Josh stood at the small grave, his face sullen and exhausted. When had he last slept? A week ago? Two weeks? He couldn't remember exactly. He knew Mari couldn't bear to be there. Not after everything. "Hey," he said softly, "I know this is weird, but uh...I brought you some flowers. Just to say thanks."

—————

"Hey, Babe," Catherine smiled. "How was physical therapy?"

"I can't feel my elbow," Matt chuckled, kissing her cheek.

"You'll never guess what Logan did," Cath grinned.

"What?"

"He said 'mama'," Catherine gloated. "I knew he liked me better."

Matt pretended to look hurt.

"I'm only kidding," Catherine chuckled, giving her husband a gentle kiss. "It's no secret that Lotte loves you, so I'm sure she'll say 'dada' as her first word."

"Maybe," Matt shrugged. "Where are the little rascals, anyway?"

"Taking naps, but you can wake them up if you want."

"Alright," Matt grinned. "By the way, have you heard from Mari or Josh lately?"

Catherine shook her head. "They've been kinda distant since the whole thing with their daughter."

"It's understandable," Matt nodded.

—————

"Hey," Josh whispered from the doorway, "am I allowed to sleep in here tonight?"

Mari nodded and pulled the covers further over her shoulders.

Josh climbed into the bed and lay across from her, his eyes fixed on her closed ones.

Mari slowly opened her own and gave a heartbroken sigh. "Isaac?"

"Yes?"

"I need to know...if you still love me or not."

"Mari," Josh sighed, "of course I still love you. I'll always love you. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. How could I not love you?"

"The best thing?" Mari questioned skeptically. "Even better than our daughter?"

"Well, you were the one to give me that daughter," Josh smiled, pulling his wife in close and kissing her tenderly.

A little cry could be heard from the other room.

"I'll get her," Mari nodded, getting out of bed.

—————

"No!" Logan screamed. "No, no, no, no, no!"

Lotte crossed her arms and pouted.

Catherine entered the room. "What's going on, you two?"

"No!" Logan screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Shh. Hey, what's wrong?" Catherine asked softly. "What's going on, Sweetheart?"

"Lotte wants the blue socks and Logan's already wearing them," Matt explained with a huff.

"Oh boy," Catherine chuckled. "Just take Lotte in the living room and have her play with her toys. She'll forget in about five minutes."

"Alright," Matt sighed, lifting his daughter out of the crib.

Once they were out of the room, Catherine picked up Logan. "Hey, Sweetheart."

Logan kissed his mother's cheek. "Mama."

Cath chuckled. "I love you, kid."

"Love you," Logan smiled, wrapping his arms around her neck.

—————

Matt set Lotte on the floor with a few of her toys, and put on the TV. A few minutes later, as he was flipping channels, he dropped the remote. "Crap," he muttered, picking it up.

Lotte threw her stuffed, pink elephant. "Crap," she giggled.

Matt's eyes widened. "No, no, no, don't say that."

"Crap," Lotte repeated, still giggling.

"No, no. Daddy wants to live."

Catherine silently walked behind the couch. "What did our daughter just say?"

"Crap," Lotte grinned.

Matt turned and stared at Catherine with scared eyes.

"What are you teaching our children?" She chuckled.

"S-she said it on her own!" Matt stuttered.

"Lotte, where did you hear that?"

Lotte pointed to Matt.

"She said it on her own, hm?" Catherine smirked. "You can't lie to me, Matt."

"She did say it on her own!"

Catherine rolled her eyes. "You realize that I heard you say it, right?"

"Oh."

"Yeah," Cath chuckled.

"Please tell me that wasn't her first word," Matt moaned.

"She said 'dada' earlier," Catherine shrugged. "Don't worry...I thought I told you."

"What?" Matt stammered.

"She said 'dada," Cath repeated.

Tears welled in Matt's eyes. "Really?"

Catherine sat down beside him. "Yeah," she nodded, lifting her daughter into her lap.

Lotte outstretched her arms toward Matt. "Dada."

Matt gave a broken laugh. "Yeah, I am."

"I think she wants you to hold her," Catherine chuckled.

Matt took his daughter in his arms with a big smile across his face.

"I love you," Lotte grinned.

"Matt, did you hear what she just said?" Catherine asked excitedly.

"I'm hallucinating."

"She just said that she loves you," Catherine grinned.

"Dada," Lotte smiled, clinging to Matt's shirt.

"Wow," Matt stammered. "That's...that's wow."

"Now, aren't you glad we had children?" Catherine chuckled.

"Yeah," Matt nodded, smiling at his daughter.

—————

"Are you ready, Hon?"

