Aaron had warned her, Erika figured, that Sacha was over. But hearing it and finding someone in the house was different. She dried her hair, then grabbed her knitting from the room before going back downstairs.

She paused at the bottom of the stairs. Did she have to come back down? It had been automatic, to go and sit with them on the couch before dinner. Not that it was required, if she stayed in her room doing dinner, all they would do was check that she was doing well. She might have stayed in her room tonight, having been talking to people all morning. Her body was tired, and so was her mind. Normally, she might have stayed in her room. Now someone was here. Erika did not know the protocol.

Sacha was sitting in her favourite armchair. It made sense, giving everyone else the rest of the sitting area.

"What's that?" he asked pointing to her bag.

"Knitting," she replied as she sat down. She held up her needs, untangling some yarn because she did want Idina and Aaron to see. "It's supposed to be a sweater, eventually," she said, furrowing her brow. It did not look like one right now, but she assumed once she finished it would look like one. If she followed all the instructions properly.

"Oh, I didn't know you knit."

"It's a recent development, " she replied. She sat cross-legged and set the yarn balls in her lap, then laid the pattern out on the cushion beside her.

The house smelt nice. That was the chef. So technically there were two strangers here.

Idina was humming to the baby, and Walker was purely infatuated with his mom. She felt warm looking at them, smiling a bit. Walker looked over, face lighting up, and he bounded over to sit beside her. He pressed himself close.

"Did Mom tell you about the new song?" he asked. "I do not know the word yet, but she is writing a new song because she has been humming it all day. It is for the movie."

Erika smiled at him, not quite sure what to say. Even if she did, she would not be with an audience here. Walker, at least, took the smile well and hugged her. His game had been cancelled, the energy had to get out somehow, as it seemed to be bouncing around the house, talking a mile a minute to everything that moved.

His head rested on her shoulder, and his eyes closed as a smile grew on his face. This brought a genuine smile to Erika's face. Rule one of staying somewhere was never to mess with the bio kid. Walker liked her. Almost from day one. That had already been one of the first differences than before.

"Can I try knitting?" he asked after some moments of sitting in silence. "Like, not on the sweater, but maybe with something you don't need?" His eyes were hopeful as he looked up at her.

"Mhm," she said. "I can get you some stuff," she said, standing. Walker grabbed her hand and practically pulled her up the stairs as they went to her room.

She rummaged through her bag of cheap yarns, finding him some easy-to-use ones and a pair of straight needles.

"What can I make?" he asked.

She shrugged. "A scarf? It says you should start by just making squares, called 'swatches' but I guess you could do one long rectangle and make it a scarf."

He smiled. "Mommy wears scarves! For her voice." He took the materials to form her. "And you'll show me how?"

"I'll try," she promised. "I have no clue what I'm doing."

"I think the sweater looks pretty so far," he replied earnestly. He paused before leaving. "Should we get some for your school friend?"

Erika shrugged. "I don't think he wants to knit," she replied. She looked over to her bookshelf. Sacha was prone to questioning when bored, and she was not in the mood to be questioned, especially in what was supposed to be her house. Erika was learning that homes were nicer when they were private. Not inviting people over. It made going out even more special. "We could get him some books?" she suggested, looking over to her shelves.

"Okay," Walker said. He looked over her shelves. "Which one's good?"

"Uhm," Erika mumbled, quickly reading over the titles. She grabbed a couple. Maybe Sacha would take one and not bug her.

"Did I tell you Aaron and I made the shelves?" he asked.

Erika shrugged.

The boy's smile grew. "We got the planks of wood and use power tools to cut them in half, and then we got braces from the store and screwed them into the wall," he explained. "It was a lot of fun."

"I like them a lot," she replied.

"You can change it though if you don't," he told her. "Aaron won't mind, and maybe you can use the power tools with him too! Because it's your room, we just had to make sure one was ready for you but in the end, you live here. I got to choose everything in mine when we moved here after Mom got married," he explained in nearly one breath. "So, it's fair that you get to do the same thing."

"I'm happy to have such a nice room, period," she replied with a genuine smile.

It felt like her room. Her embroidery was framed on the wall. Idina had it done professionally. The bookshelf was not full, but the things that were there were her books, ones she had annotated and enjoyed. The bed was covered in blankets and pillows of her choice, which she loved the feeling of. The bedside table had pictures she had chosen, the one of her and her sister, and a smaller wallet-sized picture the Olsens had given her of her parents with Elsa. So that she knew their faces. And the third one, framed, was the entire family. Her, the triplets, Walker, the dog, Aaron, and Idina, are all sitting on the couch. Jane had taken it. Idina had sent it out to everyone in the family. Apparently, it was tradition.

