I dedicate this book to my baby brother, Beau. :)
Chapter 1 — The Big Announcement
Chapter 2 — The Baby Shower
Chapter 3 — Boy or Girl?
Chapter 4 — Lina, Zoe & Lana
Chapter 5 — The Babies Are Here!
Chapter 6 — Welcome Home, Vicky
Chapter 7 — Team Sam
Chapter 8 — Unexpected Loss
Chapter 9 — The Funeral
Chapter 10 — The New Babysitter
Chapter 11 — Emma vs. the Twins
Chapter 12 — The Lana Problem
Chapter 13 — The Baby Takeover
Chapter 14 — Sisters, Secrets, and a Very Bad Idea
Chapter 15 — The New Petersons
It was Saturday afternoon at the Peterson house, and absolutely nobody was doing the same thing.
John was lying across the couch staring at his phone.
Nellie was sitting on the floor eating popcorn straight out of the bowl.
Zoe was attempting to balance Mr. Sparkles on her head.
And Lina was on FaceTime with Lana.
“No, I'm telling you, that outfit was ugly,” Lana said through the phone.
“It was NOT ugly.”
“It was.”
“You literally told me you liked it yesterday!”
“I changed my mind.”
“You can't change your mind that fast!”
“Watch me.”
Zoe suddenly ran past Lina.
“MR. SPARKLES CAN FLY!”
Something crashed.
Lana went quiet.
“What was that?”
Lina didn't even turn around.
“Zoe.”
“Oh.”
Like that explained everything.
It did.
Then Emily walked into the living room.
“Okay, everybody. I need you all in here.”
Nobody moved.
Emily waited.
“Now.”
John sat up.
Nellie stopped eating.
Zoe grabbed Mr. Sparkles off the floor.
Lina looked at her phone.
“Hold on.”
Lana gasped. “Don't hang up.”
“I wasn't going to.”
Emily looked at Lina.
“Actually, could you call Lana back afterward?”
Lina narrowed her eyes.
“Why?”
“Because this is a family announcement.”
Lana's voice came through the phone.
“WAIT, WHAT ANNOUNCEMENT?”
“Bye, Lana.”
“LINA, DON'T YOU—”
Lina hung up.
Three seconds later, Lana called back.
Lina declined it.
She called again.
Declined.
Again.
“Lana!” Lina yelled at the phone.
John laughed. “Just turn it off.”
“I can't. She'll think somebody died.”
Jake walked into the room and sat beside Emily.
Now Lina really started looking suspicious.
“Okay.”
She slowly sat down.
“What's going on?”
Nellie's eyes widened.
“Are we moving?”
“No,” Emily said.
“Are we getting a dog?” Zoe asked.
“No.”
“A horse?”
“No.”
“A pool?”
“No.”
“A second house?”
“Why would that be your fourth guess?”
Zoe shrugged.
John looked between his parents.
“Did I do something?”
Jake laughed. “Why would you assume this is about you?”
“Because whenever both of you sit us down like this,
somebody did something.”
Everyone slowly looked at Zoe.
Zoe gasped.
“WHY DID EVERYBODY LOOK AT ME?”
“You know why,” Nellie said.
“I haven't done anything today!”
John looked at the clock.
“It's only two.”
“Exactly.”
Emily started laughing.
“Okay. Nobody is in trouble.”
“Then why are we having a meeting?” Lina asked.
“Because your dad and I have something to tell you.”
The room finally became quiet.
Even Zoe.
Emily looked at Jake.
Jake smiled.
Then Emily took a breath.
“I'm pregnant.”
Silence.
Nobody moved.
John blinked.
Nellie froze with a piece of popcorn halfway to her mouth.
Zoe stared at Emily.
Lina's eyes got HUGE.
“WAIT.”
Emily smiled.
“Yep.”
“WAIT.”
“Lina—”
“YOU'RE HAVING A BABY?!”
Emily laughed. “Yes!”
Lina SCREAMED.
Nellie screamed because Lina screamed.
Zoe screamed because everyone else was screaming.
John covered his ears.
“WHY ARE WE SCREAMING?!”
“WE'RE HAVING A BABY!” Lina yelled.
“We're not having it. Mom is.”
“You know what I mean!”
Lina practically jumped onto the couch beside Emily.
“Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. OH MY GOSH.”
Nellie ran over too.
“When?!”
“Not tomorrow,” Jake said.
“Obviously.”
Zoe pushed between them.
“Can I name it?”
“No,” everyone said.
“Why not?!”
“Because you'd name it Sparkles,” John said.
Zoe looked offended.
“I would NOT.”
Everyone stared at her.
Zoe paused.
“Okay, maybe for the middle name.”
Lina put her hand on Emily's stomach.
“Is it a girl?”
“We don't know yet.”
“It needs to be a girl.”
“Yes!” Nellie said.
Zoe nodded. “Girl.”
John's head snapped up.
“No.”
The girls looked at him.
“BOY,” John said.
Lina laughed. “Why?”
John stood up.
“Look around!”
Everyone looked around.
“What?” Nellie asked.
“ME.”
“Yes, unfortunately,” Lina said.
“No! I'm the only boy!”
Jake raised his hand.
“Hello?”
“Kid.”
“Oh.”
John pointed around the room.
“Lina. Nellie. Zoe. Three girls. One boy.”
Zoe smiled.
“I think that's a good amount.”
“It is NOT.”
“Actually,” Nellie said, “I think another girl would make it even better.”
John stared at her.
“You want FOUR girls and one boy?”
“Yes.”
“That is insane.”
Lina nodded. “I agree with Nellie.”
“Of course you do!”
Zoe stood beside them.
“TEAM GIRL!”
“TEAM BOY!” John yelled.
Nobody joined him.
John looked at Jake.
“Dad?”
Jake raised both hands.
“I'm staying out of this.”
“TRAITOR.”
Emily was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes.
“We don't even know yet!”
“I know,” Zoe said.
Everyone looked at her.
Zoe walked dramatically toward Emily.
“I can sense it.”
“Oh no,” John muttered.
Zoe placed both hands on Emily's stomach and closed her eyes.
“What are you doing?” Nellie asked.
“Shhh.”
“Why?”
“I need silence.”
John leaned toward Lina.
“She has officially lost it.”
“She lost it years ago.”
“I HEARD THAT.”
Zoe closed her eyes again.
The entire room waited.
Then Zoe gasped.
“GIRL.”
John threw his hands in the air.
“YOU CANNOT SENSE THAT!”
“Yes, I can.”
“No, you can't!”
“Prove it.”
“THAT'S NOT HOW PROOF WORKS!”
Lina suddenly remembered something.
“LANA!”
She grabbed her phone.
Seven missed calls.
Twelve texts.
LANA: HELLO???
LANA: WHAT WAS THE ANNOUNCEMENT
LANA: LINA
LANA: ANSWER
LANA: DID SOMETHING HAPPEN
LANA: IS EVERYONE OKAY
LANA: LINA PETERSON
LANA: I'M CALLING AGAIN
Lina laughed.
“She thinks we're dying.”
“CALL HER!” Nellie said.
Lina FaceTimed her.
Lana answered instantly.
“WHAT HAPPENED?!”
Lina held the phone up.
“My mom's pregnant!”
Lana froze.
“What?”
“MY MOM IS HAVING A BABY!”
Lana screamed.
John groaned.
“Why does everyone scream?”
“Oh my gosh!” Lana said. “Are you serious?!”
