Jackson stood in the barn, looking down at the muddy boots on his feet. Joe Kepner said the field would be muddy since the sprinklers had just gone off, and insisted that the men wear boots. He complied, but muddy protective footwear didn't go well with his expensive denim jeans.

They had started off in the corn field, where Joe told them about the present corn-growing business. Then he took them to the cows and had them milking, Jackson for the first time. Turned out he wasn't too good at that. Now, Joe had left them standing in the barn, saying he had a surprise for them.

"I don't think I'll ever want to milk a cow again," Jackson said

"I said that the last time, yet here I am again," said Matt, Alice's husband

"Oh come on guys, it wasn't that bad" Corey, Libby's husband, said

"That's easy for you to say, you didn't get kicked by a cow!" James said, he was Kimmie's husband

James worked at one of the top business agencies in Ohio and was very intelligent. It was his brains that got him out of his small town and into one of the top schools in the country. He wasn't the kind that was afraid to speak his mind, which was the main thing that caused he and Kimmie to always butt heads. He wasn't into farming but was certainly into the business side of it, something that won him points with Joe.

Corey was from Moline and went to the same church and schools as the Kepner sisters. That was how he and Libby met, and started dating. He had worked on his father's farm after graduating, and when his father died, he took things over. He was always seen as Joe Kepner's favorite since they had a lot in common.

Matt was the city boy like Jackson, who fell in love with the freshman small town girl his sophomore year in college. He was a big sports fan, much to Jackson's delight, and the two had been talking basketball since they met for the first time a few days ago. Jackson was afraid he wouldn't fit in with the other husbands, but to his surprise, they had more in common than he thought.

Corey stepped away from the men and turned to face them.

"So you're telling me a bunch of city boys can't handle a lil ole cow?" he teased

The three looked at each other before answering "Yes" in unison

"And there was nothing little about that cow" Jackson added

"Exactly" Matt agreed

"Well, if you guys hated this, you're going to loathe what's coming next" Corey grinned

"What's coming next?" Matt asked

"You'll see"

They stood in silence waiting for Joe's big surprise. If it was anything like the cows, they were sure Corey would be the only one enjoying it. After waiting a few more minutes, Joe's voice called out from the back of the barn.

"I'm ready," he said

"Come on gentlemen," Corey said before leading the other men to the back of the barn

Once there, they were greeted with Joe and a large pig standing at his side. The men eyed the animals.

"Are we gonna milk a pig?" Matt asked

"You can't milk a pig...right?" Jackson added

"No, we're not milking the pig" Joe chuckled

"Are we going to feed them?" Alice's husband asked another question

"I can handle feeding a pig," Jackson nodded confidently

"We're not feeding it either" Corey answered this time

"Then what are we doing?" Jackson asked

"Don't tell me we have to bathe them?" Matt whined

"But pigs bathe in mud" the surgeon answered

"Uh...guys..." James finally spoke, his eyes noticing what the other two hadn't

Jackson and Matt followed his eyes, and for the first time saw the array of knives. They looked up at Joe and Corey with wide eyes. Joe smiled at them and said...

"I'm going to teach you, men, how to slaughter a pig!"

________

"I'm never eating pork again," Jackson said pacing the floors of their room

April sat on the bed with a smile, watching her husband walk around in a T-shirt and pajama pant, much to her disapproval.

"I'm sure it wasn't that bad," she said

"Yes it was" he responded "It was horrific...with all that blood"

Watching Joe and Corey slaughter a pig was something he could have lived without. He would never be able to get that image out of his head.

"You're a surgeon, you're used to blood" April reasoned

'That's what I thought too until I saw your dad slit its throat!" her husband explained, "And the sounds coming from that thing..." Jackson shuddered at the thought "I wanted to yell 'let's get him to an OR!'"

"Aw, you wanted to save its life" she teased

"Yes, yes I did" he admitted before getting into the bed "And it's not funny," he said hearing her giggle at his response

"Ok, it's not funny. I felt bad for them too sometimes, especially if I got attached to them"

Jackson imagined a younger version his wife getting attached to a pig.

"Please don't tell me you named the pigs"

'I did" she admitted "I actually named one after you"

"You named a pig Jackson?" he looked at her eyes wide

"His name was Jacks actually" she corrected

"Why would you name a pig after me?" he was curious

"It was after the whole losing virginity, failing the boards, getting fired thing. I missed you and the only person I talked to it about was the pig, and he listened. So I called him Jacks"

"I can't believe you named a pig after me"

"I know, it's lame" she chuckled "But I really missed you back then" she added moving closer to him, resting her head on his chest, and wrapping her arms around his torso

"I missed you too" he admitted

They thought back to those days and what they were going through.

"We've come a long way huh?" Jackson asked

"Yeah," April said "Who knew we would be married now"

"And have a daughter like Lydia" he added with a smile

April smiled too. Their daughter was certainly a blessing. Him bringing up Lydia brought her back to the conversation she and her sisters had earlier that day.

"Speaking of our daughter..." she began "...are we officially trying?"

"Trying?" Jackson asked confused

She sat up off him, leaning on her hands for support.

"We talked about finding a new place before having a baby. And since we started looking for a house...I thought that maybe we were officially trying to have a baby"

"Uh..I don't know" Jackson answered, he hadn't really given it much thought "Do you want us to?"