"I will be in just a second, Josh," Mari sighed. "I'm trying to find a headband for Amelia."

"Do you want help?" Josh offered.

Mari rounded the corner with their daughter in her arms. "Nope," she grinned. "Let's go. Matt and Cath will be waiting."

"Don't worry, we have plenty of time," Josh shrugged.

"She has that doctor's appointment tomorrow," Mari fretted. "Don't forget."

"Don't worry," Josh smiled, "I won't."

Mari gave his cheek a gentle kiss. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," Josh grinned. "Let's go."

"Do you have her pacifier?" Mari asked skeptically.

"Right here," Josh sighed.

"And my bag? Where's my bag? Isaac, how could you forget my bag?"

Josh held up her bag. "I didn't."

"Oh...thanks. You got the fruit plate?"

"Yes, dear. Along with the secrets to the universe and Amanda Seyfried. Now let's go."

—————

"Matt, did you put the headband on Lotte?" Catherine sighed.

"Yes."

Catherine nodded. "Alright. Is dinner ready?"

"Yep. Ordered the pizza twenty minutes ago."

"Okay," Catherine chuckled. There was a knock on the door and she answered. "Mari, Josh, it's so good to see you."

Mari gave a weak nod. "It's been forever."

"I know," Catherine smiled. "How have you guys been?"

"Tired."

Cath chuckled. "Yeah, being a new parent isn't easy."

"I'll say," Josh chuckled. "What have you guys been up to?"

"Not a whole lot. Both twins are talking now," Catherine smiled.

"Wow," Josh laughed. "Has it really been that long since we saw each other last?"

Catherine nodded solemnly. "I guess so."

"Did you feed Max?" Mari asked Josh over her shoulder.

"Max?" Catherine questioned.

Josh's eyes widened. "I didn't! God, he's going to be miserable."

"Is somebody going to explain to me what's going on?" Catherine sighed.

"When Amelia was in intensive care those first few months...Josh and I kind of got in a really bad fight," Mari admitted, her eyes fixed on the floor.

"And I decided that moping and wishing we had our daughter wasn't going to fix anything," Josh sighed. "So-"

"So he bought a puppy," Mari laughed.

"Aw, that's sweet," Catherine smiled.

"Until it barked every night for the next three weeks, " Mari sighed. "So I kicked the pair of them out."

Matt came into the room as she was talking and frowned. "It was that bad?"

Josh looked away. "I thought I'd lost her."

A small cry came from the other room.

"That's Logan," Catherine sighed. "I'll get him. Please, have a seat. I'll be right back." She got up and went into the nursery. "Hey, you. What's the matter?"

Logan held his arms out. "Mama," he frowned.

Catherine lifted him into her arms. "Do you want to see Uncle Josh and Aunt Mari?"

Logan nodded.

"No," Lotte pouted. "I come."

Catherine sighed and picked up her daughter, bringing both children out. "Matt, can you take one of our children?" She chuckled.

"Yes," Matt sighed.

Catherine handed Lotte over to him and sat down with Logan in her lap. "I'm sorry. Where were we?"

Amelia gave a little whimper and cried out.

"Mari, do you want me to take her?" Catherine offered.

"No," Mari said in a small voice.

"Are you sure? I really don't mind."

"I'm- I'm scared to let her go, honestly," Mari laughed nervously.

"I haven't held her yet," Isaac chuckled.

Logan peeked his little head over the table. "Baby?"

Amelia snapped her wide eyes toward Logan and stared silently.

Logan smiled softly at her, but Amelia remained quiet.

"Amy?" Mari cooed. "You hungry, baby?"

Amelia gave a soft twitch of her lips upward as she stared at Logan before turning her eyes to her father

"Hi, Amy," Josh said softly.

"Amy?" Logan questioned, not taking his eyes off the girl.

"What happened," Matt frowned, "between you two?"

Josh gave a glance to Mari. "It wasn't easy..."

—————

Seven months earlier.

Mari stared through the glass, gently resting her hand on the surface.

"She's going to be okay," Josh sighed.

"You can't say that," Mari said harshly. "You don't know anything."

"You don't know that she won't," Josh said defensively.

"I know that this," Mari snapped, turning with burning eyes, "is your fault."

"My fault?" Josh scoffed. "You gave birth to the kid."

"Right," Mari whispered in a deadly, emotionless tone, frantically collecting her bag. "I'll see you at work."

"That's right. Just run away," Josh sighed. "Par for the course."

—————

"Wow," Catherine sighed. "I had no idea. Mari, why didn't you tell me?"

"It was hard to talk about," Mari sighed. "We both said...hurtful things we didn't mean."

Cath nodded. "Well, I'm glad you guys made up."