Emily waved from the couch.
“Very serious.”
“Congratulations!”
“Thank you!”
Lina turned the phone back toward herself.
“And it's going to be a girl.”
“We do NOT know that,” John yelled from behind her.
Lana laughed.
“John wants a boy, doesn't he?”
“YES,” John said.
Lina flipped the camera toward him.
“He's being dramatic.”
“I HAVE THREE SISTERS.”
Lana shrugged.
“I think a girl would be cute.”
John stared at the phone.
“Of course you do.”
Lina smiled.
“Four against one.”
“Dad!”
Jake immediately stood up.
“I suddenly need something from the kitchen.”
John stared after him.
“Unbelievable.”
Nellie started laughing.
“What if it's twins?”
Everyone stopped.
Emily looked at her.
Jake stopped walking.
John's face went pale.
Lina slowly smiled.
Zoe gasped.
“TWO GIRLS!”
“NO!” John shouted.
Everyone burst out laughing.
Emily shook her head.
“Let's handle one surprise at a time.”
Lina leaned against her mom.
“I can't believe we're getting a baby.”
Nellie sat beside her.
“Me either.”
Zoe climbed onto the other side.
“I'm going to teach her everything.”
John looked horrified.
“Please don't.”
“She needs to know important things.”
“Like what?”
Zoe thought.
“How to make slime.”
“No.”
“How to find hidden Christmas presents.”
“NO.”
“How to take Lana's phone—”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT,” Lina said.
Lana's voice came through the phone.
“THANK YOU.”
Zoe shrugged.
“Fine. I'll think of other stuff.”
Emily looked around at her kids.
Lina was already planning baby clothes.
Nellie was already talking about names.
Zoe was apparently planning an entire education program for a child who wasn't even born.
And John was sitting alone on the couch whispering:
“Please be a boy. Please be a boy. Please be a boy.”
Emily looked at Jake.
Jake looked back at her.
Neither of them said anything.
Because the Peterson kids thought one baby was the big announcement.
They had absolutely no idea.
There was an even bigger surprise coming.
A few months had passed since Emily and Jake made the big announcement.
And in those few months, the Peterson household had become completely obsessed with one question:
BOY OR GIRL?
Well.
Mostly John.
“Boy,” John said.
Lina didn't even look up from her phone.
“Girl.”
“Boy.”
“Girl.”
“BOY.”
“GIRL.”
John stared at her from across the kitchen.
“You don't KNOW that.”
“Neither do you.”
“Yes, but I have evidence.”
Lina finally looked up.
“What evidence?”
John pointed around the kitchen.
“You.”
Lina blinked.
“Nellie.”
“Okay?”
“Zoe.”
“What about us?”
“THREE SISTERS.”
Lina stared at him.
“And?”
“I have suffered enough.”
Lina gasped.
“SUFFERED?”
“Yes.”
“You're so dramatic.”
“I have shared a house with three sisters my entire life.”
“You're welcome.”
John opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
There was no winning this.
Especially because today was the baby shower.
And the house was already full of girls.
The living room had been completely transformed.
Balloons floated near the ceiling. Decorations covered the tables. There were gifts everywhere, along with tiny baby decorations that Lina had helped Emily pick out.
Lina had been VERY involved.
Possibly too involved.
“Mom,” Lina called from the living room.
“Yes?”
“Where should I put the cupcakes?”
“On the dessert table.”
“Which dessert table?”
Emily walked into the room.
“The one with the desserts.”
“There are desserts on BOTH.”
Emily stopped.
She looked around.
“Oh.”
Lina smiled.
“I might've gotten carried away.”
“You think?”
Lina picked up a cupcake.
“At least we won't run out.”
Emily laughed.
She was about to answer when the doorbell rang.
“I'll get it!” Lina said.
She opened the door.
Grandma Lura stood there.
Grandpa Joe stood behind her.
And they were surrounded by presents.
Lina stared.
“Are those ALL for the baby?”
Grandma Lura smiled.
“Of course.”
Grandpa Joe looked exhausted.
“There are more in the car.”
Lina's eyes widened.
“MORE?”
Emily appeared behind her.
“Mom!”
Grandma Lura hugged her.
“Oh, look at you!”
Emily laughed. “Hi.”
“You look beautiful.”
“I feel like I've been pregnant for approximately seventeen years.”
Grandma Lura laughed.
“Just wait.”
“That's not comforting.”
Grandpa Joe walked inside carrying three bags and a box.
Jake came around the corner.
“Dad, let me help you.”
“Please.”
Jake grabbed the box.
“What is IN this?”
“Your mother.”
Emily looked over.
“What?”
“Not literally.”
Grandma Lura rolled her eyes.
“It's a baby swing.”
“Oh!”
“And there are clothes.”
“And blankets,” Grandpa Joe added.
“And toys.”
“And bottles.”
“And more clothes.”
Emily stared at her mother.
“Mom.”
“What?”
“How much did you buy?”
Grandma Lura thought for a second.
“Enough.”
“That is not a number.”
“It doesn't need to be.”
Grandpa Joe leaned toward Jake.
“Don't ask.”
“I wasn't going to.”
“Good.”
“GRANDMA!”
Zoe came running down the stairs.
Grandma Lura barely had time to turn around before Zoe hugged her.
Nellie came down behind her.
“Hi, Grandma!”
“Hello, girls!”
Then John walked into the room.
“Grandpa.”
Grandpa Joe looked at him.
John walked directly toward him.
“I need to talk to you.”
Grandpa Joe looked concerned.
“Okay?”
“Privately.”
Lina immediately followed.
John turned around.
“Not you.”
“Why?”
“Because you're the problem.”
“I haven't done anything!”
“You're Team Girl.”
Lina gasped.
“You're STILL talking about that?”
“Until we find out, yes.”
Grandpa Joe looked between them.
“What exactly is happening?”
John lowered his voice.
“Everyone wants the baby to be a girl.”
“Okay.”
“Everyone.”
“Okay.”
“I need backup.”
Grandpa Joe nodded slowly.
“So you want me to want a boy?”
“Yes.”
Grandpa Joe looked over at Grandma Lura.
She was talking to Emily.
Then he looked at Nellie.
Then Zoe.
Then Lina.
Then back at John.
“You know…”
John smiled.
“Yes?”
“A boy would be nice.”
John threw both hands in the air.
“YES!”
Everyone turned.
Zoe narrowed her eyes.
“What did Grandpa say?”
“Nothing.”
“He said something.”
“Nothing.”
Zoe walked toward them.
“Are you Team Boy?”
Grandpa Joe looked at John.
Then Zoe.
Then John again.
“I…”
John whispered, “Don't betray me.”
Grandpa Joe smiled.
“I think a boy would be nice.”
Zoe gasped.
“TRAITOR!”
“Zoe!” Emily called.
“Sorry.”
Nellie walked over.
“Grandpa, you realize you're wrong, right?”
Grandpa Joe laughed.
“I didn't realize there was a correct answer.”
“There is.”
“Girl,” Lina said.
“Girl,” Nellie agreed.
“Girl,” Zoe added.
John pointed at Grandpa Joe.
“BOY.”
Grandpa Joe raised his hand.
“Boy.”
Jake walked through the room.
Everyone looked at him.
“Dad,” John said. “Boy or girl?”
Jake stopped.
“Nope.”
“PICK.”
“I am not getting involved.”
“Dad!”
“I like living here.”
And he walked away.
