A/N: We decided that they should really live in Washington Heights, not Brooklyn at this point. We'll be going back to change references to their location in this story. Thanks for reading!!

Monday morning. The red eye flight back to JFK had seemed like a good idea to Vanessa on paper when she'd booked it months ago. After the weekend law conference, she would catch a few hours' sleep on the plane and be able to head into the office at 9 am like usual. The twins would still be at Lin's parents' so she'd only be responsible for getting herself ready. As the mother of two toddlers that made the task seem easy.

The reality, of course, was quite different.  Her non ability to bounce back from jet lag and a weekend of celebrating reminded Vanessa she was no longer twenty two. The fact that her seventeen year old was up and at 'em, immaculately dressed with perfect make up, made that realization all the more difficult to swallow.

Vanessa sighed as she checked the coffee pot and saw it was empty. "Did you drink the whole pot this morning?" She asked Lia, who was grabbing a Belvita bar from the pantry.

Lia looked at her mother, confused. "I didn't make any."

Vanessa narrowed her eyes in confusion. "How are you so perky? It's Monday."

Lia shrugged her shoulders and unwrapped her bar, then took a big bite. "I hab esh ay tee pwep afteh shkool," she said, her voice garbled from the food.

"What?!" Vanessa asked, rubbing at her temple. She could already feel a headache coming on. Lia chewed quickly and swallowed.

"I have SAT prep after school," she said more clearly, watching her mom closely.

Vanessa nodded and turned to fill up the coffee pot in the sink.  She would definitely need the caffeine today.  After work, she would be picking up the twins from their grandparents' and they'd be full of energy. 

"Is Dad already gone?" Lia asked, taking another bite of breakfast.

"Yep," Vanessa said, turning off the faucet.  She put it back in the heating station and it started to brew.  "You know your dad, he's-"

"Non-stop," they both said together, then grinned.

"That reminds me," Vanessa continued.  "We're planning on all meeting up for dinner tonight with your grandparents. Can you make it after SAT prep?"

Lia's heart dropped. Sure, she could do some work on the train, but she'd have to make changes on the way and that made her anxious.  Plus, the twins would no doubt be climbing all over her throughout dinner.

Vanessa could see the panic on her daughter's face and instantly regretted stressing her out.  Lia definitely needed some down time, but she also knew school nights tended to be packed.

"Never mind," she told Lia, giving her shoulder a squeeze.  "You've got school in the morning, so I'll tell Abuela and Abuelo that you couldn't make it."

Lia felt instantly relieved, and Vanessa could see her shoulders un-tense.  "Thanks, Mom."  She pulled on her backpack and then threw her Belvita wrapper in the trash.  "I'll text them and see if I could maybe see them this weekend."

"Good plan," Vanessa responded, giving her a quick kiss on the head.  "I'll see you tonight."

Lia was out the door moments later, mentally preparing herself for the day.  As she took the elevator down, she whipped out her phone to go through her plans.  After SAT prep, she'd take the train home and do more practice problems on the way.  She'd eat a quick dinner, then get the evening's homework done.  Somewhere in there, she'd spend a bit of time with her siblings and parents.  After that, she could spend the evening working on her applications.  Lia still had plenty of pills to keep her going into the night.  It was only Monday and it was going to be a very long week.

____

That evening, the twins were extra hyped up after being reunited with their parents and big sister.  They'd spent over three days apart, which felt like an eternity to a little toddler.  Lin was on his back on the floor, legs up with his balancing on the bottoms of his feet.  Sebastian cackled as Lin held his little hands, steering him around like he was a plane, with sound effects.  Vanessa was recording it on her phone to send to all the grandparents later.  They lived for this sort of thing.

"Me again!  Me again!" Stella jumped up and down nearby, wanting another turn.

"Wait your turn," Vanessa reminded her patiently.  Stella giggled and jumped some more.  Lin gently turned his legs to the side to make Seb crash land on the couch, causing him to erupt in yet more laughter.

