Romancing Dr. Bailey

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Days later, Miranda woke up to the smell of breakfast wafting into her nostrils. "Mommy?" A small voice said as she opened her eyes. They landed on a boy whose face was nearly identical to her own.

"Good morning, baby," she said holding out her arms. Tuck rushed into them. She held him tightly and kissed his head. Miranda had been so focused on other things that she couldn't remember the last time she and Tuck had spent time together. Just them.

"Pop-Pop said that it's time for breakfast."

She looked at the clock. "You tell your Pop-Pop that it's time for him to eat lunch." She chuckled as she ran a hand over her son's head. He nodded. "Wait, when did you talk to Pop-Pop?"

Tuck giggled. "He's downstairs."

"Huh?"

Her son repeated his sentence, slowing down his speech and pausing between each syllable. "He's.. down... stairs.

"On the phone?"

"In the kitchen, mommy!" She cocked her head to the side as he giggled again.

"My father is here?"

"Yes!" Tuck picked up her hand and moved away from the bed, trying to get her to come with him.

"Who else is here?"

"Um...," he put her hand down and sat on the edge of the bed. "Ben and Daddy. And Jaida is here, too. And then Pop-Pop, of course."

"Grandma?" He shook his head. Miranda sniffed and rubbed her face. "Okay, so you go back downstairs. I'll be down in a few minutes."

"Daddy said you would say that and that I couldn't come back without you."

Miranda made a face at him and he laughed again. What was it that she'd been worried about? A duplication of the gorgeous and bubbly boy who sat in front of her? She rubbed his head again. She'd love another child. And though it had taken so long and so many tears to get her ball of fire; it had been more than worth it. "Fine." She rolled off of the bed and went into the bathroom, washing her face quickly and brushing her teeth. She came out of the bathroom and looked around for her robe. "Where is my robe?" She muttered to herself.

"Ben is wearing it."

"Oh my goodness. He must look so silly."

"Actually, I look quite amazing," Ben said coming into the room. He slipped the robe off of his body and held it out for her. After he high-fived Tuck; he leaned down to kiss Miranda. "Good morning."

"It was until I was ambushed into some kind of family breakfast." The three of them went downstairs into the kitchen. "Daddy!" Miranda said strolling over to her sitting father. He stood up, his long frame shadowing hers. He hugged her tightly, giving her the hug that she hadn't known that she'd needed. "How are you? How is mom? Did you bring your meds? Are you taking them properly?" She spat out the questions without waiting for an answer.

"Slow down, Mandy. I'm fine. We're all fine." He kissed her cheek. "And you're being rude."

Miranda turned and looked at the others in her kitchen. "Good morning, Jaida, Tucker."

"Hey, girl," Jaida said as Miranda tried to remember the last time, if ever, the woman had sat in her kitchen for breakfast.

Tucker gave her a wave. "You didn't tell me William was coming."

"I didn't know William was coming," Miranda said giving her father a look. She'd had no idea that her father was going to be on the west coast. She'd remember telling her mother that neither of them needed to be there. Leave it to her father to ignore her wishes. "Yeah, why are you here?"