Ava Grace

In the following weeks, Ava was adjusting well to handling Olivia and Julianna, while still trying to handle Isabella and Patrick by herself. By the seventeenth, she was able to be working out again, because her stitches were almost completely healed. And before long, Ava was successfully juggling Isabella's attention seeking ways, Patrick's need to walk away any chance he got, and the newborn needs of her youngest daughters.

Before long, it was May 2nd. Ava was back to a size two, had new hair extensions to add length to her hair and red streaks to contrast the black, and was now in the midst of packing her things along with Isabella's, Patrick's, and the twins' to leave early on the morning of the fourth with Adrienne, Marissa and Claudia to fly to New York to meet up with the guys, unknown to Mike, on tour.

The next evening, close to ten, a driver arrived at the house to pick up Ava and the kids to drive them to the airport. Making sure she had everything, Ava left a note for her mother about the dogs on the entrance way table, grabbed her purse and carried a sleepy Isabella outside into the cool air. Zipping up the little girl's Raiders sweater, Ava climbed into the backseat of the car where the sleeping twins and Patrick already were.

Driving the half an hour to the San Francisco International Airport, Isabella quickly fell asleep in the seat beside Ava. Arriving at the airport, the driver drove to the runway for the private jets. Pulling up in front of the security guard window, she rolled down her window and handed out the confirmation papers that they were there to use the Warner jet. The guard nodded then said "Enjoy tour, Mrs. Pritchard."

"Thank you."

The guard pressed a button and the gates opened. Smiling to be curtious, she then rolled up her window as the driver drove along the road to the hanger. When they arrived, as the driver gave all of their luggage to the baggage handlers, Adrienne came off the jet to help Ava with the kids. As Adrienne carried Patrick and led Isabella to the plane, Ava held the twins in their car seats, and watched to make sure all the bags got on the jet. With everything in the baggage hold, she got her purse and the diaper bag out of the back seat, thanked the driver for taking them to the airport and helping with the luggage, then got on the plane with help from Claudia who took Julianna and her car seat.

At eleven, the jet took off for New York. Six hours later, they arrived at JFK, at eight in the morning. Once they were picked up by drivers, Adrienne took Isabella and Patrick with herself and Marissa, while Claudia and Ava took Olivia and Julianna with themselves in the second car.

Arriving at The Plaza, Billie Joe and Tre met them at the door. As the bell boys took the their luggage to the suites, Billie Joe kissed Adrienne, took Marissa from her, kissed Ava's cheek, took Olivia in her car seat then as he opened his mouth to speak, Ava spoke up and said "Where's Mike...and my other kids?"

"He took them to breakfast in one of the restaurants."

Frowning, Ava replied, "He couldn't even wait for me..."

"You look like you haven't eaten since we left."

"Shut up. I worked my ass off to get this thin for the first time in nearly two years."

They got on the elevator and Billie Joe said "He doesn't even know you're here yet..."

"You guys didn't tell him?"

Billie Joe rubbed his nose against Marissa's and as the little girl giggled he said "What's the point when Estelle could've told him? Or you could've? Or we could just wait and see him less grumpy at tonight's show..."

"He's been grumpy?"

"Since you called and said you might wait a little longer to come on tour."

Ava smiled then said "That was a good plan...he thinks I'm in a meeting all day."

The elevators reached the fifteenth floor of the hotel and everyone got off of them. Billie Joe gave Olivia's car seat back to Ava and he, Adrienne and Marissa went to their suite, while Tre and Claudia went to their suite, and Ava brought the kids to Mike's.

Quickly, Ava unpacked the toys Isabella wanted to play with, Patrick's playpen, and the two baby bouncers for the twins. While Isabella played with her doll and Patrick played with blocks in the playpen, the twins fell asleep and Ava finished unpacking enough things to last the five day stay they had in New York.

An hour after arriving, Ava was feeding Olivia in the kitchen area of the suite, when she heard the door open and Estelle say "Oh god, Bells..."

