As predicted, Rocco had finally finished cleaning up the massive flour mess from earlier and managed to get himself and Gavin ready, only to find Lys in the kitchen pouting when he was they were ready to leave. 

"The zoo? Why can't we go to an indoor activity place or something?" Alyssa whined.

"Because it's where Gavin wants to go. I'd pick different shoes," he glanced at sky high stiletto heels she had on with her slinky dress.

"I refuse to be seen in public without heels."

"Then I don't want to hear you whining about your feet."

"Let's go anywhere else," she begged.

"Gavin loves the zoo," Rocco said, "we're going to the zoo."

"You're the biggest bullhead I've ever known," she muttered, "drives me up the wall."

The basement door opened, and Dani stepped into the kitchen before he could reply. She wore a fitted white printed tee shirt and tan cargo shorts that showed off her shapely legs. Her long chestnut hair, pulled into a high ponytail, accented her beautiful, natural face.

A girl you could stare at for hours, he thought as he busied himself loading the dishes into the dishwasher.

"I see you didn't bother to check my closet like I so generously offered," Alyssa said in a snotty tone looking Dani up and down with a haughty expression.

"Not my style," Dani mumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"I suppose you're a bit too thick for most of them." Alyssa purred with a little smile on her lips.

"Maybe in the chest," Dani stood straight and looked her in the eye with a smirk, "I'm surprised some of those shirts fit you..."

"Don't try to be cute, Dani; that's not your style," Alyssa said in a crisp tone.

Rocco bit back words he knew would get him in trouble and made his way to the living room to get Gavin ready to go.

**

Dani was nearly bored to tears on the long ride to the zoo. Alyssa would not stop droning on about the fashion scene in New York. Gavin had started to fall asleep on Dani's shoulder by the time they'd arrived. The zoo was packed, and finding a parking spot took a long time.

He was wide awake and super excited. As soon as they finally parked, Dani helped him out of his car seat, and he was beaming excitably.

"I wanna see my tiger!" He clutched Dani's arm, grinning wide.

"Me too!" Rocco took his other hand.

Dani noticed Alyssa give her a curious look and let go of Gavin's hand, patting his head. She awkwardly stepped ahead, letting Alyssa take her place with her son. There was a weird tension as she fell into step behind them. Gavin was chattering away, but the three of them were all silent.

Dani gulped nervously. What if her sister was picking up on whatever this thing was with Rocco?

"How much further?" Alyssa whined after about five minutes of walking.

"We're close," Dani squinted forward, hoping she remembered correctly.

"This terrain is terrible," Alyssa complained. "I am in pain here."

"Well, you shouldn't have worn stripper shoes," Dani said with a roll of her eyes.

Rocco burst out into laughter, and Gavin started to. Alyssa smacked Rocco's chest and shot Dani a dark look.

"Very mature, Dani," Alyssa scoffed. "You do realize these shoes cost more than orphaned ass is worth."

Dani gasped, her face reddening, "Excuse me?"

"What the hell, Lys?" Rocco exclaimed.

"Oh, please take a joke."

"Not funny."

"Don't dish it if you can't take it, little sister," Alyssa purred into her ear.

"Knock it off," Rocco grabbed her arm and pulled her away from Dani.

"What is your problem?" Alyssa wrenched her arm away and glared at him.

"The tiger!" Gavin let go of Rocco's hand and started running.

Dani grabbed him before he got far and scooped him up, heading to the large area they kept the tiger in.

Dani was crouched behind Gavin, her arms around him and her head gently resting over his as she pointed at the tiger. It was sleeping and Gavin was just amazed watching it.

"Wow," Rocco snapped a few pictures and knelt next to Dani.

"It's a beautiful animal, isn't it," she said softly.

"Mm," he agreed.

"It's sleeping. Let's go see something else," Alyssa joined them.

"I think he's waking up," Dani murmured. "Just a little longer."

"This is boring," Alyssa yawned and returned her phone.

Dani had a feeling this was going to be a long day.

