*MATTHIAS*

My talk with Nico left me with something else to think about.  That kid, Devin was it?  He has a school boy crush on Zainey?  He’s what, seven or eight?  He already knows he likes boys as opposed to me who didn’t even date another guy till recently and I’m in my twenties.  I sigh, well at least he has years to get used to it, and it looks like most will already know or assume he is gay by the time he gets to high school so he won’t deal with the pain of trying to explain everything.

I put those thoughts out of my head as we approach Elijah’s classroom door.  I knock on the door and the teacher pokes her head out.

“Oh hello, may I help you?”

“Uh, yeah.  I’m here for my son Elijah?  I already went by the office and they know I’m taking him out.”  I state as I pull a slip from my pocket.  Some schools are weird about rules and stuff, but I understand.  I’m actually surprised that they let me come get my kid myself instead of sending someone.

“Sure, just give me a second.”  She turns back to the room and I hear her telling Elijah to go ahead and pack his things up before I see my son peek his head out the door looking confused.

“Daddy?”

“Hi Lijah.”  His head snaps past me and his face just positively lights up.

“Zainey!”  He’s running at him and looks like he’s about to pounce, but thinks better of it.

“Oh, come on Lijah, I’m not a baby.  You aren’t going to break me by hugging me.”  Zainey grips, but I can tell he’s happy to see his brother.  He just hates being babied and treated like he’s going to break.  He’s only five and we already have a problem with it.  I don’t even want to know what he’ll be like as a teenager.  If he makes it that far…. No.  I won’t think like that.  He will make it I know.  The Doctors say he has a good chance.

“You got everything Elijah?”  He looks at me and nods enthusiastically.

“Yeah, yeah.  We going somewhewe daddy?”

“I was thinking of taking you to get ice-cream, and then home because I’m sure your mom wants to see Zainey.  Besides he doesn’t need to over task himself especially since he just got out of the hospital.”

“Dad…”  Zainey sighs exasperatedly.

“No Zainey, we don’t want you going back to the hospital again, especially not so soon after you just got out.  Now I want you to let us know from now on if you are starting to have problems.   You know the signs and when to back down and rest.”

He doesn’t say anything just gives a short nod.  I grab Elijah’s hand and he grabs Zainey’s and starts swinging it around as we head out.  I can’t help giving a quick glance towards Nico’s classroom door as we pass.

*SERENA*

I’m sitting at the kitchen table talking with Jamie.  We are catching up on things we missed the past few weeks.  Though we still don’t talk about Nico and Mattie much, but for the moment that’s okay.  It’s just nice to have her back in a way.

We are just discussing what gender I want the baby to be when I hear the door knob jiggle.  Oh, Mattie must be back with the kids.  I wasn’t expecting them so soon. 

Elijah darts in first, but that really doesn’t surprise me.  It’s just in his personality I guess.  Mattie follows carrying a sleepy Zainey.  I’m surprised he’s actually okay with being carried before I realize he’s asleep.  The excitement of coming home and being around his over-excited brother must have worn him out.  I’m sure he’s probably still too weak to handle much at this point.  We’ve been through this before though.  He just needs a lot of rest and before we know it he’ll be back up and moving again.  It’s just hard knowing that even at his best he still can’t do as much as a lot of other kids his age.  Or he shouldn’t at least.

“Mamma, Mamma!”  Elijah’s yelling for me until he skids to a sudden halt at the site of Jamie.

“Aunt Jamie?”  Poor guy looks confused before his face just lights up.  “Peter?  Is he hewe?”

“No he’s at school at the moment.”   She looks at her watch.  “I’m actually about to go pick him up soon.”

I see a flash of relief on her face before it’s gone.  I’m sure she’s just glad for the excuse to leave now that Mattie’s here.

“Hey, I’m going to go ahead and lay this little stinker down.”

“Mattie!”  I admonish, but I notice that Zainey has yet to stir and he really does look a little pale still.  My poor baby.

