After lunch, Danny took Jessica back to work.

"Thank you for lunch, baby. You didn't have to walk me back.. I mean, you can barely walk!"

"I have to be a gentleman and walk my pretty lady in."

Jessica smiles and kisses his lips.

"Today was good.. This is so exciting.  We're gonna live together!"

"I know!  This feels good." Danny smiles.

"This is right." Jessica nods.

"It is."

"Now for the hard part... Telling the boys.."

"Yeah.."

*Sighs* "Tonight I'm making them their favorite for dinner.. I'll tell them after that."

"Good luck, baby."

"Thanks."

"Call me and let me know how it goes."

"I will."

***

After dinner.

"Oh I'm stuffed!" Michael says.

"Me too. Thanks for dinner, mom." James kisses her head.

"Oh you're welcome! I'm glad you enjoyed it."

The boys start taking their dishes to the sink, and Jessica stops them.

"Boys wait! Can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure."

"Let's go sit in the living room."

They all take a seat on the couch and Jessica puts Grayson on her lap.

"Boys.." Jessica swallows.

"Is everything okay, mom?" Sam asks.

"Yeah.. Yeah, I just have something to tell you."

"You're pregnant?" Sam's eyes widen.

"No! Oh God, no! Heh! Definitely not!"

"Good! What is it?"

Jessica takes a deep breath and says, "Danny and I our moving in together."

"Oh! Is that all? Mom, you had me worried!" James chuckles.

"Yeah, me too!" Michael says.

"We're buying a place of our own.. It would be your home too of course!"

"What? You're selling dad's house?" Sam says.

"Baby, I have to! I-I can't--"

"You can't what? This is our home, mom!"

"I know that sweetie but--"

"Mom, dad worked so hard for this place. This is our home!! We played outside with him.. He cooked meals in that kitchen! You both tucked us in at night, he told us scary stories, we camped out in the back yard, we had fun here, we cried here! We were a family here! Dad.. Dad took his last breath here." Sam's voice becomes shaky

Jessica starts crying and says, "Baby, I have done a lot of praying about this and I've made my decision.

There are too many memories here.. Many many great memories, and I will always love this place. Your father and I worked so hard for it.

But baby, I want this house to only hold our memories.. The Shepard's and that's it.

I'm with Daniel now and I have to think about us.. We're a couple and we want to live together. I won't do it if you boys don't want me too.. But I love him and I hope that you boys are supportive of my decision."

"This is our home mom." James says with tears in his eyes.

"I'm gonna eventually have to sell it. Danny doesn't want to live here because he said he has too much respect for you boys and your father, and I don't want to move in with him because it doesn't feel like home to me.

Danny and I just want to start fresh.. You boys will always have a room there, okay? Always!

We're starting this brand new chapter in life, and Danny and I want you boys to be apart of it. We're all going to go look at houses next week."

"I just.." Michael pauses.

"We have our memories, and no one can ever take that away from us. It's hard for me because it's painful to be in this house without your father. It will be extremely hard to say goodbye to our home, but it's something that has to happen for me to truly be happy...And you boys deserve for me to be happy for you.

In a few years you boys will be moving into your own homes and starting your own family's.. I can't be in this house alone.. I can't." She says that last part in a whisper.

The boys stay quiet for a while.

Samuel rubs his face, then pulls on his hair.

"I.. I understand... and I support your decision."

"Really?" Jessica smiles with tears in her eyes.

"Yes.. It'll be hard but.. This is good."

"It is?" James looks at him.

"Yeah... Dad would want this, you know that, James."

"That's true.."

"As long as you're happy, I'm happy, ma."

"Aw Mikey.." Jessica smiles softly.

"I just don't know if I can say goodbye." James says.

Jessica nods and James takes a deep breath.

"It'll be okay.. You're right about the memory stuff.. We'll always have that... I love Danny and Zach, but you're right.. This house should hold Shepard family memories only."

"I love you boys."

"We love you too, mom."

"Lub yew, mama!" Grayson hugs her around her neck.

"Heh! Awe my baby." She smiles and hugs him.

"You boys are the best."

"You're pretty great too, mom." Sam says making Jessica smile.

***

One week later.

"Damn this house is huge!" James says walking into one of the model homes.

"Language, James Alexander!" Jessica gives him a mom look.

"Sorry.."

"Mama what dis?" Grayson looks around as he walks holding Jessica's hand.

"It's a house!" Jessica laughs.

"Mine?" He points to himself.

"Well if we all like it, then it'll be all of ours."

