This chapter has been ready si Sunday, but my i was down and it only came back two days ago (Friday) si was so close to my normal posting day I just decided to dey it two more days, sorry about that.

  Note:

  Being a rge pertage of my readers' demographi the Uates there is a high probability that someone is from California, I hope no one lost anything in the fires and if so I hope it was only material and that at least they stay in good health along with their loved ones.

  Enjoy.

  ...

  After Mrs. Adler walked out of ht along with her husband, the hospital hallway fell into plete silenot even in my wildest dreams would I have imagined Diane raising her voice like she had, much less to speak up to her mother.

  "Whoa," I murmured, ing out of the shock I was in thanks to Diane releasing the intense grip she had on my hand. "What was that?" I asked incredulously, looking at Diane.

  "I don't know," she replied, trolling her breathing, which was likely agitated from all the adrenaline in her system. Tilting her head slightly, she added, "But you were right," looking directly at me a sed ter.

  "I know," I decred with exaggerated arrogance, as if the idea of being wrong was absurd. "About what?" I asked moments ter, narrowing my eyes.

  "Screaming really is liberating," Diane replied, sighing in mock exasperation and rolling her eyes.

  "Oh, that," I said, nodding emphatically as I realized what she meant. "Yeah, I know," I added, returning to my previous arrogance.

  "Shut up," Diane said, pressing her lips together to avoid smiling. She pced her hands on my chest and leaned in with obvious iions of kissing me again.

  "Ehem!" Just inches away from another kiss, Mrs. Cooper exaggeratedly cleared her throat.

  I had pletely fotten she was there.

  "Oh, Mrs. Cooper!" Diane excimed, somehow also seeming to have entirely overlooked the woman's presence. Embarrassed, she stepped away from me. ically flushed, Diaared at Mrs. Cooper for a couple of seds. "Thank you so much for your words; I truly appreciate them," she added a moment ter, f a smile with noticeable stiffness ione.

  I couldn't help but let out a short snort at Diane's painfully obvious attempt to shift focus from the awkward moment.

  "Oh, don't mention it, sweetheart. I meant every word I said. Anytime you , you have a roof over your head in my home," Mrs. Cooper assured her with a calm smile.

  "Thank you," Diane replied with a small smile.

  "e on, honey, let's go sit in the waiting room," Mrs. Cooper said, steppiween Diane and me as if ereg some kind of imaginary religious barrier. Gently taking Diane's arm, she began walking back down the hallway.

  Watg Diane walk alongside Mrs. Cooper, I couldn't help but snort with amusement as Diane gnced back at me with an expression of clear disappoi.

  I wasn't sure if the Coopers "adopting" Diane uheir roof would be an advantage or a disadvantage for me in the long run.

  Wheuro the waiting room at the end of the hallway, the rest of the Cooper family, including Meemaw, as well as my siblings, were seated in the chairs.

  Even the nurses from the maternity wing seemed to carry an odd aura of disfort, as they obviously avoided looking in eneral dire. It ainfully clear they had overheard the entire argumeween Diane and her mother.

  The only ones who didn't seem ied were Gabe and—"Were yuing with your mother?" Sheldoirely calm and oblivious to basic social cues in moments like this, asked Diane curiously, unaware of the incredulous stares from the others present.

  "Yes, we were arguing," Diane replied just as nontly, immediately drawing everyone's attention.

  "Oh, I see," Sheldon said, nodding slowly before returning his attention to the apparent nothingness in front of him.

  Sheldon clearly looked unfortable sitting in a hospital waiting room. Despite having his own chair, the only tact he had with it was the seat under his bottom. He kept his arms pletely rigid in front of his body, sciously avoiding toug anything.

  "Why were yuing? Did she kick you out? Are you homeless? Are ynant?" Missy, emboldened by the ck of scolding over her brother's question, quickly fired off one inquiry after another, her grin widening with eae.