The doorbell rang again.
Lina ran toward it.
“I GOT IT!”
She opened the door.
“Happy baby shower!”
Sabrina Smith stood outside holding a beautifully wrapped present.
Ryan Smith stood behind her carrying another box.
And Lana was standing beside them.
“LANA!”
Lina hugged her.
“I saw you yesterday,” Lana said.
“Doesn't matter.”
“Yes, it does.”
“No.”
Lana laughed.
Sabrina walked inside and immediately found Emily.
“Oh my gosh!”
Emily smiled.
“Sabrina!”
Sabrina hugged her carefully.
“You look amazing.”
“Everybody keeps saying that.”
“Because you do.”
“I don't feel amazing.”
Sabrina laughed.
“That part I believe.”
Ryan walked over to Jake and shook his hand.
“Congratulations again.”
“Thanks.”
Ryan looked around the room.
“Wow.”
Jake nodded.
“Yeah.”
“This is a lot.”
“You should see the presents my mother brought.”
Grandpa Joe called from across the room.
“THERE ARE STILL TWO IN THE CAR!”
Ryan laughed.
“Never mind. I understand.”
Lana and Lina disappeared toward the food table.
Lana picked up a cookie.
“So.”
“So?”
“Boy or girl?”
Lina stared at her.
“Girl.”
“You're that sure?”
“Absolutely.”
“What if it's a boy?”
Lina paused.
“I'll still love him.”
“Wow. How generous.”
“But I want a girl.”
Lana laughed.
“Why?”
“I don't know! Tiny dresses. Cute baby stuff. Another little sister.”
“You already have two little sisters.”
“Exactly. I'm experienced.”
Nellie walked by.
“Excuse me?”
“What?”
“You said that like we're a job.”
“You kind of are.”
Nellie grabbed a cookie.
“Rude.”
Zoe suddenly appeared between them.
“It's a girl.”
Lana looked down at her.
“How do you know?”
“I sensed it.”
Lana stared at Lina.
Lina shrugged.
“She's been saying this for months.”
“I have powers.”
“No, you don't,” John said, walking past.
“Yes, I do.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“YES.”
“Zoe, if you had powers, you would've known Santa—”
Zoe's eyes widened.
John stopped.
Everyone went silent.
Zoe pointed at him.
“Finish that sentence.”
John backed away.
“I have somewhere else to be.”
“THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.”
Lana burst out laughing.
Meanwhile, Sabrina sat beside Emily.
“So how are you really doing?”
Emily leaned back.
“I'm good. Tired.”
“I remember that.”
“I feel like I need a nap after walking upstairs.”
Sabrina laughed.
“And everybody keeps asking me questions.”
“Names?”
“Names. Boy or girl. Nursery. Clothes. Everything.”
Sabrina smiled.
“Have you picked names?”
Emily looked at her.
For just a second.
A suspicious second.
“We have some ideas.”
“Some?”
“Some.”
Sabrina narrowed her eyes.
“You're hiding something.”
Emily immediately laughed.
“No, I'm not.”
“You are.”
“Sabrina.”
“I know that face.”
“What face?”
“That exact face.”
Emily shook her head.
“You're imagining things.”
Sabrina leaned closer.
“Do you know if it's a boy or girl?”
Emily took a sip of her drink.
“Maybe.”
Sabrina gasped.
“You DO!”
“Shhh!”
“Emily!”
“Sabrina!”
“What is it?”
“I'm not telling you.”
“Why?”
“Because we're waiting.”
“For what?”
Emily smiled.
“You'll see.”
Sabrina stared at her.
“That is extremely annoying.”
“Thank you.”
Across the room, Ryan and Jake were having a very similar conversation.
“So,” Ryan said.
Jake looked at him.
“No.”
“I haven't even asked anything.”
“You're going to ask if we know what the baby is.”
Ryan laughed.
“Do you?”
Jake smiled.
“Maybe.”
“Oh, come on.”
“Nope.”
“Boy?”
Jake said nothing.
“Girl?”
Nothing.
Ryan narrowed his eyes.
“You're terrible at this.”
“I haven't said anything.”
“Exactly.”
Then John appeared.
“Ryan.”
“Yeah?”
“Boy or girl?”
Ryan looked at Jake.
Jake shook his head.
“Don't.”
Ryan laughed.
“I'm staying neutral.”
John looked devastated.
“WHY DOES NOBODY SUPPORT ME?”
“I support you!” Grandpa Joe called.
“THANK YOU!”
Zoe yelled from across the room.
“YOU'RE BOTH WRONG!”
Eventually, everyone gathered around Emily to open presents.
Lina sat beside Lana on the floor.
Nellie sat nearby.
Zoe tried to sit directly beside the presents.
Emily pointed at her.
“Back up.”
“Why?”
“Because these aren't yours.”
“I know.”
“Then why are you touching them?”
“I was checking.”
“For what?”
Zoe paused.
“Safety.”
John laughed.
“She was checking for toys.”
“I WAS NOT.”
Emily opened the first present.
Tiny pajamas.
“Awww!” Lina said.
The next one was a diaper bag.
Then bottles.
Then a baby monitor.
Then approximately one thousand tiny socks.
“Why are baby socks so small?” Nellie asked.
“Because babies have small feet,” John said.
“I know that.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“I was making an observation.”
“That was a question.”
“Whatever.”
Emily reached for another present.
“This one is from Sabrina and Ryan.”
Sabrina smiled.
“Open it!”
Emily pulled off the wrapping paper.
Inside were two beautiful matching baby blankets.
One pink.
One blue.
The room went quiet.
Emily froze.
Jake froze.
Sabrina froze.
Ryan looked at Sabrina.
Lina looked at the blankets.
Then at Emily.
Then at Jake.
“Why are there two?”
Nobody answered.
Lana slowly looked at her mother.
“Mom?”
Sabrina blinked.
“What?”
“Why did you buy two blankets?”
“Well…”
Ryan jumped in.
“Options.”
Everyone looked at him.
“Options?” John repeated.
“Yes.”
“What does that mean?”
“You know.”
“No.”
Ryan picked up the blue blanket.
“If it's a boy—blue.”
Then the pink one.
“If it's a girl—pink.”
John nodded.
“Oh.”
Lina kept staring.
“That actually makes sense.”
Sabrina exhaled.
Emily tried not to laugh.
Jake looked relieved.
Then Zoe spoke.
“What if it's TWO babies?”
Silence.
Emily nearly dropped the blanket.
Jake coughed.
Sabrina's eyes widened.
Ryan stared at the ceiling.
John laughed.
“Zoe, it's not twins.”
“How do YOU know?”
“Because that would be insane.”
Zoe shrugged.
“We're already insane.”
Grandma Lura laughed.
“She has a point.”
Emily quickly grabbed another present.
“Okay! NEXT GIFT!”
Lina narrowed her eyes.
Lana noticed.
“What?” Lana whispered.
“Nothing.”
“You're doing your suspicious face.”
“I don't have a suspicious face.”
“You absolutely do.”
Lina looked at her mom.
Then at the two blankets.
Then at Jake.
Jake immediately looked away.
Lina's eyes widened slightly.
“Hmm.”
Lana leaned closer.
“What?”
“I don't know yet.”
“Oh no.”
“What?”
“You're becoming Zoe.”
Lina looked horrified.
“Take that back.”
After presents came cake.
Then pictures.
Then more food.
Then another argument over baby names.
