The Way We Were

The Way We End

Marcy woke up and leaned over to kiss her husband before going to the bathroom to vomit. She officially had morning sickness.

When she finished, she washed her face and neck and brushed her teeth in her usual routine. She turned on the shower and got inside. She decided she would take a year and be natural. She wouldn't straighten her hair.

After washing, she left the shower to go to her bedroom and awaken her husband properly. When he was awake, she went to get ready for church.

Then she made sure the kids were ready before going to the kitchen to make sure everyone had enough juice and granola bars to last them until brunch.

The large family came down and ate before heading out to the big yellow school bus she would be remodeling/teaching the kids about vehicles on. It was big enough for all of them plus more so their family could still grow.

Manny drove them to the church they'd picked out and they went inside, seeing Marc, Laura and Maddie and their house. They sat next to them and greeted them, knowing people were staring.

Just before services began, the older Chang family walked in with both Abrams families and the Nixons because Quinn, Karou and Paris were careless with other people's time and Santana hadn't wanted to get out of bed.

Church began.

W.W.W.

"I could totally get used to this!" Santana ate more of her frittata.

Brittany smiled as she ate her full English breakfast, eating for two.

Artie snickered. "You're eating like you're pregnant."

Santana waved her fork. "You will never stretch me out again! I'm just now being able to see my toes!"

"You make me paint them anyway."

"That's what they do, Artie." Mal looked away.

"You don't like touching my body?" Marcy lifted a brow.

He grinned.

"Ooh!" Karen laughed, having joined them at church a tad bit late (she was still getting used to the time zone!). "Nasty!"

Marcy stuck out her tongue and danced a bit.

"Mommy, no!" Mickey wagged her finger.

"Not even a little bit?"

"No!"

Marcy pouted.

"Who knew the key to making Moppet behave would be her own child?" Marc teased.

"Don't get beat up, Lite Brite!"

Everyone laughed.

W.W.W.

"Grocery shopping!" Mickey yelled happily.

Marcy and her sisters, nieces and daughters laughed. Manny, Francois and Lady Jeanne smiled.

"I love grocery shopping!" The five year old danced.

Marcy shook her head. "Where do you come from, child?"

"From you."

Marcy threw her head back and laughed. "Come on. We've got to find things we all like so we can make our lunches for tomorrow."

"First day of school!" Mercedes tickled Mickey.

Mickey laughed. "Yay!"

W.W.W.

After making their lunches and snacks after dinner and cleaning the kitchen, Marcy, Mal and the kids left the chefs to plot breakfast and went their separate ways.

Marcy and Mal left the kids in the nannies' and security's capable hands and went to Marc's and Laura's house. Mike, Mercedes and Quinn showed up minutes later.

The siblings sat in the den in a circle and looked at each other.

"We did it." Quinn grinned.

"We're adults." Mercedes bit her lower lip in happiness.

"Well I'm still thirteen!" Maddie teased.

Mike tickled her. "You're a pre-adult."

She laughed. "Okay!"

"They're right though." Laura was super proud of her siblings. "We are adults now. We're on our own and we have kids. Can you believe it?"

Marc took her hand. "It was bound to happen."

"You never know." Marcy reminded him. "Life is wild."

"But we have each other." Mal put a hand on her knee.

For the first time in more years than she cared to count, Marcy felt safe and happy. "Yeah. We do."

Marc lifted his shot of sherry so his siblings reciprocated. "Here's to us. The Fabangeses."

"Here, here!" They knocked their shots back.

They spent the next few hours reminiscing on their shared past and hopes for the future before going to their homes and checking on their children before turning in.

Each fell asleep with a satisfied smile on their face, excited about what was about to come.

And they had no idea how glorious it was. Because of the way they were.