"I know it is not fair, but I'm frustrated that you all get to have all these fun adventures while I'm at work," I lamented over dinner with Billy and the kids the next night.

"Now you know how I feel when you make me go to school," Viv grumbled.

"We're at work," I shot at her.

"Mmhmm, work," she teased.

"I'm not going to get any sympathy, am I?" I sighed.

"Hey, I tried to get you to take some time off. You keep babbling about coverage," Billy teased.

"It's not babble; it's my job," I pouted.

"Well, I feel bad for you," Jackson sincerely offered.

"Thank you, Jackson. At least someone cares." I smiled at Jackson.

"Suck up," Viv shot to Jackson.

"Anyway, what exciting adventure are you doing tomorrow?" I continued.

"Fat biking!" Viv excitedly chirped.

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's winter mountain biking, but the bikes have thicker tires. It's so much fun," Viv babbled.

"We go to Spirit Mountain every year. Viv loves it. Jackson and I try to stay upright," Billy explained.

"Oh, that sounds..."

"Like you won't be jealous of us tomorrow," Jackson finished for me.

"Yeah, it sounds exactly like that," I agreed. "And tomorrow is Friday. What fun thing do we have planned for the weekend?"

"Dad has to work," Viv lamented.

"New Year's Eve concert; rehearsals and setup. You can come to check it all out." Billy's edge of concern about me at his concerts was peeking through his tone.

"Sounds fun. I'm in," I eagerly agreed.

"Spoken by someone that hasn't experienced the torture of hanging out in the stinky locker room of an arena for an entire day," Viv groaned.

"Well, what are you up to, then?"

"Oh, I was thinking of having James over for movies," Viv nonchalantly added.

"Only in the living room, and only if Jackson is home. Otherwise, you can go to James' house, but only if Tess is home." Billy had slipped into full-on dad mode.

"I don't want to babysit them," Jackson whined. "I was going to go to the arena with you."

"Really?" Billy's voice was full of surprise.

"Yeah, I can hang out with Lily," Jackson added.

"Ugh, you'd rather have me here alone than with James? What if an axe murderer attacks?" Viv complained to Billy.

"Well, an axe murderer wouldn't get past the front gate," Billy argued.

"Unless he took out the front gate on his way in," Viv reasoned.

"The booth is inside the gate. They would need to crash the gate and then take out the booth. At which point, the cops and I'd get alerted because of the aforementioned gate crashing." It was surprising how much thought Billy had given to the threat of an axe murderer.

"Do you think maybe we're a bit too secure here? I mean, honestly, no wonder we never have Girl Scout cookies," Viv whined.

"We get cases of them every year. I have to bring them into the studio to get rid of them." Billy's voice cracked with annoyance.

"Mm, I could go for a Thin Mint right now," I whispered to Jackson.

"You know they mass produce them year-round, but call them grasshoppers. You can go to the store and get them," he murmured back.

"But they don't taste as good if they aren't undersized and overpriced," I countered.

"You're a slave to marketing," Jackson teased.

"What are you two whispering about?" Billy called to us.

"Nothing, just a sidebar on the realities of consumerism in today's society," Jackson quickly answered.

"I want that conversation. Lily, you take this mess." Billy waved his hands towards Viv. "And I'll talk consumerism with Jackson."

"No deal. I'll cave and let James come over, and then you'll be mad at me." I held my hands up in defeat.

"See, Lily is on my side," Viv whined.

"No, I'm not on your side. I completely understand and agree with where your dad is coming from right now. You and James are new, and that newness means you have to earn privileges through actions. I'd weigh your pre-James action and general stubbornness over the need to start at the bottom of the mountain. But your dad wants to protect you and James, so his tactic is more than fair. It's not like he's saying you can't spend the day with James. That would be unreasonable. You have an ask; you want to spend the day with James. He has an ask; he isn't comfortable with you being alone with your very new boyfriend. Your dad has given you some suitable options. Unfortunately, Jackson already has plans, but the Tess option is still available." I took a long sip of water after my lengthy summary.

"Wow," Jackson giggled next to me.

Viv just sat back with her arms folded across her chest and mumbled about calling James after dinner.

"I think we all just got managed," Billy laughed.

"Conflict resolution is a frequently used skill in my job."

"Your job as a head boss in charge?" Jackson laughed.

"She's going to own you, Dad. You don't even stand a chance," Viv teased as her demeanor softened.

"What?" Billy's voice filled with shock.

"I only use my powers for good, and when I'm hungry," I offered.

"I'm suddenly getting concerned with all of this. Can we please talk about the effects of consumerism on society?" Billy sheepishly asked.

"Sorry, Dad; apparently, I have to call James to see if his mommy can babysit me tomorrow." Viv stood as she spoke.

"Sarcasm noted and not appreciated. I could ground you, and then you'd be stuck at the arena all weekend," Billy reminded her.

"I don't think that would fit Lily's fair and balanced plan," Viv contended.