Ava carried Olivia out into the entrance of the large suite, and there was Estelle, now holding Isabella, and Audrina and Sophia quickly ran to Ava. She hugged her daughters then said "Where's daddy?"

"He sent me up with the hooligans while he kept Ryan with him and paid for breakfast."

"Did you tell him?"

"Nope. Joey told me that Billie said not to."

"I'll never get a straight answer from my brother..."

Estelle's Blue Ice Chocolate began playing Revolution from Across The Universe and she slid it up, put it to her ear then said "Hi daddy."

"Can you let me in? We're just getting off the elevator."

"Okay."

Estelle slid the phone back down, put down Isabella then held out her arms said "I'll finish feeding her."

Ava carefully passed Olivia to Estelle and there was a knock on the door. Looking at herself in the mirror, Ava smoothed down her straightened hair then opened the door. Ryan ran passed her quickly, saying "Hi momma," and Mike looked up from texting on his phone. He smiled at Ava and she said "Happy Birthday!"

They kissed for the first time in two months and when they parted, Mike wrapped his arms around Ava's waist then said "I was just texting you to say have a nice day at your meeting."

"Yeah...I haven't had any meetings for two weeks."

"Really?"

"Well, I didn't want you to know we were coming out for your birthday. That's why I said we might not come out, and that I had a meeting today."

"I should've gone to the lobby when Tre called me..."

"You should've..."

They kissed again and Mike said "Are you back to a two already?"

"I had nothing else to do when the house was silent from eleven-thirty till one-thirty. And, it's a tight two."

"Did you eat breakfast?"

"No."

"Do you wanna go get some?"

"You just came from breakfast..."

"I only had fruit salad."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes..."

"Michael..."

"No...but I want to go somewhere and eat with you. I haven't seen you in two months."

Ava smiled at her husband and said "You'll make yourself sick if you eat too much..."

"Maybe, I'll just have coffee...we could just go to Starbucks and you can eat something there."

Ava shrugged, turned around then said "Stella...can you handle everyone for a few minutes till Adie gets here?"

"Yeah."

"Okay."

Ava looked up at Mike then said "Just let me grab my purse and put shoes on. Call Adrienne."

Mike nodded and Ava ran to the master bedroom. She dug out her black Manolo Blahnik thick sole pumps, put them on, fixed her leggings and dress, grabbed her purse and sunglasses then went back out into the living room area.

Mike looked up from putting Olivia back her in bouncer then said "Adie's gonna be here in a couple minutes. You ready?"

Ava nodded and Mike stood up, met Ava over by the door, then they left the room. Leaving the hotel, they went to the nearest Starbucks. After they both had coffee and Ava had a bagel, they went back to the hotel.

With the rest of the morning and early afternoon passing, Mike spent most of his time with Isabella, Patrick, Olivia and Julianna, while Ava spent her time with Estelle, Audrina, Ryan and Sophia. Around four, Mike and Ava were both feeding a twin each when there was a knock on the door.

Since Estelle was free and the only one who could see out of the peep hole, she got up and went over to the door. Seeing it was Bill Schneider, Estelle opened the door and yelled to her father. Mike came out into the entrance way and Bill said "Are you ready to go?"

"Is the van here?"

"Yes."

"Okay. We'll be down in a few minutes."

"All right."

Bill left the room, Estelle closed the door, then Mike said "Can you get the diaper bags and Audrina and Sophia ready to go while me and Ava get Liv, Julianna, Ryan and Pat ready to go?"

"Yeah."

They walked back into the living room and Mike told Ava to go get ready for the concert while he got the twins and the boys ready to go. Ava went into the bedroom and changed into a pair of jeans, a white tank top and an black American Eagle sweater over it. Going back into the living room, Mike was putting Olivia in her car seat.

Ava sat beside Mike on the couch then said "Do you have everything?"

"There's toys at the arena, Estelle's getting the diaper bags for Olivia and Julianna, and Pat, then we're ready to go."

"Is there headphones at the arena?"

"Yes, four sets of them."

"Okay."

A few minutes later, everyone were outside in their designated cars, and were on their way to Madison Square Garden. There, after everyone had something for supper, they had cake for Mike's birthday.

