"Mom please I am fine I know how to do it!" Ollie complains as she hovers around him. "They are normal as ever, two weeks straight and I eat as I ever do."

Rilla sighs, watching him dump the cup of urine in the toilet and flush it. This has been their life for weeks now, and they were a little over it some mornings or meals.

"I just want to make sure you're not going to faint in class again," Rilla reminds him. "It's your first day back since it happened. I just want to make sure you feel up to it?"

"I'm fine, truly Mom," Oliver says quietly pleading.

"You had a seizure, Oliver," Rilla reminds him.

"I know, trust me I will be the laughingstock of the school for the rest of the year," Ollie says under his breath.

"Well, at least you will look handsome being so," Rilla tells him brushing back a curl. "Now don't forget to check at lunch, I mean it, until the doctor clears you indefinitely you can't forget, and if it turns dark green or brown…"

"I know Mom, truly I know if it's aqua coloured I'm fine, but if I feel faint or dizzy to have some sugar. I got this Mom, I mean it, but I will be fine I've been fine since leaving the hospital."

"Can I have the washroom soon?" Rowena asks from her doorway. "I need to wash off this spot cream still and you've been hogging it."

"It's all yours," Oliver says moving out of the way and Rilla watches him leave.

"Mommy, when do I get to wear a bra?" Clara calls out from her bedroom which piques Rilla's curiosity. She walks down the hall to find her youngest standing in front of the mirror in her undershirt and panties.

"When you're older," Rilla tells her. "Come on, time to get dressed already."

"But the girls sometimes make fun of me that that I get pointy?" Clara says poking at her non-existent chest. 'It also hurts sometimes?"

"You're just slowly growing up Clara," Rilla says softly. "But you need to get dressed."

"Carrie from school told me I was fat," Clara tells her ignoring the prompt. "That my stomach sticks out too much?"

"Oh heavens above," Rilla recites to herself before sitting on her daughter's bed and patting the bed and Clara came towards her. "You are perfectly healthy Clara, no one is the same size or alike. Your body is completely you run around and you play, and you ride on the weekends with all the energy you need to have. Now get yourself dressed and downstairs please?"

Clara nods her head and goes for her uniform and Rilla sneaks out of the room. She helps pack up the kid's lunch and sends them on their way.

"Uncle Jimmy is picking you up today after school since it's a half day today and you'll stay with him until I come home from work," Rilla tells Clara before kissing her on the cheek goodbye.

"Drive safe, if you start feeling…" She goes to Ollie.

"I know Mom. I know." Ollie says groaning. "Have a good day, come on Roe! I'm leaving with or without you."

"I'm coming I'm coming, my garter keeps sticking!" She says hoping on one foot as she tries to fix the clip.

"Then don't let Robbie yank on them," Oliver rolls his eyes.

"Ollie!"

"Rowena!" Rilla's voice raises.

"Gotta go!" Rowena says quickly grabbing her bag and bolting out the door.

Rilla sighed but let him go to school, her hands wringing themselves all day long as she went about her day, popping in at the hospital to check up on a patient before having to go back home to meet Ken who was having the new kitchen appliance installed today for them.

"You're not supposed to be here today Dr. Ford," her superior says as she doesn't hear the knock on the door at first.

"I know, I just needed to do something other than sitting around all morning hoping Oliver is fine this morning," he says.

"Oliver went back to school today?" Her boss asked her if he had given her lighter shifts knowing her child had been in the hospital.

"First day back, he's been good since the incident but I can't help but worry it will happen again or we missed something?" Rilla sighs holding her head and looks at her watch. "I have to get going, Mr. Ford is expecting me," she says explaining. "See you tomorrow?"

"See you tomorrow," her boss nods his head and leaves and Rilla goes for her jacket and hat.


Rilla was bouncing on her feet as the delivery man hauled the new refrigerator through the kitchen in an old shirtwaist dress that was light and rather flow rayon

"Who would have thought almost thirty years ago that you would be this excited about a new appliance," Ken teases her.

"I mean I will always gladly take a new hat, but this is gorgeous as well," Rilla tells him. "The shelves swivel!"

"You know for the amount you cook, I am surprised you had so many specifications to spending my money." Ken teases her further. "150 dollars, worth, a whole year's tuition for Rowena."

"Oh hush, would you rather me spend it on clothing?" Rilla gives him a look.

"You already do," Ken says with a smirk. "Though…you can always thank a fellow for buying you such new-fangled things?" He pressed a kiss into her neck, "I mean neither of us is at work at the moment and all"

"Thank a fellow?" Rilla raises an eyebrow at him. "I thought I already did by giving you three children? I still think you got the better end of the deal on that one?"

"Really? Remind me again how it starts?" Ken whispers nipping at her ear, before he corners her between the square edge of the counters and kisses her deeply.

"I have to clean out the…" Rilla tries to object but loses her willpower quickly as warmth pools in the pit of her stomach. Cool spring air from the window makes her nipples poke through the satin of her brassiere and shutters go down her back as he brushes over them with a light touch of his thumbs before pinching and rolling between his fingers.

"Do you remember what it was like back before the children, at the apartment, before the house in Kingsport?" Kenneth whispers. "All those afternoons, all those moments? That sofa? The kitchen table?"

"Feels like forever," Rilla says in between kisses. "You were constantly distracting me from studying, with those fingers of yours going up my thigh."

"Like this?" Ken grins, slipping his hand under her skirt, past her stockings. Her eyes roll back as she looks up at the ceiling of the kitchen, she shrieks in surprise as he grabs her hips and leaves her on the counter.

