I wake up the next morning around 4:30 and the kids are still asleep. So we didn't get to sleep until almost midnight, but I slept great. Today is the day of judgement, the rest of the Chasez clan meets me. I head to the kitchen and turn my iPod on to listen to as I cook.

My cell phone screams at me, telling me it's Nick calling. "Hey, Icky."
"You're up massively early."
I look in the fridge and cabinets, spotting what I want to make for breakfast. I took JC's favorite pj pants and a shirt of mine and I have to say that I think he's going to have to battle me for his pj pants. "Yeah, I have three kids."
"Sam, I know they're not up yet."
"It's almost two out there, what are you doing up?"
"I'm in Florida with my family."
"Mom or dad?"
"My dad. It's been awhile and I missed my brothers and sisters."
"Keep January in mind." I look for and find a spatula and pan. I cook bacon, eggs and pancakes while I talk to Nick.
"I know. Where's your man?"
"Mr. Producer Chasez?"
He chuckles. "Yes, him."
"Asleep. Kids are too. His brother-"
"Damn, you bake, cook, handle three kids like it's as easy as breathing and Josh never has a complaint."
"Thank you, 'Ler. His brother is awake and slept great, evident by his serious bed head."

Nick guffaws. "I'm thinking about coming up to see you for the weekend and fly back to LA with you guys."
"When do you want to fly up?"
"Tomorrow clear?"
"As far as I know."
"Probably tomorrow night then."
"Um, 'Ler, is there an extra room my cousin can borrow?"
"I have one more open bed room and the couch."
"Is 'Ren with you?"
"Yes."
"Bed room. I'll set that up tonight."
"I can do it now," Tyler tells me, heading upstairs to set up the bedroom. I love Josh's family.
"I have to fly into the airport in Baltimore."
"I can pick you up. I'm sure Josh will set the GPS for me. I might bring Lil Man."
"I miss him," Nick admits.
"We miss you too."
"I miss you and the kids more than I miss JC."
I giggle. "I figured that much."
"I'm going to talk to you later, Lauren's awake. I'll text you the flight time later on."
"Alright, thanks. I love you, Icky-boo."
"I love you too, baby boo."

We hang up. "Icky-boo? Are you cheating on Josh?"
By now it's almost 6 and I'm almost done making breakfast for all of us. Josh comes out of nowhere and smiles at me. "What was the nickname?"
"Icky-boo."
"That's her nickname for her cousin Nick," Josh informs him, grabbing a cup of fresh coffee. "Can I kiss my cook?"
"Yes," I answer smiling. We share a quick kiss and I hear three pairs of little feet coming down the stairs, signaling the kids were up.
"Mommy, you're making 'anilla pancakes?" Demitryus asks hopefully.
"Yes, I'm making vanilla pancakes, Lil Man. Josh, Nick is flying up with 'Ren tomorrow, sometime after noon, is that ok?"
"He's your cousin, it's fine. The weekend is for family. You alright with her cousin staying here?"
"I suppose. The bedroom is already set."
"Thanks. Oh, you've met her cousin before."
"Who is he?"
"You'll find out when he gets here," Josh says, waving it away.
"I plan on taking Lil Man and swooping them from the airport."
"I can set the GPS for you."
I lean over to my right to kiss the corner of his mouth. "Thank you. Could you please help me serve the kids?"
"Of course, mama."

We serve the kids and make sure they're all settled in at the table before making our plates and Tyler's, taking our seats at the island counter. The kids are at the table and quietly talking about how they're going to greet Nick and Lauren. "I'm so thankful for you, Josh."
"I'm thankful for you too, beautiful mystery."
"I appreciate you in ways I haven't appreciated anyone in 13 years."
"I appreciate you more than I thought I would ever be able to appreciate a woman."
"Josh, I can't explain how much I love and appreciate you. You've done everything you could to help us in the past 8 months and I don't know where we'd be without you right now."

