The boom of currently hip pop music for the young teen echoed through Juniper Lodge. Brynne looked up from her book with an indulgently annoyed smile, glancing over at Sol. "Who gave them the right to turn into teenagers when I wasn't looking?" she asked mildly, referring to her newly teenaged daughter, Lila, and Lilah's best friend and closest cousin, Zahan, who would be joining her in just a couple of months.

Sol smiled. He'd been around a long time - long enough to know Time didn't stop for anyone - certainly not budding teenagers. It had been a challenge keeping up with the times, but a challenge he had been up to, especially if Brynne and Lila were the reward. "I don't think they do it on purpose, love. It just happens."

She snorted with laughter, rolling her eyes. "Well, I just hope they have better teens than I did," she mused. "I was horrible. But I wasn't as focused as they are on what I liked. Or about to be handed a baby brother or sister."

Which was, of course, the reason Zahan was closeted away with Lila in the privacy of the teen bedroom. Lis had gone into labor in the early hours of the morning, and Ed had delivered Zahan to his sister around dawn before driving his wife to the hospital.

"Gods, my teen years are like ancient history," Sol remarked with a chuckle. Those years weren't the happiest years of his life either, but it was a very different world then. "So, would you care to bet on whether you're having a niece or a nephew?" he asked, not for the first time, with an amused grin on his face.

Running a hand though her hair to pull it out of her face, Brynne raised her brow at the challenge. "And again," she smirked back at him. "Do you really think I'm dumb enough to bet on something against you? You probably knew before Lis got knocked up!"

He chuckled, amused by her constant confusion about his abilities. "We have had this discussion before, love. I'm a warlock, not a precog. I can't predict the future. I can change the music from that annoying rumble to something more pleasant to the ear, however," he said, fingers poised in the air to do just that with a snap of his fingers, but waiting for her okay.

"You do that, you get to field the outrage," she reminded him in amusement. She remembered being incandescent with rage in her teens just for being asked to turn her music down; having the entire genre changed from another room by magic would have made her apoplectic.

He lowered his hand with a dramatic sigh. "Ah, you're no fun," he complained, though he really didn't care. Teens throughout the ages were given to annoying their parents about one thing or the other. "When I was a boy ..." he started, but was unable to finish, as he was interrupted by a knock at the door.

"I seem to recall you find me a lot of fun at certain times," Brynne pointed out, glancing up at the knock. "It's open!" she yelled in the direction of the door. There was only one person expected, after all, and only family tended to drop around without warning on the Grove.

"You don't think it would be fun to exchange that racket for a little Mozart?" Sol asked, as he got up to get the door, even though she had called over that it was open.

"I think living with a teenager who doesn't trust us to let her express herself in the privacy of her own bedroom would be infinitely less fun," was the mother's response, though she was smiling.

"Very well, spoil sport," Sol complained, though he wasn't nearly as disappointed as he was letting on. He was just about to open the door when Ed burst through the door.

"Where's Zahan?" he asked, looking like he was about ready to burst wide open with excitement.

To her credit, Brynne didn't laugh at the wild-eyed excitement on her brother's face. She just pointed to the stairs. "Follow the sound of the music."

"Zay!" Edward called, making a beeline for the stairs, without so much as a "Hello, how are you?" for his sister and her "man-friend". "Zay! Get your things together! Lis has had the baby!"

Sol watched as Ed made for the stairs, his hand still on the doorknob. "Shall I just stand here and wait for them to leave?" he asked, looking amused. Of course, he could have opened the door without even getting off the couch, but he didn't always cheat.

Setting her book aside, Brynne laughed as she rose. "You could leave the door open, and come and watch me mess up making lunch?" she suggested, listening to the sound of footsteps up the stairs as the music was muted.

Lila was the one who opened the door to her bedroom at the sound of Ed's cheerful greeting - visible behind her was Zahan, cramming all her belongings back into her rucksack with a delighted smile on her face. "Was it a boy or a girl, Uncle Ted?"

"A girl!" Edward replied with a proud and happy grin, looking a little flushed with excitement. "She looks just like her mother," he added. He wasn't too worried about any jealousies between the women in his life, both young and old. They all had a special place in his heart, and the same could be said for this newest addition. "Hurry, Zay! Lis can't wait to see you!" It had been hard dragging himself away from his wife and new baby, but Zahan was an important part of their family and deserved to be the first to meet her new baby sister.

"I got a little sister?"

Unfortunately for Ed's patience, this news resulted in Zahan throwing her arms around Lila and the two girls dancing around the room for a minute or two squealing together.

Ed laughed, relieved Zahan was happy with the news, though he'd had no doubt she would be. "Yes, yes! Now, do you want to meet her or not?" he asked, an amused grin on his face.

"Yes!" Grinning, Zahan kissed her cousin's cheek, throwing her backpack on her shoulder, and all but body-tackled Ed in a warm hug. She'd missed him and Lis today, but only Lila really knew that.

He returned her hug, dropping a kiss against the top of her head. She'd had a hard life full of grief and sorrow, and all he and Lis wanted to do was make her happy. "You can meet her, too ..." he promised Lila. "Soon!" But not right now. It was Zahan's turn first. He swung an arm around his daughter and steered her toward the door.

"Okay, Uncle Ted," Lila called after him. "Give her kisses from me!"

Zahan laughed as she was steered down the stairs toward the front door. "See you tomorrow, Lila! Oh, and thanks for having me, Auntie Brynne," she added as they passed by the kitchen. "And sorry I kicked your face, Mr. Spencer."