  "Missy Cooper," Mrs. Cooper excimed incredulously, frowning at her daughter in frustration.

  "We were arguing about my autonomy to make choices in my own life. No, I decided to leave. I'm not, thanks to your mom, and no, PJ and I haven't—" Diane easily began answering each of the girl's questions before Missy could even think of defending herself.

  "Okay!" I excimed abruptly, cutting off whatever else Diane might have been about to say in front of everyone. My slight nervousness elicited a ugh from Meemaw, which was quickly silenced by a stern look from Mrs. Cooper.

  I found it odd how selective Diane was about what she found embarrassing and what she didn't. Just moments ago, she had frozen like a deer in headlights over what had happened in front of Mrs. Cooper, and now she was about to answer a question about sex from a ten-year-old without even blinking.

  "Sweetheart, you don't have to answer anyone's questions if you don't want to," Mrs. Cooper said, raising an eyebrow signifitly as she looked at Dia the same time, she shot annoyed g her daughter, who seemed entirely unaware of what the issue was.

  Judging by Diane's rea to Mrs. Cooper's words, I retty sure she didn't care.

  "I know," Diane assured the woman with a serious nod. Mrs. Cooper patted her arm gently before walking to ay seat beside her husband, where they began talking in low voices, likely discussing their sudden decision to wele Diao their home.

  Following Mrs. Cooper's example, Diane and I took seats in the empty chairs o Gabe, who remained ued ihing that had occurred in the hallway just minutes earlier.

  Sitting beside me and using the same armrest, Diaurally took my hand, immediately beginning to trace tiny circles on its side with her thumb.

  As the wait tinued and the hours passed, everyone focused on their own way of passing the time. Meemaw and Mr. Cooper started reading every magazine avaible in the waiting room, Mrs. Can knitting some garment with yarn she had produced from somewhere, and I, once again, became a human pillow.

  Gabe, using one of my legs as a pillow, slept peacefully, while Diane, obviously tired of the rigid seats, leaned fortably against me as she chatted quietly with Teddy and Missy, who had moved their seats to the row of chairs in front of us.

  In the quiet of the waiting room, it wasn't long before all the kids, including Sheldon, fell pletely asleep, losing their battle against exhaustion.

  "I never imagined waiting in a hospital waiting room could feel so warm," Diane murmured quietly, still resting on my shoulder and trying not to wake Gabe, who was still peacefully asleep.

  Softly pressing Diahumb between my fingers, I simply nodded.

  Si was ter in the day, the shift ge for many nurses had filled the remainis in the waiting room with quiet people, all there for the same reason, for mom.

  Amid my warm thoughts, the door that Mom and Bob had passed through suddenly burst open.

  "The baby is here!" Bob, his eyes slightly swollen from what was obviously g, announced with a broad smile. Notig the kids were asleep, he decred it softly enough, causing everyone who was awake, including the dozen nurses waiting with us, to celebrate joyfully.

  "What's happening?" Gabe asked groggily, startled awake but keeping his head on my leg.

  "The baby was born," I replied with a cheerful smile to my brother.

  "Already?" Gabe asked, puzzled as he sat up. "That retty quick," he decred, rubbing his visibly sleepy eyes.

  "Tell that to my leg," I muttered irritably, stretg my numb limb. "And don't you dare say that to Mom," I added seriously, not wanting the family o even out just hours after gaining a new member.

  " we go see Mom?" Teddy asked, having woken up from the nurses' celebrations and rubbing his stiff neck.

  "Yeah, e on," Bob said with a cheerful nod.

  Ign the annoyiion of stati my leg, Diane and I followed Bob and my siblings through the doors and down the hallway. Behind us, the rest of the group followed, with the nurses somehow having procured balloons and teddy bears.

  After walking for a few seds, we entered a room where Mom, obviously exhausted, was lying in bed, holding a small bundle ed in hospital bs.

  "Mom," Teddy and Gabe said immediately, moving closer to the bed.

