Molly was on his shoulders giggling at the parade. Justin was on C.J. shoulders pointing at the marching band. Carl could see C.J. having difficulty keeping an excited Justin on his shoulders.

It had been a little over a year since he met his youngest two children. Molly was now close to being potty trained, well a guy could hope. Justin was doing extremely well.

Slowly over the first months more of his prior life was revealed. They couldn't prove the abuse and Carl didn't want Justin to ever see Craig Taylor again. They were able to prove the abandonment. They also were able to find a man that was supposed to sell the children. His blood pressure sky-rocketed when he found that out.

If it wouldn't have been for Evelyn Chanders his children would be gone. There was no telling what kind of people the creep was doing business with. Because he thought of her as their guardian angel he tried to keep in touch. It was of little use though, the first time Justin met her daughter Daphne it was over; they were inseparable.

Evelyn, Kyle and Daphne were supposed to be on their way. Justin had only just stopped asking when they were arriving when the band started up.

Carl had tried to take the kids to the Thanksgiving parade last year, but the crowd scared them. This year they were more comfortable in the world. They were ecstatic when they found out C.J. was visiting.

C.J. and his fiancée, Catherine, were in town because they wanted to have the wedding in Pittsburgh. Molly was going to be the flower girl and Justin the ring bearer. Vicky had arrived with her latest boyfriend, nice guy but a little plain for her. The kids didn't care for him so that was a factor against him.

When he had told C.J. and Vicky about their brother and sister, they were livid. It took them both a while to calm down. It wasn't until they realized how young the kids were, then they forgave him. Apparently having an affair with a married woman was okay. He would have never cheated on his wife, but he could see why his older kids were worried.

All of his children adored each other. Justin looks at C.J. like he's the second coming. C.J. adored Justin too, always asking to talk to him when he calls. Molly still small, forgets her brother and sister until they visit again.

Justin was having a small problem with sharing C.J. with Catherine though. For the last week every time C.J. and Catherine tried to do anything together, Justin would get in between, sometimes literally. They would be cuddling on the couch and Justin would either squeeze between them or climb on C.J.'s lap. Catherine was a keeper, she didn't get mad. All she would do was laugh and tell Justin he would have to share C.J. Justin still has yet to agree to that.

Molly on the other hand was a daddy's girl. Every time he picked her up from daycare she would run right to him. His cooking skills were better now than they had been when his wife passed.

Vicky loved her little brother and little sister. The only problem there was her telling him once he was too old to raise the kids. She told him it would be easier to give them to his own little sister. He told her that would never happen and not to speak of it again; she hadn't.

"Justin, look who's coming," Catherine said from beside C.J. She was pointing into the crowd.

It took a moment before Carl saw who she was pointing at. Almost pushing through the crowd was little Daphne, followed by her parents. Daphne looked adorable with her hair in pigtails, she was also wearing a red, white and green dress. It matched the outfit Justin was wearing. He would have to keep a close eye on them in their teenage years.

"Let me down," Justin told C.J.

C.J. sighed and pretended to pout. "I see now that your best friend is here you don't need your boring old brother."

Justin giggled, C.J. put him on the ground and he was gone. The boy ran full speed to his little friend.

The wedding went off without a hitch. C.J. and Catherine were now on their way to Honolulu. No matter how many times they went over it, Justin was still upset. He cried himself to sleep, Carl made the choice not to call C.J. He didn't want this to ruin his first night. Justin was upset now but he would cheer up. He always cried when C.J. or Vicky had to leave. Carl was sure it was his abandonment issues. He had problems with those when he was called in. Justin would cry and beg for him to stay, the babysitter was amazing but wasn't him.

He went to a child psychologist for the first year. Finally, Justin said he didn't want to go back. Dr. Martin told Carl just to make sure life was as consistent as possible; which was hard for a police detective.

"I hate you!" was screamed from the room upstairs.

Carl closed his eyes, this was the part he hated the worst. He slowly climbed the stairs. Right before he reached Justin's door the baby started crying. It was a time like this he wished Vicky would have been staying at the house.

Molly was sitting on her toddler bed crying. Once he was in the room he knew why. Justin and Molly shared a wall, and at the moment it was being kicked with little feet.

"Justin Taylor Horvath, you stop that right now," he said loudly without shouting.

Justin said he wanted to keep the name Taylor. Carl guessed it was because of his grandfather not his father. Papaw Taylor as he called him. They agreed to make it his middle name.

"I hate you!" Justin yelled through the wall.

