"God, I sure hope not," Zara whispered in my ear, and I caress her knee and she squeals and tries to get off me but I stop her by holding her tightly against me. She makes a show of it but settles again beside me. "When are Nat and Addison coming back?" 

Natalie and Addison had left three days ago with Natale's family for a vacation. They had left Mason and Emily, their four-year-old little girl, with us. Addison had given birth to Emily after thoroughly going through scores of sperm donors. Zara had patched up with Natalie through the years and I couldn't have been prouder of the progress...