  "Shh," Mom silehem immediately by raising a finger. "She's asleep," she remihem softly, moving the b slightly to show the baby's fay two siblings.

  I had a new sister, and for some reason, the realization that my family was growing instead of shrinking for the first time gave me a lot of emotions, beautiful ones.

  Diane, who was by my side, seemed puzzled as I had frozen for a few seds. She gently pced her cold hand on my forearm. "Are you okay PJ?" she softly whispered, worried.

  "Yeah, yes, I'm fine," I quickly replied, wiping my eyes and noddiedly. "e o's meet the baby," I said with a nervous chuckle, walking the rest of the way while holding Diane's hand.

  "She's so small," I heard Gabe murmur in amazement when we reached Mom's bed.

  "Yeah, that's what happens with newborns," I teased, ruffling his hair. "Hey, Mom, how are you?" I asked, smiling at her.

  "Right now, I'm just grateful that your sister is 'so small,'" Mom replied with a signifit look at Gabe, jokingly.

  Mental image I didn't hanks.

  "Move out, let me see her," I said, deg not to tihe versation or dwell on the mental images. Gently nudging Gabe and Teddy aside, I igheir soft murmurs of protest.

  Leaning over Mom's bed, I saw her for the first time. I'd seey of babies in my life, but seeing my little sister peacefully sleeping, swaddled in hospital bs in my mother's visibly tired arms yet still so tender, I knew I'd never looked at a baby like this before.

  "Charlie, meet your older brother, PJ," Mom softly said, introdug me even though baby Charlie was sound asleep.

  "Hello, Charlie," I murmured tenderly, lightly toug her cheek. "She's defihe prettiest Dun... after me, of course," I added arrogantly a moment ter, hearing murmurs of disagreement from Teddy behind me.

  "Do you want to hold her?" Mom asked with a faint smile, despite looking pletely drained.

  "Sure," I answered, quickly swallowing a nervous lump in my throat.

  "You'll need both hands," Mom reminded me, raising an eyebrow with a knowing smile after hearing my answer.

  "I know," I replied, fully uanding her implication. Judging by Diane's embarrassed rea, she probably did too. I let go of Diane's hand, trying to appear calm and definitely not flustered.

  Mom smiled triumphantly despite my mask of indifference. Slowly, she shifted to hahe baby. "Support her head," she reminded me.

  Even though I knew perfectly well how to hold a baby, I carefully measured every movement. "Hello, Charlie," I whispered again, rog her gently in my arms. "As Mom said, I'm PJ, your older brother—the fu, most handsome, intelligent, stro, and all-around coolest of all your siblings," I tinued, smiling arrogantly at Gabe and Teddy beside me. "This is Diane. She's someone very important to me," I added, showing the baby to Diane, who was visibly curious about seeing her.

  "Am I supposed to talk to the sleeping baby?" Diane whispered, gng at me.

  "If you want to," I murmured back, amused.

  Rigidly nodding, Diaated for a moment before saying, "Hello, Charlie. My name is Diane Adler. I'm from Boston, I have a master's degree in mathematics from MIT, and I'm in a romantic retionship with your older brother, PJ," she said formally, as though this were some kind of strange job interview, staring ily at the sleeping baby.

  "Okay," I muttered, suppressing ughter as I turned ba to hand the baby back. "Oh," I murmured in surprise at Mom's wide, unnatural smile.

  "Romantic retionship?" she mouthed silently, clearly thrilled, seeming tet all about her exhaustion.

  I nodded without any further expnation and took a step back.

  "Honey, do you want more visitors? Everyone's waiting outside," Bob asked, notig we were doh introdus.

  "Oh, yeah," Mom replied tenderly, nodding. "Wait," she said, raising her hand as Bob immediately headed for the door. "Teddy, sweetheart, how do I look?" she asked, always vain, adjusting her hair.

