We leave the clinic not long after Alena tells us that we are free to go. We stay just long enough to make sure that Mary is fine before packing up everything. Cora doesn't cry at all, just sleeps through me setting her in a wrap against my chest so that I can have my hands free.

Alena waves us goodbye as we go, before turning back to helping Mary. Damien is nowhere to be seen in the lobby, making it completely empty.

The walk home takes longer than I would like, for everyone we pass stops to coo over little Cora. My fingers twitch in agitation as some try to touch her. Luckily, I don't have to say anything. Finn manages to wrap his hand around my waist and pull us along the path. She is too vulnerable right now to be around so many people, and the heat outside is killer.

Anna, as expected, is waiting at the house for us when we arrive, letting out a hushed squeal when we step into the house.

"Oh, she is adorable," she says, closing the door behind us. Cora's face crinkles in her sleep at the sound but doesn't wake up. "What's her name?"

"Cora Madeline," Finn says, hand on the small of my back as we climb the stairs.

"Madeline?" she asks, voice sounding a little choked. "You named her after Mom?"

"Both of our moms," I say, giving my sister a small smile.

She sniffles, leaning forward to press a kiss on my cheek. "Alright, you guys go get comfortable while I start dinner and try not to cry happy tears."

"Just don't let them get in the food," I say, which earns me a flick on the arm as my sister grumbles about pesky little brothers.

Walking into the living room, I see that Remy is wide awake, while Viola is still trying to wake up as she is laying back on a sleeping Henry. He doesn't seem to mind, having been around children since he was just a pup. The twins and Olivia are nowhere in sight, so they must be off doing something with Derek.

Cora starts to snuffle against me just as I go to sit on the couch. Finn- since his eyes barely stray from his daughter- immediately starts towards the kitchen. "I'll get a bottle for her."

"Thanks."

Viola startles at my voice, her wide eyes blinking over at me. "Da!" she calls, crawling over towards the couch. It is a little difficult to maneuver her, but eventually, I get her settled next to me.

"Viola, there is someone here for you to meet," I say, brushing a few wispy strands out of her face. Remy looks up in confusion at my words, having a better understanding of their meeting. "You too, Remy, come here."

He hesitates for a moment but comes over nonetheless. He is able to climb up on the couch himself, plopping down on the other side of Viola.

"You know how Papa and Daddy have been telling you about the new baby who was joining our family?" Remy nods his head, while Viola just looks confused. "Well, she's here. Your little sister decided to come home today."

"Lil sis'er?" Remy says. "But, I alrea'y have a lil sis'er."

"I know you do, love," I say, running a hand through his hair. "But now you have two."

He doesn't say anything for a while, long enough for worry to settle in. But, he just shrugs his shoulders. "Kay."

That one word lifts a significant amount of worry off of my shoulders. I had heard that introducing older siblings to the new one could be tricky, especially since they are too young to truly understand the unique situation we had been in.

Remy leans forward, giving the now wide awake Cora a gentle pat on the head. "Hi, baby," he says, before sliding off the couch and going back to his toys, thoroughly unimpressed.

Viola on the other hand...

Her bottom lip starts to wobble, blue eyes becoming glassy as she uses my shoulder as leverage to stand up. Her whines turn into full-on cries by the time Finn gets back to the room, the sound making Cora start to whine as well.

"What's wrong?" he asks gently, handing me the bottle as he scoops up Viola. She just cries even louder, her hands reaching for me in desperation.

"I think she is a bit jealous," I say, setting down the bottle so I can carefully pull Cora out of the wrap. "Switch with me."

Viola clambers over to me when Finn lets her go. With Finn's hands being free, I set a smaller pillow on his lap before laying Cora on it so that she is propped up. Finn picks up the bottle from the table and slips the nipple between the baby's lips. She is quick to latch on, eyes falling closed as she slowly drinks the milk.

Viola pulls herself onto my lap, her feet digging into my legs as she buries her face in my neck. I am at a loss for words, so I just pull her close, rubbing her back in an effort to calm her down.

Everyone I had talked to had told me that Remy would most likely be the jealous one since he is older, while Viola would most likely be impervious. It seems as if they had it backward. Remy is fine playing with his toys, not minding in the least that there is now a new member of the family. Probably because he used to have siblings before his parents abandoned him. Perhaps he was used to not having his old parents' full attention.

The thought makes my heart ache, but my lap full of crying baby keeps me from hugging Remy and reassuring him that we love him.

