Mariel looked up at Minerva as she spoke and couldn't help but to laugh a little. "I guess that is the dilemma." Gunnar was awfully precious, especially while he slept like a perfect little angel. She supposed it would be hard to put him down, though also figured she would manage if she was sleep deprived. She raised an amused eyebrow as Minerva laughed more. No routine yet? "I suppose it takes time for everyone to get used to things," she added with a smile and gentle shrug. One would think anyway.. a baby would be a big change to everyone's life.

She gave Minerva a very pointed look as she continued. "Don't you dare say that," she said, laughing a little. "I'm nowhere near ready for that type of change in my life. Aunt will do just fine." She loved being an aunt, loved he nieces and nephews, but that's about as far as it went for now. She could be their favorite aunt, spoil them a bit, then send them back home to their parents... though most of them were getting older that she could be friends with them too in a way.

"Christmas is coming up soon," she said, thinking of the next time she'd come to visit. After that, she wasn't sure, but it wouldn't be as if she'd stay away all that long. At the very latest, summer.. but she was sure it would be before that depending on other things. She couldn't help the smile that appeared as she thought about her spur of the moment reason for not attending the shower. Even if she wasn't sure what was going on between them now, she did have to admit she had an amazing time. Mariel was about to comment on that when her green eyes snapped to Ethan and she couldn't help but to laugh. "Oh it was, was it?" she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. "Don't you worry, I can handle your mother. We've had several discussions about that. I'm sure if she had the chance to run off to Spain for a few days, she would have taken it too." Jealous was all she was, Mariel was sure of it, though she knew she had been concerned as well. Not to mention Meloria had thought that she had been rude, which she had admitted to but she should have gotten over that part by now. "We're all better now," she added with a smile. That's what sisters did, fought then made up.

Ethan smiled as Min kissed his cheek, then put his arm along the back of the couch behind her as he sat a little closer to her. He beamed a little more as she began complimenting him. "I'm just doing my best," he shrugged. If doing what he could for the ones he loved made him great, then he guessed it did, but he was really too modest to go on about it. "I'm glad I was able to take a couple weeks though.. and at least work is close. I can come home for lunch sometimes or you and Gunnar could visit me." Yes, he thought he liked that second option, well both of them really. But he supposed it helped that his dad had a decent position with the Ministry and he felt like he could get a special favor there once in a while. Not that he would take advantage of it.

He couldn't help but to laugh a little as Min implied something about his aunt having her own baby. Ethan wasn't so sure he could picture it though he knew Min was right about things happening whether you plan for them or not. Of course he didn't know much about her personal life either. His eyes snapped to Minerva's. "What..? It was.." He was pretty sick of hearing his mum complaining about it, thankful that she seemed to be over it now. But he looked up at Mariel as she spoke, chuckling a little. He had been a witness to a few of their discussions in the past, though it just seemed to be their way at times, making playful little jabs at each other. And they never seemed to be mad for long. "Glad you're friends again." Though he did wonder why Spain was so spur of the moment that she couldn't come out here, not that he went to the shower either.