**

Later that evening, Alyssa sat on the back deck with a full glass of wine. Her feet throbbed and she was sure she'd allowed her face to be slightly sunburned. Which wasn't going to bode well for the bikini photo shoot Edward wanted to get done and soon.

She couldn't believe that Rocco had the entire week with a full-time nanny to help with Gavin. Yet he hadn't managed to hire a new cleaning service or get the pool ready.

"Useless."

She heard the sliding door open and looked up to see Rocco coming to join her, a wine glass in his hand. He sat down on the patio table next to her.

"Nice night," he said, tipping his wine glass towards her.

"Too bad we don't have a nice view," she nodded toward the still-covered pool.

"Dante and I have a short day tomorrow; we'll do it then."

"I still don't get why you two have to do it; why not just hire someone?"

"I've told you, it was our biggest chore every summer to maintain the pool when we were kids. It taught us that if we enjoyed something so great, we had to work for it. It brings us back to that."

"You could always reminisce while watching a hired hand do the work."

"Gavi fell right asleep." He changed the subject. "He kept talking about how it was the best fun day ever."

"I'm glad he had fun, but we shouldn't spoil him, Rocco."

"A day at the zoo with a mother he hasn't seen in a week hardly spoils him."

"There is it," She sighed heavily.

He'd never forgive her for not being some ridiculous Susie homemaker type. It was like he expected her to have a kid and morph into some entirely new person or something. It was so unfair.

"I can't just sweep this all under the rug. You left our son with someone you hardly know and left the state."

"She's my sister," Alyssa stopped to sip her wine. "Always so dramatic, Rocco."

"Me?" he scoffed.

"Yes, you." She said pointedly. "Everything worked out just fine, yet you still harp on it."

"I don't want to fight," he said. "I want to talk."

"We can't do one without the other," she remarked.

"You're right," he said, eerily calm, "That's just one of the things that need to change around here."

"Excuse me?" She looked up sharply.

"You heard me," he said, his tone firm. "I didn't want to do this like this, but--"

"Do what? What are you on about now?" she groaned, "So we fight, whatever."

"We fight all the time!" He exclaimed. "We make each other miserable, and we have to stop."

"Then stop being so insufferable and annoying all the time," she spat back.

"The second you stop being so selfish and rude. I'll consider it." He snapped back.

"Goodnight, Rocco," she spat out and started to rise.

"Sit down." He said in the firmest tone he'd ever used with her; it rendered her speechless. "We are not done here."

She looked up at him, his face as serious as ever. His lips set in a firm line.

"Okay, fine. Ream me out, tell me off, whatever," she finally said. "You're mad about New York. You're mad about Dani's little house fire..."

"Little!?" He exclaimed. "Someone died!"

She blinked; really? Did Katherine tell her that, and she forgot, or did she omit that detail? Either way, nothing could be done about it now.

"I can't change the past, Rocco," Alyssa said instead. "What do you want me to do?"

"I know you can't, and I'm not the one you wronged," he said. "If you want to make amends for that, you need to talk to Dani."

She scoffed, "I gave her a place to stay and a job. That's more than Katherine's ever done for her. Besides, she's my family, not yours. I stay out of your family stuff and expect the same."

He sighed, frustration evident even on the dimly lit back porch.

"I never asked you to do that. We're married. We should consider each other's family part of ours," he said incredulously.

"How is that possible when your brother hates me?"

"I don't know," he sighed miserably. "Maybe if you're willing to work with me here on some changes, you could earn his respect."

"What kind of changes?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I'd like to see you balance the career and Gavin like you said you will. He started... Days like today are so good for him."

"I said I would, and I will."

"Okay, just let me finish," he said calmly. "It's not just on you either. I'll tell you what I want you to work on, and then you tell me what I can do."

"Have you been watching Dr. Phil?" She did her best to hold back a laugh at his ridiculous little earnest face.

"I'm serious, Alyssa. I'm trying to save our marriage here, and you make it a joke."

"Save our marriage?" She did laugh this time. "Oh, come off it, Rocco."

