The doors of the yellow school bus squeaked as they closed. She could see her three children sitting in their seats as they headed off for the first day of another school year. Their smiling faces looked at her and their hands waved as the bus jerked into motion to continue along Glen Road.

Once it was out of sight, she let out a breath and made her way back along the gravel driveway toward the house. She loved her children, but was relieved classes were back in session knowing the fights she’d been refereeing all day long for the past two months were on pause.

She opened the screen door and looked at the washing machine, seeing that it was already running. It had been on her schedule to get the laundry done as there was so much from the five family members that resided in the farmhouse.

Helen Belden moved into the kitchen and saw that the breakfast dishes had been moved to the counter and her husband was already washing them.

“I was going to do that,” Helen said, stepping up beside him.

He looked at her. “I don’t mind. It’s one less you have to do since we have that appointment this morning.”

“I appreciate it,” Helen said picking up a towel and drying what’s already been washed.

“How are you feeling this morning?” Peter asked, setting a plate in the drying rack.

“A little nauseous, but it’s not too bad,” she answered. “It’s better than it’s been.”

“That’s good,” Peter said.

“Are you sure your boss is okay with you coming in late?” Helen asked. “I can go to this appointment myself.”

“It’s fine,” Peter said, leaning over and kissing her cheek. “Besides, I need to use up some of my vacation time or lose it. I think this is a good reason to use some.”

“All right,” Helen said. “I just don’t want you to get into trouble.”

“It’s fine,” Peter said. “So, what time do we need to leave?”

“In about an hour.”

Peter turned the water off and dried his hands. He stepped toward his wife and pulled her into his arms. “Whatever we find out, we will handle this as a family, okay?”

Helen nodded as she embraced her true love.

Hours later, Peter and Helen walked out to the station wagon and got in. They looked at one another, joy sparkling from both of their eyes.

Helen took her husband’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “You are happy, right?”

Peter turned in his seat and pulled his wife toward him, giving her a kiss. “Yes, I am happy. This is amazing news.”

Helen threw her arms around her husband and held him tight. “I’m so glad. I know we weren’t planning, but this is wonderful.”

“We need to celebrate,” Peter said, leaning back. “We should go out to dinner. Or wait, let’s have a party to announce the news.”

“Don’t you think we should tell the kids first?” Helen asked. “I’m not sure giving them the news at a party is the best idea.”

“They’ll be excited,” Peter said.

“Really?” Helen asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Of course,” Peter said. “Brian will be excited about it and will use it as a learning experience so he can become a doctor.”

“And Mart?”

“He’ll gloat claiming he’s known for a while.”

“And Trixie?”

Peter just stared at his wife. Helen smirked, waiting to know how their daughter would react.

“Well?” she prompted.

“I’m not really sure,” Peter admitted, knowing their six-year-old’s responses varied, many times being the opposite of what is anticipated.

“Trixie will be the wild card,” Helen said. “If we think she will be happy, she will have a tantrum and I’m not in the mood to deal with that at a party.”

“Then we tell them at home,” Peter said. “But how do you want to do it?”

“Maybe something memorable,” Helen said. “There have been a lot of stories about announcing the news to families. One of those ideas could work. We’d just have to decide which one.”

“I love that idea,” Peter said, leaning over and kissing his wife. “And I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Helen finished wrapping the final box and set it on the bed next to the three others. She had found the paper with smiley faces on it, which wouldn’t give away the items inside.

She looked at the clock and knew they would be home soon and she needed to put the finishing touches on dinner.

The boxes were stacked and placed on her dresser so they could be retrieved after they finished eating.

Feeling nervous about the evening, she left the room, closing the door behind her. She knew the kids wouldn’t go in there with it closed, so the packages wouldn’t be seen.

She made her way to the first floor and started mixing the ingredients for hamburgers. Since they were experiencing a warmer than normal fall, they were going to grill to take advantage of the warm fall night.

Helen rinsed her hands after making the patties and glanced at the clock. The bus would be arriving, so she needed to head outside or the driver wouldn’t let the kids off.

Halfway down the driveway she stopped when the bus pulled up. With a woosh of the doors opening, the kids walked down the steps. Brian stayed by the door making sure his siblings got off safely and were far enough away before the bus headed to its next stop.

