“Kayla, honey, you can’t play under the table.  It’s dinner time, you’ll get kicked in the face.”  Cassidy gently lifted her six-month-old and placed her in her playpen.  “You’re a very sweet little girl, you know that?”  She kissed the baby’s forehead before returning to the table.

 

“You think she’s going to have red hair?” Grace asked.

 

“No, she’s going to be a blonde like her father,” Cassidy said, just as Garrett was saying, “Yeah, she’ll be a little redhead.”

 

Holly smiled.  “Maybe there’ll be another little addition to the Spencer family soon.”

 

Grace glanced at Gavin.  She’d told him that afternoon that she’d been afraid that if too many people found out, it’d be bad.

 

“Yeah, we just found out today.  Cassidy’s pregnant.” Garrett announced proudly.

 

“Huh, that’s funny, Grace is… five? Is it six months now, honey? pregnant as well.”  Gavin was stabbing at his steak almost violently.

 

Grace put her hand over his before he cut right through the plate.  “Seven.” She corrected gently.

 

“Good for you.  All of you.”  Nathan was smiling, looking pleased.

 

“Well it doesn’t matter,” Holly said from her end of the table.  “Gavin and Grace won’t actually ever hold their own living child, so it’s just a small miracle it’s come this far.”

 

Gavin drove his knife into the plate.

 

The color drained from Grace’s face and she shoved her chair against the wall, walking out of the house.  It would be impolite to kill her mother-in-law during dinner.

 

Gavin got up and followed her.

 

Holly stood.  “Well I think I’m going to go get coffee… Garrett, why don’t you come?”

 

Garrett looked at his mother as if she’d just announced she was having an affair with a circus elephant.  “Okay…”

 

“Come on,” she ordered, headed to the kitchen. 

 

“That was rather tactless of you, Mom.” Garrett said, once they reached the kitchen.  He looked around, wondering if he’d ever been in the kitchen in his life.

 

Grace got about as far as the front steps before she started crying.

 

Gavin walked as quickly as he could manage without running, and soon he was putting an arm around her.  “Ignore her, she’s horrible, shh… don’t cry…”

 

“Oh, *don’t* get me started,” Holly said, turning to her older son.  “Another girl again, Garrett!”

 

Ella and Ivy saw a golden opportunity and ran to sit on their grandfather’s lap.

 

“Look at the both of you, you’re getting so big.” Nathan smiled as the girls tried to sit on his lap.

 

“It’s too early to tell if it’ll be a girl, Mom…for God’s sake what was going through your mind when you said that to her? You have *no* idea what it feels like to lose a child, nevermind seven.” Garrett retorted.

 

“That’s why I didn’t want anyone else to know…” She cried into his shoulder.  “Your mother reacts like that when we announce I’m pregnant, imagine what’ll happen when we tell them it’s a girl.  I’ll probably be shot or something.”

 

“No, I think Mom’ll be pleased if we have a girl,” Gavin said.

 

“Oh come off it, everyone knows you’re going to have another girl,” Holly told him.  “You might as well get yourself fixed now and save your poor wife the trouble of three or four more daughters.  If your brother’s wife has made it to seven months, then she’s going to have that baby, and it’ll be a little boy to take over the organization after Gavin, and *you* can just get your sorry hide to that house in Spain for all I care, because I’m disgusted.  After all the work you’ve done, you can’t manage the simplest thing I’ve asked of you.”

 

“They love their grandfather,” Cassidy said, looking at Nathan.  Among her husband’s relatives, her father-in-law was her one true ally.

 

“Of course they do.” Nathan replied.  “I can buy them all the presents they want.  It’s my job after all.”  He smiled at the girls.

 

“Right, the more girls and miscarriages we have the more time Garrett gets to make a boy.  I forgot.”

 

“Well it’s not really in my control.  Kind of out of my hands, you know?”

 

“Well talk to your little pals and get them in line!”  Holly hissed.

 

“Grace.  This isn’t a race against Garrett and Cassidy.  If we have kids, wonderful, I’ll be thrilled.  If they happen to have a son before we do, good for them, he can play with ours when he arrives.”

 

The girls giggled.  Cassidy smiled at the sight.  “You’ve been overwhelmingly patient, even if your wife hasn’t.  I know you’re probably feeling a little… anxious about all this.”

 

“Cassidy, I can understand where Garrett’s coming from.  Holly, on the other hand, had two boys within three years and isn’t really a patient woman to begin with.” Nathan responded.

 

“I know it’s not a race…but she’s turning it into one.  She’s like…I don’t know…*glad* when I have miscarriages.” Grace replied.

 

“MOTHER!  Get a grip!” Garrett knew he was turning red.

 

Cassidy heard the shout from the other room.  “Garrett was scolded after Kayla was born, Dad.  She’s *serious* about this… whatever mental disorder she may have.”