“Momma?”  I turn my attention to Elijah and he’s looking at me with pleading eyes.  It takes me a moment to come to the realization of what he wants.  I sigh.  He just got home and I hate to ask… but it would keep him from disturbing Zainey too much.

“Jamie?  Do you think you’d be okay with Elijah going with you to pick up Peter?”  She looks at me hesitating before Elijah pipes in.

“Pwease, Aunty Jamie!”  She laughs.

“How can I resist that?  Sure I’ll take him.  In fact Elijah if you see if you’re dad will help you pack a bag while he’s back there, I’ll be happy to let you spend the night.”

“Jamie?  Are you sure?” 

“Yes, of course.  You have a sick kid to take care of I can take him for today.”

“Yay!  What about Zainey though?  Can he come too Momma?”

“I’m sorry Elijah, but he’s sleeping and can’t go.  It would be too much on him to.”

“Oh, well I wuv my Zain too!”  I smile at that. 

“I’ll take good care of him for you if you go.”  He seems to think about that for a minute.

“You pwomise?”

“Yes, I promise.”   He nods before jumping up and running off to let his dad know.

“Wow that was a very mature moment for Elijah.  Why do I have the feeling that you never have moments like that where he’s not bouncing off the walls?”  Jamie states.

“That’s because we don’t.”  We laugh about that for a bit before Elijah comes in dragging a disgruntled Mattie behind him.

“Oh, that’s right.  Make the man pack the bag and deal with the kid.”  Jamie and I share looks and for once I see she’s not quite as hostile towards him as she was.  At least she’s trying.

“Oh, hush it Matthias.  You were already back there anyways.  It won’t kill you.”

After I see Jamie to the door and kiss Elijah good-bye I turn to Mattie.

“So what did the doctors say?”  He sighs.

“They say that he’s doing better and to get plenty of rest and all the usual stuff they usually say.”  I nod at that, but I have the feeling he has something else to say so I don’t speak yet.

“They also said that we might look into getting him a heart transplant, but that since he was so young they wouldn’t recommend it, at least not yet.  Said he seems to be doing okay enough, we just have to keep an eye on him and make sure he doesn’t overdue it.  They told me even if they did put him on the list for a transplant it could be years because his case is not a top priority.”

“Okay, so basically just do what we’ve been doing and keep an extra eye on him for a while then?”

“Yeah basically.  It’s not like its everyday a kid is born with a whole in his heart Serena.”

“I know Mattie, it’s just difficult.”  He takes a good look at me before speaking again.

“You don’t look too well either.  I don’t want you worrying or talking about this again anymore tonight okay?  You need rest too, for you and the baby.  Why don’t you sit down and I’ll fix us dinner for a change.”  That actually sounds lovely so I do as he said and make myself comfortable in the living room propping my feet up.  Man I didn’t realize how much they swelled up today.  His concern makes me think about something I’ve been wanting to bring up.  So when he brings me my food, I approach the subject.

“Mattie?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Uh-oh” He teases.

“Oh shut it you!”  He laughs and indicates for me to go on.

“Well with Zainey sick again and me pregnant and always throwing up…”

“Yes?”

“Well, you know I’ve never been one for house-work much either….”

“Serena?  What are you getting at?”  I take a deep breath and rush out what I’m thinking.

“Well I was wondering if maybe we could get someone to come over and help around here a bit.”

“So you mean you want to hire a cook or maid or something?”  I actually blush.

“Well, not exactly… I was thinking of something a little more permanent.”

“Permanent?  Serena, where are you going with this?”

“Well, I was thinking and you can’t stay out of work for too much more.  I mean we have more than enough room.  A four bedroom house is a little big for just us even with you staying in one of the extras.  The boys are twins and still share a room because you know they wouldn’t be able to have separate ones even though neither will admit it.”

“Okay, so you want to get someone to come here and live with us in the extra bedroom to help out?”  He asks incredulously.  I nod and after a pause he looks at me appraisingly before speaking again.

“So, who do you have in mind?”  I steal myself before I utter the next word.  Here it goes.

“Nico.”