By 3:00 PM, Keeley was exhausted from the phone calls, but at least she'd finished them. She had a busy couple of weeks of meetings ahead, but she could worry about that later. Right now, she needed to pick up her kids.

It was challenging having her children spread across different schools. Kaleb and Violet were in middle school, while Oliver and Nathan were in elementary school. At least it wasn't as bad as when Nathan was in preschool; then, she had to pick them up from three different places.

She picked up the twins first. Middle school dismissed at 2:45 PM, and they were already waiting. Spotting them in the crowd of students was easy, despite the throng. Although they wore uniforms (it was a private school), they still expressed their individual styles.

Kaleb's tie was always askew, and he wore several thick rubber bracelets on his right wrist. Since there was no shoe code, he sported the wildest sneakers he could find—today, light blue pineapples.

Violet always wore her hair in a ponytail with a colorful ribbon and Tiffany bow earrings (a gift from Aaron, from way back in high school). She was currently into nail art, sporting a new DIY manicure each week. She also wore a silver charm bracelet Noah had given her for her thirteenth birthday. It now held charms of ballet slippers, a book, a violin, and a heart (originally, only the heart and ballet slippers).

"Alright, you know the drill," Keeley said as her kids piled into the minivan. "Tell me three things about your day: one good thing, one not-so-good thing, and one thing you learned."

She'd bought the minivan after Nathan was born because their old car was too small. Aaron found it hilarious; he'd never even considered owning a minivan.

Keeley told him not to make fun of her car, which she'd named Leia (a tribute to her love of Star Wars). Naming cars had always been a family tradition; her dad's Impala, back in high school, had been Bertha.

Aaron countered that she should have named it Chewbacca, due to its size. He just didn't appreciate a practical vehicle.

Kaleb broke her reverie, answering first. Keeley had started this "three things" tradition when they were in fifth grade because extracting information about their days had become increasingly difficult as they'd gotten older. It was highly effective.

"I made the varsity basketball team! I didn't think my tryout was great, but they liked me. Oh! And my teacher lit a hundred-dollar bill on fire in science class, but it didn't burn because he'd soaked it in a water-alcohol mixture. That was cool! The not-so-good thing… I bombed a pop quiz," he admitted sheepishly.

Keeley responded to each point. "I've seen that experiment before; it's pretty cool. That's great about basketball! The season starts in a few weeks, right? But the quiz… which class?"

"English. It was a spelling quiz, and you know I'm terrible at spelling."

This was true. Violet was essentially his walking dictionary at home. Unfortunately, she wasn't available during class.

"Show me the words, and I'll help you make flashcards when we get home," Keeley suggested. "I'll also need information about your basketball practice schedule."

Kaleb brightened. "Thanks, Mom! My coach will email you."

Keeley would have to check for that email in the next few days. She needed to integrate it into their already packed schedule.

"What about you, Vi?" she asked.

Violet sighed. "I got the highest score on the math test. In P.E., I learned I hate pushups. And some dumb boy kept throwing pencils at me."

"He probably likes you," Kaleb snickered.

Violet's eyes flashed. "He does not! Throwing things isn't a sign of liking someone!"

Keeley wasn't sure what to think. Adolescent boys could be childish when they had a crush, but it also sounded like bullying.

Poor Violet. School was always difficult for her. She only seemed to enjoy her double electives: choir and orchestra. Although friendly with her classmates and even eating lunch with them, she rarely socialized with them on weekends, despite numerous invitations. She preferred spending her time with Noah or her family.

Violet and Kaleb continued bickering until they reached the elementary school. Violet got out to sign the younger boys out, allowing Keeley to keep the car running in the pickup zone.

Back in the car, Violet sulked, sitting as far from Kaleb as possible. Keeley sighed inwardly—two teenagers were challenging—but maintained a bright smile as she asked Oliver and Nathan about their day.