The next two months were the most physically miserable Keeley had ever experienced. In her previous life, recovering from an unethical abortion and surgery took a similar amount of time, but she hadn't been dealing with a broken leg or three children.

Aaron hired a home nurse because Keeley couldn't navigate their house's stairs. Confined to bed, she could only manage trips to the restroom.

The nurse handled most of Oliver's diaper changes. To avoid going insane, Aaron bought a large-screen TV for their bedroom, but even that grew tiresome. Ironically, she'd wished for more time to relax and watch TV. She probably wouldn't want to watch anything for six months after this ordeal.

The twins were miserable, missing their mother's play time. Keeley could read and watch movies with them, but that wasn't enough. They were accustomed to arts and crafts, science projects, baking, and outings.

Aaron hired a temporary nanny, but the twins rejected her, leading to the nanny quitting after two weeks. Jennica, their usual caregiver, resumed her role while Keeley was homebound, watching the children while Aaron was at work. She was a saint; Keeley would be eternally grateful.

However, Keeley hated feeling useless. Being bedridden was worse than her previous house arrest; at least then she could move around.

The day the doctor replaced her cast with a walking boot, she was overjoyed. Navigating stairs remained difficult, but mobility returned. The twins could stay home with her for the remaining weeks of summer vacation.

It was the worst summer since her mother and Kaleb's death. She never wanted to break her leg again.

Unfortunately, another C-section was likely with her next child, a possibility the doctor had mentioned. She would address that later; for now, she was happy to be mobile.

"Mommy, do I have to go to kindergarten?" Violet asked while helping make chocolate cupcakes.

"Yes, honey. But it's fun! You'll learn more and have more field trips than preschool. Kaleb will be there, too," Keeley reassured her.

Violet pouted. "Kaleb forgets about me. Sometimes I play with Noah at recess, but he's not in kindergarten, so I'll be alone."

Keeley sighed. She wasn't sure how to help her daughter make friends, having never had such a problem herself. Aaron couldn't offer much guidance either; he'd made friends later in life by chance.

Violet couldn't wait for others to approach her indefinitely. That would be very lonely.

"Why don't you play with Kaleb and his friends?" Keeley suggested.

Violet made a face. "They only play tag or with balls. I like slides."

"Other kids probably like slides, too. You can play with them."

Violet sneakily tasted cupcake batter, then sadly shook her head. "They only want to climb. I like going down."

Keeley patted her daughter's head, unsure what to say. Hopefully, Violet would grow out of this. Many shy children find their friends later. She couldn't rely on Kaleb or Noah forever; they had their own lives.

Oliver cried from the living room. Keeley apologized to Violet and went to attend to him; he was hungry and needed a diaper change.

She was lucky; he was a relaxed baby, crying only when needing something. She wondered what his personality would be like as he grew older.

"Mommy, is something wrong with me?" Violet asked hesitantly, approaching her mother while she nursed Oliver.

"Of course not! Why would you think that?"

Keeley saw genuine worry and was distressed. Had her encouragement to make friends backfired? That hadn't been her intention.

Violet curled up next to her mother, clinging to her arm, avoiding eye contact. "I don't fit in at preschool. The kids don't like me. What if it's the same in kindergarten?"

This was news to Keeley. Violet was usually solitary, but hadn't mentioned others disliking her. Had she been bullied? Or had she misinterpreted their preferences as dislike?

Young children rarely excluded others. Everything suggested Violet's isolation was self-imposed, but Keeley couldn't dismiss her feelings.

"Why do you think they don't like you, Vi?" she asked gently.

"I don't like playing what they want. Eventually, they stopped asking," Violet confessed.

The conflict was simple.

Keeley kissed her daughter's head. "Sometimes we take turns choosing games, sweetie. No one gets their way all the time. We compromise."

"Compromise? Daddy says that."

"Your daddy and I compromise, too. Everyone does. If you play what others want sometimes, you can ask to play what you want next time. Can you try that?"

Violet nodded. "Okay, Mommy. But I don't have to compromise with Noah. He always plays what I want."

Noah was an exception. He and Violet were always in sync, seeming more like twins than Kaleb, inheriting his father's dark hair and eyes.

"That's because Noah likes what you like," Keeley said. "But we can be friends with different people. Your daddy and I are opposites."

Violet looked skeptical. "Really? Why does he love you so much?"

"He likes that I'm different."

He'd told her countless times. She was unlike anyone else in his life. They were opposites attracting.

"I don't like things being different. I want things to stay the same," Violet admitted.

Keeley rubbed her head. "Change is part of growing up, sweetie. It's not always bad. Sometimes, it's the best thing."

Violet hopped off the couch. "I'll see if Kaleb wants to play Candy Land. Tell me when the cupcakes are done. Thanks for making me feel better, Mommy."

She left, her mood changed. Hopefully, she'd heed her mother's advice at school on Monday. The final sentence mentioning a website has been removed as it appears to be an unrelated advertisement.