Allison opened the door to let Sierra and baby Hannah in.
"Hannah, Hannah " everly yelled from the couch.
"Hi Everly," Sierra greeted.
"She's getting so big," Allison said, taking the car seat from Sierra and unbuckling the baby.
"Mommy down please," Everly asked.
"Not right now " Allison replied, "you have to rest today."
"Is everything okay," Sierra asked.
"She fell at school yesterday and bumped her head," Allison replied, "with her history we're laying low today. I talked to her neuro surgeon."
"What does that mean," Sierra asked.
"We've coloured, read stories, I brought a sensory bin to the coffee table to play with, she's played with her doll," Allison replied, "lots of cuddles today."
"We're in a cuddly mood today as well," Sierra said.
"Do you mind if I snuggle her," Allison asked.
"She'll need to be fed in a couple minutes," Sierra said.
"Still nursing," Allison asked.
"Yes," Sierra replied, "she's 4 months."
"She's just precious," Allison smiled, "do you want tea, coffee, water, juice, we have s-o-d-a."
"Tea would be great if you have decaf," Sierra said.
"I do," Allison replied.
Allison made two cups of tea and poured some milk with a splash of tea in a tea cup for Everly.
"Can I get your opinion on something," Siera asked.
"Sure," Allison replied, "everything okay?"
"Sorta," Sierra replied, "we can't agree on vaccinating Hannah."
"Get it done," Allison replied, "the autism studies were disproved 40 years ago. The childhood ones are so safe. Has Mitch been?"
"No," Sierra replied, "I'm on top of all of mine. What about Asher?"
"My parents made him when I was pregnant," Allison replied, "he wanted to stay here and be close to me he had to."
"What did you do," Sierra asked.
"We did it on time," Allison replied, "get her caught up. Sierra she needs to be it's best for her."
"Mitch," Sierra asked.
"I'd push him to be," Allison replied, "it's always better to be. The childhood ones are so safe. They've been used for 100 years because they're good. We were discussing vaccines in one of my classes this week."
"I want to go to school," Sierra said.
"Do it," Allison encouraged, "I started with three classes my first semester and one was online. Sierra it's doable."
"With a child," Sierra asked.
"Totally," Allison replied.
"What about two," Sierra asked.
"We could but I don't want to," Allison replied.
"So you two don't," Sierra asked.
"Has any one ever talked to you about contraception," Allison asked.
"No," Sierra said.
"Go see your doctor and ask," Allison replied, "I can't prescribe it yet or I would right now."
"What do you do," Sierra asked, "you must have a good solution."
"I do," Allison replied, "I have a copper implant that was done six or eight week's after Ev was born. I'll have to have it changed this summer but it's easy it's a 20 minute in office procedure."
"Does he notice," Sierra asked.
"No," Allison replied, "Ash has never noticed. Sierra it's too soon for you to have another baby."
"We use con," Sierra started.
"That's better than nothing," Allison replied, "but I would use something else two is better than one."
"Do you," Sierra asked.
"No," Allison admitted, "and we are aware of the risks."
"Mommy can I play on your bed," Everly asked.
"No," Allison replied, "daddy and my sheets are in the washer. You can lay on your bed or in your bean bag."
"What about some tummy time with Hannah," Sierra offered, "can you lay on the floor and play with her?"
"Can we have lego," Everly asked.
"Hannah is too little for lego," Allison replied, " what about some books and you can show her the pictures when she finishes her snack."
Allison grabbed some colourful board books and set them on the floor for the two little girls.
"Mommy why does Hannah eat auntie Sierra," Everly asked.
"When a woman has a baby her body makes special milk just for that baby to eat," Allison explained, "it's special food for the baby to help the baby grow up big and strong. It's called breastfeeding because the milk is made in a part of the mom's body called the breast."
"Did I eat you," Everly asked.
"You did," Allison replied, "you did for two and a half years."
"I don't member," Everly said.
"You were pretty little," Allison smiled, "and babies eat a lot of it as little babies but when they get bigger they start to eat real food so they need their mommy's milk less and less."
Sierra looked at Allison shocked.
"Always tell her the truth," Allison replied.
"You said breast," Sierra gasped.
"Always, always use the correct anatomical terms," Allison replied, "it's for her health and well being. We don't use words like cookie to describe genitals. Everly knows the proper names."
"Why," Sierra asked.