"My turn!" Stella announced excitedly, skipping to her father.  Lin's legs were exhausted but of course he wasn't going to tell his little girl no.  Stella giggled as they connected hands and her father lifted her up.

"Last turn, then it's time for bed," Vanessa told the crew, causing the kids to whine a bit.  They were starting daycare the next day and needed a good night's rest.  She stood up and started to get their pajamas and Pull-Ups set out for bedtime.  Even more so than with Lia at the same age, the twins thrived on routine.  They were regularly in bed by 7:30, followed by two bedtime stories from Vanessa, Lin or Lia.  Their favorite story teller, of course, was Lin because he did the best voices.

Vanessa returned to the living room, where the twins were trying to convince Lin to give them one more ride.  It was hard for him to say no, but he knew he needed to back up Vanessa and stick to their routine. 

"Nope, time to get into jammies," he told them, rolling to his knees to stand up.  Stella instantly jumped onto his back, causing Lin to puff out an "ooof!".  He managed to stand up, holding his daughter under her legs just in time for Seb to latch onto his left leg.  Vanessa just had to shake her head and chuckle as Lin made a big show of slowly trudging down the hallway to their bedroom.

Vanessa left Lin to take the lead with bedtime and headed down the hallway to Lia's room.  When they'd gotten home after dinner with Lin's parents, she'd of course been locked up in her room doing homework.  Vanessa was surprised that she still seemed as perky and awake as she had that morning after a long day at school.

She knocked on the door, then pushed it open to find Lia at her desk, piles of books, papers, and other school supplies surrounding her.  In the center was her Chromebook, with a Google Slideshow open.

"The Causes and Modern Day Effects of the Vietnam War," Vanessa read the slideshow's title over Lia's shoulder.  "Sounds like fun."

"You bet," Lia responded, typing in a new bullet point on her third slide.

"Almost done for the night?" Vanessa asked, running her fingers through her daughter's hair.

Lia almost snorted in response.  "Mom," she said mockingly.  "Not even close."

"Well, you should come take a break after your dad's gotten the twins down," Vanessa suggested.  "I'd like to catch up with you for a little bit."

Lia typed some more, eyes glued to the screen.  "Mom, I really can't," she explained.  "I've still got a calculus problem set after this, then I need to work on my applications."

Vanessa's heart sank a little bit.  This was her last school year with Lia at home and it seemed like they almost never spent time together.  She loved that Lia was so driven, but her intensity was still rubbing her the wrong way.

She sighed and pulled Lia's hair into a loose gathering behind her shoulders, then pressed a kiss to the top of her head.  "After you finish this, come take a five minute break with me and Dad."

Vanessa hated that she heard her daughter sigh, almost as if spending time with them was an annoyance.  She knew Lia was almost an adult, but she would always be her daughter.

"Fine," Lia said a bit shortly to appease her mother.  "I'll be out in a while."

"Good," said Vanessa.  "Love you."

Lia was too entranced with her homework to respond, and Vanessa quietly slipped out of the room.

She headed down the hallway, following the exaggerated voice of her husband coming from the twins' room.

"I do. What a hat! I like it! I like that party hat!"

Vanessa stood by the doorway, just out of the view of their toddlers, but still able to watch the scene that would forever make her heart melt. Lin was sitting in the rocking chair that had been in the nursery when the twins first arrived. Stella and Seb were both curled up onto Lin's lap.

"Good-by! Good-by!"

Vanessa easily recognized the words as ones from 'Go Dog Go', a fan favorite in their household and one that the toddlers requested at least three times every week at bedtime. They would always wear themselves out with laughter at the idea of the epic dog party, making it the perfect last read of the night. Vanessa even remembered reading it to a young Lia, a thought that made her a bit sentimental.

"Is my party tomorrow, daddy?" Stella's voice piped up with the same variation of the question she would ask whenever they read this story.

"No, mija," Lin answered in a gentle voice, "Your birthday isn't until June," The two year old had grown to believe that party was synonymous with birthday.

