Alex nodded. He knew his mother had his best interest at heart. She gave him the same sort of advice he would have given Fiona or any one of his little siblings. And yes, he did still consider them to be little. He wasn't just the oldest and the tallest for his own health. He knew his over protection of them was often a little over the top, and his emotions could get the best of him. But could anyone blame him when there were so many of them to look after? And now that Olivia was going to be a part of the family too, Alex found himself with more people to protect than ever.
"Don't worry, mom. I've dealt with the fury of my siblings before. It's the least of my worries. And Fiona is smart enough to heed my warnings. At least I hope so." He grinned though for a moment. Here they were on his birthday talking about despicable things. Even though they were necessary to make him feel better (he hated keeping things to himself, especially when they were this important), their time together would be better spent discussing more positive things.
"You're right. Getting ready for the new school year around here, I suspect? Our littlest is going to high school finally."