On My Own

[Ally3772]

Chapter Twenty Five: Vienna

"Slow down, you're doing fine. You can't be everything you want to be before your time" -Billy Joel, Vienna

I heard the front door open and close behind me, Trey walked in with slumped shoulders and dropped his backpack at the door.

"Rough day at school?" I asked.

"None of these teachers seem to care." He said, plopping down on the couch.

I walked over and sat down next time him.

"It's like, they're just on auto pilot. I got called Tracy earlier." He said.

A giggle escaped before I could stop it, "I'm sorry, it's not funny."

"I mean, it was a little funny." He said with a smile.

"Some of them could be experiencing burn out." I told him.

"Probably, they just don't seem to have it in them to teach. Like I've learned more from you and Shayne then all of them combined." He said.

One of the things that Shayne and I have tried to make a priority with Trey was teaching him new things. He picked up on gardening super quick, and he loved to cook with Shayne. He was such a bright kid, that I wondered if he was too bright for this school.

"I know it's hard, but try to stick with it." I said.

"I just want to get a job so I can make my own money, and maybe even make a difference in someone's life." He said.

"Trey, honey slow down! You're doing fine, okay? More than fine! You have more than enough time to do everything you want, just don't rush it. Enjoy life! As for the making a difference in someone's life? You already have." I told him.

"I have?" He asked, looking confused.

"You just made me realize what I want to do." I said, taking his hand and squeezing it.

"I did?" He asked.

I laughed, "Yes! I think I want to go into teaching. It'll take some time, but I could help children and teens like you who may need a little more interaction and challenge in school."

"I like that idea, I think you'd be great at it!" He said.

I left him to do his homework and went into the bedroom. I started up the laptop and began searching for jobs at the local high school. Hopefully Trey wouldn't be too embarrassed if I were to be the one teaching his class. It looked like they had a job opening for a substitute teacher, and they even paid for some classes since I didn't have much experience. Normally I would discuss major life changes with Shayne but I didn't see the harm in applying.



"I think it's a great idea!" Shayne said later that night.

"That's what I told her!" Trey chimed in.

"Hey now, no ganging up on me. Two versus one is not fair." I laughed.

"Us boys have to stick together." Shayne joked.

Trey laughed and shook his head.

"Did you get your homework done?" I asked Trey.

"Yes ma'am." He said.



A Week Later

Slowly I stopped working on my flower vases. I kept doing it for a little for some extra cash, but it just wasn't fun anymore. So I just sold the flowers I got from my garden to local stores since there was no longer a greenhouse. I heard back from the school and I got the job! I was so excited! Shayne and I... celebrated a few times that night. I was going to help even more children and that felt good. I was putting away the dishes when the front door slammed.

"Hey! Treyvon we do not slam doors in this house, remember?" I said turning around.

"Whatever." He mumbled.

"What was that?" I asked.

"I said whatever, okay?" He repeated.

He kicked his backpack before sitting on his bed.

"What happened?" I asked.

There had to be a reason for this outburst.

"Nothing, just leave me alone." He said.

"Something happened Trey, you can tell me." I told him.

"This is so stupid! I don't even have my own room!" He screamed.

"Trey!" I scolded.

"I'm leaving." He announced.

"No you are not, we need to talk about this." I said.

He stood up and grabbed his bag, running out the door.

"Trey!" I called.

I ran after him, but he was too far down the road already. I pulled out my phone to text Shayne who was at work.

Trey is gone.

What do you mean, gone? -S

He came home all angry, started yelling, and ran out of the house.

I'm coming home -S

Thirty minutes I was in Shayne's arms crying.



"He'll come home." Shayne whispered.

"He wouldn't even tell me what happened! I thought we were getting somewhere!" I sobbed.

"We are, but he's a teenager after all." He reminded me.

"I know, but what if he doesn't come back?" I asked.

"He will." He said.

I wish I could believe what he was saying.



"Let's go inside and make dinner, that way when he comes home he will have something to eat. Then we will all sit down and talk about what happened." He told me.

I nodded and took his hand, following him inside.

Balance: $170,465

It's the weekend! Also, I made an oops! I turned off aging at some point, and I can't even remember why. It's back on, but because of this I changed aging back to normal from long.

[Ally3772]

Chapter Twenty Six: Coming Home

"Shayne it's been two days." I yelled.

"Julie, I understand that. But we don't have any legal guardianship over him." Shayne said.

I groaned and sat on the couch.

"Look, I know you're scared, I am too. We just have to keep the door unlocked and hope that he will come home." He said.

I started to cry.

"Hey, hey don't cry." He soothed.

"This was his home, or at least I thought we were making it his home." I cried.

"I know, shhh." He said.

I fell into his arms and cried.

...

Day five and still no sign of Trey. He wasn't even showing up at the normal times at Shayne's work. I packed a lunch for both of them just in case, but still nothing. I did my best to stay focused at work though. It was a new job and I couldn't fall apart and lose it when I just started. It didn't help though when I substituted a class Trey was suppose to be in. I would just stare at the empty desk until something snapped me out. Aside from everything that was happening though this job was great! Aside from the few kids that acted up the students seemed to love me. I was slowly working my way to be a regular teacher. At night I would take classes provided by the school at the local college. I was thinking about going into English, it was my best subject in school. Because of this I also picked up reading books again. My parents always said reading was a waste of time since none of it was true.

"Class dismissed, don't forget test on Monday, and make sure to get to chapter thirteen in our workbooks by next week as well." I announced to the class.

I watched as the students packed their things. I started closing my workbooks and packing up as well.

"Ma'am?"

I looked up and saw Jackson, one of the quieter students, standing in front of me.

"Jackson! What can I do for you?" I asked.

"I hope you don't mind, but Tr-Trey told me he was staying with you and your husband last week. I was just wondering if you've seen him?" He asked.

My heart sank, I put my books into my bag.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't. Do you know where he might be?" I asked.

"No, but he disappeared after those kids trapped him in a corner." He told me.

"What?" I asked.

"I shouldn't of said anything, it isn't my place." He stammered.

I rushed over to the door and closed it.

"Whatever you tell me Jackson, stays here, okay?" I asked.

He shifted nervously.

I smiled encouragingly.

"Some of the guys on the football team, the cornered him. Said he didn't belong here since he just showed up one day. They said it was their school and they- they called him names." He said.

My heart fell into my stomach, because without him even saying it, I knew what names they said.

"It's fine Jackson, you don't have to repeat it, I can guess it. What happened next?" I asked.

"They started hitting him with their backpacks, but a teacher caught them. They played it off like they always do and got Trey to agree that they were just messing around. The group left and Trey ran out of the school. I tried to stop him, I did!" He told me.

"I know you did Jackson, and I thank you for that and for letting me know what happened." I said.

"I should get going." He said nervously.

"Of course, but if you hear from him will you please let me know?" I asked.

He nodded before leaving.

...

A week had passed and no sign of Trey.

"I'm home!" I called.

"Welcome home." Shayne said, coming from the bedroom.

"How was work?" I asked.

"It was fine, just trying to get a few more things done from home." He told me.

"That's fine, go back to work. I'll start dinner." I said.

He gave me a quick kiss before going back to the bedroom. I hummed to myself as I got the stuff out to make steaks. I got the meat going on the stove, started the sides, and decided to take the trash out. I closed the bag and headed outside, I swung the door closed and almost tripped over something. I cursed as I got my balance and looked up to see Trey sitting on the steps.

"Trey?!" I gasped.

He looked up before looking back down at the sidewalk. I set the bag down before slowly walking over to the steps, sitting down beside him. I folded my hands and rested my arms on my knees. I waited patiently letting him decide when he was ready to talk.

"I wasn't sure if I was allowed back inside." He said finally.

"You're always allowed here Treyvon. This is your home." I told him.

He looked at me, his eyes were a little misty. I wasn't sure if it was because I called it his home, or if he was just emotional.

"What they called you, that's not what you are." I said after a few moments.

He looked at the ground again.

"Who told you?" He asked.

"Jackson." I said.

He shook his head, "That boy can never keep a darn secret."

"If it helps I had to pry it out of him." I said.

He chuckled.

"Trey." I said.

He looked at me.

"This happens again, you tell me or you tell Shayne. End of story, you got it?" I asked.

"Yes ma'am." He said.

