A/N: Hey, faithful readers of the What Makes a Family series! I know What Breaks a Family is still in progress. I haven't given up on it, but in the meantime, I couldn't get the littler versions of the characters out of my head. I thought perhaps a summer story would help. This is going to take place the summer after What Makes a family. It will be the second in the series. If you have not read What Makes a Family, feel free to do so!

Emily breathed again. She couldn't seem to stop the spontaneous sighs of relief that came from her. This was her family. Two daughters and three sons. Two parents. A brother and an in-law, and a nephew. Not traditional, in the least, but they were hers.

It was completely by chance that the idea of taking a family vacation came about. As they were cleaning up the remnants of JJ's party - as she and the boys continued to play in the yard - Dave approached Emily with the idea.

"All together. Just like I promised them," he said, putting an arm around Emily's shoulder. "What do you say, we keep up it up?"

"David, I know that look in your eye," Carolyn warned playfully, as she gathered plates from tables nearby. "What are you planning?"

"Oh, it's already planned. All Emily has to do is say yes," he smiled.

"Yes, to what?" she asked, a little warily, while keeping an ear tuned to the kids, though Nathaniel was there, helping Matthew hold JJ's new bat and swing it in time to hit Derek's pitch.

"What I like to call, a little family bonding," he said, emphasizing the final two words. "Our cabin. Spring break. What do you say? You could bring all the kids and the boys could bring Matthew. We'd have a great time." Dave offered.

"Dave, have you thought about this? That's six kids, from six to eighteen. Five adults. Living on top of each other. For a week."

"Yes," he confirmed. "What's the problem?"

"Space, first of all…" she explained. "Where would we stay?"

"Not a problem. We've got plenty of room. Beds, air mattresses, sleeping bags. Come on, Emily. I want to spend time together, as a unit. Will you think about it?"

Against her will, Emily had. Whenever she sat down to paint in the coming weeks, she found herself painting wooded areas and lots of nature instead of the gothic beauty of cathedrals or some creative interpretation of a newspaper headline. Finally, with summer approaching, she sat the kids down and talked about it with them.

"What would you guys say about spending part of the summer at Dave and Carolyn's cabin with Nate, Cary and Matthew?" she asked.

"That sounds excellent," Spencer enthused from his place on Penelope's lap.

JJ eyed Aaron. "I'll go if you go," she said, clutching the necklace she wore protectively.

"I'll go," Aaron echoed.

"Derek? Penelope?" Emily asked.

"Oh. I didn't know I was included…" Penelope said, flustered.

"No one gets left behind or forgotten," Spencer chimed in from her lap, quoting from a Disney movie they had watched countless times together. Lilo & Stitch was a favorite for just that reason.

"I wanted to talk to all my kids," Emily insisted. "That includes you." She knew Penelope still felt like a bit of an outsider since she had stayed at the house for a few hours as a foster child, and then left and turned eighteen, before she could be adopted. "Derek?" she prompted.

"If everyone else is going…" he admitted softly. "I guess I'll go, too…"

Emily could read his apprehension. This was a kid who hadn't wanted to go Trick-or-Treating his first year with her because he was afraid of being dropped off at an unfamiliar house. She could imagine he had similar nerves now, which was why Emily carefully explained how they would all pack clothes, and things to occupy themselves, they would all travel together to the cabin and no one would be dropped off anywhere. They would leave together, and they would come back together.

Emily felt satisfied as she kissed everyone good night. As she heard all of them but Penelope saying "Night, Mom."

Together, they made a family. Now, Emily was determined to take Dave's advice and figure out how to unite them.