“What about Olivia?” Lina asked.
“Cute,” Lana said.
“Absolutely not,” John said.
“Nobody asked you.”
“It's my sibling!”
“What name do YOU want?”
John thought.
“Sam.”
Lina stared at him.
“Sam?”
“Yeah.”
“That's actually…”
John waited.
“…not terrible.”
John looked offended.
“Why did you sound surprised?”
“Because it came from you.”
Nellie laughed.
“I like Sam.”
Zoe shook her head.
“I like Sparkles.”
“No,” Emily said from across the room.
“I wasn't asking you.”
Emily slowly turned.
Zoe froze.
“I mean…”
Jake started laughing.
“Good luck.”
“Sorry, Mom.”
Grandma Lura walked over.
“What about Victoria?”
Lina paused.
“Wait.”
Lana looked at her.
“That's cute.”
“Victoria…”
Nellie nodded.
“Vicky!”
Lina smiled.
“I LOVE Vicky.”
John sighed.
“That's a girl name.”
“Correct,” Lina said.
“Sam is better.”
“Vicky.”
“Sam.”
“VICKY.”
“SAM.”
Emily and Jake looked at each other.
Neither said a word.
By the end of the party, the Peterson house looked like a baby store had exploded inside it.
Grandma Lura was helping Emily organize presents.
Grandpa Joe and Ryan were carrying boxes upstairs.
Sabrina was helping clean the kitchen.
Lana and Lina were taking pictures together.
Nellie was eating leftover cake.
Zoe had somehow acquired three balloons.
And John was still campaigning.
He stood beside Emily.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“I just want you to know…”
“Oh no.”
“If it's a boy, I will be an incredible older brother.”
Emily smiled.
“I know.”
“And if it's a girl…”
Emily waited.
John sighed.
“I'll still be an incredible older brother.”
Emily hugged him.
“That's what I thought.”
“But PLEASE let it be a boy.”
Emily laughed.
Across the room, Lina looked over.
“GIRL!”
John turned.
“BOY!”
“GIRL!”
“BOY!”
Zoe jumped in.
“GIRL!”
Nellie yelled, “GIRL!”
Grandpa Joe yelled from upstairs.
“BOY!”
Grandma Lura shouted:
“HEALTHY!”
Everyone stopped.
Emily smiled.
“Grandma wins.”
John sighed.
“Fine.”
The party slowly came to an end.
Sabrina hugged Emily goodbye.
“Call me.”
“I will.”
“And tell me what you're hiding.”
Emily laughed.
“Goodbye, Sabrina.”
“I'M SERIOUS.”
Ryan shook Jake's hand.
“Good luck.”
“With the baby?”
Ryan looked around at the kids.
“With all of it.”
“Thanks.”
Lana hugged Lina.
“Text me.”
“Obviously.”
Then the Smiths left.
Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe left soon after.
And finally, the house became quiet.
Well.
Peterson quiet.
Which wasn't actually quiet.
Emily sat on the couch beside Jake.
Lina was upstairs.
Nellie and Zoe were arguing over balloons.
John was in the kitchen.
Jake looked at Emily.
“That was close.”
Emily started laughing.
“The blankets?”
“The blankets.”
“I thought Lina figured it out.”
“She almost did.”
Emily looked down at the pink and blue blankets folded beside her.
One for each baby.
She smiled.
“They're going to lose their minds.”
Jake laughed.
“Especially John.”
Emily looked at him.
“You think?”
“One boy.”
“One girl.”
Jake shook his head.
“He's going to act like he personally won.”
Emily laughed.
“And the girls?”
“They'll forget the boy exists.”
“Jake!”
“I'm kidding.”
Upstairs, Lina's voice suddenly echoed through the house.
“MOM!”
Emily looked toward the stairs.
“What?!”
“CAN LANA COME OVER TOMORROW?!”
Emily closed her eyes.
Jake smiled.
“Back to normal.”
Emily laughed.
For now.
Because the baby shower was over.
The presents were opened.
The secret had survived.
And hidden among all those pink and blue decorations was the truth nobody knew yet:
There wasn't just one new Peterson coming.
There were two.
And very soon…
the family was going to find out.
It had been about a month since the baby shower, and the Peterson house had officially entered what Lina called Baby Watch.
Nobody else called it that.
But Lina did.
And Lina had decided that made it official.
There were two cribs in the nursery, two car seats waiting by the door, stacks of diapers everywhere, bottles in the kitchen, baby blankets folded in drawers, and more tiny clothes than Lina thought two human beings could possibly wear.
She had spent most of Saturday morning organizing them.
Emily had not asked her to.
In fact, Emily had specifically told her she did not need to.
Lina did it anyway.
“Mom!” Lina yelled from upstairs.
Emily was sitting on the living-room couch.
“What?”
“Where do you want the newborn pajamas?”
“The nursery!”
“I KNOW.”
“Then why did you ask?”
“I mean WHERE in the nursery?”
Emily closed her eyes.
Jake looked over from the kitchen.
“Don't do it.”
Emily looked at him.
“Don't do what?”
“Answer.”
“Why?”
“Because then she'll have another question.”
“I can hear you!” Lina yelled.
Jake smiled.
“I know!”
Lina appeared at the top of the stairs holding
approximately twenty tiny sleepers.
“Mom.”
“Yes?”
“Top drawer or second drawer?”
“Whichever one you want.”
“But which one makes more sense?”
“Lina.”
“What?”
“They are pajamas.”
“I know.”
“They can go in any drawer.”
“No, because when the babies are here, you're going to be looking for pajamas, and if we don't have a system—”
“We'll find them.”
“But—”
“We will survive.”
Lina stared at her mother.
“I just think we should be prepared.”
Emily smiled.
“We are prepared.”
Lina looked around.
“Are you sure?”
Emily pointed upstairs.
“There are two cribs.”
“I know.”
“Two car seats.”
“I know.”
“Enough diapers to cover the entire state.”
“That might not be enough.”
“Lina.”
“Twins poop a lot.”
Jake burst out laughing.
Emily looked at him.
“Thank you for your contribution.”
“Anytime.”
Lina disappeared upstairs again.
Emily shook her head.
“She is more stressed about these babies than I am.”
Jake nodded.
“She reorganized the nursery yesterday.”
“And then reorganized her reorganization.”
“She’s excited.”
From upstairs:
“DAD!”
Jake sighed.
“What?”
“WHERE ARE THE EXTRA WIPES?”
“Closet!”
“WHICH CLOSET?”
Jake looked at Emily.
“You answer.”
Emily laughed.
Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang.
Lina came flying downstairs.
“I GOT IT!”
John walked out of the kitchen.
“You don't have to announce it every time.”
“I know.”
“Then why do you?”
“Because I want to.”
Lina opened the door.
Lana stood there.
“FINALLY.”
Lana looked at her phone.
“It's 2:07.”
“You said two.”
“Seven minutes.”
“Seven LONG minutes.”
“I didn't realize you were timing me.”
“I wasn't.”
“You just knew exactly how late I was.”
“Because I looked at the clock.”
“That's called timing me.”
Lina ignored her and pulled her inside.
Lana looked toward Emily.
“Any babies?”
“No babies,” Emily said.
“Okay, good.”
John stared at Lana.
“Why is that good?”
“Because I would've missed it.”
“You're not going to be there when Mom has them.”
“I KNOW.”
“Then what would you miss?”
Lana stared at him.
“The announcement that they're here?”
“Oh.”