I didn't expect it at all, but he started crying. I grabbed him and pulled him into me. I rubbed his back as he cried into my shoulder. I heard the front door open as I peaked up to see Shayne standing there. He looked surprised as I nodded my head slowly letting him know we were good. He shut the door and I continued to comfort Trey. Eventually we went inside and found dinner on the table. Shayne gave Trey his steak and ate a bit of leftovers from the fridge. Trey told us everything that happened the week he was gone. He went to the next town over and crashed on whatever park bench he could. He met this older gentleman at the park and he told him a bunch of cool war stories. He said nothing really drastic or cool happened. He had to dumpster dive for food which to him was the grossest thing he's ever done. Shayne and I told him that what he did was not okay, but we understood he was hurt and angry. We decided not to punish him this time, but he was told that if it happened again it would be a different story. I couldn't get him to tell me the names of the boys that cornered him. I couldn't say I blamed him because nine times out of ten it just made it worse. But I wanted them to know that it wasn't okay, and I wanted their parents to know what their children were doing. Teenagers or not, they needed to be told. But for now, I was just glad that Trey was home again.

Balance: $178,911

Just a random no picture post! Trey is back!

[Ally3772]

Chapter Twenty Seven: Little Surprises

"See! I told you!" I shouted.

"Told me what?" Shayne asked, poking his head out of the bathroom.

"He is going to eat us out of house and home!" I giggled.

I pointed to Trey who was back at the fridge.

"Am not!" He said.

"Uh huh." I said.



Christmas time was here already. There wasn't room for a Christmas tree but I promised Trey we would have one next year. He didn't seem to care, he was just happy to be around people for the holidays. I kissed the top of his head even though he groaned and fussed. I headed to the bathroom and shut the door. I quietly twisted the lock and took a deep breath. I walked over to the sink and reached in the way back for the paper bag I hid. I unrolled it and pulled out a box that read Home Pregnancy Test on a pink box. I bit my lip and tapped the box on my other palm before opening it. I followed the instructions, did the awkward peeing on the stick, and then set the test on the counter. I jumped out of my skin when I heard a knock on the door.

"Yeah?" I called.

"Everything okay?" Shayne asked.

"Yeah! I'll be out in a moment!" I told him.

I heard his footsteps walk away from the door and let out a sigh of relief. I must have paced back and forth a millionth time waiting for the five minutes to be up. I checked my phone and saw that the five minutes was up. I took a deep breath before walking to the sink.

"Here we go." I told myself.

Treyvon's POV

"Man you're cheating!" I laughed.

"You're just slacking, keep up noob." Shayne teased.

I groaned as he passed me again.

"Maybe if you were sitting closer." He jabbed.

"And risk you messing with my controller like the last time? No thank you." I said.

"Suit yourself." He said.

I grinned and made my way to overtaking him again.

I didn't say it out loud, but I hoped Shayne and Julie knew how much I loved them and this house. Even with my biological parents I never felt this sense of belonging. I knew they weren't my parents though, and my time here could be cut short at any time. But I knew they cared about me, why else would they agree to let me stay here?



"HA! Gotcha!" I cheered.

"Oh mannn!" He groaned.

I did a victory dance.

"Yeah yeah, rub it in!" Shayne said.

I grinned.

"Alright, time to get some work done. How is your homework?" He asked.

"All finished. I was going to catch up on some chores." I said.

"Sounds good." He said.

"You sure Julie is okay?" I asked.

She had been in the bathroom for a while.

"Yeah, I'll check on her again." He said.

Shayne's POV

"Julie? Are you sure you're okay?" I asked.

"Uh huh." She called.

I sighed, "Okay, I'm going to get some work done. Trey is doing his chores."

"Sounds good!" She said.

I stood there a moment before walking into our bedroom. I closed the door behind me and headed over to the desk. I pulled open the drawer and fished towards the back until I found what I was looking for. I looked at the door to make sure that no one was coming in before looking at the little black box in my hand. I slowly opened it seeing the gold key that was sitting on the velvet base. It was a major surprise, and possibly one that she won't expect, but I really hope that she liked it. I finalized with the realtor last week and got the keys this morning. I smiled and covered the key back up with the cover of the box. I slid it back into the drawer and sat back in my seat. I couldn't wait to give it to her. I couldn't wait to give Trey a home.

Julie and I had our own surprise for Trey that we were waiting to give to him as a present. Under the mattress in a brown envelope were adoption papers. We hired and adoption lawyer and had been working with him for a while. It took a while to locate the dad, turns out he passed away five years ago. I wish I could say that it was the worst news but that came from the mother. She signed her rights away without even questioning it or even asking how he was or where he was staying. I was angry after that appointment. How could someone just stop caring for their own child? It didn't matter because if Trey wanted us, we were going to be his parents.

...

Julie's POV

Christmas was here!

"Now you're getting it!" I said.

Trey and I were working on dinner tonight. We were working on the sides while the ham was in the oven. I asked him what his favorite foods were and we were making most of them. His absolute favorite was pumpkin pie. It was traditionally more of a Thanksgiving dessert, but I made it a point to make that as well.



"There's two of my favorite people!" Shayne said.

"We're just working on the sides." Trey said.

"Smells good!" Shayne noted.

I smiled glancing over my shoulder.

Dinner turned out wonderful. The ham was nice and juicy, the mashed potatoes turned out great, and Trey almost finished the pumpkin pie all by himself. We were all in a food coma, but Trey was so excited to give us his gift. Shayne and I sat on the couch as Trey handed us a small box.

"It's not much." He said.

"Can we open it?!" I asked.

"Yeah!" He said.

I let Shayne do the wrapping paper, and I opened the rectangular box. Inside was a simple black photo frame, but what was inside made me cry. It was a picture of all three of us, Trey in the middle as he took the "selfie" as he called it. We all looked happy.

"Oh Trey!" I gasped.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"We love it." Shayne said, sounding choked up as well.

It was a simple gift, but it meant so much to us. It was a sign he felt at home with us and gave me hope that he might just want us as his parents.

"Okay, now don't get all mushy on me." Trey joked.

"Too late!" I said.

I stood up and kissed his cheek before giving him a hug.

"My turn!" Shayne said.

He stood up and walked to the area where the gifts were. He picked up a small rectangular box and walked over to me. He sat down next to me before carefully handing it over. My stomach did flip flops as he looked at me.

"I love you so much. You have went through so much in you life, and have taken everything that was thrown at you with ease. I know you love this house and had dreams for it. But, I think you deserve more and something better. I wand you to have something we can make ours." He said.

I looked at him before opening the box, I gasped.

"What is it?!" Trey asked.

"It's a key." I cried covering my mouth.

"That is the key to our new home." Shayne said.

I kissed Shayne.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

"I love it!" I said.

I stared at the key for a moment. I guess it was my turn for his present. My stomach was flip flopping all over the place. I walked back over to the couch and sat down by Shayne.

"I guess this will tie into your gift." I said.

I set the little package in his hands. I watched him slowly pull the ribbon off the rectangular box. He opened the lid and I swear he stopped breathing.

"Is- Is this what I think it is?" He asked.

I nodded.

"You're pregnant?" He asked, his eyes watering.

"I am!" I cried.

He hugged me. I guess we were wrapped up in our own little world because I saw Trey in the corner of my eye. He had his backpack and was putting his clothes into it.

"Trey?" I asked, wiping my eyes.

"Congratulations." He said, sounding upset.

"Trey, what's going on?" Shayne asked.

"Nothing, I'm happy for you." He said, continuing to pack.

"Why are you packing up your things?" I asked.

Shayne and I stood up and walked over to him.

"Well, I assume with the new baby that you're going to need room. So, this is my que to leave." He told us.

I looked at Shayne shocked.

"Trey, we don't want you to leave." Shayne said.

"I knew this wasn't permanent." Trey said, pretending he wasn't hurt.

I walked over to the brown envelope and grabbed it.

"I think you should open your gift." I told him.

"No, I don't need it." Trey said.

"Treyvon. Open your gift please." Shayne said, smiling.

Shayne and I watched as he took the envelope. We saw him tear it open and pull out the papers. I held my breath as I watched his eyes fall over the words, and his brain slowly process what they were saying. I heard his gasp first before seeing his shoulders start to shake. I covered his face with his hands and cried into them, Shayne grabbed the papers so they wouldn't fall. I stepped closer to Trey and gave him a hug.