“Moms!” Mart yelled running toward her with Brian and Trixie in pursuit. He was waving a piece of paper in the air. “Look! Look! I got a perfect score on my spelling test!”

Helen took the paper from Mart and saw the “Great job” sticker next to the perfect marks. “That’s wonderful, Mart. “We’ll put this on the refrigerator.”

Mart was beaming with pride as he skipped along beside his mother as they made their way back toward the house.

“How was your day, Brian?” Helen asked.

“It was good,” he answered. “We played soccer in gym today and I scored twice.”

“Great job, Honey,” Helen said. “Maybe you’ll be a professional soccer player when you get older.”

“Maybe, but I still want to be a doctor,” he said.

“You can be anything you want,” Helen said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks, Moms.”

“Moms, are my overalls in my room?” Trixie asked.

“They should be in your closet,” Helen answered. “Just make sure your dress ends up in the hamper.”

“Okay.” Trixie took off running toward the house, allowing the screen door to slam shut once she disappeared inside.

Mart ran behind her and the door slammed again.

Helen and Brian went inside, closing the door gently.

Brian went upstairs as Helen resumed dinner preparation.

All three of the kids came back downstairs and headed outside to play in the yard, the door slamming shut behind them.

Helen heard them talking and laughing as they played and rode their bicycles up and down the driveway. The bouncing of the basketball was heard on the concrete in front of the garage and it connecting with the backboard.

Peter arrived from the bank and came into the kitchen, giving his wife a kiss. “How are you feeling?”

“Pretty good,” Helen answered. “The burgers are ready for the grill whenever you are.”

“The grill is warming up,” Peter said. “I started it on my way in.”

“Perfect.”

Helen turned to face him. Peter wrapped his arms around her and resumed kissing.

“Moms! When’s dinner?” Mart called out. “I’m about to expire.”

The couple separated and laughed. Peter said, “I better get to it before he fades from existence.”

Helen gave him a quick peck before he disappeared from the kitchen. He came back, grabbed the plate of burgers and went out to the grill.

She finished the sides and set the table.

“All right, you three, put your toys away,” Peter called out. “The burgers are just about done.”

In no time at all they hurried inside and washed their hands.

Drinks were poured and the side dishes brought to the table. Food was placed on everyone’s plate and they started eating as they shared the news of how their days went.

Throughout the meal, Peter and Helen kept exchanging glances, small smiles as the minutes ticked away to sharing their news.

Once the meal was finished, the kids took the dishes to the kitchen and started the cleanup with Brian washing, Mart and Trixie drying.

Helen went up to their room and retrieved the boxes. She took them into the living room and placed them on the coffee table so they were side by side. She settled in the one recliner as she waited for the rest of the family with an envelope in her hand.

Peter ushered them into the room and the kids sat on the edge of the couch cushions, their eyes immediately drawn to the four packages.

“What’s going on?” Brian asked, looking up at their parents as Peter perched on the arm of the recliner. “It’s not our birthdays.”

“We know that,” Helen said. “But we got each of you something. Take the box in front of you.”

They did as they were told and each of them gave it a little shake, hoping to get an idea of what was hidden inside.

“Go ahead an unwrap them,” Peter said.

The smiley face paper went flying, revealing a plain white box in each of their hands. They glanced at what each other had wondering if someone had more of a clue.

“Take the lids off,” Helen said.

The lids went flying. Mart and Trixie tore the tissue paper out while Brian folded his back. They all saw gray T-shirts folded inside.

Brian pulled his out, allowing the folds to disappear as he held it up.

“Original?” Brian asked, lowering it to look at his parents.

“Seagull?” Mart asked, glancing at his, then to Brian’s and then back to his own.

“Sequel,” Brian said. “Like a second movie.”

“Oh,” Mart said.

The two boys looked at their sister. She said, “Tr…Tri…trial…tree…treelogy.”

“Close, sweetheart,” Peter said. “It’s pronounced trilogy.”

“Trilogy,” he repeated slowly.

“Perfect,” Peter said.

She lowered her shirt. “What does trilogy mean?”