He smiles and kisses me. "You amaze me everyday. You are a great mom of 3 intelligent kids, make time for me, make time for our relationship, cook, clean, and take my business calls when they call the house. My family loves you, today will prove it."
Tyler smiles. "Just need Aunt Alice to like her and she's as good as married to you."
"It's too soon for me to think about that."
"Sorry. I just meant if he were to ask you, the whole family would back him. All that needs to be done is Aunt Alice to like you."
"Then, I guess a skirt is in order?"
"No!" the two men shout, causing the kids to look at them.
"You're doing good, guys." 
Aaliyah puts her hand on her hip and I try not to laugh. "And lady," Tyler corrects Josh to appease her.
Josh looks at my iPod, hearing a song playing. "A woman is a mystery, a man just can't understand... Touch of your hand. Must be doing something right, I just heard you sigh, lean into my kiss, and close those deep blue need you eyes, don't know what I did to earn a love like this, but baby I must be doing something right..."
"Yes, you must be doing something right. You love me and the kids unconditionally and are there when we need you to be. Thank you for reteaching me what love is and how it's supposed to be," I reply with a smile on my lips.
"You're welcome."

"When you told me 'screw you', she said something in another language to make you look surprised."
"What about it, Ty?"
"What did she say?"
"He said 'screw you' and I said 'later' in Gaelic."
"That's bad when you can make sexual innuendoes and none of us know."
"We know what Ma said," Mikal corrects Tyler.
He points at the kids. "Now that is just disturbing."
"We don't know what Ma and Josh meant about it."
"That's good to know."
"Bubbie, ith," I remind him, motioning to the table.
"Yes, momma," he says, turning around.
"Tyler, there's a reason I teach them Gaelic."
"What's that?" he questions, eating his last bite of food.
"So I can have a semi private conversation with them and only those who take the time to learn and understand the language will know what we're saying."
"You plan on teaching us?"
"Only if you want to learn it."
"Do mam dúirt a ithe," Josh says, nodding toward the kids. "I know I took the time to learn some things to make it easier. There are times when they won't listen when you tell them something in English, that's when I saw that they listen when it's in Gaelic."
Tyler looks between us. "You have him talking in that crap."
"It's Gaelic. More often than not, it's called Irish."

Aaliyah attempts to sneak away from the table without putting her dishes in the sink and Josh catches her. "Aaliyah Leilani, lean ár ghnáthamh," he reminds her, pointing to the sink. She nods and complies. "Come here, baby girl." He puts her in his lap and looks at her face. "Our house rules and routine is the same everywhere we go. The house rules change a little bit, like laundry is put in the corner of the suitcase mommy said instead of in the washer or hamper."
"Tuigim, Josh," she says nodding her head and hugging him. "Graim thu."
"Love you too," he tells her, placing her on the floor. "Shower, anois," he enforces, motioning to the bathroom.
"How much do you know in Irish?"
"I'm still learning it."
"What about my brother?" he inquires, aiming a thumb in Josh's direction.
"He only knows a fraction of words and phrases that I know in Irish. It's the more common ones."
"I understand more than I can say. I understand most of what she says. 'Tar anseo' means come here, for example."
"So if I said that to one of the kids, they'd listen better compared to saying it in English?"
"Yes."

Demitryus tries to creep away from the table. "Ná tús. Níl tú a slick, ghnáthamh," I tell him, pointing at his plate and the sink in succession. "Anois," I reinforce.
"Lil Man, be good."
"Tuigim."
"Tar anseo," Josh tells him, motioning for him to come to him. He easily lifts him onto his lap. "We have a routine to help you understand what's going to happen next."
"Tuigim."
"What happens when Aaliyah gets out of her shower?"
"I take mine."
"Right. That's why we have a routine and we follow it, to make things easier for you and somewhat predictable. Me and mommy have our time alone and work when you're in school or asleep."
"You stay up late?"
"Sometimes. When we get home Sunday, we have enough time to have an early dinner, go to the park and get you to bed."
"What time we leave here?"
"We get on the 12:45 flight home and the trip is about 5 1/2 hours. We land in LA around 3:15, LA is three hours behind Maryland. We can stop at Hard Rock for dinner, go to the park and go home around six. You know what happens when we get home, right?"
"Get ready for bed acuz Monday comes after Sunday and we have school."
"That's right."
Demitryus looks at Tyler. "We're smart, just sometimes we don't show it."
"I see that and it scares me how smart you can be."
Josh high fives Demitryus and puts him down as Mikal puts his dishes in the sink. "Thanks, Bubbie. I think you earned 15 extra minutes. Bank it or use it?"
"Use it to play a game with Tyler, if he wants to."
"What game, kid?"
"Mario or Sonic, please."
"I have a Gamecube somewhere."
"It's hooked up in the room Josh and I are in."
"I can hook it up in the living room later."
"I got it. Before we go to the get together or just before bed, Mikal?"
"Just before bed please." 
I side hug him. "You got it."
"Momma, can you put my hair up?"
"What word is missing?"
"Please put up my hair," Aaliyah asks, handing me her hairbrush and bag of barrettes, clips and elastics.
"I'll be in the living room in a minute. Suigh síos," I tell her as I get up to put my plate in the sink and start the dishes. 
"I got them, beautiful mystery."