He eventually pulled away, his eyes red.

"We don't want you to leave, because we want you to be our son." Shayne said.

"If you'll have us." I said.

"Of course I will. You- You have no idea how much- how much I wan-" He started getting choked up again.

"We know, and you deserve it. We love you Trey." I said.

"I love you guys too, even if you're goofy." He joked.

It turns out that this Christmas each of us had our little surprises. Trey opened his heart to us, we were moving to another house, and we had another kid on the way. Things were going in the right direction. I couldn't wait to see what this new future held for each of us.

Balance: $185,077

So many changes!!!

[Ally3772]

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Next Chapter

"This is it!" Shayne said.

He uncovered my eyes and I gasped.

"Shayne!" I screamed.

Trey chuckled at my reaction.

"Welcome to our new home!" Shayne announced.



I shivered a bit from the cold but didn't care. Look at this house!

"We have a side yard?!" I asked.

All of us walked over to the white fence and peaked over.

"Wait, what is that shed? And this little teal house?" I asked.

"That shed? That's where your cow is going to be. Then this little teal house is a chicken coop." He told me.

"No way!" I said.

"And this is where you will plant your crops." He pointed.

I think my mouth was permanently stuck in the open position.

"Yo this is so cool!" Trey said.

"I wanna see the rest!" I squealed.



Shayne grabbed my hand and led me into the house, Trey opened the door for the both of us.

"Such the gentleman." I noted.

He smiled as he followed us inside.

"Oh my god." I gasped.

"We should start making her pay a dollar for every time she says that." Trey joked.

"Ha." I said.

"This is my favorite part! An open kitchen that flows into the dining room and into the living room." Shayne told us.




"How- How can we afford this? Are we on one of those shows that show us 'This is what you want, but can't afford so now we go find a fixer upper.'?" I asked.

Shayne laughed, "I'm in business remember, I have connections."

"I'll say." Trey said, looking around.

"Now, for Trey's room." Shayne said.

"Wait, I have a room?" He asked.

"Of course! Where else would you sleep?" Shayne told him.

"I have my air mattress." Trey said.

"Not anymore!" Shayne said, smiling.



"NO WAY!" Trey gasped.

"Welcome to your own room!" Shayne said.

"I have my own TV and video game system!" He yelled.

"Oh boy." I laughed.

"There are rules that go with that. Homework first, chores, and you can't stay up all night on it. Plus you have to let me beat you in racing here and there." Shayne told him.

"Let you? Psssh, that one I can't do." Trey said.

I giggled.

"But yes, this is your room. It is your space to go to when you need space." Shayne said.

"I love it, thank you." Trey said.

He turned away but I could tell that he was getting emotional.

"Let's go see the rest!" I said after a moment.

"It's a little cramped, but this is where the computer is." Shayne said.



"Then I will show you the two bathrooms. There's one full bathroom and a half." Shayne said.

"Aren't we fancy." I joked.

"Now we won't have to fight over the bathroom." Trey laughed.




"And that's the tour!" Shayne announced.

I looked at him confused.

"What?" He asked.

"Where is our room?" I asked.

"Oh, the couch has a pull out mattress. We have to make that work for now." He told me.

"Oh, okay!" I said, trying to keep my voice even.

"No, I can give you guys my room. I can crash on the couch." Trey said.

"No honey you need your own room." I told him.

Shayne started laughing.

"I'm joking, we have our own room!" He said.

I playfully smacked him in the chest.



"I love it!" I said.

"Good, I wasn't sure on the colors." Shayne said.

"It's so cozy." I told him.

"And you have plants!" Trey said.

"I do!!" I giggled.

"Can never have too many plants with you." Shayne joked.

We walked back out into the main room.

"Where is the baby going to go?" Trey asked.

"Good question, behind this door is the nursery." Shayne said.

I gasped.

"But it's not finished so you can't see it." He finished.

I pouted, "Please."

"Nope, you'll just have to wait." He said.

I groaned.

I looked around again in utter shock that this was our home now. It all happened so fast and I couldn't wait to make it our home. Shayne and I decided that instead of selling our old house we were going to turn it into a community house of sorts. Since I cared about it so much Shayne didn't just want to get rid of it. So we spent some money to expand our bedroom and add another room for rows of bunk beds. That way everyone had a place to go to sleep, eat, shower, and just relax while feeling safe. We did take a small hit in money by moving but it won't take us too long to get back to where we were. Before the move we had about $190,000 and now we were at $126,046. I wasn't worried though, I was just excited to start this next chapter with my boys and the new baby.

Balance: $126,046

They're in the new house!! So story time! I was planning on having them stay in the old house for a bit longer. However, I had a derp moment when the game updated last. I forgot that it turns off your CC and mods with each update and I accidentally saved the game AFTER loading into the save when turning it back on. So it saved with the CC off which meant a lot of what was in the house, and their clothing, were all gone. So I went a head and moved them into the new one, and Shayne and Julie once again have a new makeover haha! Whoopsie. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!

[Ally3772]

Chapter Twenty Nine: Plans

I groaned.

"More morning sickness?" Shayne asked.

"I swear it's like all day sickness." I said.

"I'm sorry, I'll make you some tea. Go relax on the couch." He said.

"Trey already at school?" I asked.

"Yeah, it was hard getting him up this morning." He told me.

He walked in a few moments later with a cup of tea.

"All he does is eat and sleep, he might be going through a growth spurt." I mentioned.

"I don't know if we can afford that. He's eating all the food." He joked.

"I told you so." I said for the millionth time.

He chuckled as he leaned down to give me a kiss.

"I'm off to work, call if you need anything, and relax!" He told me.

"Will do!" I said.

We exchanged I love yous and he was out the door. I gripped the cup of tea and looked out the window at the falling snow. I was ready for the snow to end and for spring to come. I was growing restless to get my crops planted and to buy the chickens and cow. I was excited to be able to produce my own eggs and milk, it's only two items but it was two less items on the grocery bill. Next to me my phone started buzzing, I picked it up and almost dropped my tea when I saw who it was from. Janine! I haven't heard from her in over a month! In fact, Shayne asked me about her the other day. Turns out she went on a vacation, but never came back to work and he found it strange. I tried texted her the news about the pregnancy and the new house, but she never got back to me.

"Hey! Where have you been?! I was worrying!" I said after I answered.

"Heyyy! Sorry I know! It's been a crazy month!"

"Shayne said you went on vacation but never came back? Is everything okay?" I asked.

"Yeah! We went to visit Michael's parents and well, we decided to move here."

"What?!" I gasped.

"It was a very spur of the moment decision that happened so fast. I've barely had time to wrap my own head around it."

This was so very unlike Janine to do.

"Is this something you wanted?" I asked her.

"Yeah, I mean, I wish it didn't happen so fast. But I love Michael, it feels like I've known him my whole life."

I was quiet for a moment or two, "As long as you're happy. I just wish I got to see you before you left."

"I know. But hey! Congratulations on the baby and the new house! You have to send me pictures!"

I smiled trying to hide my disappointment, "I will!"

"Oh! Michael just got home! Send my love to Shayne and Trey!"

It's been so long that I forgot I even mentioned Trey living with us to her.

"Thanks, I will. Bye." I said.

...

"I'm home!" Shayne called.

"In the main bathroom!" I said.

"Oh no, more sickness?" He asked.

He walked in.

"No, just working on some maintenance on the new tub." I said.



"So much for relaxing." He chuckled.

I stood up and walked over to give him a kiss. He hugged me to him as I began to explain my conversation with Janine earlier.

"That doesn't seem like Janine at all." He said.

"Right?" I asked.

"Hmm, well, I guess good for her." He sighed.

"I'm going to miss her." I said.

"I know babe." He said.

"I'm home!" Trey called.

"How was school?" I asked.

"Good! No homework for the weekend!" He cheered.

"What are you going to do with yourself?" I chuckled.

"Movie marathon!" He said.

"Not until chores!" Shayne reminded him.

"Oh let him have his fun. You can do them tomorrow." I told Trey.

"Sweet! Thanks mom!" He said before rushing to his room.



"Did-Did he just call me mom?" I gapsed.

"I think he did." Shayne beamed.

I don't know if it was the pregnancy hormones, or the fact that he just called me mom for the first time, or both but I started to cry.

"He called me mom!" I sobbed.