"It's my room," she said quietly.

Walker hugged her midsection. "I like having you for a big sister, even though sometimes I miss just being mommy's only kid, I don't want to go back," he replied.

Erika hugged him back. "I like having you as a brother."

Walker squeezed her tighter. "Okay," he said, letting her go, the air growing awkward. "Are you going to teach me to knit now?" he asked.

"Of course!" she exclaimed, bringing the smile back to his face.

They went back downstairs, and Walker handed the books to Sacha, telling him not to be bored.

~

He kept trying to initiate small talk. Erika was trying not to be rude. Walker answered most of the time until he got bored and wandered off. Would she be allowed to leave? Everyone was in the room, for the most part. It was their living room, after all, and the triplets were snoozing. Louie was laying on Idina, occasionally looking up when one of the babies gurgled in their sleep, tail perking up before laying his head back down. Erik did not want them to think she did not care about everyone else, especially after yesterday.

She went back to knitting. It was methodical and uncomplicated, and in the end, she would have a sweater. It was going to be too hot for California, but at least most spaced were over-airconditioned. All she had to do was knit the line, then the next. It was easy to get lost in her work.

"Shit, shit, shit." The peace was disturbed when Idina started swearing, and Lucinda wailing.

"Take the baby!" she hissed through gridded teeth to Aaron.

Idina's hand contorted at a weird angle, trembling as her arm jerked forwards and backwards. Eyes wide, she tried to hand a kicking Lucinda to Aaron with her good arm. The boys woke up with small wails, reaching up for someone because it was loud, and their sister was upset.

Erika put her knitting down and walked over to the bassinettes, making faces at them. They quieted down, giggling.

Sacha got up too, reaching for Zephyr as she picked up Soren.

"Don't!" she said quickly, swatting at his outstretched arms. "He needs special holds and support." Her classmate would not know how to carry, let alone pick up, the infant without aggravating the fractures. It was getting better, no longer causing him so much pain, but they had to make sure the fractures healed completely. And that meant being extra careful with him.

She glared at her classmate, making sure he would not try again.

"Sorry, I didn't know," he said.

"That's okay," she muttered, "but don't touch him." She bounced Soren, trying to get him to settle comfortably on her shoulder.

She kissed his cheek. He liked that, giggling, and pressing his face against hers, making her smile. Erika stuck her tongue out, and he let out a loud high-pitched giggle. The other two babies stopped crying, looking around to see what was so amusing it was better than crying. Lucinda grabbed onto her dad's face, babbling in demand of entertainment.

Tension dissipated from Aaron's face as he kissed his baby girl and blew a raspberry at her. He looked back at Idina. Face red, she was slumped against the couch, head down, rubbing her arm.

"What happened?" Sacha whispered.

Erika shushed him. If he really wanted to know, he could Google it. She noticed Walker creeping down the stairs. He must have heard the crying. When he noticed everyone standing, he rushed to his mom, knowing it had to have been her.

"Mom are you okay?" he demanded, standing over her.

Idina nodded, not meeting his eye.

"Mom," he interested, needing verbal confirmation.

"It's over," she told him flatly, no patience right now. She kept working on the knots in her arm, willing the release her muscles.

"Do you want something?" he asked quietly, sitting down, and hugging her knees.

Idina shook her head. She was embarrassed and disappointed in herself, but those feelings would pass. Walker took her hand and gave it an encouraging squeeze with a sympathetic smile.

"You're so strong, Mommy," he replied.

Idina sighed, nodding for him. Her son should not be trying to comfort her. She should not need him for it. Cara was always talking about trying not to rely on her sons for emotional stability which was not their responsibility. She had chosen to have kids, she was responsible for them, and they would later be responsible for their chosen families. This was not supposed to happen. He was not responsible for her feelings.

Erika sat down again, pushing the yarn and needles away from the baby's reach, who yawn at her, opening and closing his fist. She started rocking him, hoping he would go to sleep quickly. Sacha sat down beside her, making her tense again.

He kept glancing at her like he was expecting an explanation.

"Some people have medical issues," she said quietly, "don't know how that's confusing." There were nicer ways to say it but use some common sense. Even if she was chatty, now was not the time.

"That's not a reason to be mean to people," he replied, crossing his arms.

"Learn boundaries," she replied. "I told you nicely. Now I will tell you not nicely."

"I'm just curious," he replied, more earnest than before.

She shrugged. "And there's Google.... All the celebrity stuff is public."

"Sometimes there's stuff there that's inaccurate or not what people want you to know about them."

"And I've already told you I'm not discussing those topics," she huffed. "You're not entitled to my life." Both Gerda and Aaron were always saying stuff like that, so it was probably correct. Either way, it was how she felt.