"You sure, Josh?"
"You made breakfast, I get the dishes."
"Alright, thanks." I go to walk past him and he puts his arm out to reach across my stomach, pulling me in for a kiss.
"Thank you for making breakfast. It was delicious. I loved it."
I smile. "Welcome."
"You guys should move in so I eat better," Tyler jokes.
I raise an eyebrow and widen my eyes. "Siblings are only tolerable for short periods of time," I inform Tyler. 
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'll be screaming one of the few phrases I know in Japanese pretty often-watashi wa anata o korosu tsumorida, orokana hito, awanata wa orokana hito, jigoku ni ochiru or chikushō."
Josh's face scrunches up in confusion. I tell him what it means by whispering in his ear. "You curse like a sailor in every language except Irish and English," he says shaking his head. "Damn it, fucker, go to hell, and I'm going to kill you aren't very nice."
"Which one is worse?"
"I'm going to guess the korosu one, she punched Justin in the face five minutes after calling her a two-faced bitch."
"When was that?"
"Last month, she still had the cast on."
"Orokana hito, we agreed not to talk about it."
"Mystery álainn, stop sé. It happened once and since then, he's been better about what he says to you. I love you," he defends himself, kissing me after. Our minute disagreement is over.
I put up Aaliyah's hair. "Álainn, baby girl."
"Thanks, mommy."
"Go show Josh and Tyler."
"Josh! Tyler!"
"Álainn!" Josh tells her. "Just like mommy."
She beams and looks at Tyler. "Very pretty."
"Thank you," she chirps and turns on her heels to come back to me for a hug. "Can I watch Princess Tiana?"
"Yes, I can put Princess & The Frog in for you. Make sure Tyler says it's ok because it's his house."
She walks up to him. "Tyler, can mommy put in a princess movie for me, please?" Josh smiles at her, giving silent praise with a nod.
"Yes, go sit on the couch and she can."
"Thank you!" she shouts, giving him a big embrace.

She runs to the couch and sits down, patiently waiting for the movie to be set up. Josh gets up to check on Demitryus, making sure to put his dishes in the sink. We clean the kitchen and prep lunch, Tyler watches us in curiosity. "Since when have you been so domesticated?"
"What's the phrase you tell Justin all the time?" Josh asks me.
"Teigh trasna ort fein?"
"Teigh trasna ort fein, Tyler."
"What?"
"I'll tell you later, orokana hito."
"You know that you're beginning to get on my last nerve with the foreign language shit," Tyler informs me.
"Sorry, I'll teach you what I know if you want to learn it."
"Start with the easy stuff in the language you use more."
"Irish?"
"Yeah."
I start teaching him some of what I know and he is slower than Josh was on the uptake. "Tuigim means I understand."
"Tui-jim."
"Tuigim."
"Tuichim."
"Say it slower if you have to. Tuigim, tui-gim."
"Tuigim."
"There you go. Ná tús is don't start."
"Ná ta-oos."
"Now, say it faster."
"Ná tús."
"Suigh suís is sit down." Tyler is starting to pick up speed with the simple words and phrases. I cook lunch (three pizzas) and we continue to teach Tyler various basic Irish through to 3:30, when we leave for the veteran hall. Josh and Tyler are helping each other improve their Irish.
"What in the world are my boys saying?"
"They're helping each other improve their Irish."
"Why would they be speaking in that?"
"I'm Irish and the kids listen better when they have it directed at them. They understand more than-Demitryus, stop sé, anois!-than they speak."
"What did you tell him?"
"Stop sé is stop it. Anois is now. I pretty much to stop it now."
"Graim thu, mystery álainn."
"I love you too," I tell Josh, turning to face him as his arms wrap around my waist. We share a quick kiss.
"Demitryus Colin! Ná déan teagmháil sin! Tar anseo anois!" He comes over and I look at him.
Josh is confused. "What is he getting into?"
"The cake over there."
He squats down and talks to him, pointing to a bunch of other kids about his age. "Thuiscint?" he asks Demitryus, nodding to show emphasis.
"Tuigim," he replies with a matching nod, turning to run off into the group of kids Josh pointed out.
"What'd you tell him?"
"That the kids in that group are the kids that were at my grandma and sister's house, he should play with them and stay away from the food for right now," he informs me, wrapping his arms around me again.