Shayne pulled me into his arms again.

...

The second trimester came by in a flash. Suddenly I was free of the sickness and definitely sporting a baby bump. Shayne still wouldn't let me see the nursery even though he said that it's done. He finished it last week after the doctors appointment where we decided he would know what the baby was going to be so he could know what colors. I on the other hand wanted to be surprised, even though I was close a few times to having him tell me anyway. Trey thinks it's a girl but I had a feeling it would be a boy. I also had to dig out the old flower dress because I couldn't fit into my jeans anymore.

"How are you feeling?" Shayne asked.

"Pretty energized! If only I could work on my garden." I said.

"Soon baby." He said.

He got on his knees and gave my tummy a kiss.



He stood back up and wrapped his arms around me.

"I can't wait to meet him or her." He said.

"You could just tell me." I said.

"Nope, you wanted it to be a surprise." He smiled.

I pouted.

"Soon. She or he will be here." He said.

"I can't wait." I grinned.

"Me either." He whispered.




Balance: $132.032

Hello! I hope everyone is having a good week! Halfway to Friday!!! I've been struggling a lot lately financially, so my motivation to play and write chapters took a hit. But I'm hoping to get passed it! I hope you enjoy!

[Ally3772]

Chapter Thirty: Almost Time

The third trimester was here!



"You look beautiful." Shayne said, after taking the picture.

"I feel huge." I groaned.

"Well, you do have a baby in there." He joked.

I glared at him.

"Alright, alright!" He retreated.

I walked over and gave him a kiss.

"I love you." I said.

"I love you too." He said.

We walked out to the kitchen. I sat at the island while Shayne opened up the fridge.

"Want a snack?" He asked.

"Oooo grilled cheese please!" I said.

He glanced at his watch.

"Shouldn't Trey be home?" He asked.

"Oops, pregnancy brain strikes again. He texted an hour ago and asked if he could go with a bunch of kids from school to see a movie." I told him.

"Good! He's making friends." He said.

"It's about time, I was getting worried." I said.

...

"Alright I'm done." I said.

"Done with what?" Shayne asked.

"With being pregnant." I told him.

He chuckled, "I don't think it works that way."

"Well it does now. Pin a eviction notice on me. It's time for this baby to get out." I said.

He shook his head and laughed. He put his hands on my belly and rubbed.

"Soon." He said.



"I do have something that will make you feel better." He said.

"What's that?" I asked.

"Turn around." He said.

I turned my back to him and waited. I heard him shuffling around and anxiously waited for his cue.

"Okay, turn around." He said.

I slowly turned around and gapsed.



"Shayne!" I whispered.

"There once was this guy, and he came off as a selfish jerk who looked down on others. He met this beautiful woman named Julieanne and she quickly stole his heart. She taught him to open his eyes to a world he never thought twice about. She taught him to love others who haven't had the easiest of roads to travel. But most importantly, she taught him to live life to the fullest. Julie, I love you so much. Every day with you is an adventure and it just keeps getting better. You and Trey bring so much happiness to me, and I cannot wait to meet this little one. I know we're doing things backwards, but would you make me the happiest man on the planet and marry me?" He asked.

I covered my mouth.

"Yes!" I cried.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Yes yes yes!" I said.




"It's so beautiful!" I cried.

"You like it?" He asked.

"I love it! But how am I gonna fit into a wedding dress?" I said, full on crying.

"Oh honey! No we can get married after the baby!" He said.

"You would be fine with that?" I asked.

"Of course! I would wait forever!" He assured me.

I gave him a kiss.

"Now, we take pictures!" He said.

I groaned as he set up his tripod.

We were engaged!





Later That Night

"Shayne!" I whisper shouted.

"What?" He asked.

"Shayne! Come here!" I whispered.

"Are you okay?" He asked, walking over.

"Look!" I said, pointing outside.

He peaked through the slit in the curtain.

"Is that a girl?!" He gapsed.

"It's a girl!" I confirmed.

"Whoa!" He said.

We watched Trey and this mystery girl on the porch for a few moments.




You could tell he was shy around her and liked her. He would laugh at all her jokes and blush a few times. Both of us gasped and ran away from the window as Trey said goodbye and walked through the door.

"Hey sweetie." I said, acting like I was cleaning the island counter.

"How was the movie?" Shayne asked.

"I saw you guys." Trey said, chuckling a little.

"It was all your fathers idea." I said.

"I'm sure it was." Trey said.

I smiled, "So who is she?"

"Mannn." He groaned.

"You don't have to tell us if you don't want too." Shayne said.

"Her name is Morgan, and we've been talking for a while." He told us.

"Is she your girlfriend?" I asked.

"Ma come on." He blushed.

I squealed.

"Well, it would be lovely to have her over for dinner one day." Shayne said.

"I'm going to go die in bed now." He groaned.

"We'll miss you." I joked.

He disappeared into his room.

"He has a girlfriend." I mock singed.

Shayne chuckled.

Next up, baby time! Almost there...

Balance: $134,745

Thank you for all the views! I'm glad everyone is enjoying it so far!

[Auranaris]

Eeee I can’t wait to see what you name the baby... if it’s not too late, might I suggest Eleanor for a girl?

[Ally3772]

Thirty One: And a Baby Makes Four

"Something's not right." I said.

"Do you wanna go to the hospital?" Shayne asked.

"No, it's just lower back pain I'm sure." I groaned.



"Okay, here let me help you up." He said.

"I don't wanna move." I said.

"Stretching might help, and I can make you some tea." He told me.

I groaned again.

"If I get any bigger you're going to need a crane." I said.



I walked a little towards the door when a sharp pain ripped through me.

"AH!" I screamed.

"Julie?!" Shayne asked.

"Something is wrong Shayne. Something isn't right." I cried out.



Shayne's POV

I have never been more scared in my life.

"Are you in pain?!" I asked.

"Yes! It hurts so bad!" She cried.

I was about to ask her another question when she let out another scream of pain. But this time there was a splash of water that continued to trickle down her legs.

"Oh no." She cried out.

"Was that-"

"My water just broke." She groaned.

Just then my cell phone pinged, it was Trey.

Can I go to Morgan's after school? -T

No. You need to meet us at the hospital.

What? Why?! -T

Mom's having the baby. Leaving in five.

I'll get Morgan's mom to drive me! -T

"Trey is going to meet us at the hospital." I told her.

"I'm scared." She cried.

"I know, not going to lie I am too." I said.

I brushed the hair out of her hair.

"Will you get the bags from the room?" She asked.

"Of course." I told her.




I came out of the room with bags in hand.

"Alright, ready to have a baby?" I asked.

"To have this baby? Yes. For the pain? No." She said.

...

It took a little bit of time but we were finally in the room.

"Mom?! Dad?!"

We turned our heads to the door and saw Trey running in out of breath.

"Have I missed it?!" He gasped.

"Nope, I am still very pregnant." Julie said.

Trey took the sight of Julie in, followed by all the wires and machines. He suddenly looked very uncomfortable and scared.

"She's fine Trey, this is all normal. They're monitoring her and the baby." I explained.

"So it's all routine?" He asked.

"Yes, and so far the baby and I are doing fine." She told him.

"Okay good." He sighed in relief.

"Trey, stay with your mother okay? I'm going to go call the school and let them know you won't be at school tomorrow. I'll be just outside." I told him.

Julie's POV

"Careful." Shayne said.

"I'll get the door!" Trey said.

Trey rushed in front of us and opened up the front door.

"Easy." Shayne instructed.

I rolled my eyes playfully as I maneuvered the car seat through the front door.

"Okay, home at last." Shayne said.

I gently lifted the car seat onto the island top and took a deep breath. The past thirty two hours have been the most painful and longest hours of my life. Shayne and Trey had been very attentive to my needs though. The nurses would joke that I was one lucky girl every time they came in to check my vitals and the baby's position. When it finally came down to pushing Trey had to leave. Not that the nurses and doctor minded him being there, he just got very wheezy and almost passed out. He managed to pull himself together though towards the end and came back in time to hear the baby crying. Shayne kissed my sweaty forehead as I cried out in happiness.

"Should we get her settled into the nursery?" Shayne asked.

"Yes, but would you mind carrying her?" I asked.

I was still pretty sore and couldn't wait to be able to rest. I followed Shayne into the nursery with Trey in tow, I set the diaper bag down on the chair.