"Anytime, Miss Zahan!" Sol called back, from somewhere near Brynne. The door opened again without anyone near it, just in time for Ed and Zahan's exit.

"I'll call you later, Auntie Bry!" Ed called as he steered Zahan out the door.

"You'd better," was Brynne's answer to her brother. "With pictures!"

"But ..." Her objection trailed off as Lis lowered the baby into the crook of her arm, letting Zahan see the screwed up red face that was her little sister. Zahan giggled suddenly, reaching out to gently boop the baby's nose. "She looks like a really angry sweet potato!"

"A sweet potato with a face!" Ed remarked with a chuckle. Of course, he was already enamored of that face, whether she looked like a potato or not. "She does look a little put out," he said, finding that baby's pout more adorable than worrying.

"Some sweet potatoes have faces," Zahan pointed out, distracted from the baby by this piece of information she had to share. "Dom grew one that looked like Grampa Humphrey, only Humphrey said anything that looked like him deserved to be fried, so they ate him as fries."

Lis chuckled, stroking her hand gently over Zahan's dark cheek fondly. The baby was already quieting down, no doubt because her family was all there and relaxed together around her.

"Humphrey would say that," Ed agreed with a grin. "What do you think, Zay' Should we keep her?" he asked, though they obviously had no intention of getting rid of her.

"I don't think you can put her back where she came from, Papa," Zahan answered with another quiet giggle, jumping just a little as a tiny flailing hand caught her finger. "Oh ....she's so strong!"

Ed wished he'd known Zahan when she was that little, but it hardly mattered. They were together now, and he intended to make good on his promise to love her always. "Nothing wrong with her lungs either," he added. "We were thinking of calling her Milena," he said, with a glance at Lis, almost as if for permission.

"That's a real pretty name," Zahan agreed, her tone almost absent as she watched her baby sister investigating the long finger in her grip. "She kind of looks like a Milena. Can-can we call her Milena Lily?"

"It means 'love'," he told her. What better name for their new baby girl than a name that epitomized how they felt about her. "Lily?" he echoed, with a questioning glance at Lis. "What do you think, love?"

Lis seemed to think it over for a moment, but the decision was already made. It was a beautiful name, in her opinion. "I think that is very fine," she agreed with Zahan. "What do you say, Eduardo" Can you live with a little girl named Milena Lily?"

Zahan glanced at her mother's face, grinning at the teasing expression she found there.

"I think I can do that," Edward said, though it was hardly asking much of him. Some men might have been disappointed not to have had a son, but he was not one of those men. He adored all the women in his life, from his sister and niece, to his wife and two daughters. He couldn't have asked for any more than this. "Milena Lily," he rolled it over on his tongue. "I like that. It's very pretty. What do you think Lila will say?"

Zahan giggled softly. "She's gonna be kind of jealous," she admitted impishly. "But we can share, right' Until Auntie Brynne makes a baby with Mr. Spencer."

Lis bit her lips, trying not to laugh at this turn of phrase. "We can certainly let Lila learn how to be a big sister from you, mija," she promised.

Ed winced, unsure his sister had any intention of having another child, and he certainly wouldn't dare to suggest it. But maybe once she met her new niece, the baby bug would strike. Either way, he wasn't going to get in the middle of that decision. "I meant, what do you think Lila will think of her name?" he clarified. "That is where you got Lily from, right?"

"Oh." Zahan blushed, glancing between her parents. "You don't mind, do you?" she asked. "Only, with Milena meaning love and that means you guys, Lila's the reason I started fitting in at school and stuff, and she's my best friend. We don't have to call her Lily, I just ....I thought it was a nice name."

"Zay, stop it. It's fine. It's a pretty name, and I'm sure Lila will be honored to share it with her," Ed assured her, rubbing a gentle hand against his daughter's back.

"It's a beautiful name, mija," Lis added her own assurance warmly. "I think it is lovely that you would want to name your little sister after someone you love so much."

Zahan brightened at their reassurance, gently tugging her finger from Milena's grip. "Can I ....do you think I could hold her?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course you can hold her," Edward replied, glad she wanted to hold her little sister and get to know here better. He was anxious to bond with her, too, but it was more important Zahan bond with her little sister. There would be plenty of time for father-daughter bonding later.

"She's heavy," Lis warned with a grin. "Do you want to sit down first?"

Given this option, Zahan inserted herself into the visitors' chair beside the bed, eyes wide as she watched Lis gently hand Milena into Edward's arms. Lis wasn't feeling confident enough on her feet to try doing the transfer herself.

Edward held out his arms to carefully accept the tiny bundle into his embrace before just as carefully transferring her to Zahan. "Cradle your arms like I am, and be careful to support her head," he instructed as he leaned close to make the transfer.

"Just like we practiced," Lis murmured, unsurprised to see Milena threaten to cry again as she was shifted over to Zahan's arms.

"Oh ....oh, she doesn't like me," Zahan fretted, her expression torn between hurt and terror as Ed laid her sister in her embrace.

"She'll be fine," Ed assured her. "Give her a chance to get settled. She just doesn't like the movement. She knows your voice. Talk to her, Zay," he encouraged her, as he took a seat on the edge of the bed beside Lis.

"What do I say' It's not like she understands anything yet," the girl protested, but Milena was already calming down now the jostling was over and done with. Unfocused blue eyes blinked up at her big sister as Zahan looked down ....and Lis smiled, leaning into Edward comfortably.

"I think we are witnessing love at first sight, querido."