 

“Well she’s a crazy woman, what can I tell you?”  Gavin said.

 

Holly gave him a look.  “This better be a boy, Garrett.”

 

"Sorry, but it's not like I can change it now." Garrett snapped.

 

Holly picked up the coffeepot and returned to the dining room with it.

 

"Can...can we just go? Gavin...I don't really have that much of an appetite anymore." Grace wiped her eyes.

 

"We're not going back there right now, baby.  It's okay."  Gavin kissed her softly and led her to the car.

 

"Find the coffee pot alright, dear?" Nathan asked as the two of them returned.

 

"Thank you." Grace said, kissing him firmly.

 

"Of course."  Holly replied, placing it on the table.

 

"You're welcome.  But we still didn't eat... and with you pregnant... what do you want?  We'll go out or we can order something in, or maybe I'll even cook."

 

"You're going to try and cook?" Grace asked, a small smile on her face.

 

"I'm not *that* bad.  I live."

 

"I'm guessing Gavin and Grace aren't coming back." Garrett said, sitting down.

 

"I know, I live with you, and I'm the one that usually cooks."

 

"Probably not," Cassidy agreed, taking his hand as he sat.  Kayla had escaped her playpen and crawled her way over to Garrett.

 

"That doesn't mean I can't," Gavin defended.

 

Garrett picked the baby up and placed her into his lap.  "Hello baby girl, want some of daddy's cake?"

 

Kayla reached out a little hand toward the dessert.

 

"I never said you couldn't.  I'm saying it'd probably be better if we do want to eat...we could cook together."

 

"That we can do."  He smiled at her as he parked the car.  "But someday I'm gonna cook for you and you will be surprised."

 

Garrett intercepted her hand and pulled the cake closer to her.  "Don't make a mess."

 

"I'll be surprised if fire trucks don't show up." She teased.

 

Kayla smiled and put her hand down on the frosting.

 

"We'll see," Gavin replied.

 

Garrett kissed the top of his daughter's head. 

 

Kayla made a soft sort of cooing noise.

 

Grace placed her hand on his. 

 

Gavin let go so he could go around the car and get the door for her. 

 

"Is the cake good, baby?"

 

Kayla smiled and made the noise again.

 

"So do you think you'll have a boy this time?" Holly asked, trying to fill the silence.

 

Cassidy smiled at her husband and their daughter.  "I think we might... we're both hoping for one."  She kissed Garrett's cheek.  "You're a wonderful father, you know that?"  She whispered to him.

 

"Thank you." Grace said as Gavin helped her out of the car.

 

"Welcome.  Want a hand on the stairs?"

 

"You're a wonderful mother." He whispered back.  "We're not getting our hopes up, though." He said to his mother.

 

"You just want an excuse to touch me, don't you?"

 

"So long as it's a healthy baby, Garrett, it doesn't matter," Nathan said firmly, ignoring Holly's look.

 

"I always want an excuse to touch you," Gavin replied.

 

"That's all we're hoping for." Garrett shot a look at his mother telling her to get a grip.

 

"You don't need an excuse, didn't you know that?"

 

"Good news for me, then."  Gavin gently lifted her and carried her up the stairs.

 

Cassidy reached for Garrett's hand. 

 

"Oh I'm sure it'll be healthy... it'd just be so nice, to have a little grandson..." Holly said.

 

Grace kissed his neck.  "You know, I could get used to this...being carried around..."

 

"Mother." Garrett said, at the same time he squeezed Cassidy's hand. 

 

"Maybe you should," Gavin replied.

 

Cassidy squeezed back.

 

"An old lady can dream," Holly said simply, stirring her coffee.

 

"Oh I have." Grace kissed him softly.  "What do you want to eat?"

 

"I... have no idea."

 

"Well we could do without the added pressure from you, thanks." Garrett replied.

 

"There's certainly no pressure now, what will be, will be."

 

"Right." Garrett nodded. 

 

"Hmmm...maybe...Chicken Primavera and ice cream?" Grace suggested.

 

"Seems that's a favorite meal of yours.  Sounds good."  He kissed her softly.

 

Dessert passed in at least a fairly civilized fashion, but before long had gone by after, the girls were falling asleep.  "We'd better get the little ladies upstairs," Cassidy said to Garrett.

 

"Well it's a good meal." Grace replied.

 

"Agreed," Gavin said.

 

"Good idea." Garrett said, carefully picking Kayla up as he stood.  "Let's get them up."

 

Cassidy gently lifted Ella so as not to wake her.

 

Garrett picked up Ivy.  "We'll be back down in a few minutes." He said, leading the way up the stairs.  After Ivy had been born, they'd turned the boys’ old room into a room for Ivy first and then Ella joined her in there.

 

Grace took Gavin's hand and led him into the kitchen. "Now let's see if between the two of us we'll actually make a meal."