"Yes" she answered

"Then we're trying," he said confidently

A wide smile appeared on her face before she jumped on, straddled and kissed him.

"I didn't know we were trying now," he said against her lips

"We are," she said before kissing him harder

________

April stood on the porch of her parents' house, taking in the environment one last time. Their two weeks were up, it was time to go back to Seattle. She had a great time over the last two weeks, and she was glad she got to see her family again. She was going to miss the farm, it was where she grew up, but Seattle was her home now, it was where her new life was. She had to admit, she missed it.

"Ready to go?" Jackson asked walking up the steps to the porch, he had just helped Joe pack his car with their luggage.

April took a deep breath before looking around one last time.

"Yeah"

"It's time huh?" Karen aid at the door

April nodded at her "I'm going to miss you so much" she said pulling her daughter into a hug

All the other Kepner daughters and their families had left, and Karen was not looking forward to April leaving too.

"I'll miss you too mom" April said hugging back "Take it easy Ok? And take care of dad"

"I'll try. You know how your father can be" she said pulling away

Lydia came up to the woman sulking.

"Bye grandma," she said

"Aw, sweetie," Karen said scooping her granddaughter up in a hug "Grandma's gonna miss you so much"

"I'll miss you too" Lydia frowned

"Promise you'll be good in school and keep getting those good grades?"

The little girl nodded.

"Good girl," she said placing the girl on the floor

Lydia turned and walked down the steps towards the car, still sulking. The young Avery was probably the one that enjoyed herself the most at her grandparents' house. She had missed coming to the farm and took in everything on her stay there. She particularly enjoyed playing with her cousins every day, something she couldn't do now that school was out for the summer. She was dreading staying cooped up in the apartment with a babysitter or the daycare. At least at the daycare, she had other children to play with.

Jackson stepped forward, standing in front of his mother-in-law.

"It was a pleasure being here Mrs. Kepner," he said

"Pleasure's all mine," she said

The two shared a hug, and it wasn't awkward.

"Take care of my girls," she said after pulling away

"I always do, and I don't plan on stopping anytime soon"

Jackson had found himself enjoying the family vacation more than he thought he would. He got along with the husbands better than he thought he would. He could go as far as to say be made some new friends. He and Karen still weren't the best of friends, but there was definitely some improvement in their relationship. He didn't want to admit it, but he might actually miss this place...except for the cows...and the screeching dying pigs.

One last goodbye was said to Karen before the couple joined their daughter. Telling his wife he'll be back soon, Joe got into the driver's seat and drove off down the long dirt driveway.

"It's sure going to be quiet with you all gone," Joe said as he drove down the tarred road "It might take me awhile to get used to it again"

"Oh please dad," April said rolling her eyes, sitting in the back with her daughter "You've been counting down the days we were all gone so the house can be back to being quiet, just the way you like it"

"Ok fine, you're right" Joe admitted with a chuckle "But I will miss you guys"

"We'll miss you too dad" April smiled

"I'll especially miss my little helper here," he said patting Jackson on the shoulder

Jackson shook his head in amusement "I don't think I was of any help. The animals kicked my butt"

Lydia giggled at her dad.

"I'll talk to snow, she won't be mean the next time you guys visit"

Snow was a white horse on the farm, who seemed to be purposefully embarrassing Jackson by shoving him to the ground whenever he got too close. He thought his boarding school horse riding days would make this the one activity on the farm he could be good at. Snow wasn't having it that day, though.

"Maybe she'll listen to you, cause she sure doesn't listen to me," he said

"Daddy, can we get two horses?" Lydia asked

"Two horses munchkin?"

"Yeah" she answered

"Why two? Are both of them for you?" he asked

"No daddy," she said a bit annoyed, wondering where her father would get the idea she wanted two horses to herself

"Is one for me and daddy?" April asked

"No mommy"

"Is it for Bailey?" Jackson asked turning around swiftly to glare at his daughter

"No daddy, Bailey doesn't like horses" she answered

"Good," he said relieved turning back in his seat

"A boy?" Joe asked

He already knew the answer, the was only one reason a father would react like that.

"Yep" Jackson answered with a scowl

"A heads up from a father of four girls, this doesn't get any better" Joe advised

"Great," he said sarcastically, he was not looking forward to that

"Then who is it for sweetie?" April asked

"My little sister" she simply answered

"Oh," Joe said his eyes widening "Is there a new granddaughter coming?"

"No" both parents quickly answered quickly

"But I'll have a sister one day grandpa, and she'll need a horse too" Lydia explained

"Well that's very nice of you to think of her so far ahead in the future," her grandfather said

"She won't be so nice once she is here," April said, remembering the experience of living with sisters

"Where are we going to fit these two horses anyway?" Jackson asked entertaining the idea, knowing he might probably regret it later

Lydia went on to explain how they would buy a new house with a barn and her hypothetical little sister until they got to the airport. Once set, they said their goodbyes to Joe and headed into the building.

It was time to get back to Seattle.

_________________

You all do know what tomorrow is right? Japril: The Sequel day! So, in celebration, I decided to give you all a new chapter. I hope you all like it and remember to vote and comment! Next chapter is already written, so hopefully, it will be up by the end of the month.