Chapter Text
Tara sighed from her place on their new couch. All around her, members of her found family were unpacking various boxes in their new apartment. Chad and Mindy were bickering over the placement of some miscellaneous objects for the living room and how they were going to organize the DVDs they'd brought to New York with them. Sam was putting the dishes away in amicable silence with Gale. Tara, Chad, and Mindy would be sharing the apartment, while Sam had put out an add for a roommate as she moved into the apartment a few doors down. Close enough to hear a scream if any of the younger family members got attacked, but far enough to hopefully avoid fights between the Carpenter sisters about Sam trying to "parent the parents".
Due to the pregnancy and trauma that surrounded the first few months, Tara had been banished to the couch for the remainder of the move. The most she was allowed to do was direct others on what to do. Chad was able to do a little more but even he was restricted to items below a certain weight as he was recovering after getting stabbed excessively.
"Are you guys sure I can't just-"
"No!"
Tara frowned at the seamless, simultaneous answer from everyone in the apartment.
"Come on, this is so boring!"
Sidney and her husband walked in carrying the TV. Mark shifted his grip a bit before they put it down on the entertainment unit.
"Give us a second and we'll have this thing hooked up. You can put on whatever show you're binging while we get the last of the stuff."
"I'm pregnant, not an invalid."
Sidney walked over and crouched down next to her.
"I know that all this is frustrating. Lord knows I've been the one stuck on bedrest plenty of times, but if you want to recover, and have those little ones safely, you need to rest. Take it easy. None of you are alone in any of this."
Tara bit back tears but nodded her acquiescence.
In the kitchen, Sam did her best to forcefully tune out the interaction. It was something she had told Tara multiple times since the event, but it seemed that it was different when it came from Sydney rather than her own sister.
Gale gently bumped their hips together.
"It's nothing against you, Sam."
"Yeah. I know."
"Mhm," Gale hummed, blatant in her disbelief, but willing to let it go.
As hard as it was to think about, Gale's reassurance did help.
"I'm telling you, the Stab movies should not be in place of pride here, Mindy!"
"Are you kidding me?! We survived that shit! Uncle Randy, in the first movie, saved my life!"
"Veto power!" Tara called over their argument. "I do not want my children growing up staring at those movies every day. Tuck 'em in the back. Also, you need to stop swearing so much. I'm already a teen mom, I don't want them to be cussing in kindergarten."
Mindy groaned, but did as ordered. Tara was strong headed even before the pregnancy hormones, and the Meeks-Martin twins had strong self-preservation instincts.
All in all, it felt good. In a new apartment, with family both by blood and chosen bond around them. It was a fresh start.