Lina looked at John.
“Anything else?”
“No.”
“Great.”
John walked away.
Lana waited until he was gone.
“He's cheerful today.”
“He's been annoying for a month.”
“I HEARD THAT,” John yelled.
“GOOD.”
Lana followed Lina upstairs.
The nursery looked like a baby store.
Two cribs sat against the wall.
Tiny clothes filled the dresser.
Blankets were folded on shelves.
Two little baskets sat near the changing table.
Lana looked around.
“Okay, this is actually cute.”
“Actually?”
“I didn't mean it like that.”
“You said actually.”
“Lina.”
“What?”
“It's cute.”
Lina smiled.
“I organized everything.”
“I can tell.”
“Newborn clothes here. Bigger clothes here. Blankets there. Socks in that drawer. Bibs over there.”
Lana opened a drawer.
Every tiny pair of socks had been matched.
“You did this?”
“Yes.”
“You need a hobby.”
“This IS my hobby right now.”
“That's concerning.”
Lina laughed and threw a tiny sock at her.
Lana caught it.
“So.”
“So?”
“Do you still think it's one girl and one boy?”
“Yes.”
“I'm starting to think two girls.”
Lina's eyes widened.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“I would LOVE two girls.”
“John would leave.”
“He'd survive.”
Lana sat on the floor.
“What if it's two boys?”
Lina stared at her.
“Don't.”
“What?”
“Don't say that.”
“Why?”
“Because I want at least one girl.”
“You already have two sisters.”
“I want a baby sister.”
“Why?”
“Because!”
“Great explanation.”
Lina sat beside her.
“I don't know. I just do.”
Lana smiled.
“I still think two girls.”
“Okay, now I hope you're right.”
A voice came from the doorway.
“You're both wrong.”
John.
Lina groaned.
“Why are you here?”
“I live here.”
“You keep saying that like it's an excuse.”
“It literally is.”
John leaned against the doorway.
“Two boys.”
Lana laughed.
“Absolutely not.”
“You don't know.”
“Neither do you.”
“I have faith.”
“In what?”
“That the universe isn't cruel.”
Lina gasped.
“Having sisters is CRUEL?”
John pointed at her.
“I have THREE.”
“And?”
“Three.”
Lana looked at him.
“That's not really an explanation.”
“You don't understand.”
“I have no brothers.”
“Exactly! Peace!”
Lana laughed.
“You think my house is peaceful?”
“Compared to this?”
Zoe suddenly screamed downstairs.
“WHERE IS MR. SPARKLES?!”
John pointed toward the hallway.
“Exhibit A.”
Lana started laughing.
A few seconds later, Zoe came charging into the nursery.
“HAS ANYBODY SEEN MR. SPARKLES?”
Lina looked at her.
“He's literally under your arm.”
Zoe stopped.
She looked down.
Mr. Sparkles was under her arm.
“Oh.”
John stared at her.
“You were looking for something you were holding?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I forgot.”
John walked away.
“I need different siblings.”
Zoe yelled after him.
“YOU'RE STUCK WITH US!”
“Unfortunately!”
Zoe walked into the nursery.
“What are you doing?”
“Talking about the babies,” Lana said.
Zoe immediately sat down.
“If one is a boy, I'm naming him Kevin.”
Lina stared at her.
“What?”
“Kevin.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because you're not naming the babies.”
“I could suggest it.”
Lana shook her head.
“I don't like Kevin.”
Zoe gasped.
“You don't like Kevin?”
“No.”
“You don't even know Kevin.”
“Exactly.”
Lina suddenly started laughing.
“Oh my gosh.”
“What?” Zoe asked.
“Didn't you want to name Mr. Sparkles Kevin?”
Zoe looked down at the unicorn.
“No.”
“Yes, you did!”
“No, I didn't.”
“At Christmas!”
Zoe shook her head.
“I have never named him Kevin.”
“I KNOW. You said you WANTED to name him Kevin.”
Zoe stared at Mr. Sparkles.
“I don't remember that.”
“It wasn't that long ago!”
“Yes, it was.”
“No, it wasn't!”
“Christmas was last year.”
“That doesn't mean it was a year ago!”
Zoe crossed her arms.
“Well, I'm a big girl now. I've changed.”
Lina stared.
“You've changed since Christmas?”
“Yes.”
“How?”
“I don't know. Life.”
Lana burst out laughing.
“Life?”
“Yes.”
“You're talking like you're forty.”
Zoe rolled her eyes.
“A year is a long time.”
“IT HASN'T BEEN A YEAR,” Lina said.
“It was last year.”
“That is not the same thing!”
“Yes, it is.”
“No, it's not!”
“A year isn't two minutes.”
“NOBODY SAID IT WAS.”
Lana was laughing.
Zoe pointed at her.
“See? Lana gets it.”
Lana stopped.
“I did not say that.”
“You laughed.”
“Because you're funny.”
“So you agree with me.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No!”
Lina looked at Lana.
“Whose side are you on?”
“Nobody's!”
“You're supposed to be on mine!”
“Why?”
“Because you're my best friend!”
“That doesn't mean I have to agree with you when you're wrong.”
Lina gasped.
“I'm WRONG?”
Zoe smiled.
“Thank you, Lana.”
“I wasn't agreeing with YOU either!”
“Too late.”
Zoe wrapped her arm around Lana.
“My new best friend.”
Lana immediately moved away.
“Nope.”
Lina pointed at Zoe.
“HA!”
Zoe gasped.
“Wow.”
“What?”
“That was mean.”
“You just stole my best friend!”
“I didn't steal her.”
“You literally called her your new best friend.”
“It was a joke!”
Lana stood up.
“I would like to leave this conversation.”
“No,” Lina said.
“No,” Zoe said.
Lana stared at them.
“I came here to hang out. Why am I suddenly in a custody battle?”
Nellie walked into the room.
“What are you guys yelling about?”
“Lana betrayed me,” Lina said.
“I DID NOT!”
Zoe pointed at Lina.
“She's jealous.”
“Of WHAT?”
“My friendship with Lana.”
“You've been friends for thirty seconds!”
Lana looked at Nellie.
“Please help.”
Nellie shrugged.
“I just got here.”
Zoe suddenly looked at Mr. Sparkles.
Then her eyes widened.
“Oh my gosh.”
Lina immediately knew that face.
“No.”
“I forgot.”
“No.”
“I totally forgot!”
“Whatever you're about to say, no.”
Zoe jumped up.
“I forgot to behead the other Mr. Sparkles!”
Lana's mouth dropped open.
“You forgot to WHAT?”
Nellie gasped.
“Oh yeah!”
John appeared in the doorway again.
“No.”
Zoe pointed at him.
“You don't even know what we're talking about.”
“The fake unicorn?”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“He deserves it.”
“He does not deserve to be BEHEADED.”
“He tried to replace Mr. Sparkles.”
“He didn't TRY anything. He's stuffed.”
Zoe looked offended.
“You weren't there emotionally.”
John stared at her.
“I was literally Fake Santa.”
Zoe's eyes narrowed.
“We don't talk about that.”
“You bring it up constantly!”
Lana raised her hand.
“I have a solution.”
Everyone looked at her.
“We donate him.”
Zoe slowly turned toward her.
“What?”
“We donate the other Mr. Sparkles.”
“To who?”
“I don't know. A kid who wants a stuffed unicorn.”
Zoe looked horrified.
“You want to give the imposter to a CHILD?”
