Jennica nursed Logan on a park bench, keeping a close eye on her three children playing on the playground. Kaleb, usually prone to wandering off with new friends, stayed close to his sister as they played in the sand. Her heart ached. He was being overprotective of his sister since the news about his mother was uncertain. Poor kid.

She couldn't blame Alice, though; sometimes children misinterpreted things, reading between the lines. Violet was particularly perceptive; she grasped the heart of any matter instantly.

Jennica wondered where Violet got it from. Her own mother was intelligent but surprisingly oblivious to such things. After all, she'd been the last to know Ryan liked her. Whatever happened to him, anyway? They lost contact after Keeley rejected him for Aaron.

She couldn't believe she'd ever thought they would be a good match, especially after learning about the horrible things he’d said to Keeley out of jealousy when she got engaged. Besides, seeing how much he adored his wife, Jennica was sure no one loved Keeley more than Aaron did.

He was probably even more frantic than his children. He’d been so paranoid when he met Keeley; Jennica wouldn’t have been surprised if he feared she’d die young.

Jennica had heard the accident report on the car radio after rushing from Noah's dentist appointment to Alice's aid. Nine cars were involved; of the twenty-two passengers, eleven died, three were in critical condition, and the rest were injured.

Keeley had complained about Aaron's overprotectiveness the other day. Had he somehow known this would happen? Jennica was superstitious; she believed in a sixth sense activated during danger. Aaron might have had it.

She sighed. Poor Keeley. What a traumatic way to bring a baby into the world. Now, every time she celebrated her son's birthday, it would be a reminder of the near-fatal accident. At least Keeley was alive.

Or was she? Last Jennica heard, she was still unconscious. This wasn't entirely unexpected given her injuries and recent surgery, but still… She'd probably be hospitalized for a week or two.

Jennica longed to see her friend, as much as her children did. She needed to see Keeley was alright. Too bad Valentina had returned to Peru last year; she could assess Keeley's condition with a glance.

A fellow family medicine resident had fallen for Valentina at first sight during their program's first day; Jennica thought he was crazy. She tried to dissuade him by mentioning her return to Peru, but it didn't work. Carlos Ortez was fluent in Spanish, had no family ties (having grown up in foster care), and had always wanted to live abroad.

Valentina ignored him for two years before succumbing to his charm. He went to Peru with her, and they married in a traditional Peruvian ceremony.

They were adorable. Jennica still had their Christmas card on her fridge.

But that wasn't important now. Her thoughts returned to her worried children. She was too far away to hear their conversation, but she was sure it wasn't cheerful.

"We need a plan if Mommy doesn't wake up. I don't want to live with Grandpa," Violet said seriously.

Noah frowned, digging with a stick. "Wouldn't you live with Uncle Aaron?"

She shook her head. "No, because I heard Daddy say if anything happened to Mommy, he'd die too. Like a magic curse."

"Daddy's an emperor, not a prince, so he can't wake her up," Kaleb explained sadly. "If we can't find a prince, they'll both die, and we'll have to live with Grandpa, and leave Dinah behind."

Noah grabbed Violet's hand. "You can live in my room! I'll protect you and Dinah."

She smiled. "That's a good idea. Will Mom and Dad let us? What about Kaleb?"

He shrugged. "He can live in Logan's room."

Kaleb didn't like this. He kicked sand. "I don't want to live in Logan's room! Why can't I live in your room, too?"

"There isn't enough room for three, and I want to share with Violet," Noah said bluntly.

He pouted. "You're always with Violet. If you like her so much, why don't you marry her?"

"I am going to!" Noah insisted. "But not now. Mommy says I'm too little. We have to grow up first."

Violet sighed. This wasn't working. She'd love Noah's room, but not if it made Kaleb unhappy. Her brother was more important.

Maybe they could live under a bridge with trolls. Tears filled her eyes. Mommy. She wanted a hug. Mommy could make everything better with a hug or a smile.

Daddy said Mommy's smile was the most beautiful thing in the world. He also said Violet had the same smile, making her the most beautiful, too. That had made her happy.

"Stop fighting!" she insisted. "We could get another bed for Kaleb. Or he could sleep on the floor with Pancake."

"I don't wanna sleep on the floor," Kaleb muttered. "You guys are mean."

Violet cried. First, Mommy was asleep, and now Kaleb thought she was mean.

Noah glared at his brother and looked at Violet. "I don't think you're mean. You're the nicest and prettiest person in the world, Violet."

She sniffed and smiled. Noah always knew what to say. He was her best friend. With him and her twin, she was sure they'd figure things out.

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