Viola has always had our full attention, though. From the moment we rescued her when she was only a few days old, she has never really had to share either of us. And she is still pretty young, not even a year old before she has a sibling who will take her parents' attention.

"Viola, it's alright," I croon in her ear. She slowly starts to calm down as I continue to whisper to her, hand rubbing the length of her back. But she doesn't let me move her away from my chest, clinging to me when I try to settle her on my lap. Deciding it is not worth the effort, I just let her cling, attention turning over to my boyfriend.

He is watching Cora closely, rubbing her cheek with his pinky as she drinks her bottle. It is amazing how much he loves her already, giving her his full attention. It irks me slightly, and a little sliver of doubt forms in my mind.

This is his baby; the one who is actually biologically related to him. While I know my boyfriend is not someone who is overly concerned about blood relations, the look he has on his face makes me worry.

Shaking away the thought, I force a smile on my face, pushing myself up off the couch. It is probably a silly thought, just my insecurity letting itself be known.

"I'm going to help Anna with dinner," I say, leaning down to press a kiss against Finn's cheek. "Keep an eye on Remy, hm?"

Finn nods his head, setting down the bottle when it is empty and using the pillow in an interesting way to settle Cora on his shoulder. "Don't worry," he says, patting the baby's back in an effort to get her to burp. "I've got them."

Humming in acknowledgment, I make my way over to the kitchen, where Anna is currently placing a pan with some lightly seasoned fish, above another pan layered with roasting potatoes.

"Need any help?" I ask her, startling her slightly.

She curses, almost burning her self on the oven door from me startling her. "Jesus, Alden. Don't startle me like that."

"Sorry."

She side-eyes me before walking over to the sink, where she starts to wash off some of the vegetables that she had collected earlier today from the community garden. "You alright?" she asks, carrying the vegetables over to the island, where the cutting board is located. "You both look a little worse for wear."

Viola's arms tighten around me as if she knows her aunt is talking about her. She grumbles slightly when Anna starts the chopping but is appeased when Anna hands her a slice of bell pepper to gnaw on.

"Just tired and a little jealous."

"You or Viola?"

Her question has me tilting my head to the side, obviously asking if she is serious.

"Oh, don't look at me like that, Ally." She gives me an exasperated look. "I know you love him and this makeshift little family that you have going on, but I know that look on your face. Something is bothering you, and I bet you my portion of dinner tonight that it has something to do with that new little baby your boyfriend is completely in love with."

Shaking my head, I maneuver Viola so that I can sit down on a stool with her in my lap. She doesn't seem to mind now that she has a pepper to keep her busy.

"You make me sound like a jealous little school girl."

"Well..."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, I look over my shoulder, making sure that Finn is too absorbed with the baby to hear me. "It's just... Look, I know I am being ridiculous. The guilt is already starting, but I can't help it. She is part of him, something that neither of us thought we could have. And this time, he had a choice in whether or not he wanted to parent her, instead of having me decide it for the both of us."

"Ally, you can't think like that," she soothes, setting down the knife so that she can reach over and give my hand a squeeze. "That man loves you and your children with all his heart."

"That's the thing, though," I say, shoulders slouching a bit. "I made the decision for the both of us on becoming parents. Saving her," I give Viola a little squeeze, "was a split second decision, but the right one. And Remy, I couldn't just leave him, and Finn went along with it. But, this time, he got the choice on whether or not to save the baby, and I am not going to allow myself to feel something so juvenile about it."

Anna chuckles softly, scooping the veggies over the salad. "If only it were that easy to control your emotions." She carries the salad over to the table before coming back to stand next to me, draping her arm over my shoulder. "You should just talk to him, tell him how you feel."

"Anna, I can't do that," I say, voice dropping down to a soft whisper. "I can't let him feel guilty over something like this. He deserves this, after all the times he has saved me and allowed me to save others. I'm going to give him this and help with his baby."

She looks like she wants to argue but just gives me a tight squeeze instead. "Oh, Ally, I hope you know what you are getting yourself into."

Looking over at Finn again, I watch as a wide smile spreads across his face when Cora does something that I can't see. "Yeah, me too."

*****

This is definitely a different side of Alden, something he tries to keep suppressed. But, I think all of us can feel a little out of our element sometimes, doing something to appease someone you love. I know I have.

Don't worry, there are still a few more chapters left. This story is definitely longer than I originally planned, but I love it!