“Yes!”
“That is so irresponsible.”
Lana stared at her.
“How?”
“He has issues.”
“He is a stuffed animal.”
“He has a dark past.”
John started laughing.
“A DARK PAST?”
“He does!”
“He sat in a closet.”
“After pretending to be Mr. Sparkles.”
“He didn't pretend to be anything!”
“He looked like him.”
“THAT'S NOT HIS FAULT.”
Zoe hugged the real Mr. Sparkles.
“I'm not taking chances.”
Lana looked at Lina.
“Please tell me you're with me.”
Lina nodded.
“We should donate him.”
“THANK YOU.”
Zoe gasped.
“Lina!”
“What?”
“You're my sister!”
“And?”
“You should support me!”
Lina smiled.
“Funny. You didn't say that when you were stealing Lana five minutes ago.”
“I DIDN'T STEAL HER.”
“Guys,” Lana said.
Nobody listened.
Nellie picked up the fake Mr. Sparkles from the shelf.
She looked at it.
Then at Zoe.
“I mean…”
John pointed at her.
“Don't.”
Nellie shrugged.
“He kind of does deserve it, dude.”
“NELLIE!”
“What?”
Lana stared at her.
“You want her to cut his HEAD OFF?”
Nellie handed the unicorn toward Zoe.
“Do it for the Snow Sisters.”
Zoe didn't take it.
She stared at Nellie.
“There are no Snow Sisters, bro.”
Silence.
Nellie's face changed.
“What?”
“The Snow Sisters are over.”
“Excuse me?”
“It's not Christmas anymore.”
Nellie stared at her.
“So?”
“It's early spring.”
“And?”
“There isn't snow.”
“You can't just CANCEL THE SNOW SISTERS because it's SPRING!”
“I didn't cancel them.”
“You literally said they're over!”
“Until Christmas.”
Nellie looked personally betrayed.
“Wow.”
Zoe shrugged.
“What?”
“After everything we went through?”
“What did we go through?”
“OPERATION CATCH SANTA.”
John raised his hand.
“You caught me.”
Nellie pointed at him.
“Exactly.”
“That wasn't the goal.”
“Still caught somebody.”
Zoe rolled her eyes.
“Christmas was last year.”
Nellie stared.
“We had Christmas this year.”
“No, we didn't.”
“Yes, we did.”
“No!”
“Wait.”
Nellie stopped.
Everyone stared at her.
She looked at Lina.
“Christmas was last year?”
“Yes.”
“But we're in the same school year.”
“That doesn't matter.”
Nellie frowned.
“So Christmas was last year, but it wasn't a year ago?”
“Yes.”
Nellie looked at Zoe.
Zoe nodded.
“See? Time makes no sense.”
Lina threw her hands up.
“TIME MAKES PERFECT SENSE!”
“No, it doesn't,” Zoe said.
“Yes, it does!”
Lana started laughing again.
Lina turned.
“Why are YOU laughing?”
“Because this is ridiculous!”
“You started half of it!”
“I DID NOT!”
“You took Zoe's side!”
“I NEVER TOOK HER SIDE!”
“You said a year was a long time!”
“A YEAR IS A LONG TIME!”
“BUT IT WASN'T A YEAR AGO!”
“I KNOW!”
Zoe smiled.
“So we're all agreeing.”
“NO!” Lina and Lana yelled.
Emily appeared in the doorway.
Everyone went silent.
She looked around.
Lina was sitting on the floor surrounded by baby clothes.
Lana was standing beside the dresser.
Nellie was holding the fake Mr. Sparkles.
Zoe was holding the real Mr. Sparkles.
John was eating chips.
“What,” Emily asked slowly, “is happening?”
John answered immediately.
“Zoe wants to behead a unicorn.”
Emily looked at Zoe.
“The fake one,” Zoe explained.
“That does not make it better.”
“It kind of does.”
“No.”
Lana pointed at the fake Mr. Sparkles.
“I said we should donate it.”
“Thank you, Lana.”
Zoe gasped.
“YOU'RE ON HER SIDE?”
“Yes.”
“This is unbelievable.”
Nellie held up the fake unicorn.
“I think we should let Zoe—”
“No,” Emily said.
Nellie lowered it.
“Okay.”
Emily looked at Lina.
“And why were you yelling?”
“Because Lana betrayed me.”
“I DIDN'T BETRAY YOU!”
“See?”
“That explained nothing,” Emily said.
John crunched another chip.
“It started with Kevin.”
Emily looked at him.
“Who is Kevin?”
“THANK YOU,” John said.
Zoe raised her hand.
“If one of the babies is a boy, I think we should name him Kevin.”
“No.”
John pointed at Emily.
“See?”
Zoe sighed.
“Fine.”
Lina looked at Emily.
“Speaking of the babies…”
Emily immediately turned around.
“No.”
“MOM!”
“Nope.”
“Just tell us ONE thing.”
“You already know one thing.”
“What?”
“There are two of them.”
“That doesn't count!”
“It absolutely counts.”
John stepped forward.
“Just tell us if there's a boy.”
“No.”
“A tiny hint?”
“No.”
“Blink once for boy, twice for girl.”
Emily stared at him without blinking.
John waited.
Emily continued staring.
“Mom, your eyes are going to dry out.”
Emily blinked.
John gasped.
“ONE BLINK!”
“That did not count!”
“YOU BLINKED ONCE.”
Lina gasped.
“WAIT!”
Emily started laughing.
“You guys are ridiculous.”
“Mom!” Lina said. “Is there a boy?”
“I'm not telling you.”
“Is there a girl?”
“I'm not telling you.”
“Are there TWO girls?”
“No answer.”
“Two boys?”
“No answer.”
“One of each?”
Emily smiled.
Lina pointed.
“THAT FACE.”
“What face?”
“THAT WAS A FACE.”
“I have a face, Lina.”
“No, that was a SECRET face.”
Lana nodded.
“That was kind of a secret face.”
Emily looked at her.
“Don't help.”
“Sorry.”
John looked at Jake, who had just walked into the hallway.
“Dad!”
Jake stopped.
He immediately saw everyone surrounding Emily.
“No.”
“I haven't asked anything!”
“I know what you're going to ask.”
“Boy?”
“No.”
“Girl?”
“No.”
“Both?”
Jake froze.
Everyone froze.
Lina's eyes widened.
John's mouth dropped open.
Zoe gasped.
Nellie dropped the fake Mr. Sparkles.
Jake slowly looked at Emily.
Emily stared back at him.
Lana whispered:
“Oh my gosh.”
John pointed at Jake.
“YOU PAUSED.”
“I did not.”
“YOU DID.”
“You absolutely paused,” Lina said.
“I was thinking.”
“ABOUT WHAT?”
“About how annoying this conversation is.”
John stared.
“You know.”
“Yes, John. I know.”
“And you're not telling me.”
“Correct.”
John put his hands together.
“Dad. Please. I am begging you. I have three sisters.”
Lina rolled her eyes.
“Here we go.”
“Three.”
“We can count.”
“I have lived my entire life surrounded by girls.”
Zoe stepped forward.
“And you should be grateful.”
John looked at her.
“Did I need your help?”
Zoe smiled.
“You always need my help.”
Nellie nodded.
“Oh, you totally need her help.”
John stared at Nellie.
“Nellie, you're almost eleven. Chill out. You're old enough.”
Nellie gasped.
“I am VERY mature. Do you not understand?”
John waited.
