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A peal of laughter floated over the sound of raspberries, the giggling chiming through the apartment. Annabeth smiled, bringing the cups out to the living room.

"You're going to spoil her," Sally laughed, watching her kids from the couch.

Percy swooped his sister up. "Nah, she's already so rotten, there's nothing I could do."

Honestly, they were a handsome family. Like mother like kids, the Jackson's had crooked smiles and spatterings of freckles. Percy also inherited his mother's warm heart and quick wit. Estelle would be lucky to grow up like him.

Something wet blew against her neck and Annabeth squealed, pushing his slobbering mouth away. Maybe the baby would get the rest of the brain that skipped her brother.

"Pig," she grumbled, accepting the infant with a grunt. She was heftier than she looked, gummily smiling and pawing at Annabeth's hair.

"You love me," he crowed, flopping beside his mom on the couch.

The smell of cookies wafted through the air and Annabeth eased to the ground, setting Emma on the blanket spread across the floor. She was an experienced child wrangler, her days as both an older sister and a camp counselor hailing her as a babysitter to rival all baby sitters. Of course, it would be hard to see the youngest Jackson in a poor light; she was the most at ease baby she had ever seen. She rolled onto her stomach, batting at some noise makers with little gurgles.

The front door creaked open and Paul strode in cheerily. "The rough riders are home!"

Emma made reaching motions for her dad as he stooped to peck his wife on the cheek.

"How does it feel to have a baby on Mother's Day again?"

Mother's Day. She set Emma up, brushing her soft curls back.

"Much different than the last time," Sally teased, ruffling her son's hair. "This baby's gotten too big."

Mother's Day.

"Percy."

His eyebrows furrowed and he heaved himself out from under his mom's arm. He followed Annabeth into the kitchen, leaning against the fridge when she was sure to be out of sight.

"It's Mother's Day."

He frowned. "Yeah, and?"

"You should be spending time with Sally," she hissed.

"I am, we're gonna-"

"Without me, you should be together as a family."

"Kids!" Paul called. "We're about to head out!"

"We are spending time as a family," Percy muttered lowly, tugging on a loose curl. "Why else would Paul insist you come over?"

She shrugged, staring at the coffee pot by the window. It wasn't strange for her to spend the weekends with his family, especially since Emma was born. She didn't think much of it when the teacher called her up the week before with an invitation; she figured it would just be about babysitting again. The reality was far more mortifying.

"Come on, Wise Girl, Mom loves you around."

"But I'm not-"

"Everything's alright?"

Percy grabbed a cookie from the cooling rack. "Don't worry, Mom, just telling Annabeth not to touch the cookies."

"You're the worst!" She smacked his arm.

"You're coming with us," he said, spinning her around and stuffing the cookie in his mouth. "No but's 'bout it."

He herded her into the living room again and Sally raised an eyebrow.