“No, it’s not,” I replied.

“I’m not saying it’s all better now. But looking at it from a distance did help me to put things in perspective a little. And I always wanted more than one kid. I never really got to have my brother and sister because they’re so much older, and I don’t want Kallie to never have any.”

“That’s great baby. And I kinda want that too, for her,” I replied. “When you’re ready, I mean.”

“So do you really want to go to therapy with me?” Alice asked. “I think it might be good, unless you think it’s overkill or something. She’s fine, I shouldn’t have been so upset…”

“Stop,” I whispered. “We already went over this. It’s perfectly fine to not be okay with everything, it was stressful for everyone. But we’re all getting used to it. It’s going to be fine, and there wasn’t anything you could have done. And yes, I’ll go to therapy with you.”

“Good,” she said, snuggling into me. “We’ll have to ask somebody to watch Kallie when we’re there. And then they can watch the new baby too.”

“If we get a baby again,” I said a little doubtfully. “If we go through the Center and have Helena help us, we might get an older kid. I mean, if Helena still wants to work there.”

“She does, she told me so,” Alice mumbled.

“That’s good, I think she’s great at it. Oh, and Shane’s thinking of fostering,” I told her, although I knew it wouldn’t do a lot of good given that she was practically asleep.

“She told me when I called her. I wanted her to check on you and Kallie,” she said. “And I don’t want to foster again. I want to carry the baby.”

“You do? Really?” I asked. I figured that since things with Kallie had gone so well she’d be more than willing to forego the pain of labor.

“Yeah,” she said. “Can we talk later? I’m sleepy.” I nodded and hugged her closer, already thinking of what it would be like to hold her while she was pregnant. I don’t know if she was thinking the same, but when I fell asleep, that was what I dreamed of. And that was how Charlie came to be an idea.