“I cleaned my room this morning.”
John blinked.
“Okay?”
“I haven't cleaned it in half a year.”
Everyone went silent.
Lina looked at her.
“That does not prove what you think it proves.”
Nellie shrugged.
“I thought it sounded impressive.”
Jake started laughing.
Emily shook her head.
John looked at his parents.
“Please. One boy.”
Zoe put her hands on her hips.
“We already have too many.”
John slowly turned.
“Too many what?”
“Boys.”
“There is ONE.”
“Two.”
“Dad doesn't count!”
Jake looked offended.
“Why do I keep getting removed from this family?”
Zoe pointed at John.
“One kid boy is enough.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“YES.”
Emily held up both hands.
“Okay! Enough.”
Everyone stopped.
“The babies are coming soon.”
Lina's face lit up.
“How soon?”
“Soon.”
“That isn't a date.”
“Because babies don't make appointments.”
John muttered, “They should.”
Emily smiled.
“You will all find out soon enough.”
Lina groaned.
“I hate secrets.”
Lana looked at her.
“You love secrets.”
“I hate secrets when I'm not included.”
“That sounds more accurate.”
Later that evening, Lana and Lina were sitting on the back porch.
For once, nobody was yelling.
Lina leaned back in her chair.
“I'm sorry.”
Lana looked at her.
“For what?”
“The fight.”
Lana smiled.
“You mean when you accused me of replacing you with
Zoe?”
“Yes.”
“That was insane.”
“I know.”
“And dramatic.”
“I know.”
“And you were wrong.”
Lina looked at her.
“Don't push it.”
Lana laughed.
Lina smiled.
“I just really want a sister.”
“You have sisters.”
“A baby sister.”
“Oh.”
Lina looked through the window toward the house.
“I don't know. It feels weird.”
“What?”
“Everything's going to change.”
Lana didn't joke this time.
“Yeah.”
“Like… there are going to be two babies here.”
“Yep.”
“Two.”
“I know how twins work.”
Lina laughed.
“Shut up.”
Lana smiled.
“You're excited, though.”
“Really excited.”
“Then it'll be fine.”
“What if they both hate me?”
Lana stared at her.
“They're babies.”
“So?”
“They won't even know what a Lina is.”
Lina laughed.
“Wow. Helpful.”
“They'll love you.”
“You don't know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“How?”
“Because you're going to hold them every five seconds and never leave them alone.”
Lina smiled.
“Probably.”
“And you're going to buy them stuff.”
“Definitely.”
“And you're going to make me come over and help.”
“Obviously.”
Lana sighed dramatically.
“Great.”
“You'll love them.”
“I know.”
Lina looked at her.
“You're basically family anyway.”
Lana smiled.
“Basically?”
“Honorary Peterson.”
“I don't know if that's a compliment.”
“It is.”
“Considering what happened upstairs today, I'm not sure.”
They both laughed.
Inside, John was sitting on the couch when Nellie walked
over.
“John?”
“What?”
“What if they're both girls?”
John stared straight ahead.
“I don't want to talk about it.”
Nellie smiled.
“What if they're BOTH girls?”
“Nellie.”
“Two tiny sisters.”
“Stop.”
“Then you'll have FIVE sisters.”
“STOP.”
Nellie started laughing.
John threw a pillow at her.
She ducked.
“HEY!”
“You deserved that.”
Zoe ran into the room.
“What happened?”
“John attacked me!”
“You were annoying me!”
Zoe gasped.
“Should we start the Snow Sisters again?”
Nellie immediately smiled.
“YES.”
“No!” John yelled.
Zoe paused.
“Actually, no. It's spring.”
Nellie's smile disappeared.
“ZOE.”
Zoe ran away laughing.
Nellie chased her.
“GET BACK HERE!”
John watched them run upstairs.
Then looked at Jake.
“Dad.”
Jake didn't look up.
“No.”
“I didn't ask.”
“You were going to.”
John sighed.
“One boy.”
Jake smiled.
“You'll find out.”
“That's what everybody keeps saying.”
“Because it's true.”
John leaned back.
“I'm naming him Sam.”
Jake finally looked at him.
“Are you?”
“If there's a boy.”
“What happened to Kevin?”
John looked horrified.
“Don't even joke about that.”
Jake laughed.
Upstairs, Lina walked back into the nursery after Lana had gone home.
The room was quiet now.
She looked at the two cribs.
For months, they'd just been furniture.
Soon, there would actually be babies sleeping in them.
Two new Petersons.
She walked over and picked up one of the tiny blankets from the baby shower.
Then she looked at the other crib.
“Please be a girl,” she whispered.
She thought for a second.
“Actually… at least one girl.”
From the hallway, John yelled:
“AT LEAST ONE BOY!”
Lina jumped.
“WERE YOU LISTENING?!”
“No!”
“YOU LITERALLY ANSWERED ME!”
John poked his head through the doorway.
“I'm just saying.”
“Go away.”
“One boy.”
“One girl.”
“One boy.”
“One girl.”
They stared at each other.
Then John shrugged.
“One of each?”
Lina paused.
For the first time in months, they agreed.
“One of each.”
John nodded.
“That would actually be perfect.”
Lina smiled.
“Yeah.”
From somewhere down the hallway, Zoe screamed:
“AND THE BOY WILL BE KEVIN!”
John closed his eyes.
“No.”
Lina burst out laughing.
“KEVIN PETERSON!” Zoe yelled.
“NO!”
“KEVIN SPARKLES PETERSON!”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT!”
Nellie yelled:
“BRING BACK THE SNOW SISTERS!”
“IT'S SPRING!” Zoe screamed back.
Lina laughed so hard she had to sit down.
John shook his head.
And downstairs, Emily and Jake heard every word.
Emily looked at Jake.
“One of each.”
Jake smiled.
“They have no idea.”
“Not yet.”
Emily looked toward the stairs.
Soon, the secret would finally be over.
Soon, Lina would get the baby sister she'd been hoping for.
John would finally get his little brother.
And the Peterson family would meet the two babies they'd been waiting for.
But for tonight, there were still two empty cribs.
Two secret names.
And four kids upstairs arguing about whether a stuffed unicorn deserved to be beheaded.
The babies weren't even here yet.
And somehow…
they were already part of the chaos.
It had officially been one week.
One entire week since Emily's due date.
And still—
No babies.
Every morning for the past seven days, somebody had asked the same question.
Usually Lina.
Sometimes John.
Occasionally Nellie.
And Zoe asked it whenever she remembered there were babies coming.
“Anything?” Lina asked.
Emily looked up from the couch.
“No.”
“Nothing?”
“No.”
“Not even a little something?”
“Lina.”
“What?”
“If something happens, I promise I will tell you.”
Lina sighed.
“Okay.”
She walked away.
Ten seconds later, John came into the room.
“Anything?”
Emily stared at him.
“What?”
“Babies.”
“No.”
“Okay.”
John walked away.
Emily looked at Jake.
Jake smiled.
“Don't.”
“What?”
“You're about to say something.”
“I was going to say our children are excited.”
“Our children are driving me crazy.”
“Also true.”
From upstairs, Zoe yelled:
“ARE THE BABIES COMING TODAY?”
Emily closed her eyes.
“I DON'T KNOW!”
“OKAY!”
Jake started laughing.
Emily pointed at him.
“This is your fault.”
“How?”
“I don't know yet.”
By lunchtime, Lina had checked the nursery three times.