  "Great, Mom," Teddy responded quickly, helping her fix a few stray hairs.

  "Perfect. Go ahead," Mom said, nodding at Bob and practically him to proceed, as she adjusted herself and the baby to receive visitors in what she now treated as her hotel suite.

  It was clear Mom was exhausted, whily made her for her appearance all the more impressive.

  Shaking my head with amusement, I led my siblings and Diao one of the couches in the room, brag myself for what was about to happen.

  In silence—since Charlie was still sleeping—the Coopers and the nurses ehe room. Mr. Cooper, after gratuting Mom, immediately stepped aside standio Bob to make room for the hordes of older women eager to see the baby.

  "I'm so sorry for you. Now you have two sisters," Geie, who had arrived with Sheldon who, by the way, had somehow acquired a mask and gloves, joked as he joined us on the couch. His words instantly earned puzzled looks from Diane and Teddy.

  "Why?" I asked, incredulous at his words, which were so easily open to misinterpretation.

  "Now you have to worry about guys approag two of your sisters instead of just one," Geie expined with a mischievous smile. "I only have Missy," he added, pointing to his sister, who somehow always mao be o whoever was currently holding the baby.

  Whether knowingly or not, Geie shifted the offended looks from Teddy and Diane, causing them both to slowly nod as they returheir attention to the nurses quietly arguing over whose turn it was to hold the baby.

  As for me, I could only remain silent. It was one of those rare moments—so rare I could probably t them on my hands—when Geie was right.

  Gng sideways at Teddy and Charlie, now in another nurse's arms, I could only lower my head slowly, trying with all my might to avoid thinking about a future where they wao date someone.

  A few mier, "Okay, that's enough," Nurse Florehe head the hospital, said, stopping the baby from being passed into yet another nurse's arms. "Amy is exhausted, and there are way more people here than there should be," she added with a frown.

  With some effort and persuasion from Nurse Florehe nurses gradually said their goodbyes, leaving the room with only the Coopers and us.

  "It's time for us to go too," Mrs. Cooper said, cheg her watd smiling at Mom and Bob.

  "Thank you fing the kids," Mom said softly, barely able to keep her eyes open.

  "Oh, Amy, it was nothing," Mrs. Cooper quickly replied as Bob and Mr. Cooper exged handshakes. "We know you would've dohe same."

  "PJ, take your siblings home," Bob calmly instructed me, nodding toward a sleepy Gabe.

  "Sure," I replied easily. "I'll be back early tomorrow t them home."

  "Yeah, and bring the baby seat too. We fot it when we came here," Bob whispered to me, making sure Mom wasn't looking.

  "Don't worry," I assured him quickly, nodding.

  After we all said goodbye to Mom, we finally left the hospital hours after we'd arrived, splitting into cars once more. This time, I drove my siblings.

  Aside from some minor disfort in my rear from all the hours of sitting, the trip home was uful.

  Teddy and Gabe, already tired, quickly fell asleep in the back seat with the help of soft music. Meanwhile, Diane, apparently taking a liking to massaging my fingers, held my free haly with her still surprisingly cold hands.

  I retty happy.

  Later, once we arrived home and I parked Bob's truck, I noticed Diane suddenly tensed, still holding my hand. She frowned as she looked toward the Coopers' house, promptio follow her gaze.

  In front of the Coopers' house, Hank, Diane's stepfather, stood with two suitcases, talking to Mr. and Mrs. Cooper. He wore a polite, small smile, despite the cold stare Mrs. Cooper was giving him.

  After shaking hands with Mr. Cooper and saying goodbye to Mrs. Cooper while maintaining his polite smile, the man locked eyes with Diane, walking slowly toward Bob's truck, leaving the suitcases he had with him behind.

  "It looks like he wants to talk to you," I murmured, a reassuring squeeze, with no iion of pressuring Diao doing something she didn't want to do.