"Shh, Molly, lay down and I'll go calm Jussy down."

Molly laid down but she didn't close her eyes. She wouldn't until the house was quiet again. She didn't like her beauty rest disturbed. Luckily Justin only had meltdowns once or twice a month. He would have been worried by this if it was his first time being a parent. Vicky was the queen of throwing fits.

It was almost eight months before Justin's first meltdown. Immediately after it he begged Carl not to make him go away. That was the first time that he knew what he was doing. True, he had to be more sensitive but the intent was the same.

He closed Molly's door behind him and walked to Justin's room. He tapped on the door.

"Justin, I'm coming in," he warned him.

When he opened the door and stepped in, he froze. Justin was sitting on his bed with a black permanent marker. He was drawing a horse. Unlike when C.J. and Vicky drew a horse at his age, his looked like a horse. It actually was a very good likeness. He wouldn't have guessed a five year old of doing it.

Carl had to stop himself from telling Justin how good it was.

"What are you doing?" he asked instead.

"Drawing. I like drawing," Justin said like he drew with a permanent marker on his wall every day.

"I know you like drawing." And he did, Carl was always buying sketch pads for Justin. Justin just usually only showed him pictures he did at school.

"I'm good at it, teacher says." Justin didn't even turn around, just kept on drawing the horse's leg.

"Justin, stop that. You can't draw on the wall." He hated being firm with him but Justin couldn't make his own rules.

"Is it a rule?" Justin asked, it was like he could read Carl's mind.

"Yes, it's a rule."

"I didn't know it was a rule. You never said before."

Carl guessed that was true.

"Okay, now it's a rule. No drawing on the wall."

"Okay," Justin said quietly. He capped the marker and slid off the bed.

Justin knew he shouldn't draw on the wall. He just wanted to be bad. Sometimes his daddy didn't pay much attention to him. All this week was about C.J. and Catherine. Then everyone was fawned all over how cute Molly was. No one really talked to him. C.J. didn't even read to him before he left. He promised. Catherine ruined everything, he didn't like her. He didn't like Vicky's boyfriend either but he wasn't coming back anyway.

"Are you feeling sad?" his daddy asked.

Justin nodded his head.

"Because C.J. left?"

Justin shrugged. He was kind of glad C.J. was gone, he wasn't spending time with him. He knew he was being a brat like Vicky had said before she left, but he couldn't stop feeling mad.

"I love you," his daddy said.

Justin felt bad about screaming that he hated him. He didn't hate him, he loved him. He loved him so much he got worried if he was late from work. He knew his daddy's job was very dangerous, he saw TV shows about police detectives. His daddy said TV wasn't like real life but Justin had his doubts.

He jumped into his daddy's arms. "I'm sorry, I don't hate you. Don't be mad at me," he cried.

"I know you don't hate me. But it hurts my feelings when you say things like that." Justin knew that, he would try really hard not to say it anymore. His old daddy said he hated him a lot after his mommy went to heaven. It wasn't a good feeling.

"Am I in trouble?" he asked his dad.

"A little. What do you think you should do to make it better?"

"Help Molly get back to sleep." He knew he woke her up.

"That would be a great help. You might be a little naughty but you're my good boy, you know that?"

He giggled. "I know. I love you. I'm going to go get Molly to sleep now." He gave his daddy a big hug and kiss on his cheek.

"I don't make that kind of money, Evelyn."

They had been over this time and time again. Evelyn was a doctor and Kyle a CEO. They had the money to send Daphne to a private school, he didn't make anywhere close enough for that.

"But I told you, Justin is smart enough to get one of their scholarships. Lexington Academy goes up to 7th grade. Then we're putting Daphne in St. James until she graduates. Justin's less than favorable background will actually be to his benefit this time," she rambled on.

"So they can treat him like some kind of charity case, no thanks. He's only five years old, is their finger painting all that much better?"

He knew it was wrong to take that tone with her. She was only trying to help. It still didn't help that he felt like he couldn't take care of his family. He would love to be able to afford the best for all of his kids.

"I know, I'm sorry. It's me, it's all me. Daphne is not making friends, she cries when she comes home. She begs and begs to go to school with Justin. Even if she was in public school, she and Justin are in different zones. But if its private school it's something altogether different."

He knew this, he was running into the same problem with Justin. It was like after meeting each other they decided they didn't need any other friends. They even tried to keep them apart but that made them both inconsolable.

He knew in the end he would do it. There was one thing for sure they, it wouldn't be charity. He would find a way to pay for the school himself.