at the Paris opera, so who knows who he might be?"

"Something to ask Lilian?" Marianne says nudging her. "How have you been though?" Marianne asks as they hadn't seen each other as much over the winter time."

Rilla just smiles and shrugs. "Busy but all right? Oliver is been tricky but it's getting better."

"Tricky?" Marianne hums

"Mostly teenager things, but also some harder things, we talked about it though and he's getting better?" Rilla says. "He brings home friends more, it makes Ken nervous but one week it's a girl who makes him blush and another week he and his friend Bobby are brushing fingers," Rilla says quietly.

"Oh," Marianne says quietly. "You're okay with that?"

"It's not our first choice, but he's our son and we love him. Ken doesn't fully understand it, but he tries," Rilla says quietly. "At the very least he can still live a normal life if he finds someone he loves."

"And if he doesn't?" Marianne asks her.

"Then he'll always have us," Rilla says simply. "It's not something we would have ever wanted for him or understand, but it's not the end all."

"I think at some point the love we have for our children overrides the anger that comes from situations or their decisions that we don't agree with?" Marianne told her.

"Didn't I tell you that?" Rilla gives her a look that says she knew she did. Linking her arm with her friends. Watching the little girls run around with Juniper she sighed. Her thoughts drifted to her elder children who were growing up all too fast for her to be comfortable with. "How's the latest crop of girls?

"A bunch got married, soldiers leaving for war," Marianne tells her

"How would you react if Phoebe ever came home pregnant?" Rilla asked her friend.

"Disappointed?" Marianne settled with. "Disappointed in myself actually for not talking about it more, to teach her more. To tell her about my own mistakes and how they affected me so she can make her own decisions? I know Jimmy and Connie are a different situations, but if it was Oliver or Rowena?"

"The same I suppose," Rilla said. "Ken and I can't really say much, we pushed a lot of boundaries while we were engaged. We just want them to be respectful to themselves ad wandering hands stay very much over the clothing. Of course, it is a slippery slope, kissing turns into petting, and petting can easily turn into sex. If something ever does happen, to tell us about it?" Rilla said quietly. "I mean we do tell them they should consider waiting for marriage. It's preferable in many ways to prevent anything that you may not want from happening. Rowena is still rather uneasy with the whole facts of life and how babies come about. I think I can breathe a little easy with these two, I have right now. Though Ken worries about Roe, she doesn't look her age and Bobbie is older but I think he's a good boy for the most part. We both double-take when we see her some mornings."

"Something to look forward to with Phoebe?" Marianne hummed. "Roe still is very much her age though," she said pointing to where they were all running about with Juniper.

"One can hope," Rilla tells her.