Around nine, they guys went on for their set. By one, everyone was back at the hotel and all of the kids were in bed, and soon after, so were the parents.

*Ava's Point of View*

On September 28th, we had a week long break to go home because Claudia's due date was October 2nd. Delivering two days early, Claudia gave birth to Lucy Cadence, a beautiful six pounds, five ounces little girl.

As the year and a half passed that we were on tour, Audrina and Ryan turned eight then nine, Isabella turned four then five, Claudia turned thirty-seven then thirty-eight, I turned thirty-four, Jakob turned twelve, Marissa turned three, Sophia turned six, Adrienne turned forty-one, Tre turned thirty-eight, Ramona turned sixteen, Patrick turned two, Billie Joe turned thirty-nine, Olivia and Julianna turned one, Joey turned sixteen, Estelle turned fourteen, Frankito turned ten, and Mike turned thirty-nine.

We traveled all around the world, from New York to Los Angeles, Vancouver to Miami, Dublin to Stockholm, Berlin to Paris, Lisbon to Rome, Tokyo to Melbourne. Spending some of the best days of my life on that tour, we finally arrived back at our homes in Berkeley and Oakland on the sunny morning of August 30th, 2012.

As I spent the next few hours bringing baskets upon baskets down to the laundry room, Mike spent his time in the backyard with our kids in the pool. Around two, I finally decided to join my husband and kids in the backyard. Sitting down on one of the lounge chairs, Olivia ran over and jumped on me, soaking wet. Taking off my sunglasses, I looked at her and said "Hi baby girl."

"Hi momma."

One of my one-and-a-half year olds grinned at me and I said "Did daddy tell you to do this?"

Olivia nodded quickly, I put her down on the grass and got up. I walked over to Mike who was sitting on the edge of the pool, jokingly threatening to throw Sophia in the water, and tapped him on the shoulder.

"May I ask what gave the notion for Liv to come soak me?"

Mike shrugged then said "You looked warm."

"My brand new bathing suit is wet!"

"Think of the words you used in that sentence...among them were bathing suit and wet. Two things that go together. Ava...a bathing suit is supposed to get wet."

"Not mine!"

"You like swimming though..."

"Sophia, go swim. Daddy's getting dunked in the water."

Sophia laughed and did as I requested. Mike stood up, faced me then said "You wouldn't."

"Wouldn't I? You look warm..."

"I'll take you with me."

"You wouldn't dare."

Mike wrapped his arms around my waist, picked me up and said "Ryan...give me a countdown..."

Ryan said on the edge of the pool then said "Okay...five...four-"

"Michael...don't!"

"Three!"

"Mike! No! Don't throw me in! I don't wanna go in!"

"Two! One!"

I clutched on to Mike's shoulders and prepared to go into the pool, taking my husband with me. Feeling my feet leave the ground, I screamed as Mike jumped in the pool with me in his arms. Coming up, gasping air, I pulled out of Mike's grip, pushed him away from me as he tried to apologize then I said "Why would you take me in? Honestly..."

Climbing up the steps out of the water, Mike caught up with me and said "C'mon babe...swim a little while with me and the kids."

I turned around, flipped the ringlets sticking to my face over the back of my head and said "No. We've just got back from a freaking tour around the world...almost twice and I've been running after kids for the last fifteen months while you play rock star and sometimes daddy for an hour at a time. I'm worn out and I just wanted to relax and tan a little, I look practically like a ghost..."

Climbing the last step out of the pool and walking up the steps the the patio, I grabbed a towel off a chair, wrapped it around my body, slid open the patio door, and walked inside.

As I walked into the kitchen, Estelle and Joey came in from the entrance way, just returning from Stephenie Meyer's book signing at Barnes & Noble for her newest book, Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in the Twilight series.

"Hi mom."

Yes, since tour began again, Estelle had resulted in calling me mom since her mother and Mike agreed she would live with us full time because Estelle was too hard for Anastasia's husband, John, to deal with. And, her and Joey became an item.