  "Yeah," Diane replied after a few seds of silence. Moments ter, with her free hand, she slowly opehe car door, nodding with determination as she let go of my hand.

  Carefully the body nguage of both Diane and Mr. Summers with all my ability, I waited in case Diane needed any kind of support but, from what I got to know about Mr. Summers it likely wouldn't be necessary.

  After a few moments, with a small, sad smile, Mr. Summers slowly nodded and hugged Diane, clearly saying goodbye.

  As he pulled away from his stepdaughter, the man looked directly at me for a sed, pletely losing any trace of a smile on his face, gave me a brief nod, which I returned and turning on his heel, he walked to his car.

  "Everything okay?" stepping out of Bob's truck, I asked softly, slightly worried about how Diane might be processing the iion with her stepfather.

  "Yeah, he just wao let me know he'd send the rest of my things week," Diane said after a small sigh, watg Mr. Summers get into his car.

  Diane deg to stay in Texas had been an incredibly pleasant surprise for me, especially sidering the timing of our retionship. Therefore, the fact that Diane had been so relut to separate from the "good" part of her family, admittedly gave me a little fear about the idea of losing her.

  "I always take you to Boston if you miss your family—you just have to say the word," I said resolutely, swallowing the small lump that had formed in my throat.

  Even if the idea didn't thrill me, if Diane wao go back to her family, I would accept it. Not happily, but I would.

  Hearing my words, Diane immediately looked at me with an odd, amused expression. "If I wao see my family, I wouldn't have to go to Boston. They're moving to Houston. Hank has some properties there," Diane decred casually, as if she were talking about the weather.

  Some properties? Rich people really had it easy.

  "Wha—" Diane's casual dismissal of my left me momentarily speechless... though only for a sed. "And you didn't think it was a good idea to tell me that?" I asked incredulously, huffing in disbelief.

  "Well, Hank promised me that he vinced my mom to avoid interfering in my life decisions in exge for me visiting them every on a while," Diane quickly expined, frowning slightly. "So basically, I'll never see them unless I decide to visit."

  "Ok," I muttered slowly, still incredulous about the whole situation, nodding.

  "Diane," before Diane could say anything else, Mrs. Cooper said gently as she approached us "You were going to stay in Gee's room, but... it's not presentable right now" Mrs Cooper slightly embarrassed stated.

  I knew Geie's room, to say it wasn't presentable was basically to say it was pletely untidy.

  "So my mother was very kind to offer a room in her house for as long as you need" Clearihroat and hiding her embarrassment in her eldest son's room, Mrs. Cooper quickly added.

  "e on, genius girl, I've got a room with your name on it," Meemaw said, motioning for Diao follow her with one of Diane's suitcases in hand. "You say goodbye to Aces once you've settled in," the older woman tinued as she walked slowly toward her house.

  Hearing Meemaw's words, Diauro me hopefully. " we talk in a few minutes?" Diane asked, shifting unfortably on her feet.

  "Sure, I'll see you on Meemaw's porch," I replied calmly with a smile. I had to get my siblings to their rooms first.

  Carrying Gabe to our room was easy; he was light and stayed asleep the eime, making the task simple. Teddy, though slightly heavier, wasn't a problem either. I adjusted her weight in my arms a couple of times, but I mao get her to her room without waking her up.

  Once I was sure they were both settled, I left the house quietly and made my way to Meemaw's. Reag her porch, I took a seat on one of the old wooden chairs out front, leaning back slightly as I waited for Diane.

  Diane having to unpack her belongings obviously didn't appear immediately. Minutes passed, the cold night air settling in, until finally, the front door of Meemaw's house creaked open. Diaepped out, visibly hugging herself against the chill as she walked toward me.

  "You okay?" I asked, breaking the silence she sittio me.

  "Yeah," she replied softly, as he slowly leaned against my side. "Mrs. Tucker's house is... iing."

  "Iing how?" I teased lightly, trying to warm up Diane, who was visibly still cold, with a side hug.