Soren started fussing and she turned her attention back to her brother, cradling him close to her chest. Holding onto his hand, she tried to be calm so that he would fall asleep. They were precious, the triplets. Originally, she had not been enthralled with their helplessness, and she still was not, but she could see past it now.

"There are a lot of rumours at school," he said like she already did not know.

"If it helps, I haven't heard one that is not true." Her peers were not that creative, not that there was a need for creative liberty.

"Doesn't," he replied.

"I still don't see how this is my problem," she said. "And again: Google."

Aaron sat down beside her. She bit the inside of her lip, knowing she was getting worked up over nothing. It would not kill her to tell him, but it was the principle, at this point. Stop talking to me. Erika was not going to entertain him.

"How's the little man?" he cooed to the baby, putting an arm around Erika.

The child's face lit up, and Erika relaxed a bit knowing she no longer had to say anything. She pressed herself closer to Aaron. Like Idina always said, he was calm, and it made her calm. She looked back over at Idina, who still looked miserable.

"When's supper?" Walker asked.

"A few hours," Idina replied. "Remember, he has to make all the different dishes to try."

"Mhm," he replied, looking down. "Can I get a snack?"

"Sure," his mom replied. She was disengaged, going with the flow.

Walker came over and asked Erika to help him get something from the higher shelves.

"Do you want anything?" she asked Sacha. Because she is not completely mean.

He shrugged and got up as Erika handed Soren to his dad.

"What's that?" Sacha asked, pointing to something hanging on the fridge as Erika tried to reach the high shelf in the pantry.

"Mom's brain scan!" Walker said excitedly. "It's not perfect, but they said it's the best one they've done, so we put it on the fridge because the brain scan is basically a test and Mom puts all our tests and art on the fridge so it's only fair."

Their guest made a confused face, looking over to Idina, then a sort of understanding dawned on him. "So, what happened before..."

"All the same thing," Erika said, cutting Walker off and knowing it was not giving him the more complete picture. Idina liked to be discrete, so she was upholding her wishes.

He looked over the pictures on the wall that Idina had hung as Erika jumped and tried to get at the box of cereal bars.

"Want a snack?" the chef, Liam, asked.

"Yes!" Walker said. "Erika's too short," he huffed. "Thought she could reach them."

He brought over a plate of the three of them. "Little taste test," he said, telling Erika which appetizer was which.

"You choose first," Walker said to his sister.

"It's fine, I have to try all of them anyway." She was not very hungry.

Sacha was still looking at the pictures as Walker divvied up the servings onto three paper plates.

"Where were you when this was taken?" he asked, pointing to a picture of Walker, Aaron, and Idina that was clearly years old.

Erika shrugged. "New York." Where else would she have been?

"You're not in the wedding picture."

"Why would she be in the wedding picture?" Walker asked.

Erika was just as confused. Maybe he did not know how adoption worked. Could not put anything past these kids, no street smarts, barely any book smarts. They were hoping for trust funds and royalties until they died.

The horror on his face suggested maybe he did not know how adoption worked. "But that does not make sense. They seem nice, not sure why you are not in them."

"I'm adopted," she reminded him. "Like an orphan? You know, no family. Sorry, my hair's not red," she huffed. "Would that make more sense?"

"But that doesn't explain why you're not in the pictures."

"I legally had no family until last month," she said flatly.

"I saw you with Idina in the store, months ago," he pointed out.

"And she was my legal guardian, not my parent," Erika replied. "I am not in the wedding pictures because they literally did not know I existed. I was in the New York foster system, and it sucked. Happy?" She crossed her arms.

He did not say a word, gears turning.

"Don't get it," he mumbled.

"I was adopted a month ago, I have been living in LA for the past year. Before that, orphan." It could not be more straightforward than that. He was so dense! She did not want to yell at him or act extreme. She needed to stop repeating it. It was not her fault he could not wrap his head around an unstable family.

He opened his mouth trying to get words out. "Like Annie?"

"Sorry my brown hair makes it hard for you to understand I don't have a family," she snapped.

Now everyone was staring at her.

"I thought I'm your family," Walker said.

Erika froze.

Rule number did not upset the bio kid. Now he looked like he was going to cry.

She had already butchered it. She looked over at Idina. "Knowing something doesn't change how you feel some days," she said, hoping it would save face. Somehow. There were days when she woke up and felt like she was back in New York, despite being here, despite how everyone acted, and what she knew to be fact.

Walker did not make the connection, but she could see from the visible half of Idina's face that she had made it.

"I'll go to my room," she mumbled, going quickly to the stairs before anyone could stop her.