"Hey...how was the book signing?"

"Awesome! Stephenie read a few chapters."

"Did she sign your book?"

"Yeah...and she announced they were developing a Twilight movie. Isn't that amazing?"

I nodded inside the freezer as I searched for the ice cream that I begged my mother to pick up before we got back to town when, Estelle came over to where I was, got her and Joey a bottle of water from the fridge then said "How come you're not out in the backyard?"

"I was...I wanted to tan. Then, your father took Olivia out of the pool and told her jump on me. Then, he threw me in."

I stood up straight holding the pint of Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey, looked at Joey and said "How's your mom feeling since we got in?"

"Okay...she called the doctor when we got home. They fit her in for an appointment this afternoon."

I dug out a spoon and said "I hope she's okay..."

I opened the ice cream, scooped a large spoonful out, and stuck it in my mouth just as Mike came inside dripping wet, holding two of Ryan's water guns. My eyes went wide and I said "I swear to god, I will kill you. Take that outside. Now."

Mike grinned and tossed one to Joey while saying "She's only got one way to run and it's pass you."

Joey laughed, turned the gun from me to Estelle and said "Or we could just get the both of them at once."

Estelle hid behind me and said "Daddy, tell him no."

I put the ice cream on the counter then said "Fine. I'll go in the pool...just don't hurt the ice cream. I've been craving that and peanut butter for weeks."

Joey looked at me then said "Mom's been craving stuff too. The last two weeks, she's requested ice cream, pickles, and jalapeños on the bus..."

"She doesn't even like jalapeños..."

Thinking to myself, I considered the chance of Adrienne being pregnant, just as I had found out that I was two days prior. I threw my spoon in the sink, put the ice cream back in the freezer, and said "Stella, go change. Those jeans will be ruined if you get thrown in the pool."

"Okay."

Taking the water gun from Joey, I squirted Mike in the chest and as he pumped the trigger on the his gun to shoot me, I said "Please don't make me have to clean up a ton of water..."

Carefully, without turning his back on me, Mike stepped outside and I followed.

*End of Ava's Point of View*

A few hours later, it was nearing five and Ava was just looking through the 'menu' drawer in the kitchen to find somewhere to get take out from when Billie Joe and Jakob, carrying Marissa, walked in and said "Is Adie here yet?"

"What?"

"Is. Adie. Here. Yet?"

"I. Am. Not. Retarded. I heard you the first time. But, no, she's not. I didn't even know she was supposed to be."

"I was driving to pick Jake up at Courteney's and Adie called my phone and told me to come here."

Mike came in from outside and said "Dude... why are you here?"

"I'm just following my wife's orders..."

"Oh. Ava, do we have water balloons?"

Ava opened the drawer, next to the one filled with menus, and threw a bag filled with balloons at Mike then said "Keep them outside."

"Okay."

Mike headed back outside and Jakob said "Dad, can I go out?"

Billie Joe looked at Jakob, shrugged then said "I don't care."

Jakob passed Marissa to Billie Joe and ran outside to join in on the fun. Marissa, with her mother's wide brown eyes, looked up at her father and said "Can I go too?"

"You don't have your bathing suit, honey."

Marissa's eyes filled with tears and Billie Joe said "Baby, don't cry."

The little girl's bottom lip quivered and Ava walked over, took her niece/goddaughter and said "She can wear one of Bella's. Go outside and ask if everyone wants pizza or Chinese."

"I think we should wait..."

"Why?"

"Claudia and Tre are coming over."

"With Frankie and Lucy?"

"Yes."

"Okay. Call them, find out if they care, call Adie, then go outside."

"Okay."

Ava carried Marissa out into the entrance way and upstairs to Isabella's bedroom while Billie Joe grabbed the cordless phone off the island and went outside. Five minutes later, Marissa was outside playing with Isabella and Ava was comfortably sitting inside watching the water fight go down between her oldest children, stepdaughter, nephews, brother and husband.