"Mrs. Clarke would have our heads if she saw us," Rilla warns him.

"Mrs. Clarke never has to know," Ken whispers. "Plus it is our house, and the master and mistress can do as they wish."

Rilla can't disagree with him at that moment and they lose track of everything around them. For a moment it's like they are young and newly married, with no children around

Suddenly though, the door opens without a knock and Rilla suddenly finds herself crushed against her husband's chest in a way to protect her.

"Jesus, Good God!" Was all she heard next.

"Why are you covering my eyes!" She hears next….Oh God, he had Clara with him!

Dear lord, Jimmy, it was Jimmy in the doorway. And the way Ken was looking he was surprised as well, at least his trousers were up and she was fully clothed. Her face had to be a million colours of red, just like Ken's. Sure they were mostly clothed but no child, adoptive or not ever wants to see his two parents in the throws of martial passion!"

"Go outside," Jimmy tells Clara before directing something towards them. "Seriously, we eat in here!" This is the only other thing she hears before the door shuts again.

"I'll go talk—," Ken starts breaking the silence.

"No you won't, for his own sake and ours, this will never be mentioned again." Rilla shakes her head. "I'll talk to Clara, but Jimmy doesn't need a talk."

"He wasn't supposed to bring her back until later?" Ken groans. "We planned this out."

"Go clean up," Rilla tells him. "I will deal with this," Rilla tells him quietly. "You can make it up to me later."

Ken nods, fixes his pants, kisses her forehead and helps her off the counter. She wiggles her skirt back into place, goes to wash her hands, splashes water on her face and takes a deep breath as if she is facing the Huns herself.

"Are you decent?" Jimmy says opening the door a crack and letting Clara, wearing a large shirt as a dress, race up the stairs.

"Yes," Rilla says sighing. "Sorry about that, truly but no one was supposed to come home early."

"Apparently," Jimmy says plainly, shaking his head. "Bertie got sick on Clara and while Con found her a shirt to wear she lost all enthusiasm for Bertie and I told her I would bring her home to change and we would get something as a treat."

Rilla smiles weakly still embarrassed that her son saw in such a position.

"I don't think she saw much, and I just told her that You and Dad were just having a moment that involved some kissing and that were caught off guard. She made a face about it and asked if it was the same sort of moment Rowena had with Robbie when they thought no one was around, while on the couch. Which I really would like some clarification on myself or he may find himself in the back of my auto."

"Thank you, I'll still check in on her, and Rowena and Robbie respect rules," Rilla tells him. "Rowena is young, not quite ready for anything more than kissing."

"Mummy if I have to live in this house with you and daddy until I am old enough to go to college or get married, can we not have to see you and Daddy make out like how Rowena and Robbie make out all the time?" Clara asks coming back outside and takes Jimmy's hand "Come on Jimmy you promised me lunch."

"I'll be back by four," Jimmy says. "Please no more surprises on behalf of the other kids."

"Come back to me when Bertie is older and you had your own awkward run-ins," Rilla gave him a motherly look that said, 'You're really going there?'

"Jimmy come on!" Clara whines.

Rilla shakes her head watching them go, and goes to find her husband who is lying down on the bed in his undershirt and trousers.

"Well that was fun," Rilla says sighing and dropping down beside him.

"You can say that again," Ken agrees. "And you will hate me because I just got called out."

"Seriously? The amount they call on you is ridiculous," Rilla retorts.

"I'll make it up to you," Ken says kissing the shoulder.

"Should I be saying that to you?" Rilla reminds him he hadn't been the one to reach fulfilment on his end.

"Are you really going to argue?" He raises an eyebrow and she shrugs.

"You'll at least say goodbye to the children before you drive out?" Rilla asks draping her arm over his chest to cuddle.

"You know I will," Ken reminds her and kisses her hair.

They stay like that until they know the kids will be home and they should clean up and dress for them, they were just coming down the stairs when the front door opened with a swing and slammed shut to see a crying Rowena rush past them with tears down her face.

"I hate him, I hate him!" She screams past him and Rilla moves towards the window to peer outside to see Robert still standing, holding papers in his hands.

"I'll go to her," Rilla says to a now worried Ken. "I know he's not your favourite person, but go to him, please." She adds on the please when she sees his grumble.

"Roe? Darling?" Rilla knocks lightly on her door.

"He lied….he freaking stupid lied!" Rowena cries into her pillow.

Rilla's hearing stops, remembering the anguish of Walter and Ken leaving. Of course, there was Jem's leaving, but they didn't know yet.

"Oh honey," Rilla tries to comfort her but only gets rejected as she pulls away.

"He says I don't get it, that he needs to go do this!"

"He won't get far," Rilla tells her, hoping for the boy's sake it was true. Then again he managed to hide for so long even from her daughter, how far would he make it before someone noticed or realized? "I thought he was waiting for school to finish?"

"I told him if he does this I won't speak to him again," Rowena looks at her mother through her tears. "He can go off and find French hussy to write to him."

"Don't swear," Rilla says automatically, but caresses her daughter's hair. Remembering Mary Vance long ago go on about her Miller would never be caught with a French hussy. "It will all work out in the end dear, maybe, just maybe this will be good for both of you. I have never minded him being older, but…you are young and still have school to get through. Sometimes you have to be apart to grow together." She rubs down Rowena's back.

"Roe?" Ken says from the doorway, dressed to go, frowning at the awkward timing. "I'll be back in two days, just wanted to let you know that that I love you and will be back and Rill's I'll call you tonight when I get in."