Generations: The Long Game

Four

Reece woke up to the sound of a baby wailing. He laid there for a minute groggy and confused before hoisting his body into action. When he stepped into the hallway, he skidded across the wooden floor banging his hip on the railing before realizing Marjorie was already halfway down the hallway ahead of him. She turned back only long enough to see he hadn't actually gone over the railing. "You alright, darling?"

"Yeah, it's definitely gonna leave a mark, but go on." He made a few short strides down the hallway and had nearly caught up to her as she swung the nursery door open. Genevieve was already trying to settle him as she swayed back and forth. "I'm sorry he's woke you. I just can't seem to settle him this morning." Sensing the older woman's anxiety, Reece shifted his body past the brunette and scoop the baby from the grey-haired woman's arms. "Why don't you go down with Marjorie and have a cup of tea?"

The brunette wrapped an arm around her and ushered her from the room as the blonde settled into the rocker speaking softly to the infant. The elderly woman glanced back. "It's alright he has more experience than you realize." As they descended the stairs Marjorie filled Genevieve in on the family's business. By the time Reece joined them the two women were comfortably laughing about stories from the beginning. "I thought he was horrible. That he was trying to play some sort of long game. He and Aut did not get along back then, but they are good..." She trailed off and a smile spread across her face as the blond entered the kitchen.

Meanwhile

"Okay Wint do you think the lounge is tidy enough to hold the meeting there? Will it make us look too tidy for children? Why did we move the play area to the den? Maybe we should give them a tour. Then they would see that we are child friendly. Just don't let them in our closet. Oh God our closet. We need to put a lock on there."

The dark-haired man stood at the stove top pinching the bridge of his nose. "My love they aren't going to ask to go in our closet. They are coming just to interview us. We have both worked with children for years. We have all the paperwork and I've set out our financials as well like she asked. If the house is too tidy, I wouldn't be surprised considering you haven't stopped cleaning since the Monday after Genevieve and Charlie arrived at your brother's place."

She looked at him worriedly. "Wint we can't mess this up. He needs us. She needs us." He crossed the room and pulled the brunette into his arms. "My sweet we are not going to mess this up. Once the interview is over and we are approved we can bring Charlie and Genevieve here. I've already gone over her needs with her and we have scheduled flights back and forth for the next year. She can be his grandmother and give him his roots and we will be his family and give him his wings."

She leaned into him placing her head on his chest. "My love I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. I really don't." As the last word left her lips the doorbell sounded and Ben cried out. "I'll get him, you get the door. He is probably ready to feed."

As she descended the stairs with the little brunette, she saw Winter ushering the pair of women into the lounge. She was never one to apologize for feeding their children when other people were around, but this time she wondered if she should be. 'No Autumn it's perfectly natural. They certainly wouldn't want to eat with a blanket over their head.'

Having shrugged off the thought, she entered the room. "I apologize just as you rang the bell, he woke. What have I missed." Neither woman gave her more than a moment's notice as she settled into the armchair. She tried to divide her attention between the conversation and Ben. She was still finding it hard not to want to hold him every moment.

As she looked up she notice the three of them staring at her. "I'm sorry did I miss something?" The redhead looked from Autumn to her colleague and back again. "With your son's recent hospitalization, are you sure you can handle another child?"

She took a deep breath. "Look I know it may look like my attention is all on him right now, but Genevieve and Charlie are already a part of me." She looked to Winter as he smiled. "Look I didn't think I was ready for this, and then Ben got sick and we were in the hospital over two weeks. When I met Genevieve my heart broke for her, but Charlie... well my heart opened up to him. That has only ever happened with a few people in my life and my children."

The pair started to gatherer their things as the couple exchanged confused glances. "We'll be in touch." Winter showed them to the door before returning and seating himself across from his wife. "Wint I need to go to Reece's." He nodded and without a word carefully took their son from her arms. As he took the little boy upstairs to check on his still sleeping sister he heard the door gingerly closing.

She ran more than walked the distance between the two houses. When Reece opened the door, she was hit with the sent of bacon and waffles. "Where are they? Where are Charlie and Genevieve? He pointed towards the kitchen and she brushed past him. As she swung the door open the words just spilled from her mouth. "I think I've messed things up. I'm nearly sure I have. She asked if we were ready for another child and I am fairly certain I made myself sound like a cold, heartless bitch." The blonde chuckled which earned him a slap on the arm from his wife. "Reece!"

Genevieve was wringing her hands. "Maybe things will still be okay for Charlie. Maybe ..." Autumn put her hand over the woman's. "You and Charlie are our family now. I'll find a way to make things right. I promise you Gen. We will make things right. The older woman had tears in her eyes as she looked from one sibling to the other. Both giving her what had become known as the 'sibling' reassuring smile. The pair and Mia tended to pull it when they didn't want someone to worry.

As Autumn made her way back home, something glinted from near the corner of the house. She bent down to pick it up when her heart sunk. Four. This made four. At least one from each house.