Fifteen minutes later, Tre and Claudia arrived and Tre and Frankito ran outside to get in on the still happening water fight and Claudia sat at the island and put Lucy in the chair next to her. Ava looked up from her laptop and said "Hi."

"Hi."

Lucy tugged on her mother's sleeve and said "Juice?"

"Right...Ava, do you have orange juice?"

"Of course. It's in the fridge. Help yourself."

"Okay."

Claudia got Lucy's sippy cup out of her bag and went over to the fridge. Once she filled up her daughter's cup and tightened the lid, Claudia gave Lucy the sippy cup, sat back down then said to Ava "Working on something for Adeline?"

"No. I'm making a list."

"For what?"

"Baby stuff. Along with one of ways to tell Mike..."

Ava looked up under her long bangs and saw the look of shock on Claudia's face.

"Way to react, Claude..."

Claudia closed her mouth, cocked her head to one side, then said "Really?"

"Well, I have to go to the doctor's to double check but...the four pregnancy tests were positive."

"This is so cool."

"What is?"

"I'm pregnant too. I guess we're making up for lost years...but with the fertility pills, I got pregnant with Lucy within three months of starting them, and now, I'm due in late April."

"You better watch them. Statistics show multiple births are more likely with fertility pills than without."

"Says the woman whose had two sets of twins."

Ava smiled then said "Yeah...well, that doesn't count."

Claudia laughed then said "So...did you tell Mike?"

"No. I'm going to wait until I'm absolutely postive."

"So, do you know why Adie wants us all here?"

Ava closed the laptop and said "I think she's pregnant."

Claudia's jaw dropped and Ava said "Joey said the she was craving jalapeños during the last few weeks of tour, along with ice cream and pickles. Ice cream and pickles, probably just a usual thing. But, the jalapeños, she hates jalapeños...Adie can't stand the smell of them. She's only ever eaten them when she was pregnant with Joey."

"Well, you're right, Ava."

Ava and Claudia looked towards the doorway from the entrance hall and Adrienne was standing there with her arms crossed. Adrienne walked the island, sat in the last free chair and said "Ava, I hope you don't like Billie Joe enough to keep him around. I am going to kill him."

Ava shrugged then said "I've got two other brothers. Be my guest."

Claudia shook her head then said "I mind. She kills Billie Joe and Tre's out of the Green Day and Foxboro Hot Tubs stuff. I need him to have those things to keep him off my back."

Ava sat for a moment in silence then said "Okay, I'd care cause Green Day mostly funds my expensive needs."

Adrienne laughed, sat next to Ava and said "I'll let you take the first punch."

Ava looked at Adrienne then said "Really?"

Adrienne nodded and Ava said "As long as I don't get injured, or the baby."

Ava rubbed her belly then Adrienne's and said "Maybe we wait until May and kill the both of them."

"Is that when you're due?"

"I don't even know yet."

"Well, I'm April 20th."

Claudia laughs then says "I'm on the 30th."

Ava laughs then says "Could you picture us all due ten days apart?"

The three women laughed then Mike came inside dripping wet and said "Is the pizza here yet?"

The women looked at him and Ava shook her head. Mike crossed his arms and said "You three are up to something. I don't know if I want to know what...but it's definitely something."

Ava gave him the don't-question-it look and he said "Just holler when it shows up."

"I'll bring them out. You lot are not eating inside."

Mike nodded and went back outside. Five minutes later, the pizzas arrived and Ava carried the five boxes outside while Claudia and Adrienne both took out bottles of pop and glasses.

A week later, it was September 6th, a Friday, and Ava's thirty-fifth birthday. Around ten, Ava woke up to the alarm buzzing, whispered "Baby, go wake up the kids," and rolled over to curl her body around Mike's like she did every morning. Finding he wasn't there, Ava stretched and sat up. She looked towards the alarm clock on Mike's night table and saw a post-it note, stuck over most of the time. She turned off the alarm, grabbed the post-it, saw that it was 9:57 and looked down at the post-it to find Mike's scribbled handwriting.

Ava yawned and read the note out loud, "Ask no questions, the kids are gone...a breakfast awaits you on the back lawn."

