How My World Changed Forever...Again

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

Rachel's POV
"You ready, Annie?" I whisper because it's 9 AM but everyone else is still asleep. I'm driving her to the gym this morning. She's there from 9:30 to 1. Then I'll pick her up again.
She nods, clearly still exhausted from travel yesterday.
I pull out of Colleen's driveway with Annie in the passenger seat. "So, today Colleen wants to take the picture in the Team Katie shirts. She talked to our brother and they're free today, so we were gonna see if everyone could come over and have dinner so we can get the picture.  Do you think that would be okay?  You already know Chris and Jess a little, and it would just be us, them, our parents, and maybe a couple cousins."
     "That's fine," she says quietly.
     I think I'm going to really appreciate these car rides with Annie.  Lord knows I'm gonna be the one taking her everyday since Colleen is almost always sick in the morning and Erik isn't really a great option.
Eventually, we pull up to the gym. Annie is a little more awake by now and smiling. "Hey!" She says, looking out the window, "this is the gym we...never mind," her voice trailing off.

Annie's POV
As soon as we pull up to the gym, I know exactly where I am. This is the same gym that we filmed at with Rebecca Zamolo. And I almost say it in front of Rachel.
Since it's the first day, Rachel walks in with me just to make sure I'm fine. Seeing the equipment and everything, it all reminds me of those collabs we filmed with her. I can't believe I'm back.

Colleen's POV
I get up slowly and manage to get ready without getting sick which is a miracle. I don't feel good, but I've had food down for two hours so I think I'm gonna be safe.
While Rachel is gone, Erik and I both get showers in and tidy up our room. When Rachel gets back, she heads to the shower, and I sit down to edit a video. It's my pregnancy announcement. I'm nervous as hell to post it because of what people are going to call me. They know Erik and I are together again, but I don't think anyone expected a pregnancy announcement any time soon. Some will be thrilled and some will be pissed, but at this point, I couldn't care less. One things for sure, that video all get a lot of f-ing views.
     A few hours later, Rachel walks into the house with Annie.  I never ended up posting the video because I am literally not emotionally ready.  Today is Tuesday, but I'm just not gonna post.  Maybe it'll go up tomorrow.
     As Annie is throwing her gym bag by the door and sipping water from her bottle, I say, "why don't you go upstairs and take a quick shower.  Then you can relax for a while.  It's 1:20 now, people are coming at 3. Hayley is showered and she asked me to do her hair with big curls. If you want, I'll do yours when you get out too. Erik just ran to the store to get paper plates and plastic cutlery.  And, Annie, could you take that gym bag upstairs.  It's usually fine there, but I don't want little ones getting into it."
     She picks up it up and tosses it over her shoulder before walking upstairs.
     I head up to find Hayley so I can do her hair.  I lead her into my bathroom and she gets up on the counter top.  "You're hair is like mine," I say, referring to the right little curls, "except cuter."
     I do what I usually do to my own hair which is straighten it and then add big curls with a curling iron.  She looks adorable.  We walk back into my room and I go to pull a shirt out of the big box of them I have.  "These are the team Katie shirts.  What size do you want to wear.  I have plenty of youth."
     "Youth large."
     "Okay.  Do not put this on yet.  It is white, and you are Hayley.  I haven't known you for that long and even I'm aware those two things don't mix," I say laughing.
     Hayley laughs and walks back to her room.
     I quickly do Annie's hair into two Dutch braids while it's still wet, and put just enough makeup on to make me look human.
When I go downstairs, Erik has not only gotten paper plates and plastic forks, but my living room and kitchen are now decorated with streamers and balloons. "Oh my god!" I say, rolling my eyes.
     "What?  Do you like it?" He says in his awkward Erik voice, "and look what else I got," he says, turning around and holding up a jar of pickles.
     "You idiot!" I say, smacking his arm playfully.
     "What?  You're pregnant right?"
     I laugh.  It's true, one of the only things I can eat some mornings is pickles.  Ridiculous but true and the act that Erik knows that makes my heart happy.

     My parents come first.  They meet the girls; everything goes smoothly.
     Chris and Jess arrive next.  Hayley has already spent a little time with them, and I'm sure Annie will be fine.
     Parker enters and I grab him around the waist.  "Auntie Panties!" He yells, probably loud enough for people back in Santa Barbra to hear him.  Hayley and Bailey embrace in a hug.  Annie lifts Duncan off the floor where Bailey so graciously neglected him.  Rachel and Jake are already wrestling and it hasn't even been 2 minutes.  This is what I call beautiful chaos.

Hayley's POV
     "Okay, kiddos, come here," Colleen shouts, trying to collect all five of us (Annie already has hers on), "we're gonna go upstairs and get shirts on all of you, and you are not gonna touch any food, dirt, slime, or anything else you might be able to get your hands on.
     Up in Colleen's room she says to me, "okay, Hayley, You already have a shirt.  Go put it on now then go on back down."
     I leave Colleen with Bailey, Jake, Parker, and Duncan and run back to the room Annie and I share.  I change into my shirt, stopping at the door to turn back and pick up my other shirt off the floor and put it in the hamper.
     Downstairs, everyone is migrating outside for when we set up.  Ten minutes later, Colleen comes back down with four kids in shirts that match everyone else's.
     Rachel begins organizing us and trying to get like 20 people in somewhat of an order.  It's a little weird for me to be mixed up in what feels like a Ballinger family photo.  It's not that though.  This is something we have to do for a child who only two people here besides Annie and me even know.

Colleen's POV
     We have one shot to do this.  Well, technically we have as many as we want but to get 4 very high energy children to stay still for longer than .2 seconds is a task in itself.  Rachel moves people around until the set up looks good, and eventually, we are ready.  Most of the time we just snap a picture like it's nothing.  Real life is real life.  But I really want this to look good.  This is something to make Katie happy and that's what matters most.
     Rachel hits the button on the camera set up on a tripod, indicating she has 7 seconds to get in her place next to me.
     The camera flashes and takes 5 photos consecutively.  By the fifth one, two kids are out, but that's okay. The first few seemed good.  I move to check the picture and it looks perfect.  All the kids are smiling, no eyes are closed, and no one is punching anyone else.  I feel tears in my eyes knowing this simple little thing will make Katie so happy.  Rachel says, "is it okay?"
     I respond with, "it's perfect."