I put my head on his chest and relax. "Who else will be here?"
"Kace might be coming with his daughter and wife. His daughter is only a couple weeks old."
"Wow, childhood friend?"
"Yes, I've known him since I was real young."
"You're still young at heart."
"You're so good to me," he tells me, kissing my head. He jumps, spins me so my back is to his front and whips us around to face a man with dark brown hair, light brown eyes, he's about Josh's height and a bit heavier. The woman is holding an infant, a girl. The woman has black hair, honey-hazel eyes, and about 5 foot 7. The man has a pink car seat beside him. 
"Josh!"
"Kace, how are you doing? Is this Hanna? Lucianna, you look great and how has it been taking care of my goddaughter and the kid?"
They laugh. "We've been good. This is little Hanna, yes. It's been good, Kace has been a great help," Lucianna answers.
Josh nods. "Kace, Lucianna, this is my girlfriend, Sam."
Kace eyes me and Lucianna hugs me real quick, smiling. "Really? She's your new one?"
"I'm not leaving him for anyone, sorry," I say with a rueful smile playing on my lips.
"Didn't you say she had kids?"

"They're here somewhere." He spots Demitryus in the pack of kids, Mikal talking to Roy, and Aaliyah talking to Karen. Roy walks by and Josh stops his dad and Mikal. "Dad, could you please round up Aaliyah and Demitryus?"
"Sure, give me about ten minutes?"
Josh points them out and the two of them get the other two. "How's the family, man?"
"Ma's good, dad's still working, and everyone else is doing good."
"Good," Demitryus reaches for Josh, who takes him from his dad. Aaliyah hides behind Josh's legs and Mikal stands between Josh and I. "This big guy is Mikal, the little girl peeking around my legs is Aaliyah, and the little guy here," he introduces them, "is Demitryus. These are Sam's kids."
"They're adorable!" Lucianna squeaks.
"They look alot like their mom, the oldest probably looks like his dad. Are they yours, man?"
"No, hers from a previous relationship."
"Oh, ok. Just wanted to be sure."
I smile. "It's better to ask and have the right information," I respond, a gentle smile coming across my features.
"True. How much younger are you than Josh?"
"About 9 1/2 years difference."
"Josh, you cradle robber!"
"She is just as guilty."
"How do you make up for the age gap?"
"Intelligence."
"How much intelligence?"
"Enough to make me realize how little I know about specific things."
"Like what?"
"Speaking in Irish."
"She speaks another language?"
"Bits and pieces of a few, she's teaching herself, the kids and me. She's taught herself quite a few things in Irish. She speaks some French, Irish, Spanish, and Japanese. She speaks mainly English and Irish. Curses in French and Japanese."
"Right."
I start talking with the kids in Irish and they answer in English. "An bhfuil ocras ort?"
"Yes."
"Cad ba mhaith leat a ithe?" I ask them, pointing to the food on the table.
"No junk yet," Josh enforces. 

They tell me what they want and we grab their plates and sit them at a nearby table. "You understand what she just said?"
"Yes, ithe is eat. I'm pretty sure she asked if they were hungry and what they wanted." He pulls me toward his body and holds me. "I'm learning it a little at a time. She's teaching me and Tyler."
"Heather too. They all learn it quickly once they get in a groove."
"All three Chasez kids are learning Irish?"