"Is it my teacher's party?"

"I'm not sure," Lin replied in the same patient tone, "But you can ask them tomorrow,"

Vanessa leaned up against the door, but still tried to remain out of sight. She knew if the twins spotted her, all bets were off.

"Is my teacher nice?" This time it was Sebastian's softer voice that posed the question.

"Very, very nice, Seb," Lin answered, "You both are going to have so much fun at school," Although it was a daycare, they had taken to just referring to it as school. Lin's mother, a psychologist, had recommended it to the parents as a way to make the transition to preschool next year even easier. Plus, they had already heard the term referenced towards Lia and were always enamored but anything their big sister did.

"Do you like school?" Sebastian continued.

"Yes,"

"Does mommy?"

"She does,"

"Does sissy?" Even at two and a half, Sebastian was the more introspective of the two.

"Sissy loves school more than anyone in the entire world," Vanessa had to stifle the giggle that was threatening to escape her lips. "And I think the two of you will, too. You're going to make friends and read stories and color pictures,"

"Can I draw a pwink princess?" Stella's high pitched voice was etched with excitement.

"Yeah, Stel," Lin let out a low chuckle, "I think your teacher will let you draw a pink Princess. Do you have any other questions?" One of the traits Vanessa admired about her husband was his patience with their kids. Hers could sometimes run a little thin.

"Daddy?"

"Yes, mija?"

"When is Moana's party?" Lin gave a hearty laugh as he went into answering the question of their daughter's favorite character. Vanessa smiled and headed towards their bedroom, knowing her husband had dug himself into a hole of at least ten more questions. It seemed like any of the first day fears had been relieved, and the more important topic of Disney characters was now at the forefront.

It was another twenty-five minutes before Lin came into the bedroom. Vanessa was already out of the shower on their bed, her hair still wrapped up in a towel.

"We're having a birthday party this week," Lin said as he fell back onto the bed.

"We are?"

He nodded, his eyes closed, "We were going through the characters and Stel almost threw a fit that none of their birthdays were soon so I settled on throwing Maui a party if they don't get in trouble at school,"

Vanessa rolled her eyes as she pulled her wild mane out of the towel, "You are such a softy, babe," She grabbed for her comb on her side table to try to manage her locks.

Lin rolled onto his side and propped himself up with his fingers in his hair, "What is a better incentive for two year olds than cake and a party for their favorite character? Seb was just as excited, and I figured I'll reach out to Dwayne and see if he could send a quick message."

"The fact that you're talking so casually about The Rock still blows my mind," Vanessa said over Lin's laughter.

"See, not everything about my job sucks," Lin replied with a wink. "I saw you peeking from the doorway though,"

She shrugged her shoulders, figuring as much, "Didn't want to intrude," She started braiding back her hair, "Did you stop in Lia's room?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "But I was out of her room as fast as I went in. I think I could have stood behind her silently for an hour and she wouldn't have noticed, which is kind of concerning." He joked. 

"I got the same response. And when I threw out the idea of us spending some time together, she seemed like I was bothering her. Your parents said she didn't even come by once this weekend," Vanessa remarked with a sigh.

"She's a teenager, honey," Lin slipped off his t-shirt, leaving him in a white tank top to the enjoyment of his wife, "You remember that age. Plus, Lia's always been hyper-focused when it comes to academics, not unlike another Hunter student I used to know,"

Vanessa's mouth gaped open as she propped herself up onto the pillow, "I wasn't nearly as bad as Lia can get,"

"That's right. I don't recall, at all, the time a certain girlfriend refused to talk to her boyfriend for a week because he got a better grade than her on a AP Biology test,"

"It was anatomy, first of all, and it wasn't because you got a better grade than me. It was because you distracted me with your kissing and we didn't study," Vanessa said with a pout as she laid back, their eyes locked on each other.