"Because if something is ever wrong or if she ever gets hurt and touched there she has the language to tell the police officer or doctor what happened," Allison replied, "she knows the names of all her body parts."
"Do I have breast," Everly asked.
"You will get them when you're older," Allison replied, "in middle school when you're between 11 and 13 your body will start to grow them."
"Mommy," Everly asked.
"Yes," Allison replied.
"I suck on you," Everly questioned.
"When you were a baby," Allison said, "not now. Big kids who go to school don't do that."
"I'm a big kid," Everly said.
"You are," Allison replied.
"I helping Hannah," Everly said.
"You are helping Hanna," Allison agreed.
"Can Hannah have a cookie," Everly asked.
"No she is too young for cookies," Allison replied.
"Can I have a cookie," Everly asked.
"You can have one with your lunch," Allison replied, "we're having lunch as soon as Daddy and Uncle Mitch get here."
As Allison finished speaking the door opened.
"Daddy can I have a cookie," Everly asked as soon as she saw Asher.
"Hello to you too," Asher replied, "I have lunch stuff. Fresh deli meat and buns."
"I'll heat the soup," Allison replied.
"I'll help," Sierra replied.
"Can you watch the girls," Allison replied, "it looks like the guys need a shower."
"I do," Asher replied.
"I have your clean clothes," Sierra told Mitch.
"Thanks," Mitch smiled leaning over the back of the couch to kiss Sierra, "how's she doing?"
"Hannah is just about ready for a nap," Sierra said.
"Let's put her in the pack and play in our room," Asher said, "it's under the stairs. I'll get it out so Mitch can shower."
"How were your grandparents," Allison asked.
"Dad was there," Mitch said.
"He's pissed we're not letting him see the kids," Asher replied, "but that they won't make Renee get help after the way she yelled at Sierra."
"We don't go see them so what happened," Allison asked.
"Renee called me some not child friendly names," Sierra replied, "no big deal. But she also said some things about the kids and us having girls."
"Thats BS," Allison replied, "it's an equal chance and the guys have the y chromosome so."
"I don't know what to do," Asher said, "we could just do our thing the six of us and ignore them."
"We're going to my aunt's in Portland for thanksgiving," Sierra added.
"We're not going after last year," Allison said, "Christmas do we just go to Christmas eve service at the church in public then see."
"We could," Asher agreed, "the public viewing and then go to your sisters?"
"Mom's doing Christmas eve this year but ya," Allison replied, "Annie has Christmas day and Auntie Meg is doing thanksgiving."
"We'll do Christmas with my family," Sierra said, "her first Christmas."
"It's a good feeling," Allison replied, "2 and 3 were fun because she got really excited and loves S-A-N-T-A."
"Grandma and grandpa would like to see you and Ev," Asher told Allison.
"Invite them here," Allison replied.
"Where's Jane," Everly asked.
"I will get your Anatomy Jane doll," Allison agreed, "I borrowed her to study."
"Study," Everly asked.
"Where is it," Sierra asked.
"On top of the bookshelf above my text books," Allison replied, "but she can't have it near Hannah."
"Why," Sierra asked.
"You can take all of her organs out," Allison replied.
"Oh oh," Everly whined.
"What happened," Allison asked.
"I peed," Everly blushed.
"Okay we'll clean you up," Allison replied.
Allison helped Everly up and took her to her room to change. Asher quickly cleaned up the spot on the floor.
"She's four," Sierra said.
"Four and a half but she's usually dry during the day," Asher said, "still pull-ups at night but we're on an every 90 minutes toilet schedule."
"It works," Sierra asked.
"Most days," Asher replied, "part of her CP is reduced control of her bladder and bowels."
"When did you potty train," Sierra asked.
"We started with the every hour when she was 3," Asher replied, "then slowly stretch it by 5 minutes every couple months. Her PT and OT made the plan we just follow it."
"At a school," Sierra asked.
"They take her," Asher replied, "it's pre k they do scheduled washroom breaks."
"Sleeping through the night," Sierra asked.
"Over a year," Allison said coming back with Everly on her hip.
"Her braces," Asher asked.
"Have been wiped with lysol," Allison replied, "but there's rub marks on her legs so we're taking a break. I'll call the hospital and get her fitted for new ones."
"Already we've had those less than a year," Asher said.
