"Let me think about it..."

"I have to talk to my dad first. I've lived in that house for almost... oh God, almost thirty years. He'll be alone..." Amy's lip quivered and a sob threatened to **** off her voice. She looked at Elizabeth and me for a moment before continuing. "Let me think about it..."

"Take your time, sweetie," my wife replied. "There's no rush."

"Thank you," Amy sniffed to stifle a tear.

"Mommy, I'm done with my cookies!" Adam cheered, seeming unaware of his mother's inner anguish. "Can we see the house now?"

"That's great, hon," she smiled at him, offering her hand to him. "Let's take the tour!"

Even though Amy and her son had been at the housewarming party the previous weekend, Adam was too occupied with the food and playing with the other kids to check out the rooms in our house. We showed him the recently renovated kitchen with an island and upgraded contemporary steel appliances, especially a big french door fridge that could store enough food for four adults and a hungry little boy (Elizabeth gave him an apple for a snack, much to Amy's approval). The backyard wasn't huge but it was big enough for a five-year-old to be kept safe and out of trouble instead of playing on the street.

We showed them the bedroom closest to our room that we were planning for the baby. Of course, I had to get Elizabeth pregnant first before we would even start thinking about painting the walls pink or blue.

Adam excitedly ran between the five bedrooms, undecided which one would be his room. "Mom! They're all bigger than my room!"

"What do you think, kiddo?" Talia asked, kneeling down to play with his hair. "Would you like to live here with me, Auntie Elizabeth, and Uncle Ian?"

"Yes!" Adam chirped, giving her a hug.

I smiled at the sight of how well Talia was with Adam -- she would make a great mother.

Amy smiled while she watched her son looking through the railing to the foyer below. "I still want to talk to my dad first," she whispered.

"He's welcome to visit any time," Elizabeth assured her.

"Not unannounced, of course," I winked at Amy. She rolled her eyes, knowing that I was referring to the time back in our senior year her father had come home early and found our trail of discarded clothes leading up the stairs and to her bedroom.

Adam was aghast when he saw how spacious our master bedroom was and Talia joked it was bigger than her apartment. We had a big flat screen HDTV hung on the wall across from the king size bed, a cozy reading chair near the window, and a vanity. Then there was the walk-in closet, which was mostly my wife's, and I smirked at the memory of the five girls inside changing into their lingerie the previous weekend.

"Oh my gosh!" Adam squealed when he saw the large whirlpool bathtub in the corner. "Can I swim in here?"

"No, hon, it's not for swimming," Amy replied. "It's for grown ups who need to relax after a hard day at work."

"You're welcome to use it," Elizabeth giggled.

"Oh, I may take you up on it," Amy sighed, looking at her son squishing his mouth against the glass of the shower enclosure.