"Unfortunately, the dad card trumps everything. He's allowed to be unreasonable for your health and well-being. Those are just the rules of family." I shrugged.

"I'm going to go too, but only because I feel like somehow I'll get in trouble. I'm not sure for what, but it just feels like the room's mood." Jackson escaped behind Viv.

"Hi," I said to Billy.

"Hi," Billy said with a sigh of having to parent. "Thank you for your rational support," he added.

"Parenting is fun," I teased. "I'm glad I'm not a parent."

"It's not all fat biking and egg creams, that's for sure." He lifted my hand and gave it a gentle kiss as he spoke. "I'm sorry that you feel you're missing out while you're at work. I know the feeling. When I'm on the road, I feel that way.

"I can imagine." I stood and cleared the plates.

We had established a rhythm in the kitchen. Without a word, Billy was already taking off his watch to dig into the sink of dishes. I leaned beside him, waiting for the first plate to dry while I let my eyes linger on his hands, slipping in and out of the water.

"Lil," Billy nudged, pulling me from distraction as a wet plate dripped in front of me.

"Sorry," I mumbled as I took the plate from him.

"Everything okay?" He checked.

"Yeah, everything is great," I confidently smiled at him before turning to put the dry plate away.

"You know, the kids think we are nuts for doing the dinner dishes by hand when we have a dishwasher," he mused.

"This is one of my favorite parts of the day," I answered.

"Mine too," he agreed as he handed me another plate.

"Do you think it'd be okay if we left Viv and James here alone all day?" Billy asked.

"Do you want my honest opinion?"

"I wouldn't have asked otherwise."

"I do. I don't know either well, but they have both been pretty responsible in the short time I have been around. James also would never do anything to hurt Viv. He has too much Tim in him and just the right amount of fear of you."

"You think he is afraid of me?" Billy's voice was pleased.

"Just the right amount. I think it comes from respect, though, which is a testament to you more than him," I offered. "On the other hand, I don't think what you're doing is wrong. Viv will be making some big decisions for herself in the coming years. Your desire to slow them down shows you care and adds to how important it is for her to think about what she's doing."

"I don't enjoy thinking about Viv making big decisions," Billy paused from his washing as he let his hands rest on the edge of the sink as he looked over the backfield. "She's just so young," he sighed.

"Do you remember when you were her age?"

"I'd prefer not to," he admitted.

"Mmhmm, so I think you can agree those decisions are coming up fast. But honestly, you're winning the jackpot if she is navigating this with James, and you and Sarah are navigating this with Tim and Tess," I offered.

"And you. We're navigating this with you, too," he leaned in and kissed my temple before returning to the dishes. "Do you ever wish things could slow down so you could focus on one thing at a time? Between the tour, and us getting married, and the kids, it's feeling overwhelming."

"Really?" I gauged myself. I thought of marrying Billy as a smile crept across my face. Excitement bubbled as I thought of the tour. Warmth engulfed me at the thought of the kids. But as I thought of work, a snarl churned in my stomach.

"You okay?" Billy asked, as my thoughts must have slipped to my posture.

"Yeah, I guess I have moments of feeling overwhelmed as well," I noted.

"We should call Sarah tonight. I want to agree with our tactics around James," he mused.

"Yeah, that sounds like a good plan." I absently put the last plate away and turned as Billy put his watch back on his wrist. Once again, his hands distracted me.

"We can use my studio phone. It has a speaker," Billy murmured.

"Oh, you want me to be on the call?"

Billy's eyes snapped to me at my shocked tone. "Yeah, you're in this, babe. That's what kids do: divide and conquer. We have to stick together."

He was right, but the idea sent a stream of panic through me. "This isn't going to be fun. I'm not a parent. I'm not a friend. What am I?"

"A constant. Kids gravitate to things they can depend on."

"What if she hates me?"

"Then you're doing it right." As he spoke, he set his hands on my hips. "You've got this. I'll be the bad cop," he added as he kissed my forehead.

I sank further into him and let his musk permeate me. All other thoughts except his proximity melted away. Billy shifted at my unexpected linger, but quickly wrapped his arms tighter around me for a full hug.

"I love you." I sighed into his chest.

"Good." He let his lips fall to the crown of my head.

"Your studio is soundproof, right?" I asked as I pulled away.

"Yeah, of course." Confusion clouded Billy's words.

I smiled up at him as he caught where my mind kept pulling to all night. In one quick movement, he had me slung over his shoulder. In a flash, the cold winter air surrounded us briefly before we were back in the barn's warmth.

Billy set me down at the bottom of the stairs and, a little too calmly, added, "after you."

"I can't remember the last time I saw you move that fast," I noted as I headed up the stairs.

"It's all about incentive," he noted.

As I entered the studio, he caught me by my belt and pulled me back into his arms as he kicked the door shut behind him.

"Hi," whispered up to him after spinning to his chest.

"Hi," he murmured back as his eyes poured over me.

"Hi," I said one more time before we entirely entwined in each other.