"You take a look but I don't like the rub marks," Allison replied, "and she's swollen today."
"Should we ask a doctor about it," Sierra asked nervously.
"Mention that her cousin has CP next time you go for a check up or to get shots but she's hitting her milestones," Allison replied.
"The heart thing," Asher said, "everly has the same congenital heart defect little Eden has. Eden's was more sever and was corrected in surgery."
"Everly doesn't need it," Sierra asked.
"Not yet," Allison replied, "my mom and sister are cardiothoracic surgeons. My sister specialises in peds. They say Everly is good. We've had two major surgeries under general anaesthesia and she's done great so their reluctant to change her valve. My brothers had 2 valve replacements done and had a pacemaker because of a congenital heart defect. His birth mom was a heavy drug user and it damaged Leo's heart."
"Is he okay," Sierra asked.
"Leo is great, he's in med school as well," Allison said, "Texas Southwestern. I miss him but he's happy with it. We talk a lot and compare what we're doing."
"My siblings don't get it," Sierra said, "and I kinda miss Ellie Altman."
"Ellie is great," Allison replied, "second year at UBC. Absolutely loves it. She should be home next weekend for her mom's birthday."
"She was one of the few that was actually nice," Sierra said.
"She's pretty cool most of the time," Allison agreed.
"Ellie," Everly asked, "Ellie please?"
"Next weekend princess," Allison assured.
"Don't you think princess will go to her head," Mitch asked.
"We've called her that her whole life " Asher said, "Allie you okay if I rinse off?"
"Ya," Allison agreed, "take your time this soup will be a bit."
"Oup," Everly asked, "my oup?"
"Your favourite sweet potato, carrot and squash soup," Allison promised.
"Orange oup," Everly asked.
"Orange soup," Allison agreed.
"It looks a bit like baby food," Mitch said sceptically.
"The texture does," Allison agreed, "but it's good. Sweet potatoes, carrots, butternut squash, red lentils, red peppers, celery, onion, garlic, ginger, red thai curry paste, coconut milk, veggie broth, cilantro."
"That sounds really good," Sierra said, "and most of it is cheap ingredients."
"The can of coconut milk isn't but the rest is," ALlison said, "and it lasts a long time. We'll get today's lunch out of it and a few more for each of us. Ev hates school cafeteria food so we pack her lunch most days. I was a bagged lunch kid."
"So were we," Mitch replied.
"She gets milk and whatever the fruit or veggie of the day is," Allison replied, "but I'd rather send her lunch and it be things she actually eats. A thermos with home made soup, some crackers and chicken chunks with cheese."
"I was a school lunch kid," Sierra said, "some were awful."
"They were," Allison replied, "I was 50/50. We bought if the menu was something we liked and pack if we didn't like it."
"How did you deal with Michelle after vaccinating Everly," Sierra asked, wanting Mitch to hear Allison's response.
"They tried to blame vaccines for Ev's medical needs," Allison replied, "but the research says otherwise. Research for yourselves. Journals, university and hospital websites not reddit."
"Our parents," Mitch said.
"We vaccinated Everly," Asher replied, "for all Ev's surgeries she had to be."
"Did you," Mitch asked.
"I did 5 years ago," Asher replied, "it was worth it."
"Really," Mitch asked.
"No flu, no COVID," Asher replied.
"We're not saying what to do," Allison tried one of Teddy's tactics, "we're saying find out for yourself. Do you own research from accredited sources."
"Mom and dad," Mitch asked.
"We're still keeping our distance," Asher replied, "you two do your thing. We are always here."
"I'm trying," Mitch replied, "I want Renee away from Hannah."
"Can Hannah play with me," Everly asked.
"When she wakes up from her name," Sierra promised.
"She's always asleep," Everly said.
"Babies sleep a lot so they can grow," Allison explained, "as she gets bigger she sleeps less."
"Our baby," Everly asked.
"Not now," Allison said.
"When," Everly asked.
"Maybe when I finish school," Allison said, giving a vague answer.
"Okay," Everly pouted.
"We can go see and play with Hannah and with Will," Allison replied, "Nisha wants you to come over soon and play with Will and Khitam."
"Should we eat," Asher asked.
"Orange Oup," Everly cheered.
They quickly dished up lunch and sat around the table chatting. Everly having fun wiggling and spinning in Allison's desk chair that had been pulled over for the added seat.