Ava laughed at how cheesy the note was and climbed out of bed. She grabbed her silk robe from off the floor, where she had most likely kicked it during the night, put it on, not bothering to tie it to hide her very revealing and short, lace and silk babydoll nightie she had on from the night before.

Ava walked out of the bedroom and down the back staircase to go right into the kitchen and out onto the deck. There, Mike was sitting at the glass table, with breakfast for the both of them, steaming cups of coffee, and orange juice, along with a few presents.

She kissed him as she walked around to her seat and he said "Happy thirty-fifth."

Ava groaned and said "Oh my god...I'm almost forty."

She sat down and Mike looked at her and said "No you're not. You may be halfway there but you still have five years to go. I only have eight months until forty...and I didn't even complain about turning thirty-five."

"Because you had a sexy, young wife straddling you for most of the day."

Mike laughed as Ava ate a piece of watermelon then he said "Did you like your note?"

"If we weren't sleeping together for ten years and married for seven...I'd say you were gay."

Mike shook his head, began eating, then Ava took a drink of her orange juice and said "Oh my god. You know what tomorrow is?"

Mike smiled and nodded. They kissed and he said "To think that this time ten years ago, if someone was to say we'd be happily married with eight great kids now...I wouldn't have believed them."

Ava looked at him and said "Eight?"

For a moment, Ava considered the chance of Mike having found one of the pregnancy tests then he said "Estelle..."

"Right...so what are we doing for my birthday?"

"Nothing. I thought we'd just relax around home today and go out tomorrow with everyone."

"Really?"

Mike laughed and said "No. First, I have the entire day planned for you. Then, at seven we're meeting everyone at Jardin for dinner, followed by a night out."

"The kids?"

"Are at school for now, while Patrick and the twins are at Myla's for the day. And, her and Neil will be keeping them and picking up the other four from school and all seven will be there for the night, with Marissa, Lucy, and Frankito."

"So, whose all going tonight?"

"Well, us, Beej, Adie, Tre, Claudia, Joey, Stella, Jake, Jason, Jamie, Rob, Lydia, your mom, Jack, Anna, Mark, Marci, Hollie, Brian, Alan, Susan, David, Rebekah, my mom, Liana, and Max."

"You've thought long and hard about this haven't you?"

Mike nodded as Ava finished her breakfast, then she said "Can I open my presents?"

Mike handed her a pile of three and said "They're from the kids. Except Estelle...she wants to give you hers tonight."

Ava untied the ribbon and unwrapped the smallest box to find the Sapphire earrings she had been begging for from Harry Winston. The medium box was the silver distressed leather Botkier bag, that she had shown Mike just two days prior, and had said 'she'd kill for that'. And, finally, the third box was a Chanel haute couture, military style, black jacket.

Kissing Mike, knowing he had picked them out she leaned back and said "And, what is from you?"

He handed her a large box and she unwrapped it, to open and find a emerald green, knee length, Marc Jacobs dress that had a corset like top with a sweetheart neckline, and a slightly puffy balloon skirt.

Ava smiled and said "Mike, it's so pretty."

"I went into the store and said I needed a gift for you and the woman handed me the dress and said you had tried it on last Saturday, I guess when you went shopping with Adie and Claudia."

"Thank you, so much, baby."

Ava leaned towards Mike to kiss him and he quickly said "Wait, there's more. First of all, you have a manicure, pedicure, and massage scheduled from twelve until two-thirty at the Four Seasons Spa. Then, you have an appointment to get your hair done any way you want at Madison Avenue Salon, with Gilles, at three. With a driver even taking you into the city and back, so you don't have to drive yourself."

"Sweet."

"And, finally..."

Mike placed a small black leather box down in front of Ava, and she recognized it right away to be a ring box from Harry Winston. She sighed and whispered "Sweet, sweet, Harry Winston."

Mike laughed and said "Go ahead...open it."

Ava smiled and opened the box to find an at least five-carat, square cut diamond in a pave setting, surrounded by tiny diamond, all set on a diamond encrusted platinum band. Ava's jaw dropped and Mike took off her old engagement ring and slid the new ring on her finger in place of it.

