Ohana

"You have a good life."

I am standing before my sister and Mum, with all of my Mum's grand kids, and my sisters daughter.

I pull out my phone and text Ethan, Spencer, Noah, Dad, Mrs. Carter, and Mr. Carter.

Me: 911 THE KIDS RAN INTO MY MUM AND EMILY AND EMILY KNOWS EMMA IS HERS I'M UPSTAIRS THIRD FLOOR CLOSEST TO THE ELEVATORS

Spencer

My phone chimes at the same time as Noah, and he looks down.

I read the message, take it in, and then run for the stairs.

We're on the second floor. We take the stairs two at a time, flying up them. We sprint past the elevator, and slow down when we see.

All the kids are there, all seven of them, along with my wife, Kendall, my mother-in-law, and my sister-in-law.

I look at Noah. Their back is to us, so they can't see us.

Audrey

"Auntie." Emma asks for the fifth time. "Is she my Mum?"

"Emma, look, there's Daddy." I say when I see Noah. Her face lights up and she runs, shoving past Emily, straight to Noah. He picks her up, walking up with Spencer.

"You found Eloise?" Spencer asks, breathless. In answer, I nod down at our daughter. He nods carefully, eying my Mum and sister.

Noah walks up, holding Emma's hand.

"Daddy, is she my Mum?" Emma asks. Noah looks pained as he looks down at Emma and back at his ex-wife.

"She is your mother." He says. "The woman who gave birth to you, but she's not your Mum."

Emma looks up at Noah, confused.

"What's the difference?"

"Do you know how Auntie is always there for your cousins? How Kenny is always there for your cousins? How they are there for their children when they fall and scrape their knee? Or how they help with their math homework, or teach them to swim?"

"Yes."

"That's what's a Mummy or a Mum does. A mother is somebody who grows a baby inside of them and then leaves. A Mummy or Mum is somebody who grows a baby inside of them and then stays to raise the baby, to nurture the baby, to love the baby."

Emma frowns, looking down, and then she looks up at Emily.

"I wish that you stayed." She says.

Emily looks like she's going to start crying.

"Me too." She says finally.

Emma looks up at Noah.

"For my birthday, can I have a Mummy?"

Oh god, this is so sad.

"I can't promise that. A good Mummy is hard to come by."

Declan clears his throat loudly and walks up to my mother.

"So you're the rude lady who burned my Mum with a cigarette?" He asks. "Well you are a bogan, aren't you?"

"Declan!" I exclaim. "You don't say that to anybody! Apologize!"

"Sorry." He shrugs.

Spencer nudges me. "What is a bogan?"

"A bogan is Australian slang for somebody who...basically somebody ghetto." I say.

Spencer nods slowly.

I mean, it find of fits.

"You're a little brat." Mum exclaims to Declan.