"Like it"

"You do?"

"Yeah! Mine!"

"Well let's look at the whole house first, baby." She chuckles.

***

"Ooh this is my room!" Sam says walking into a huge bedroom.

"No way!  You're at school most of the time, I get this room!"

"It's mine, ass wipe!"

"Boys, stop it!  This is neither one of your room!  It's the master bedroom, so this would be mine and Danny's."

"Oh.. Well I call the next biggest!"

"Alright Michael!  Heh, Jesus Christ."

"It's okay, baby." Danny chuckles and rubs her back.

Jessica looks at him and smiles softly.

They continue looking at the house and James says, "I don't like this house, it smells."

"I don't think it's the house, I think it's Grayson." Michael says.

"Uh oh! Grayson, did you make a poopy?" Jessica asks him.

Grayson leans forward and smiles at her.

"Yes!"

"You did? *Laughs* Okay, come with me so I can change you."

"No!" Grayson runs off and laughs.

"Get your smelly butt over here!"

"I'll get him." Danny chuckles and sneaks around to surprise Grayson.

"Be careful, Daniel!"

"I'm fine, babe." He whispers.

"I got you!" Danny picks him up and Grayson screams.

"Oh my gosh!" Jessica laughs.

Grayson lets out the cutest little giggle and whacks Danny in the face.

"Grayson! No sir!" Jessica changes her tone.

"And when I'm crippled, Grayson!" Danny plays.

"Come here. That wasn't nice! Ooh! You are a stinky baby!" Jessica turns her head.

Grayson laughs and touches her cheek, then sneaks his finger in her mouth and touches her tooth.

"Stop it!" She laughs and moves her head.

Jessica changes his diaper, then comes back and Danny asks, "How does everyone like the house?"

"It's nice." Jessica answers.

"I like it." Michael says and Zachary agrees.

"Yeah? What do you boys think?"

"I like it, it's nice." Sam answers but James stays quiet.

"James?"

"I don't like it."

"You haven't liked any of the houses we've looked at."

"Yeah well I don't like it." He catches an attitude.

"That's okay, there's still a couple more for us to look at." Danny says.

"Yeah.. Hey, you boys go out with Danny, we'll be right there.

Here Gray, go with Danny."

Jessica stands him up and Danny holds Grayson's hand.

They leave and James stands by the huge window looking out to the backyard.

"James.. Are you okay?"

"I don't want to talk about this, mom."

"Sweetie, you can talk to me if something's bothering you."

"I'm just having a hard time with this.. I know this is happening, but it's hard.  I always thought that we'd have that house forever, mom. 

I always pictured bringing my kids over to... to see grandma and grandpa.."

"Baby, I dreamed of that too.. Life just doesn't always work out the way you think it's going to.  I really want you to be okay with this, baby."

"I am.. I..." He sighs turns away from her.

"James." Jessica grabs his arm and turns him back towards her.

"I miss him so much, ma." James breaks.

"Baby, I know!  I know you do.  I miss him too.. I wish more than anything he could still be here with us."

"I like Danny, he's a good guy, and he makes you happy, so that makes me happy.. I just feel bad for selling the house dad fought so hard for."

"James... I know this is hard.. It's hard on everyone.  I'm not saying that saying goodbye is going to be easy.. But deep down in my heart I think daddy would want us to move on.  I really do."

Jessica gently wipes his tears.

"When you boys aren't home that house is so quiet... It makes me sad being there without him.. Because he's supposed to be there!!  We were Supposed to be together.. Forever.." Jessica's voice shakes.

"When I'm with Danny, I don't feel lonely anymore.. He makes me happy.  I dread going to bed when he's not with me.  For so many years I felt protected.  You father always protected me... And I know he sent Danny here to finish the job." Jessica says as tears fall.

"Please don't think I'm trying to replace your father, that's not it!  But James I love him, and he loves all of us.  Grayson.." Jessica smiles softly and tears up.

"That little boy is so happy when he's around.

Please know that this new place will always be your home.  This will not change the love we all have for your father."

James nods and wipes his cheeks.

"That's right, mom." He says with tears.

"I love you, baby." Jessica hugs him tightly.

"I love you too, mom."

They stay there for a while just hugging each other before James kisses her head and says, "Let's go finish house hunting.  This ones nice, but I'm pretty sure Grayson left a permanent smell in it."

"Awe!  Leave him alone!" Jessica laughs and taps his chest.

***
Hey!  I have an idea of what I'm going to do next, but let me know of anything you'd like to see in this story.  Besides a baby lol.