Lin raised an eyebrow, finding the look on his wife's face very appealing, "I can't help it if you find me so handsome and irresistible,"

"I think you're putting words in my mouth,"

"But am I wrong?"

The teasing look on Lin's face was enough to entice Vanessa in. She pressed her lips against hers, as his hand made its way around her back, slightly grasping onto her t-shirt. They soon became lost in each other's kisses, no better than the teenagers in love that they once were.

That was, until, their actual teenager was standing in their doorway.

"Annnnd I'm going back to my room," Lia said dryly as she turned on her heel.

"Emilia, hold up!" Vanessa quickly pushed herself upright, "You couldn't have remembered to lock the door?" She harshly whispered to her husband, who held a bashful smile on his face. Their eldest child turned back around, but the glare on her face made it clear she was less than amused. "Sorry, Lia,"

"What else would I love more than watching my parents make out when I could be working on the hundreds of things I have to get done," She said pointedly as she sat down on the edge of the bed.

"Well, when you put it like that..." Lin commented sarcastically which only resulted in a light slap to his chest courtesy of his wife.

"Did you at least have a good time at SAT prep?" Vanessa asked, hoping a change of topic would remove the flush from her face and perk up Lia's mood.

"It was great." She answered shortly, "And I still have a practice test to finish tonight along with my applications - which reminds me I need a card for my application fees,"

"Here," Lin grabbed his wallet off the side table and pulled out his Amex, "One crisis averted," he said with a small smile as he handed his daughter the card. "You sure you don't want to tour any other schools?"

Lia shook her head fiercely, "No time. Besides, I'm only applying to Fordham, Wesleyan and NYU - which are all schools I've been to before." The list of things she had to do seemed endless and were constantly at the forefront of her mind.

Vanessa's brow furrowed in, "What about MIT?" She was somewhat surprised that Lia was even submitting any college applications now. It seemed like over the weekend, things had sped up at a rapid pace and the stress of it on Lia was showing. She also couldn't help but notice how much Lia's leg was shaking.

"I don't want to submit my MIT application until I get my SATs scores back this weekend. The other three are just backups,"

"Do you need any help with your applications? I can look over your personal statement before you submit it?" Lin suggested. He knew Vanessa had had concerns over Lia, but seeing how fidgety Lia was acting made him pause. "I have been told I'm pretty okay at writing,"

Lia appreciated the lightheartedness of her dad, but the offer only made her feel more pressure. She constantly felt compared to her parents' achievements and accolades, especially in this season of college admissions. If her dad, of all people, had criticism over her work, what would anyone else think? "Yeah, maybe," Lia slid off the bed, dismissing the topic, "I really have to get back to work,"

Vanessa held back the tinge of sadness she was feeling. "Let's plan dinner for Saturday night, then. Celebrate you finishing your SATs and the twins getting through their first week of daycare."

Lia gave a small nod, wanting to placate her parents.If she was being honest, she hadn't even remembered that the twins were starting day care that week, "Sure. Thanks again," She referenced the card in her hand before walking out of the room and closing the door behind her.

"Well," Lin started, scratching the back of his neck, "That was...."

"Yeah," Vanessa said slowly, rolling on her side, "She's putting way too much on herself. I know that she's usually over the top about school, but she's hardly talking about it." She continued, "I'm used to the Lia who freaks out. At least then we have something to work with. And she has barely mentioned anything to me about the break up," Vanessa has always prided herself on having an open relationship with her daughter. Lately, it seemed that wasn't the case.

"Maybe we should call Dr. Sanders to give her a heads up before their next session?"

Vanessa nodded and exhaled a deep breath, "That's a good idea." Therapy had seemed to be a turning point for Lia. If she wasn't up for talking with her parents, the least they could hope for was that she would talk to someone. "I'll give her a call tomorrow,"

Lin pressed a kiss against his wife's cheek before getting up and heading into their adjoined bathroom. Vanessa took off her glasses and placed them on her bedside table, burrowing herself under the covers. Whatever worries she had would still be there in the morning.