"Here we go little girl." Shayne whispered.




The three of us stood over her looking down at her in the crib.

"She is so tiny." Trey said.

"Do you want to hold her?" I asked.

"No, no I might break her." He said.

I chuckled, "Whenever you're ready."

"Alright mama, let's get you to bed." Shayne announced.

"Yes please." I said.

I bent over and kissed her on the forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Eleanor." I whispered.

...

After an hour of beautiful sleep, I went to check on Eleanor. As soon as I saw she was a girl in the delivery room I knew right away what I wanted to name her. I told Shayne and he said that Eleanor would be honored to have this little girl named after her. He loved the name and didn't even question it. He joked that he would get to name the next baby to which I told him to slow down. I was about to walk into the nursery when I heard Trey talking softly. I stopped just shy of the doorframe and listened a bit.

"Hi El, it's me Trey. I'm your brother." He said.

I peaked in and saw him holding her.

"I'm kind of nervous, I've never been a big brother before." He told her.



"You'll always have me in your corner. I promise you that. See, no one was in my corner until mom and dad took me in. This is going to shock you, but they didn't have me like they had you. But that doesn't matter, because they love me and they love you too. We got a good pair of parents, you'll see. Except you'll find that mom has a bit of an eavesdropping problem, especially when you are on the porch with your girlfriend. But also when she doesn't think you know she's standing outside the room listening to every word I say to you." He said.

"Busted." I said, walking into the nursery.

"You really need to get better at that." He chuckled.

"How did you know?" I asked.

"The floor board creaks just before the door." He said.

I groaned.

"I think she needs a change, and I have homework to do." He told me.

He slowly and carefully transferred her into my arms.

"I love you mom." He said.

I was never going to get used to that.

"I love you too sweetie." I smiled.

Eleanor cooed in my arms.

"And I love you little one." I cooed back.



Balance: $135,673

Welcome baby Eleanor! A special thanks to Auranaris for the name idea! I hope you guys enjoyed this extra long chapter! Also the balance hasn't changed much because I haven't really played much game wise!

[Ally3772]

Chapter Thirty Two: Spring Time

It was officially spring time! It was crazy how much time had passed, but with a newborn you blink and it's next week. Trey stayed home with Eleanor while Shayne and I went to buy a cow and a few chickens in town. A few hours later we had a brown cow named Carla, and eight little chicks. Shayne said two chicks max would be good, but we somehow ended up with all of the stores inventory.

"There's my sweet baby girl." I cooed.

I scooped her up in my arms and lifted her up.

"Should I make her a bottle?" Shayne asked.

"Could you?" I asked.

Once Shayne made her a bottle I made the trade off.

"I'm going to go work in the garden!" I said excitedly.




We were having a few colder days still, but mainly towards the evenings. Right now the weather was beautiful, so I changed into my warmer clothes and headed outside. I had everything ready in a little box and got to work planting each of my crops. I had everything from tomatoes, beans, potatoes, parsley, lettuce, and so much more.

"Do you need help?" Trey asked.

"Jeez! You scared the crap out of me!" I gasped.

He chuckled, "Sorry."

"If you could, Carla's shed needs to be cleaned up a bit more." I told him.

"On it!" He said.

"Thank you honey." I called after him.



After planting everything and getting them watered I headed over to Carla who was now outside.

"Oh boy! It was a bit dirty in there huh?" I asked.

She gave me a look.

"Sorry girl. Trey is cleaning it now." I told her.

I grabbed her cleaning brush and got to work. She seemed to enjoy it because she shook her head happily as I brushed the dirt away.

"Okay, the shed is cleaned." Trey said.

"Thank you." I said.

"I'm off to do some other chores." He told me.

"Hey, ask your dad if he'll put El down for her nap will you?" I asked.

"Gotcha!" He said before disappearing into the house.



"Alright girl, let's get you milked." I said.

I pulled up the wooden stool and grabbed the metal bucket. This was my second time doing it, but I was getting better and better every time I did it. We would get about six bottles each time we milked her. Trey tried the first time and milk got everywhere it was hilarious.

"Annnnd we're all done." I told her.

Moooooooooo!

"Shhh, you're gonna have the whole neighborhood after us." I giggled.



"Hey babe, how is it going?"

I was about to head over to the chicken coop when Shayne walked outside.

"Good! I got another six bottles! Now it's off to feed the chickens." I told him.

"I'm glad you're enjoying it babe." He said smiling.

We walked over to the chicken coop. We had to build a separate fence for the chickens because they decided to roam literally everywhere. So Shayne got it to where the fence meshed with the bushes. I spread the feed around the ground and made sure nothing was wrong with the coop.

"How long until we get eggs from them?" Shayne asked.

"They have to grow up to be actual full sized chickens I think." I said.

"Ah right, they're still babies." He said.



...

"Hey Trey?" I asked.



I poked my head into the nursery. He was glued to her most of the time and it was almost like Shayne and I had to race to get her when she cried. I didn't mind though, it made him feel important and included.

"Yeah?" He asked.

"Morgan is outside." I said in a sing song voice.

"Moooom." He groaned.

"Here, give me your sister." I said.

He passed me Eleanor and headed outside.

Trey's POV

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I asked.

"Should I have called?" She asked.

"No! No it's fine! I was just in with Eleanor." I told her.

"Ah, the other girl after your heart." She joked.

"She does have me around her tiny little finger." I chucked.

"That's adorable." She gushed.

"What's up?" I asked.

"I was wondering if you wanna go see Man VS. Gorilla tomorrow after school?" She asked.

"I'll have to check with the parents but I'm sure it'll be fine." I told her.

"I'm glad they care about you so much." She smiled.

"They're pretty cool." I agreed.



We talked for almost an hour on the porch. Talking about everything and nothing, and I didn't even think to invite her in. She didn't seem to mind though, even though she thought my parents were cool I don't think she was ready for that just yet.

"Well, I probably should head back home." She said.

"Okay, I love you." I said.

"I love you too." She said, blushing.

That was my favorite part of her, was her blushing. I leaned in and gave her a small kiss on the lips. She smiled and waved goodbye before I headed inside. I walked back into the nursery to find dad feeding Eleanor.

"Hey pops?" I asked.

"Pops? That's a new one." He said.

"Thought I'd try it out." I laughed.

"I don't hate it." He said.



"Can I go see the new movie in theaters with Morgan tomorrow after school?" I asked.

"It should be fine, but check with your mother too." He told me.

"Thanks!" I said.

I really liked Morgan, we hadn't made it official yet, but I think we both knew we were dating. Things in life were going great! I just hope I didn't mess it up.

Balance: $134,591

Garden is all set up! Animals are also bought! I almost lost Carla because I forgot you had to clean the shed and feed them... Whoopsie. One of these updates the money will go up I promise haha. Buying the cows and chickens took a bit out of it!

[Ally3772]

Chapter Thirty Three: Birthdays and Eating Crayons

"Say cheese!" Trey sang.

"Cheese!" I called.

He snapped the photo.

"One more!" He said.

I got into another pose and smiled as he snapped the shot.

"Perfect!" He said.

"Those will look great." Shayne agreed.

I stood up, carrying Eleanor in my arms. He showed me the pictures from his phone and I made a mental note to get those printed.

"Alright, who wants cake?!" Shayne asked.

Eleanor squealed. Today is her birthday. She was no longer a baby and now was a toddler, which meant a new and exciting chapter.




Her hair was a tad bit brighter than mine, but it could darken over the years and she had green eyes. Shayne and I both had green eyes so it wasn't a big shock she would have them too. She was already such a happy toddler and Trey loved her even more if that was possible. I watched as he carefully helped spoon cake into her mouth while also trying to stop her from putting her icing covered hands in her hair. Shayne started talking about this brand new project work gave to him. It could lead to a huge promotion and pay raise and he was excited to start it on Monday. As for me, teaching came naturally and my students were starting to open up and trust me a bit more. I was even offered a full time position as the English teacher! All those late nights at the college and early days doing homework before work paid off! Trey and Shayne surprised me with dinner that night and it was one of the best nights ever.

"What a mess!" I giggled.

Trey put Eleanor in her room and now we were standing in the kitchen looking at the aftermath.

"I'll load the dishwasher, Trey you wanna wipe off the table?" Shayne asked.

"Yes sir." He said.