 

Cassidy tucked her sleeping daughter into her bed, placing her favorite stuffed animal there with her and kissing her forehead before doing the same with Ivy.

 

Garrett went into the next room - it had once been the room Grace was held when she first came - and put Kayla in the newly decorated nursery.

 

Kayla let out a sleepy little yawn as her father set her down.

 

Garrett kissed his daughter's forehead and watched her for a minute.

 

Kayla settled down to sleep almost instantly.

 

Garrett turned on the night light and left the room.  "Hey." He wrapped his arms around Cassidy from behind.

 

"Could get interesting," Gavin replied with a grin.

 

"Hi."  Cassidy closed her eyes, enjoying his closeness.  "Baby sleeping?"

 

"Because we usually find away to distract ourselves."  Grace said.

 

"Yeah." Garrett murmured.

 

"What, me?"  Gavin gave her the most innocent look he could manage.

 

Cassidy turned around, still in his arms, and placed a hand on his face.

 

"Who else would I be talking about?" Grace kissed him softly.

 

"I'm sure I don't know."  Gavin kissed her back.  "We're never going to eat if we keep this up."

 

"Well we don't really have to eat right this second." Grace murmured, leaning into Gavin.

 

"You tired?" Garrett asked his wife.

 

"Agreed... but..."  Gavin sighed.  "You're pregnant, you're supposed to eat."

 

"Not really."  She kissed him, lingering a moment.

 

"It's not like I haven't been eating," Grace told him.  "You've been pretty good about that."

 

"Good." Garrett pulled her close.

 

"I know.  Still."

 

"Hate to ruin the moment, but I heard your mom shrieking something at you.  Everything okay?"  Cassidy asked.

 

He sighed and shook his head.  "Just her....she told me to get fixed and give up."

 

"I'll have some waffles, if it'll make you feel better."

 

"It would make me feel better."

 

Cassidy kissed him.  "Don't even think about it.  Think about me..."

 

"That's not a hard task." Garrett murmured.

 

"Then I'll have some waffles." Grace replied.

 

Gavin put her down at a chair in the kitchen.

 

"You're making waffles for me?"

 

"I am.  Don't move."

 

"No, maybe not... but there are other hard things involved at the moment..." She gave him a mischievous grin.

 

Garrett kissed her neck.  "This *is* a rare opportunity." He picked her up and carried her to the bed.

 

Cassidy couldn't suppress a slightly dirty giggle.

 

Garrett smiled.  "I'm sure we can find something to do."

 

"Oh, I know we can find a couple of ways to occupy our time."  She kissed him.

 

"Don't burn them." Grace called from the chair.

 

"That's the way to think." Garrett replied.

 

"They pop up by themselves!" Gavin called out indignantly as he came over to the table, waffles in hand.

 

"Garrett?  Think it's a boy?"  She asked suddenly.

 

"Well...the toaster could be possessed." Grace replied.

 

"I don't know...I don't think so, Cass." He sighed. 

 

"I don't think so either... but I don't really want to say anything."

 

"Yes, the toaster demon must have followed me from home."  Gavin raised an eyebrow.

 

"Well I wouldn't know...I don't use the thing." Grace replied, taking a bite out of her waffle.

 

"I mean...I hope it might be...but with our track record..." Garrett trailed off.

 

Gavin sat down across from her.  "You have to eat... so eat fast."

 

"Help me eat then."

 

"Yeah.  I guess we'll be able to find out in a few months."  Cassidy gently kissed the spot just beneath Garrett's ear. 

 

"What do you want me to do, cut 'em up for you?"  Gavin asked incredulously.

 

"Whatever turns you on." Grace replied.

 

"You do."

 

Garrett smiled devilishly.  "You are very beautiful."

 

"I know." Grace smiled and finished her waffles.

 

"Mmm... I know, you tell me that a lot... and you're very, very handsome.  And at the moment you're also very horny."

 

Gavin picked her up and carried her to bed, placing a hand on her stomach.  "Our baby girl... I think she's going to make it, Grace."

 

"I am, and you always know how to make me horny." Garrett replied with a grin.

 

"I hope so." Grace sighed, smoothing his hair.  "I really want her to."

 

"Mm-hmm... now, whatever, shall we do about it?"  Cassidy asked with a slight laugh.

 

"I'm sure we can think of something." Garrett replied.

 

"I think she will," Gavin repeated, then gently kissed her stomach.  "Do we... do we wanna name her?"

 

Grace hesitated.  "I...don't know...if we do then it makes her real and if we lose her..."

 

"We'll wait another month or two then."

 

Grace nodded.  "I guess so.  I...just don't want to get our hopes up again."

 

Gavin nodded and then kissed her softly.

 

"What did I do to deserve you?" Grace sighed, kissing him.

 

"You were you," Gavin said simply, reaching over and flicking off the bedside lamp.

 

 

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