"Did you hear the news?" Aaron asked casually.

Keeley looked up from her stirring, a small frown creasing her face. "What news?"

"Gray got arrested."

She nearly dropped her wooden spoon. That would have been a nice thing to lead with! Why hadn't he said something sooner?

"So it's really over," she said faintly. "All of it."

Aaron smiled at her, his expression so gentle she almost melted. Even after all this time, she still wasn't used to being looked at like that.

"Basically. You don't have to worry about anything but normal, everyday worries anymore."

Normal, everyday worries… of course, Keeley had still experienced those throughout the drama. It only added to her overall stress. But now she could focus on them instead of constantly fearing being plotted against.

Especially now that she could leave the house without being mobbed. It seemed no one cared about her anymore now that New York's most eligible bachelor had been arrested for murder.

"That will be really nice," she sighed.

When Aaron initially returned, she'd thought her chance at a normal life was ruined, especially after having to hide from Lacy Knighton. Nothing stood in her way now.

Once the babies were old enough for preschool, she would be back in the lab, and everything she cared about would be back on track. As much as she missed working, she wouldn't trade her time with her children for anything.

Violet and Kaleb filled the void her previous life's lack of children had left. And they wouldn't be the only ones. Now Keeley could have as many children as she wanted.

These two were such a handful, though, that it wouldn't be for a while. Maybe once they were in kindergarten, she and Aaron could discuss having another.

She had always dreamed of a houseful of children. It would affect her career progression, taking so much time off to care for babies, but so what? She had all the time in the world. Most people didn't make breakthrough discoveries until middle age anyway.

Family was important. Four children sounded nice. Keeley wondered how Aaron would feel about it. He probably wouldn't mind, since he adored the twins, but it was still worth discussing.

"Hey Aaron, have you ever thought about how many kids you want?" she asked impulsively.

He blinked, surprised. "I thought you were going to take the lead on that. I've never thought about a specific number."

She should have known. He cared so much about her desires that he rarely seemed to have his own strong opinions. It was strange seeing such a formerly opinionated man be so passive.

"I'm leaning towards four at the moment. It's a nice even number, so the kids would always have someone to play with."

"Four would be fine. We certainly have enough bedrooms. But do you really want to take that much time off work?" Aaron asked.

Was he psychic? How did he always seem to know what she was thinking these days?

Keeley smiled. "I really don't mind. I have plenty of time to be a scientist, but only so many years to give birth."

"Well, when you put it like that…"

She laughed at his tone. His range of facial expressions and intonations had expanded greatly in this lifetime, and it never ceased to amuse her. She hadn't even thought him capable of it for the longest time.

"I was thinking of working for a couple of years once the twins are a bit older before we try again. How does that sound?"

Aaron leaned over to kiss her cheek, carefully holding the babies. "That sounds great. Speaking of the twins being a bit older…they can probably handle staying with your dad for a couple of hours. We should go on a date this weekend."

A date? Had they even been on a proper date since getting married?

Keeley thought back. They hung out a lot, but it was usually at home because of her exhaustion. They might have gone to the movies once or twice before Lacy figured out where they lived. Since then, she had either been on house arrest or glued to the babies. They definitely hadn't been on a date since before Violet and Kaleb were born.

"Alright, but I want you to surprise me. Take me somewhere fun."

There hadn't been many dates in this life, but even when they hung out, Keeley was always in charge of planning. It had been the same in their first life. She was curious what Aaron would pick on his own. Probably a museum or something.

Challenge sparked in his eyes. "Somewhere fun, huh? I can do that."

When she said "somewhere fun," the last place Keeley expected was Coney Island. She had been there countless times as a child, but only once or twice since being reborn—with a large group of college students from her dorm.

"…Have you ever played a carnival game before?" she asked.

"No, but it can't be too difficult."

A wicked grin, unseen by him, spread across her face. Keeley was going to beat him at everything, unlike that one time at the buffet/arcade. Carnival games were usually rigged, but if you knew them well enough, you could win occasionally.

She dragged him to a ring toss game. They were nearly impossible to beat, but she had done it before. She knew the secret: it was all in the wrist movement.

Keeley bought a large bucket of rings and began flicking her wrist with precision. She won a prize with four rings left—a soft purple monkey doll with Velcro hands and feet, wearable as a necklace.

"Your turn," she said sweetly.

He seemed confident, having witnessed her success. Yet three buckets later, he hadn't landed a single ring.

She could tell he was frustrated but trying not to show it. Hiding her laughter became increasingly difficult. She finally lost it when he mumbled about the game being rigged.

Once she controlled her laughter, tears sparkled in her eyes. "What was it you said? It can't be too difficult?"

"…You chose this on purpose."

"Yes. Yes, I did."

Aaron scowled and strode away, leaving her behind. This only made Keeley laugh harder as she caught up. He was such a sore loser.

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