I got started on gathering up the few presents we got for her. I gathered them into my arms and carried her into the nursery. We got her a big girl bed, but we needed to set it up before bedtime.

"Well, I guess you couldn't wait." I whispered.

There, on her rocking horse, was Eleanor passed out.

"Too much cake will do that to you." I joked to myself.



I set the toys down in the corner and carefully picked her up. She made a noise before going back to sleep on my shoulder. I carried her to the bedroom and made a makeshift bed for her on our bed. I kissed her forehead before turning to leave.

"She passed out I see." Shayne said.

"Out like a light." I said.

"Sugar crashes can be brutal." Trey laughed.

"Crap, the sun is going down and I still haven't milked Carla." I said.

"I'll do it!" Trey said.

"Thank you sweetie." I told him.



Juggling being a mom and a wife, dealing with the animals, and tending to the garden was difficult lately. There were a few times I forgot to feed the chickens which turned out to actually be hens. Do hens still lay eggs? I guess we will have to see. I failed at the big gardens with all my lettuce, egg plants, and pumpkins. I dug it all out and just got rid of it. I did everything I could from spraying for bugs, fertilizing, and keeping up with the watering. I never got a single head of lettuce, but I didn't let that discourage me. The main crops were doing great and I was getting enough to even donate to the local market.

A Week Later

"Cow!" Eleanor said, pointing to Carla.

"That's right! Cow!" I encouraged.

Shayne and I have been working with her a lot to teach her how to talk.

"Alright, let's get you in here." I said.

I slowly lifted her and set her back down in the the pool.



Shayne brought home a small kiddie pool now that we had a little extra room in the backyard.

"Cod!" She said.

"Cold?" I asked.

"Wittle." She said.

"It'll warm up." I told her.

She splashed around and I handed her the rubber duck.

"This is a duck." I said.

"Duck!" She repeated.

"Good job!" I said.

She immediately put it into her mouth. That wasn't surprising these days, she was getting more teeth in and it's been a painful process. There were a few nights we brought her into our room with us at night because she just wouldn't stop crying. We both felt helpless when that happened because it seemed like no medicine or frozen chew ring would help her.

"Da?" She asked.

"He's at work." I told her.

"Da." She repeated.

"Soon baby." I said.



"All dried off." I said.

I set Eleanor down on the ground dressed in her dry pajamas.

"Color." She said.

She pointed at her drawing pad and crayons.

"You can color before bed, just no eating the crayons." I reminded her.

You would think I wouldn't have to tell my child not to eat the crayons, but to Trey's surprise he found her eating a blue crayon the other night.



I sat on the edge of her bed and watched her color. She was growing up too fast, and speaking of growing up Trey even had a birthday coming up. I know we didn't get him until he was in his late teen years, but it was hard to picture him as a young adult.

Balance: $141,494

Happy Birthday Eleanor! I'm hoping to get a few chapters out this weekend! I hope everyone has a good one!

[Ally3772]

Chapter Thirty Four: Blind Sided

"Some of the logic these kids have scare me." I said from the table.

"Yeah?" Shayne asked.

He was at the island making dinner.

"Half of them seem like they actually did the reading, and the other half seems like they read a different book completely." I said.

Shayne walked over and looked at my grading book.



"How many of them are seniors?" He asked.

"The ones that seem like they didn't do the reading." I told him.

"Ah, so they're suffering from senioritis." He said.

I thought about it for a moment.

"I never thought of that." I said.

"I had it rough my senior year. I did not want to do anything." He told me.

"I'm home!" Trey called.

"How is Morgan?" I asked.

"Doing okay, her parents have been fighting a lot lately." He said, setting his things down.

"That's too bad." I said.

"Trey!" Eleanor called.

"There she is!" Trey said, picking her up in his arms.

"I wanna dance!" She told him.

"You do?" He asked.

She squealed as he walked her over to the living room and set her down.



"She is a little dancing machine lately." Shayne laughed.

"She really is." I said.

"Is dinner almost done? I'm starving." Trey said.

"About twenty more minutes if you wanna go wash up." Shayne told him.

"Shayne, I hate to interrupt her when she just started, but she needs to be changed." I said.

"Potty training still going rough?" He asked.

"We're getting there. No accidents yet, but I put her in a diaper just in case." I said.

"That's fine, I'll get her changed and then change myself." He told me.



...

"Hey mom? Can Morgan come over?" Trey asked.

"I don't see why not." I said.

"Cool thanks!" He said, going to call her.

I got started on some snacks for her. She was a really nice girl once you got to know her. She has been to dinner a few times now and every time she insists on helping set the table and clean up. I tried to get her to open up about her home life but every time she does she switches the subject. I had the feeling it wasn't the best situation, but she was also a senior so maybe she would move out as soon as she could. Twenty minutes Morgan walked through the front door.

"Hello Julie!" She called.

"Hi Morgan! So nice to see you!" I replied.

"Is he in the room?" She asked.

"No I'm right here." Trey said.

He walked over to her and gave her a kiss.

I left them alone to go check on Eleanor, but when I came back I found Morgan kissing Trey on the neck.

"Okay lovebirds, cool it down." I said.

"Moooom." Trey groaned.

"You know the rules. I am too young to be a grandmother." I scolded.

"Yes ma'am." He groaned again.

"Sorry Julie." Morgan said.



"Morgan, are you staying for dinner?" I asked.

"I can't tonight. My parents have some work friends over and they want me there." She told me.

"Alright, next time then." I said,smiling.

"Can we go to my room?" Trey asked.

"If you keep the door open." I told him.

"Come on." Trey said.

He led Morgan by the hand to his room at the same time that Shayne came walking out of Eleanor's room with her in his arms.

"Where are you going with her? Sneaking away?" I giggled.

"This one just decided it was a good idea to spill her juice all over the place." He told me.

"Oh no! I'll go clean it up while you bathe her." I said.

Once the juice was cleaned I headed into the bathroom to see how things were going.



"We're getting married next week." Shayne said abrutptly.

I stopped walking and looked at him.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Next week, you and me, getting married." He said as if this was the most casual thing ever.

"Did you just decide this?" I asked, leaning against the wall.

He watched Eleanor play with her toy duck before looking up at me.

"I don't wanna wait any longer." He said.

My heart sped up and the butterflies in my stomach started.

I smiled, "Then I guess we're getting married next week."

"Go pick out your dress. Any kind you want, it's on me." He said.

I leaned down and gave him a kiss.

"Ewww." Eleanor said.

I giggled as the front doorbell rang.

"I got it." I said.

I walked out of the room as Trey and Morgan did the same. I walked up behind Trey ready to answer the door but Trey opened it before me. I watched as his whole body stiffened, and Trey never reacted like that.

"Trey? Who is it?" I asked.

When he didn't answer I walked closer to the door.

"Well don't just stand there, aren't you going to invite your mother in boy?"

Trey just stood there, frozen into place.

Balance: $144,858

Bum bum bummmmmmm Also, here's a little blooper picture! Isn't she cute hahaha

[Ally3772]

Thirty Five: Fighting for Him

Trey's POV

"Well don't just stand there, aren't you going to invite your mother in boy?" Angie, my biological mother, said.

"Let her in."

Moms voice scared me for multiple reasons. First, it was because I didn't know she was right behind me. Second, it had that threatened edge to it. The "mess with him you mess with me" mama bear edge. I finally got my feet to do what my brain told it too and stepped to the side. Dad came out of whatever room he was in to see what the commotion was about. I was thankful Eleanor wasn't with him, even if she was too little to understand. I watched as Angie stepped inside the house, she tried to give me a kiss on the cheek but I pulled away. All three of us stood awkwardly in the entryway.

"What's going on?" Dad asked.

"Well boy, introduce me!" Angie snapped.

Her voice was enough to make me flinch, and mom saw it.

"I would appreciate it if you would not talk to my son that way." Mom said through clenched teeth.

"Your son? Honey, did you give birth to him? Did you raise him?" Angie asked.

"How about we all sit down? I'll make us some tea." Dad said, defusing an already tense situation.

"How- How did you find out where I live?" I asked.

"I followed you home from school one day sweetie." Angie told me.

"Why?" I asked.

"What kind of question is that? Because I miss you, and I want you to come home." She said.

I gawked at her, "You're kidding me right?"

"Of course not! I'm getting help with my...issues." She said.