"Yes, Josh has a head start." I look around and see Justin. "Justin's here, baby."
Josh spots him and waves him over. "What're you doing here, J?"
"I can't see your family?"
"Sure you can."
"Plus, I'm here for moral support for her," he tells Josh, dropping an arm around my shoulders. 
Demitryus shoves Justin's arm off me. "Mommy isn't your girlfriend, hands off."
"Protective, huh?"
"Yes, she's my mommy. 'Iyah, tell im."
"Stop sé," I tell Mr. Instigator.
"He's my friend, you guys know Justin."
"D-man, it's me Timbs," Justin says, pulling his hat and shades off.
It clicks with Demitryus and he reaches for him. "Missed you," he tells Justin, hugging him by the neck.
"Missed you too," he tells him, hugging him back. "I missed my racing buddy and princess too," he says, squatting down to hug them as well.
"I love your family so much." Josh smiles and hugs me closer, placing a gentle kiss to my temple. "Timbs, thanks for coming for moral support."
He looks up at me from the floor, hugging my kids. "Anytime. Just ask and I'll try my best to be there. I don't want you two to lose each other." Demitryus pushes into him and Justin falls over. "You cheated." The kids laugh.
"Aren't you spending time with your family in Tennesse?"
"I've been home for the past two weeks and I missed these three."
I look at Josh. "Is that why our phones have a call log saying we called you?"
"Yes, they called from your phones."
"You little sneaks." The kids smile at us and I just shake my head.
"They kept telling me that they missed me and I heard you freaking out about today last night."
"Thanks for coming."
"It's what friends do."
"My Aunt Alice is coming over here. Come on, please get up," Josh says, a little nervous. I look at my cell for the time, 6:15. 
Justin helps the kids get up and brush off. "I'll be back over in a few minutes."
"Where are you going?" Mikal asks.
"Bath room," he answers, rubbing the boys' heads.

I pick up Demitryus and Josh picks up Aaliyah and Mikal. "They're adorable, Joshua."
"Thank you, Aunt Alice. This is Mikal, Aaliyah," he tells her, putting the appropriate child closer to her, "Demitryus, and their mom, Sam," he says nodding his head at me.
"Hi, miss Alice," I greet with a small smile. "It's nice to meet you." 
"I like you, Sam. It's nice to meet you as well."
"Manners, guys."
"Nice to meet you, miss Alice," they chorus.
We put them down and whisper for them to go play with Josh's cousins. "Those cheesecakes are delicious, dear."
"Thank you."
"You're a very sweet girl and I hear you've had a rough patch in the past 8 months and Joshua helped you out. How did he help?"
"Moral and emotional support. He's there every time I need someone to talk to, someone to give me a pep talk, someone to console me, someone to encourage me, someone to be a friend and someone to help care for the kids occasionally."
"How did he help with the kids?"
"Taking them out and spending time with them so I could get a break. His friends from when they were in the group together take them sometimes as well. My cousins and their friends take them too."
"You are a smart girl. I remember Chris, Joey, James and Justin. You have a strong support system."
"Yes, we do and I appreciate every one of them. I appreciate Josh the most."
"Karen tells me you've been seeing each other for a couple months."
"Yes, we've been together since September."
"What is your relationship based on?"
"Honesty, talking and time together."
"You don't expect him to pay for anything for you?"
"No, miss. I work and if I want it, I save to buy it myself."
"Aunt Alice, enough with the third degree, please."
"I have to know her better than this."
"Josh, it's ok. She has questions and she deserves the answers. She's concerned is all," I try to comfort him.
"I really do like her. You lose her and I'll know you're meant to be alone for the rest of your life."

I watch as his jaw drops at her comment, making me giggle. I push his mouth closed. "Josh, relax. Aunts, uncles and parents are supposed to say things like that."
"It's n-n-not that," he tells me as she walks away.
"What is it then?"
"She's never said that before about any girl I brought home to meet my family. I don't know how you have the entire family behind us, but thank you."
"You're welcome." We walk around and he introduces me to everyone. Justin occupies all the kids and I video it, posting it to my FB and twitter. Kace finds us and says they have to head out, but to feel free to stop by his place. 
Tyler and Justin carry my younger two over to us. "I think it's time to head back," Justin reasons, handing Demitryus to me.
"I guess so. What time is it?"
"About 9:30."
"It's past their bedtime. We should have left about an hour ago."
"Mom!" Karen looks at us and signals for us to wait. "Let me set something up for the park with mom and we can go back to Ty's."
Justin looks at Tyler and smiles. "Can I crash on your couch till Sunday?"
"Sure, her cousin has the last spare room already. His girlfriend is coming. Nick is his name, I think."
Justin tries as hard as he can not to laugh. "I'm good friends with him and so isn't your brother."
Josh talks to Karen and we head back to Tyler's to put the kids to bed before heading to bed ourselves, making love in a bit more hurried pace than the night before and sharing multiple passionate kisses while we focus on the emotional end of it.