  "I never met my grandparents, and I never really cared" Diane weakly admitted, "but when I saw Mrs. Tucker's house, filled with a feeling of totally warm wele and with photographs of all her children and grandchildren at every moment of their lives scattered on every wall of the house" Diane described, "I think I would have loved to have simir grandparents" looking half amused and half uain she added.

  "Sounds cozy," I said, smiling.

  Diane smiled faintly, her gaze drifting toward the porch railing. "yeah it's nice. A little overwhelming, but definitely nice."

  I nodded, ughing softly before deg to ask, "was everything okay before?"

  "Uh when?" moving away slightly from me frowning in surprise, Diane asked.

  "Before you left with Meemaw, you seemed slightly nervous about something, is everything okay?" I seriously asked.

  "Oh..." Obviously being able to remember what I was referring to, Diaated, a faint blush rising to her cheeks as she gnced down at her hands. "Yes, everything was fine," she admitted. "It's just... I didn't know how to say goodbye to you in front of Mrs. Cooper and Mrs. Tucker."

  I blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

  "Yeah, not the way i wa least," she murmured, looking slightly embarrassed, "It's stupid" staring at me she added.

  Oh.

  "It's not stupid," immediately I assured her, gently pressing my embrace. "It is certainly somewhat embarrassing to show affe in public without any sideration, but it is totally normal" I said hiding my own ignorance about it and simply speaking of my own feelings, "I'm sure that with the passage of time that awkwardness will disappear... And if it doesn't, maybe it's not all that bad to have it just for the two of us" Moving my eyebrows exaggeratedly I added.

  Diane pressed her lips together in an obvious attempt not to smile, luckily for me, she failed.

  Diane's smile, bined with the quiet stillness of the empty street and the warmth of Meemaw's softly lit porch, only heightehe intimacy of the moment. The closeness of Diane in my arms made everything else fade away, and before I could think of anything else to say, my body moved on its own to meet Diane's soft lips. In silence Diane and I let ourselves be carried away by the moment until—

  "Oops, wrong door!" Meemaw's voice called loudly from the main door, startling both of us. Diane pulled back quickly, her cheeks fming, while I turo see Meemaw "I was looking for my gsses," she said, holding them up as if to prove her point, though the twinkle in her and the mischievous smile told me she kly what she was doing.

  "Of course, ysses" I said sarcastically, clearing my throat and leaning ba my seat.

  "Don't mind me," Meemaw added as she started baside, pausing just long enough to say, "And Aces, you'd better behave, or you might end up living every teenager's nightmare, bear yirlfriend's grandma instead of just her parents."

  "Noted," I replied dryly, though I couldn't keep the smile off my face as Diane buried hers in her hands.

  Once Meemaw was gone, Diane peeked up at me, her expression somewhere between amused and exasperated. "You're right, I think that for now the dispys of affe will only be in total privacy."

  "Sure thing," I said, grinning.

  It took a couple more minutes before Diane finally rested her head against my shoulder once more, but after that we sat in fortable silence for a while lohe chill in the air fotten, and the night seemed just a little warmer.

  ...

  This may e as a shoany people, but I have never been in a hospital waiting room for someoo be born, much less a birth room (besides my own obviously), I wasn't even there when my little sister was born, one day I just woke up at home with one of my aunts cooking breakfast, a couple of hours ter my mother arrived home with a baby.

  By the way, I'm sure someone might find the idea of ??tinuing with the romantic development aspect of the edious, if so I'm sorry but as I expined before this will be the case for several of the chapters so please just bear with me, I'm cooking.

  ...

  Author Thoughts:

  As always, I'm not Ameri, not a doctor, not a fighter, not Magnus Carlsen and not Michael Phelps.

  With that said,

  I think that's all. As always, if you find any errors, please let me know, and I'll correct them immediately.

  Thank you for reading! :D

  PS: PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW.