It turns out having an actual job makes it tough to make time to write! Still, I'll try to do better. This chapter is inspired by my grandma's life. Her parents had a group of friends which they regularly hung out with, and my grandma was the only little kid in the group for a long time. She was pretty spoiled by them all! The exact thing that's about to happen to Amalia happened to my grandma. Amalia's about two in this chapter. Here's a belated Easter chapter.

Peggy was in the kitchen alone when the doorbell rang. Angie was supposed to be helping her but Peggy had lost track of her a few minutes ago. While Angie certainly had become more responsible and mature over the years, she was easily distracted by her baby niece.

Peggy tried to move as quickly as her growing belly would allow her, but by the time she reached the door, Amalia was already trying to reach the door handle.

"Now, little dove," Peggy said gently as she took the toddler's hand, "Let Mummy open the door."

"Oh, I got her Peg," Angie darted out of the hall and scooped up Amalia. The little girl squeeled in delight as her aunt tickled her. "Let's see who's behind the door, baby girl."

When Peggy opened the door, however, the face of the guest was completely blocked by the flowers and cellophane wrapped easter baskets in their arms. This would normally make it hard to identify a person. Normally.

"Oh Howard," Peggy sighed. "I thought we…" Peggy drifted off, too tired to fight this battle again. She moved out of the doorway and let Howard inside.

"Sorry Peggy," Howard stuck his head out from behind the packages. "It's just her first holiday she can have candy. How could I resist?"

"Uncle Howie!" Amalia shrieked as she squirmed in her aunt's arms to give her uncle a hug.

"Hey there, Little Agent," Howard smiled as he plunked down the packages on the dining room table. He gently took her from Angie and gave her a big kiss on the cheek.

"Howard," Peggy gently scolded. "I don't think that's a good pet name."

As futile as an attempt it would probably grow to be, Peggy and Daniel had decided not to tell the children the whole truth of what they did for a living.

"Spy movies are all the rage now Peggy," Howard shrugged. "That's all her nickname comes from."

Before Peggy could respond, another knock came from the door. Angie answered it this time.

"We're here, little Dragam!"

Peggy was all smiles when she turned to welcome Ana and Mr. Jarvis, but she rolled her eyes once she actually did.

"Oh bloody Nora, not you two as well."

Ana shrugged as she practically pushed past Peggy to get to the baby in Howard's arms. Jarvis trailed behind with his arms full of packages very similar to Howards.

"We restrained ourselves I assure you, Mrs. Sousa."

"I'm sure you did, Mr. Jarvis, and that alone is enough to make me worry what her next birthday is going to look like in regards to gifts."

"What in the…" Daniel stared wide eyed at the bright colored cellophane and flowers that had suddenly taken over his living room in the five minutes he had been changing in his bedroom.

"See Daniel," Angie smiled. "All this stuff makes my basket for Amalia look like zilch."

"There's no way a baby is supposed to eat this much candy," Daniel muttered and shook his head.

And maybe all of the candy really would have been saved for Amalia if the disaster in the kitchen wouldn't have happened after dinner. Once everyone had settled down to eat their meals, Angie had put the pies in the oven so they would be ready for after the meal. The makeshift family had quickly forgotten about their desserts as they chatted, far too engrossed in their rare time actually relaxed together to think about pie.

Howard was in the middle of a story of the filming of his and Angie's latest movie when Daniel thought he smelled something...smokey. He turned his head towards to kitchen to see light grey smoke billowing out.

"Damn it!" Daniel tried to get up quickly, but Ana had already seen the smoke and was running as fast as she could in her heels.

Ana ran as fast as she could to the oven, but the smoke that spilled out once she opened it let everyone know the pies were beyond lost. Ana coughed as the waved the smoke away and placed the ruined pie on the stovetop. By then, the group had made their ways to the kitchen and looked dejectedly at the pies.

"Well, at least the house didn't burn down," Angie shrugged.

"Great, what's for dessert now?"

"Real nice Howard," Daniel shook his head. "I'll run out and grab something. I can't guarantee it will be anything good this late in the day."

"Or we could…" Howard drifted off, eyes drifting to the pile of candy on the coffee table.

"We could what, Howard? Literally take candy from a baby."

"Oh come on Peg, just a little. She's asleep anyways. You're the one who said we shouldn't have bought her so much."

Peggy sighed, looking back and forth from the candy to Howard. On one hand, it just felt plain wrong to take candy from her daughter. On the other hand, Amalia was too little to understand what was going on, and she really didn't need all that candy. To make matters worse, Peggy had quite the sweet tooth with this baby and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to turn down scotchmallows.

"Well, maybe one piece or two for each of us," Peggy said. "I really don't like the idea of anyone having to brave a store right now."

"A few pieces it is," Howard rubbed his hands together. "I call the walnut clusters."

A few boxes of chocolate and a few bottles of wine later,Daniel looked around the carnage with a bemused smile. His dining room table looked like a pack of wild animals had attacked a candy factory. There were empty boxes everywhere, cellophane on the floor and crumbs of every kind of sweet on the table. Everyone at the table looked completely stuffed and borderline sick, but they were still eating the sweets without waver.

"I thought this was all meant for Amalia…" He smiled at Peggy.

"We really shouldn't complain, darling." Peggy said. "The less sugar she has the better."

"She's barely two. How much candy could a child eat? And the good stuff too." You could hardly understand Howard's muffled words through all the chocolate. "She can't tell the difference between Hershey's and the stuff I picked up for her in Germany."

"Or Sees," Ana pointed out, reaching across her husband to grab a piece of peanut brittle.

"At least I have an excuse. I'm growing another person inside me, so I believe I deserve an spare sweet or two."

"Two? Peg, I think you've had half a box," Daniel grinned.

Angie took a piece of candy from a box that was being passed around and shook her head.

"And how are we going to explain the missing candy to Amalia again?" She asked.

"Angie, I think if you were so worried about that you wouldn't be eating that piece right now."

"Oh Daniel, always the logical one."

"Uncle Howard is going to save the day, that's what's going to happen," Howard took easy strides (there was only so much speed one could walk with when they were full of sweets), and picked up the phone. "I know this great place in Switzerland, they'll send something right over. I should have thought of it before."

"Howard, if you don't hang up that phone this instant," Peggy warned.

"Do as Peggy says," Howard said, putting down the phone and holding his hands up in the air. He went back to the table with his family and swiped a scotchmallow out of Peggy's hands.

The man had a death wish, he really did.