“It’s like part three or third installment,” Brian said.

Trixie looked at him confused, not really understanding.

“Together, the three of you can open the last package,” Helen said, pressing the envelope to her leg.

The tension was building as the paper was shredded. The lid went flying and the tissue paper revealed a matching shirt, just much, much smaller.

“Final?” Mark asked, looking at them.

“It’s actually finale,” Helen said.

“I don’t understand,” Mart said.

Helen saw Brian’s gaze was moving between the four shirts as if he was putting the pieces together.

“Maybe this will help,” Helen said handing over an envelope.

Brian accepted it and lifted the flap, revealing a black and white photo. Mart and Trixie crowded in close to see it.

The eldest child’s finger moved over the photo to two words typed on the photo.

Mart and Trixie’s eyes went to that spot. Their mouths fell open as they looked at their parents.

“A baby?” Brian asked.

“You were the original, Brian,” Helen said.

“Mart was the sequel,” Peter said.

“Trixie is the trilogy and the baby will be the finale,” Helen said.

“A baby?” Trixie asked.

Helen placed a hand on her stomach “Yes, we’re having a baby.”

“I’m getting a sister!” Trixie yelled and started dancing around the room.

Peter and Helen were thrilled Trixie seemed happy, but hated to burst her bubble.

“Trixie, we don’t know if it’s a girl yet,” Peter said. “The doctor couldn’t tell, so it might be a boy.”

“Nope, it’s a girl so girls equal the number of boys,” Trixie said as she continued dancing around.

Helen and Peter looked at their sons. Peter asked, “What do you boys think?”

“I think it’s great,” Brian said. “Are you two happy?”

“We are,” Peter said, wrapping his arm around Helen’s shoulder. “We have so much love that we get to share it with a new baby.”

“Well, if it’s a girl it’ll be a good replacement for Trixie,” Mart said. “We only need one girl.”

Trixie spun toward her brother, a murderous glare on her face. “Since we already have two boys, you’d be the one to go since you get me in trouble.”

“Ha,” Mart said.

“Enough,” Peter said. “Whether the baby is a boy or girl, none of you are going anywhere. You will love the baby and look out for your youngest sibling no matter what, since that is what families do.”

“Dad’s right,” Brian said. “It’s exciting that we’re going to have a baby in the house.”

Brian got to his feet and moved to Helen. He gave her a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Congratulations, Moms.”

“Thank you, sweetheart.”

Mart and Trixie followed suit and then the three of them left the living room, thinking about how their family would soon be changing.

Helen looked up at her husband. “Well, I will take that response. They could have all had tantrums at the news of a baby.”

“I think the outburst will come when we finally know the sex of the baby,” Peter said.

“Trixie will take it hard if it’s another boy,” Helen said, looking toward the doorway their kids disappeared through.

“She might,” Peter said. “But if it’s a girl who is into dresses and dolls, Trixie may wish it had been a boy. We both know she detests anything frilly.”

“She’s definitely a tomboy,” Helen said, leaning into Peter’s side, taking his hand in her own.

“I think Trixie will have a meltdown if it’s a girl and she needs to share her room,” Peter said. “She’s had it all to herself for so long. She will be in for a major adjustment.”

“All of them will have to realize things will change and won’t be the same once the baby arrives,” Helen said.

“We all would,” Peter said.

Nestling her head against Peter’s side, she asked softly, “If you could choose, do you want a boy or girl?”

“I want a healthy baby,” Peter said. “Whatever sex the baby is would just make our love that much stronger.”

“But if you could choose?” Helen pressed.

“I would love them to look just like their mother.”

She tilted her head up to look at him with love in her eyes. He leaned down and gave her a kiss.

“I just want a healthy baby too,” Helen said.

“So, when we do find out the sex, do you want to do a gender reveal which everyone is doing nowadays and have the kids help?” Peter asked.

“I think that would be great,” Helen said. “I know the bakery in town can make a cake the color of the gender.”

“I think that’s a little easy,” Peter said.

“Well, we can always do some research and do something we like or incorporate a couple of ideas.”

“I think that’s perfect,” Peter said.

“Good.” They kissed.