"I figured since your twenty-fifth birthday meant so much to us...I figured thirty-five was going to be monumental as well. I already have arrangements so this ring..."

He held up the engagement ring he'd given her Christmas Day of 2002 then said "Can be made into a necklace for you, while you flaunt around your new engagement ring."

Finally able to speak again, Ava said "It's got to be at least five carats."

"Five-and-a-half to be exact. With another half carat around the diamond and in the band. It's measured at six carats all together."

"It must've cost so much, Michael..."

"Close to a million, I guess by the time they got the perfect clarity, setting and everything else."

Ava took of the ring, put it in the box and whispered "I can't believe I'm doing this..."

Mike gave her a funny look and said "Doing what? Ava, put your ring back on."

"I don't want it. I want my old ring. That's too much to spend on some silly ring to show how much you love me. Baby, I know how much you love me, and clearly, how thankful you are to have me. You've always given me everything I could ever ask for...clothes, shoes, bags, jewelery, trips, this house, our penthouse in New York...Michael, it's too much right now to accept that ring. I want you to return it."

"You can't just return a ring to Harry Winston. You would be shunned...banned from all the shops."

"So, I'll go to Cartier, Bulgari and Tiffany's..."

"Ava, is something wrong?"

Ava looked out into the backyard and whispered "We need to buy a new house..."

"What? Why? What's wrong with this one? Earthquake safe...state of the art everything...what could possibly not be up to our standards, your standards? I can get you a bigger closet built if that's what you want."

Ava shook her head and Mike cupped a hand under her chin and turned her to face him. Seeing the tears in her eyes, Mike said "My poor Ava Grace...what is wrong? Don't make me call your mother to come over..."

Ava laughed as a tear rolled down her cheek and Mike wiped it away as she whispered "We don't have enough rooms..."

"What?"

Ava shook her head and more tears ran down her cheeks and she whispered "I didn't want to tell you like this."

"Tell me what? Ava, is something wrong? Are the cysts back and Dr. Ramirez is really worried this time? Did they find a lump anywhere else?"

Ava sniffed and said "We need another bedroom."

"For what..."

Within a second, Mike realized what she was trying to say and he wrapped her arms around her.

"Oh, Ava. Really?"

She nodded into his t-shirt and he said "When are you due?"

Ava lifted her head and said "Your birthday..."

Mike hugged her tighter then said "We'll start looking on Monday. Okay? And, you don't need to return that ring just so I'll buy a new house..."

Ava pulled away and said "Okay."

They kissed and Mike said "Why don't you go get ready, okay? Just something nice and comfy though, remember..."

"I know."

Ava took the engagement ring out of the box, slid it back onto her finger, stood up, lightly kissed Mike on the cheek and went back inside. Four hours later, at two fifty-five, Ava arrived at the salon and her usual stylist, Gilles, greeted her at the door. Taking her right pass several waiting walk-ins, several of which who sighed as it was apparent they would not be getting their hair done by the most sought after stylist in San Francisco, Gilles led Ava to his chair, where she sat and he ran his fingers through her hair.

"It's been so long since you've been in, Ava. How has the fabulous rich and famous life been treating you?"

"Like a queen..."

Gilles laughed and said "And, how was tour with that gorgeous husband and brother of your's?"

"Mike, gorgeous, yes...Billie Joe, not so much. But, it was brilliant...Christmas in Portugal one year, New York the next. Valentine's Day on the top of the Eiffel Tower, this year."

In his own native French accent, Gilles replied "C'est magnifique. Where did you stay?"

"Hotel de Crillon."

"Fabulous...any word on Estelle being in the ball next summer?"

"Anna Wintour said she would put in a good word. It's up to mostly the French committee then."

"I will be doing her hair for it though, right?"

"If you want to."

"Speaking of hair, what shall we do with your's today?"

"Mike said cost doesn't matter..."

"Shall I put in extensions?"

Ava looked at the short length of her hair and nodded.