"What, you think this is good?" he asked. "We fight all the time; you're cold to me and often, Gavin, you disregard my wishes, you don't respect me, you put your needs above everyone else, and that's just the tip of the iceberg." Her face grew hotter with each word from his annoying little snarly lips.

"How dare you?" She narrowed her eyes and stood up. "I just got home from the most successful week I've had since before Gavin was born. I hired family to help watch him, which I thought you'd like. I was all set and ready to balance, starting with doing some photo shoots from here this week. I spent the entire day with him today, and I take one moment to enjoy my evening, and you come out here to berate me?"

"That wasn't what I was trying--"

"No, forget it." She stopped him. "That's exactly what you were trying to do. This is ridiculous. I'm beyond done with this conversation."

"Then I guess we figure out another option." His tone seemed weird, and it stilled her.

"What does that mean?"

"I don't know." He sighed. "Maybe separation, maybe divorce..."

"Divorce!?" Her eyes shot wide open. "You ambush me and then threaten divorce when I stand up for myself?"

"I didn't want this conversation to go there, but you won't hear me."

"I heard you loud and clear!" She yelled as she got up and headed into the house, slamming the door behind her. He came in right afterward.

"Lys, please," he pleaded. "Calm down."

"Calm down!?" she implored. "After all that? Shove off, Rocco!"

She slammed her wine glass into the sink, which shattered, but she didn't care. She left it there and headed towards the living area with Rocco hot on her heels.

"Just talk to me. I didn't bring this up because I want that," he pleaded.

"You act like you have no flaws. I gave you a goddamn son even though it killed my career, and you could care less. I sacrificed everything for you, and I get treated like this?" She slammed open the closet door and grabbed a light coat.

"You're not leaving until we're done talking." He sighed, looking exasperated.

"Oh, we are done talking, you fucking asshole!" She yelled loudly and then slammed the door hard behind her.

**

Dani was sitting in bed that night exhausted from the long day at the zoo, when the fight upstairs stunned her. She mostly heard Alyssa yelling, and something definitely broke at one point.

As she heard, she was slack jawed listening to Alyssa calling Rocco that and slamming the door. The house was silently still for a long moment after that.

It took every ounce of willpower she had not to go up there and check on Rocco, after a bit, she heard the door to the outside being closed and figured he had gone outside. She really wanted to go comfort him, but she knew she shouldn't. He was vulnerable and pissed off right now; it was not her business to get involved; she could not put herself in the middle of their fights.

She was just about to grab her I-pod and do her best to ignore  whenever he came back in when she heard light footsteps above her in the kitchen. She exited the bed and hurried for the stairs as the door creaked open.

Little Gavin clad in his red flannel pajamas, was pushing the door open with one arm and clutching Kiki with the other.

"Gavi?" she whispered softly.

Gavin looked up at her; his stormy eyes were watering and his tiny lips trembled, "Auntie Dani, please, I can sleep with you?"

"Of course, you can, baby," she swallowed a lump in her throat and picked him up; he rested his head on her shoulder and wrapped his little arms around her neck.

She carried him into her bed and tucked him in before climbing next to him and wrapping her arms around him. Her shirt was wet from his little tears, and her heart broke for him.

"I'm sorry you're sad, Gavi," she whispered, stroking his dark hair softly, "Sometimes Moms and Dads can get mad and loud, but not because of Gavi okay? They love you so much.:

"Mommy mean," Gavin whimpered.

Dani sighed and squeezed him tighter, "You know what, Gavi?"

"No matter what happens. I'll always be here, okay?" she promised him.

"Always," she said again and then kissed his head.

"Ways," Gavin said in a tiny voice while he curled closer.

"You know why?" she asked, and he shook his head.

"Because I love you so much," she said, "You're my favorite guy in the whole world."

"Love you, Auntie Dani," he said before shutting his eyes.

He smiled as his little eyelids fluttered; she felt tears come to her eyes as she watched him fall into a peaceful sleep in her arms.