"I've heard that multiple times before." I said.

"It's dif-"

"No it's not. Don't feed me lies." I snapped.

Dad set a tray of cups of tea in the middle of the table.

"Are you here for money?" I asked.

"What? No, you're my son." She said.

"He is my son." Mom snapped.

"What makes you think that?" Angie asked, getting attitude again.

"The paper you signed, waving your rights as his mother." Dad said.

"Papers? I didn't sign any papers." She said.

I saw dad head over to the desk. He pulled open a drawer and pulled out a brown file folder and brought it to the table. He sat down and flipped through the papers until he found the one he was looking for. He set it down and slid it so that it was in front of Angie, she put on her reading glasses and picked up the paper.

"Is that your signature?" Dad asked.

"Well, yes it is, but sir I never signed this." She told him.

I saw dad find a business card as he handed it to her.

"Call this number, that is the lawyer that was present when the document was signed." He told her.

"You can't do this, he's my son!" Angie said.

"We adopted him because you didn't want him." Mom said, calmer then I expected.

There was a few moments of silence until Angie began to sniffle. It was an awkward silence as we all tried to figure out the next step.

"Trey."

Eleanor's cries made me jump. She stood in the doorway, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. I stood up not wanting Angie to even see her, I scooped her up in my arms and went into the nursery with her. She mumbled about a nightmare as I closed the door behind us.

Julie's POV

"You stole him from me." Angie said.

"We did no such thing." Shayne told her.

"I'll get him back. I promise you that." She sneered.

"He is about to become a grown man. He is free to make his own decisions. He is happy here with us, where we have given him everything he needs to feel safe and wanted. I'm sorry you're hurting, but he is our son." I said.

I watched as she gathered what little she had with her.

"You tricked me into signing those papers." She said, standing up.

"Call the lawyer, he will be happy to explain everything." Shayne said.

"Oh I will." She snapped.

"I'm going to kindly ask that you leave." I said.

She glared at me before rolling her eyes. Shayne opened the door and shut it behind her, locking the door. I was shaking out of anger and fear that she had the nerve to come here. She followed Trey here, from school no less. She said she wasn't here for money but I could tell she was here for something. Shayne came over to me and I threw myself into his chest and silently cried. We stood there for a few moments before heading to the nursery.

"White!" Eleanor said.

"That's right, white. What color am I?" Trey asked.

"Brown." She said, pointing to his arm.

"Also correct, are we the same color?" He asked.

She shook her head, Shayne wrapped his arm around me as we stood inside the room.

"That's because mom and dad adopted me from another mommy and daddy." He said.

"Yeah." Eleanor said, playing with Trey's fingers now.

"But, just because we don't come from the same mommy or the same daddy, doesn't mean anything. We're still family, right?" He asked.

"Famy!" Eleanor said excitedly.

Trey laughed.

"I love you." He said, blinking back tears.

"I wuv you too!" She told him, wrapping her little arms around him.

I wiped my own tears from my eyes before stepping forward.

"I'm sorry for that." Trey said.

"Do not apologize for anything." I told him.

Shayne walked over and grabbed Eleanor from Trey's arms.

"She followed me here." He said.

"I know baby, I know." I said.

"I don't wanna go back." He said, his voice finally breaking.

I grabbed him and pulled him down to the floor and held him. I looked up at Shayne as Trey cried into my shoulder.

"Trey sad." Eleanor said.

"Yeah, he's sad baby. But he's okay, we're all going to be okay." Shayne told her.

I kissed the side of Trey's head, "I'll never stop fighting for you."

I hope I did this chapter justice. No balance this chapter as I didn't play much from the last chapter. I'm worried about everyone aging up too fast before I can get the money up.

[Ally3772]

Chapter Thirty Six: Knots in the Plan

I always thought what meeting Trey's biological mom was going to be like. I had hoped that it would have been a mutual agreement type of deal. But she came to our house thinking she'd just get him back. After she left Shayne called the lawyers and he assured us that she had no power to remove him from the house. It gave us comfort, but Trey has been shaken up still understandably.

"Hey." Shayne said.

"Hey." I said, smiling a little.

"You're up early." He said.

He sat down at the table.

"I'm going over the budget." I said.

"Oh boy." He said.

I sighed.

After buying the dress for the wedding, the tux for Shayne, and the nice alter we had chosen, we were back to just under $150.

"I feel like this past month we have been at a complete stand still." I told him.

"Here, this is what we can do. After the wedding tomorrow, no more expenses. No more major purchases and we really buckle down." He told me.

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Of course." He said.



"NOOOO!"

I jumped five feet in the air as Eleanor came screeching from her bed room. Trey came after her crouched down, chasing her into the living room.

"No! No! Trey bad!" She screamed.

I giggled.

"We get married tomorrow." Shayne grinned.

"I can't wait!" I said, kissing him.

...

"I have butterflies." I said into the phone.

"You'll do great!" Janine said.

"I wish you were here." I told her.

"I know, but Michael couldn't get off work." She said.

"You could have still came! He can come next time." I said, smoothing my dress down.

"He doesn't like it when I leave." She told me.

I looked at the phone, flags raising.

"He doesn't... like it?" I questioned.

"He has his quirks." She half laughed.

"Doesn't sound like a quirk, are you okay?" I asked.

"What? Yeah! Yeah everything is great!" She said.

I could tell she was lying. We talked for a few more moments before it was time. There was a knock on the door and I turned around to see Trey.

"Wow." He gasped.

"You like?" I asked.

"Mom, you look beautiful." He said.

"You look pretty sharp yourself." I said.

He looked down at his own outfit. He wore a nice button down white shirt with a dark blue blazer over it with tan dress pants. I took a deep breath and glanced out the window, it was a beautiful day and the sun was just setting. Since Janine was no longer here, and Shayne didn't have any close friends, we decided to have it just the four of us. We picked out a black sweater with a shirt overall for Eleanor. She wanted to wear her black cat flats with it, so that's what she wore. Trey held his arm out and I smiled, smoothing my dress out one last time.

"Let's go get you hitched." Trey said.

I rolled my eyes playfully and took his arm.

My dress was a white dress that looked strapless but had a sheer lining over the chest, back, and down the arms. It had a few sparkly flowers and gems on the bodice that went down the skirt. I walked to the alter that had white sheets draping down and flowers on the corners. Shayne looked handsome standing there. He was smiling with hands hands folded in front of him. His tuxedo was simple black one with a dark blue undershirt. He took my breath away.

"Hi." He smiled.

"Hi yourself." I said.




"You ready?" He asked.

"More than ready." I told him.

I looked over to Trey who was standing there with Eleanor in his arms.

"Well, then, let's get married." He announced.



We shared our vows, he got through his beautifully. Then there was me, who was an absolute sobbing mess. He didn't mind though and he waited patiently as I got through them. When I came to the end, we exchanged rings, and then sealed the deal with a kiss.




"WOOOOO!" Trey cheered.

Eleanor clapped even though she had no idea what was going on.

"We did it." I said.

"I'm so happy." Shayne said.

He spun me around so that my back was pressed against his chest.

"You look stunning." He told me.

"You clean up nice, we should get married more often." I said.

"I don't think that's how it works." Trey laughed.



Eleanor yawned.

"Someone is tired." Shayne said.

"Should we get her to bed?" I asked.

"I got her, you two enjoy this moment." Trey said.

"Thank you." I said.



I turned back around to face Shayne. I couldn't wait to see what this next chapter in life takes us.

Balance: $148,670

They're married!

[Ally3772]

Chapter Thirty Seven: Birthdays, Jobs, and Dates, Oh My!

"Make a wish!" Shayne and I cheered.

Trey smiled as he bent over and blew out the candles on the cake.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" I cheered.

"Happy!" Eleanor said, clapping.



"What did you wish for?" Shayne asked.

"Now, it won't come true if you tell." I said.

"Nah, I don't believe that." Trey said.

"So, what did you wish for then?" Shayne asked.

"For a Electromagnetic Research Archive Machine." Trey told him.

"Bless you." I said, confused.

Trey laughed, "It's a machine that will help with research."

"What are we researching?" Shayne asked.

"I have been thinking for quite awhile, and I didn't want to let you guys know because I wasn't sure myself. But I want to become a lawyer. I want to help kids like myself that weren't so lucky and have to go through the system." He told us.