"Okay. Any color?"

"Besides the black?"

Gilles nodded to Ava in the mirror and she said "Red, maybe some blonde. Just in the extensions though. I can't put die on my hair until late November."

"Tell me you didn't let someone else do your hair? And, then you had to get it treated...have I taught you nothing?"

Ava said "That's not it."

"Then what are you not telling me..."

"Mike and I are having another baby."

Gilles kissed both of Ava's cheeks and said "Congratulations, Ava. What is this number twenty?"

"Very funny. It's only been eight."

"Over ten years...it's a wonder how both of you even have careers."

Ava pouted her full lips and said "I can find a new stylist."

"Okay, okay. You are ravishing my dear, you are glowing so much, pregnancy does you so well."

Ava laughed and said "Enough ass kissing..."

"I'll just be a few minutes getting everything and then I'll be back with Amber and we'll do you hair. Do you want magazines?"

Ava held up her new Botkier bag, where a few magazines were sticking out, then she said "I got the driver to stop for some."

"All right, hon."

Gilles put the cover up smock over Ava's body and she took the copy of People out of her bag.

Around five-thirty, Ava hair was done and in soft waterfall curls, and she kissed Gilles on both cheeks goodbye, stepping out onto the street where the driver was waiting with the door of the back seat open.

At six, Ava arrived home where Mike was nearly ready to go, just waiting for Ava to return home to do his hair, as usual. Ava changed quickly into the emerald green dress, a pair of black peep toe pumps from Christian Laboutin and got her vintage cream Chanel coat to top off the ensemble.

Once Ava did Mike's hair, she went to see if Estelle was ready to go and then the three of them left for the city. Arriving at the restaurant, they were led by the hostess to the private room where everyone was waiting. After Estelle took her seat by Joey, and Mike and Ava sat in the very middle of the long table, everyone began ordering their food.

By the end of the dinner, Ava had received gifts from everyone, all the girls had gotten the chance to admire Ava's new ring, and Ava's pregnancy was announced. As well, as everyone enjoyed a slice of Ava's birthday cake, Rob came over to Ava and said "I want you to consider something and let me know by Monday..."

Ava looked up at him, with concern, and said "Okay..."

"The Twilight series...the one that Estelle and Ramona are obsessed with, well, they're making movies. And, they're going to begin casting in a few weeks..."

"Uh huh..."

"The films, all four, are going to be through Warner Brothers and Lydia is working with the casting department. They need someone to play Esme Cullen, the 'mother'. Stephenie has giving full descriptions of what the actors should look like, and Lydia thinks you'd be the perfect candidate. Are you up for it?"

"For auditioning? I don't know Rob...with the baby, would I even be in the perfect shape for filming?"

"Filming doesn't start until next summer in Oregon...and Esme, as you probably know, was pregnant before she was changed..."

Ava nodded, knowing everything about the back story through Estelle telling her, and then reading the books for herself. Ava took a drink of her water then said "I'll talk to Mike about it. And, I'll get him to call you Monday...I fly to L.A. Sunday night for fashion week stuff."

"Okay."

As Rob returned to his seat, Mike turned to Ava from talking to Tre and said "What was that about?"

"Lydia wants me to audition for Twilight."

"That book Estelle can't put down...they're actually making it into a movie?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to do it?"

Ava shrugged then said "I don't know...filming's in Oregon...I can't just up and leave you with all the kids."

"I have no problem with it, if you really want to do it. I'm behind you one-hundred-and-fifty percent, just like you have been for me."

Ava kissed Mike then said "Thank you."

Before long, those who weren't going to Goa, began to leave. When Rob and Lydia came to say goodbye, Ava told Lydia that as soon as she could get a script, she'd take one.

Within the next few weeks, Ava and Mike began looking around San Francisco, Oakland, and Berkeley for a big enough home to fit their, once again, growing family. Ava had also gotten the script for Twilight, and to the delight of Estelle, had been casted as Esme for all four films. Not to mention, Claudia, Adrienne, and Ava all began to show from their pregnancies.