Emily watches her husband and daughter walk from the room, chatting quietly about breakfast. The unexpected laziness of the day leaves a warm feeling in her heart, one that brings tears to her eyes. She takes a minute, buries her head in her pillow because sometimes where she is just overwhelms her. Her family, her life. Sometimes it's too much.

"Emily?"

She gets herself together, has to, because Jack's standing in the doorway. "I know," she says, because he's asking after Katie. "I've got her."

Jack nods, rubs at his eyes.

"Go back to bed," she urges. "You're on vacation."

"I didn't hear Annie."

Oh. She feels those tears again. Jack's so good with AJ. She thinks it's because he's still a bit in awe of her. And AJ doesn't keep her adoration of her older brother a secret.

"She's downstairs with Dad."

Jack stops rubbing at his eyes, arching an eyebrow up in a move that is so his father. She huffs out a laugh.

"Last day of Spring Break," Emily offers. "Dad called in sick."

"Dad never calls in sick."

It's her turn to arch an eyebrow now, this time in amusement. "And he promised Annie a fort."

"Is he feeling okay?"

That makes Emily laugh outright and she pushes herself out of bed, waddling over to rub at his hair. He tries to duck, but she's already succeeded in leaving his hair sticking up at all angles. "Let's not look a gift horse in the mouth, huh?"

Jack's face is an odd mix of a glare and a question and she bites her cheek against laughter.

"Go," she urges, and follows at a much more sedate pace. As Jack thumps his way down the stairs, already calling for Aaron and Annie, Emily slips into the room just at the top of the stairs. Katie's sitting there, wailing.

"Hey Katie-Bear," Emily greets softly and Katie's tears stop almost immediately.

"Mamamama," she babbles and Emily laughs, dropping the side of the crib to pull her daughter out. They're going to need another one, she thinks, because she knows Aaron's reluctant to give Katie her own bed. She's almost two though, and Emily thinks that maybe it's time.

Katie curls immediately into her shoulder, a spot she'd claimed as a baby and almost always refuses to give up. Sometimes storytime in the big bed is a little crowded. Emily wouldn't have it any other way.

"Morning, baby," she murmurs, getting her hand on the back of Katie's head and bouncing a little. Katie gets her fingers in her mother's hair and tugs inadvertently. "Oh, okay. Not Mommy's hair."

She heads to the rocking chair as she detangles Katie's hands from her hair and settles into it, It's a little awkward with Katie and her stomach, but Emily wants just a minute with her two youngest and she's going to take it before she dives head first into the chaos of the day. She shifts around until they're both comfortable, until she can rest her head against Katie's.

"It's going to be a good day," she murmurs quietly, trailing her fingers through Katie's still growing hair. Like AJ's, they're letting it grow out. It makes Emily laugh because Aaron's the one that insists on all the little barrettes and bows. Emily's too low maintenance and all too aware of the maintenance of long hair to care.

She lets Katie get her little socked feet on her stomach. She's tiny, their Katie, but her little brother kicks at her regardless. It makes Emily laugh as Katie jolts. "He's just saying hi."

"Baby," Katie says quietly looking down at her feet. "Mama, baby."

"Yeah," Emily agrees. "Baby. Mommy's got a baby in her tummy. We should be able to meet him soon."

Katie babbles, and Emily laughs.

"You know everyone's up, don't you," she says because they can hear the clash of pans, the hum of the radio that Aaron always turns on when he cooks. "You want to go join the party."

Katie bounces and Emily sighs. So much for quiet few minutes. "Okay, okay. Hang on."

She has to use the momentum of the chair to get her up but Katie settles when they're moving again, out of the room and very, very carefully down the stairs.

After all, her family's waiting.