"Oh Trey! That's wonderful!" I said.

"Yeah, but I'll need space to work and the machine is out of my budget. So I'm going to get a part time job to get it. I applied for an internship at the law office to get my foot in the door." He said.

"Nonsense, your mother and I will get the machine for you." Shayne told him.

"And you'll need a desk too!" I noted.

So the next day we went to the local furniture store and he picked out a desk and all of what he would need. Then we went to the electronics store down the road and he purchased whatever fancy machine that he needed. We got home and he got it all set up. I put Eleanor down for her nap and got started on lunch. A little later I popped in to see how he was doing.



"Still doing okay?" I asked.

"Yeah! This is great! I can do all sorts of things!" He beamed.

"I'm glad you have a dream baby, run with it." I said.

"I will mom." He said smiling.

...

"I don't like this." Trey said.

"I know, it's weird." I giggled.

"What's weird?" Eleanor asked.

"That you're a kid now. Seems like yesterday you were still a toddler." Trey told her. (Heh, get it?)

We celebrated Eleanor's birthday a few days after Trey's birthday. Time was flying by and I didn't like it one bit. Of course that meant that she got a big girl bed and a slight makeover for her room. She wanted a bunkbed with a desk underneath, so that's what she got.



"And you're sure that it's okay I go out with Morgan?" Trey asked Eleanor.

"Yes! But you better bring me home a milkshake!" Eleanor said.

"I promise." He smiled.

Trey's POV

"Hi! Sorry I'm late!" Morgan said, rushing up to me.

"No problem! Did you find it okay?" I asked.

"Yeah! I didn't realize it would be so hot!" She said.

"This summer is absolutely brutal." I agreed.



I grabbed her hand and we headed inside. We were meeting at a bar in the next town over tonight. We headed upstairs and took a seat at the bar. I ordered us some fries and two cola's and slid a decent tip towards the bartender. Morgan and I both weren't into drinking so it was kind of ironic that we were meeting at a bar of all places.

"Your sister wasn't mad that you came out tonight, was she?" Morgan asked.

"Nah, but she demanded a milkshake so I fear for what will happen if I forget." I giggled.

"Well then we better make sure to bring it home." She said.

"I love you." I said suddenly.

We've said it plenty to each other, but for some reason tonight I was feeling extra sentimental. We had been dating since high school and she fit into the family perfectly. I wasn't ready to ask her yet, but I want to spend the rest of my life with her.

"I love you too babe." She said.

I kissed her on the cheek as the bartender set down our food and drinks.



After finishing the fries and drinks we headed to the other side of the building where there was a line of musicians waiting for the mic. The first few performers were a bit rough, but after that they were pretty good. Morgan and I danced a bit, even if I stepped on her toes a few times, and we had a blast. We stayed until the bar closed, but we weren't ready for the night to be over. I sent a quick text to mom and dad letting them know I'd be home tomorrow, and Morgan and I decided to stay at a hotel for the night.

"Good to go?" Morgan asked, reaching for my hand.

"Let's go!" I said, taking her hand.

Balance: $164.981

Happy Birthday Trey and Eleanor!

[Ally3772]

Chapter Thirty Eight: Keep Holding On

(So I made an oopsie and forgot to take pictures of Shayne aging up... whoops!)

"This is really good babe." Shayne said.

"Thank you." I smiled.

We all sat at the table eating tacos that I had made.

"Did you have a good birthday dad?" Eleanor asked.

"It was wonderful! I can't wait to use my new coffee mug at work." He beamed.

"I'm glad you like it!" She said.

Eleanor gave him a "Best Dad Award" Mug and then Trey got him a new briefcase for work. I had a gift for him, but I was giving it to him later on. We sat at the dinner table eating our food and making conversation about our days. I pushed my food around mostly feeling anxious about my gift.

"You okay honey?" Shayne asked.

"Mom?" Eleanor asked.

I jumped when I felt someone put their hand on my arm.

"What?" I asked.

"I asked if you were okay?" Shayne repeated.

"Oh, yeah. I'm okay." I said smiling.

"How about a movie tonight?" Trey suggested.

"I would love that!" Eleanor agreed.

"I'll make the popcorn!" I offered.

With dinner done, and the popcorn popped, we sat in the living room watching some action film. If I was honest I was barely paying attention to the film. Action films always seemed to bore me because a lot of them were just the same plot recycled. An hour later and the film ended. Trey went into his room for the night, and I helped Eleanor get ready for bed. When I finally got into our bedroom Shayne was getting ready for bed himself.

"Are you sure you're okay? I'm sensing something is off." Shayne said.

I closed the bedroom door behind me.

"There is something, but hopefully nothing bad." I said.

I walked over to the dresser and opened up the bottom drawer. I shifted a few things out of the way before pulling out a small box.

"I got you this, for your birthday." I said.

"Oh honey, you didn't have to get me anything." Shayne said.

"Of course I did! It's your birthday after all." I told him.

I took a deep breath as we both sat on the bed. I watched him peel away the paper before carefully opening the box, he set the box down on the bed as he pulled out a small white onesie that read "My Daddy Loves Me" on it. I watched as he read the words and his mouth fell open.

"You're pregnant?" He asked.

I smiled and nodded, suddenly becoming emotional.

"Oh baby!" He gasped.

He pulled me into a hug.

"I hope you like it." I sniffed.

"I love it! Is..Is this what you want?" He asked me.

"Yeah, I mean I was nervous at first when I found out, but I want a big family." I said.

"I do too." He smiled.

...

We decided to wait to tell the kids for a little bit. I wasn't showing yet so there wasn't a big rush to do so.

"How is the project going?" I asked.

"I can't get the mold right." Eleanor growled.

"You're making a volcano right? Maybe dad can help you when he gets home." I told her.



"I can help." Trey said, appearing from his room.

"Don't you have a date?" I asked.

"Morgan said she has to talk, she's coming over later." He said.

I looked up at him.

"Is she okay?" I asked.

"I don't know, she wouldn't tell me on the phone." He told me.

"I'm sure everything is fine." I said.

Shayne, Trey, and I all got promotions in the last week. I was climbing the ladder at work and was offered an administration position at the school. After a lot of thought I decided to take it. I would miss being hands on with the kids and teaching them, but the money was too good to pass up. Trey was loving the process of becoming a lawyer and many times I had to tell him to go to bed because he was up late working. Shayne was one promotion from being at the top of his career and there were many nights I'd be on my own because he had to stay late at the office. I headed outside to take care of Carla and the chickens. Winter was slowly approaching and it was getting a bit chilly outside.

"Hi Carla, a bit cold out today huh?"



A funny story about the chickens. Originally we had roosters, but apparently those didn't lay any edible eggs. They just annoyingly woke us up in the wee hours of the morning. So we traded them for the same amount of chickens. So now we were gathering our own milk from Carla and getting about nine eggs from the chickens.



I walked back into the house and checked on on Eleanor.

"Homework now?" I asked.

"I am writing about penguins!" She said.

"Oh wow! What about?" I asked her.

"Like did you know that a group of penguins on the water is called a raft, but on land they're called a waddle?!" She asked, excitedly.

"Woah! I did not!" I said.



"I hope my teacher is impressed with how many facts I have!" She said.

"I'm sure she will be! Let me know if you need any help." I said.

Trey's POV

I saw mom come out of Eleanor's room.

"Morgan is in my room. I'm nervous mom." I said.

"What are you nervous about?" She asked.

"What if she breaks up with me?" I asked.

She touched my arm softly

"I'm sure she won't, she loves you so much." She told me.

I scratched the back of my neck nervously.

"Go find out before you scratch your skin off." She joked.

I sighed and turned to walk towards my door.

"Hey." I said.

I closed my door behind me and walked over to the bed.

"Hi." She said.

I gave her a kiss, and she kissed me back, so that had to be a good sign. I grabbed her hands and held them in mine gently. I looked up and saw a tear escape her eye.

"Hey, hey! What's wrong?" I asked.

"I have something to tell you." She said.

Nothing good came from those words. My heart stopped as I braced myself for what always happened to me.

"You're leaving me, aren't you?" I asked.

"What?! No! No! I hope not!" She said.

"What do you mean by that?" I questioned.

She took a deep breath and looked at me.

"Trey, I'm pregnant."

Balance: $180,842

HA! Leaving you guys there!