daycare // hemmings

epilogue

five years later

"Ethan! Aiden! Jamie!"

"Keep calling, Dad," Aiden said. Luke raised his eyebrow at his son, and Aiden's twin Ethan skipped into the room, shortly followed by Jamie.

Tobie leaned against the door, watching Luke. She didn't know why he'd called the three of them in, but then again, it was Luke. He could've called them to tell them why he loved penguins (it had happened before).

Luke smiled. "Grab your shoes, guys- we're goin to Uncle Ashton's place."

Jamie smiled and ran to her room, coming back with her shoes before Ethan and Aiden even moved. Ethan looked questioningly at his father.

"Don't get me wrong, Dad, I love Ash and all, but why're we goin' over?"

Luke shrugged. "Why not? When's the last time you saw the kids?"

Aiden raised an eyebrow. "Yesterday."

Jamie rubbed Aiden's head on her way to the door. "Whatever, A! Let's just go!"

Ethan and Aiden were very good about doing whatever it was to make Jamie happy, so they both ran upstairs to grab their shoes. Tobie and Luke slid on their own and watched as Ethan and Aiden raced Jamie to the car, then did the famous "Buckle Race" to see who could get their seatbelt on first. Jamie always won.

Luke drove to Ashton's, holding Tobie's hand. She watched the kids from the mirror, Ethan and Aiden going through an I Spy book and Jamie looking out the window. The eleven year old sat, content, as Luke drove, and Tobie smiled to herself.

When they arrived at Ashton's, Tobie wasn't surprised to see Michael there with Tracy and Tami, along with the newest addition to the Clifford Clan, Oscar. Oscar was about two months old and Jamie adored him. So did Tami, who was six.

Calum arrived too, almost faster than Tobie could say hey to everyone. They all walked up to Ashton's door, and Ashton opened it before they knocked. Jamie let herself in, Oscar in her arms, and made herself at home on the couch. Tobie laughed as Tami, Ethan and Aiden ran off together to the play room Ash had set up, while Tracy, Michael, Calum, Luke and Tobie followed Ashton to the kitchen to grab some food. Michael was hungry- Michael was always hungry.

As Aiden had said, Tobie had seen everybody yesterday. But even though she'd seen them, she missed them. She and Luke spent a lot of time with the boys, growing the relationship between their kids and them. Tobie missed their group when they were apart for more than a day. And though he didn't admit it, Luke did too.

They'd gone through a lot, all of them. Jamie was the glue holding them all together, and they'd almost lost her. So now, though they had her, they all clung together. They made new glue. Aiden and Ethan. Tami and Oscar.

The little ones Ashton and Calum were sure to have at some point.

All of it was set for the future. All of them were going to be together in the future. And that took a lot of time for Tobie to understand.

She did, though. She finally understood.

Because blood doesn't mean family. Jamie was her family even before she met Luke. And then Luke became family, along with Mike, Ash and Calum. She couldn't live without them.

She couldn't live without Jamie. Or any of the kids.

Sitting around the table with the boys, her hand intertwined with Luke's, Tobie started smiling. Smiling wide, eyes shining, and then she started laughing, leaning her head onto Luke's shoulder. Luke stopped the conversation and chuckled, leaning his head on hers.

"May I ask why you're laughing?"

Tobie shook her head, sighing. "Because I love our family."

Luke hummed, and Tobie looked around the table. Ashton tilted his head.

"Normally I'm the cheesy one here." He said. Tobie smiled, shrugging.

"I figured I'd take over today."

Just as Luke was about to say something, Ethan, Aiden and Tami entered the room, marker smudges on their fingers and papers in their hands.

Tami stepped forward, her blonde hair in pig tails on her head. Her green eyes sparkled behind Aiden's glasses, and the blue-eyed boy scowled next to his brother, unable to see. He had been cursed with Tobie's brother's horrible eye-sight. It was quite funny.

"I have news!" Tami exclaimed. Michael turned around.

"And what's that, bumblebee?" He asked.

"Aiden an' Ethan an' I have drawn you all as animals!"

Aiden rolled his eyes. "I wanted nothing to do with this, but Aunt Tracy, I drew you an' Mikey."

Tracy laughed and the three of them handed out the pictures. Ethan had drawn Tobie and Luke, and Luke was a penguin. Tobie had been depicted as a flamingo.

Luke laughed at hers and smiled at his, hugging Ethan and kissing him on the head. Aiden skipped around the table and gave Michael and Tracy theirs, and then Tami handed Ashton and Calum theirs.

Michael was Pikachu, Calum was a dog, Ashton was a kangaroo (Tami had seen that joke online), and Tracy was a dove.

"Thanks my dudes," Cal said, rubbing the twins' hair. Ethan and Aiden smiled and walked over to Tobie and Luke, crawling into Luke's lap. They were small enough to fit.

Tobie hadn't been happier.