She didn't actually need to check anything.
She just kept going in there.
Two cribs.
Still there.
Two car seats.
Still there.
Diapers.
Still there.
Baby clothes.
Still organized.
She opened one drawer.
Then another.
Then closed them.
John appeared in the doorway.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
“You've been in here like four times.”
“Why do you care?”
“I don't.”
“Then leave.”
John walked in instead.
He looked at one crib.
Then the other.
“One of these better be for a boy.”
Lina rolled her eyes.
“We're still doing this?”
“Until I know.”
“You're going to love them either way.”
“I KNOW.”
“Then stop.”
“I can love a sister and still want a brother.”
Lina paused.
“Okay, that's fair.”
John looked surprised.
“You agree with me?”
“Don't get used to it.”
John smiled.
“What do you think?”
“One of each.”
“Same.”
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
Lina sat on the floor beside one of the cribs.
“I used to think two girls.”
“I used to think two boys.”
“You still think two boys.”
“No.”
“Yes, you do.”
John smiled.
“Maybe.”
Lina threw a tiny baby sock at him.
“Hey!”
“Put it back.”
“You threw it!”
“And now you can put it back.”
John tossed it into the drawer.
It landed nowhere near the other socks.
Lina gasped.
“JOHN.”
“What?”
“That doesn't go there!”
“It is literally IN the drawer.”
“Not the right section!”
“There are sections?”
“YES.”
John stared at her.
“They're socks.”
“I organized them!”
“They are baby socks.”
“Exactly!”
John walked out.
“I hope they're both boys.”
“GET OUT!”
That afternoon, Lana came over.
Mostly because Lina had texted her:
LINA: I'm going insane.
And then:
LINA: STILL NO BABIES
And then:
LINA: COME OVER
Lana arrived about an hour later.
“Still pregnant?” she asked Emily when she walked inside.
Emily laughed.
“Still pregnant.”
“Wow.”
“Thank you for your sympathy.”
Lana smiled.
“Sorry.”
Lina came downstairs.
“I can't believe they're late.”
“They're babies,” Lana said. “They don't know what day it
is.”
“They should.”
“How?”
“I don't know.”
Zoe walked into the room carrying Mr. Sparkles.
“They're probably sleeping.”
Lana looked at her.
“Who?”
“The babies.”
“Probably.”
“Maybe they don't want to come out.”
John walked through the room.
“Would you?”
Zoe thought.
“No.”
“Exactly.”
Lina looked at him.
“Why are you making our house sound terrible?”
John stared at her.
“Were you here yesterday?”
“What happened yesterday?”
“Nellie and Zoe chased me around the house with a stuffed unicorn.”
Zoe smiled.
“That was fun.”
“For YOU.”
Nellie came downstairs.
“You were laughing.”
“I was NOT.”
“You were.”
“I was yelling.”
“Same thing.”
John stared at her.
“No, it isn't.”
By dinner, everybody had mostly stopped talking about the babies.
Mostly.
Emily sat at the table with Jake while the kids argued about what movie they wanted to watch.
“Comedy,” Lina said.
“No,” John said. “Action.”
“Comedy.”
“Action.”
“Comedy.”
Zoe raised her hand.
“Christmas movie.”
Everyone looked at her.
“What?” she asked.
“It is spring,” Nellie said.
Zoe pointed at her.
“SEE? THAT'S WHAT I SAID!”
“What?”
“Snow Sisters.”
Nellie immediately looked offended again.
“Don't start.”
“I didn't!”
“You did.”
Jake looked at Emily.
“Do we want to know?”
“No.”
Lana wasn't there anymore, but Lina immediately picked up her phone.
John noticed.
“Are you seriously texting Lana while we're eating?”
“Maybe.”
“You saw her three hours ago.”
“And?”
“What could possibly have happened?”
Lina looked around the table.
“Nothing.”
“Exactly.”
“That's why I'm texting her.”
John shook his head.
Then Emily stopped eating.
Jake noticed.
“You okay?”
Emily didn't answer immediately.
Lina looked up.
“Mom?”
Emily looked at Jake.
“Yeah.”
Jake's expression changed.
“What?”
“Nothing. I think.”
Everyone went quiet.
John slowly put down his fork.
Lina stared at her mother.
“What does that mean?”
Emily took a breath.
“It means nothing yet.”
Zoe gasped.
“BABIES.”
“Zoe, calm down.”
“BABIES!”
Nellie sat up.
“Are they coming?!”
“I don't know.”
Lina was already standing.
“Do we need the hospital bag?”
“No.”
“Car seats?”
“No.”
“Should I call Grandma?”
“No.”
“Should I call Lana?”
“Definitely no.”
Lina stopped.
“Why definitely?”
“Because we don't even know if anything is happening.”
John stood up.
“I'm getting the hospital bag.”
“JOHN.”
“What?”
“Sit down.”
John sat.
Everyone stared at Emily.
Emily stared back.
“Can you all please stop looking at me?”
Nobody moved.
“Guys.”
Everyone immediately looked somewhere else.
Zoe stared at the ceiling.
Nellie stared at her plate.
John stared at the wall.
Lina stared at the floor.
Jake tried not to laugh.
Emily shook her head.
“This is ridiculous.”
Nothing happened.
At least, not then.
An hour passed.
Then another.
The family watched half a movie.
Zoe fell asleep on the couch with Mr. Sparkles.
Nellie went upstairs.
John disappeared into his room.
And Lina FaceTimed Lana.
“Anything?” Lana asked.
“No.”
“You called me to tell me nothing happened?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
“But Mom was acting weird at dinner.”
“How?”
“I don't know.”
“Very specific.”
“She stopped eating.”
“Maybe she wasn't hungry.”
“No. It was a MOMENT.”
Lana stared through the screen.
“You're analyzing your mother eating dinner.”
“I know.”
“You need sleep.”
“I can't sleep.”
“The babies might not come for another week.”
“DON'T SAY THAT.”
Lana laughed.
“I'm kidding!”
“You better be.”
It was late that night when Lina woke up.
At first, she didn't know why.
The house was quiet.
Then she heard footsteps in the hallway.
A door opened.
Then another.
Lina sat up.
She checked the time.
12:43 A.M.
She climbed out of bed.
The hallway light was on.
Jake walked past carrying a bag.
Lina froze.
“Dad?”
Jake stopped.
“Oh.”
Lina's eyes widened.
“OH?”
“Keep your voice down.”
“IS IT HAPPENING?”
“Lina.”
“IS IT?!”
A door opened.
John appeared.
“What?”
Lina pointed at Jake.
“THE BAG.”
John looked at the hospital bag.
His eyes widened.
“No way.”
Emily appeared in the hallway.
She looked tired, but she was smiling.
Lina covered her mouth.
“Oh my gosh.”
John looked between his parents.
“Wait. Seriously?”
Jake nodded.
“We're going to the hospital.”
John's mouth dropped open.
“RIGHT NOW?”
“Right now.”
Lina immediately ran toward Emily.
“Are you okay?”
“I'm okay.”
“Are the babies okay?”
“As far as we know.”
“Are you scared?”
Emily smiled.
“A little.”
Lina hugged her carefully.
Emily hugged her back.
John stood there, suddenly much quieter.
“So…”
Emily looked at him.
“Yes?”
“We're going to find out?”
Emily smiled.
“Eventually.”
John looked at Jake.
“Boy?”
“Go back to bed.”
“DAD.”
Jake laughed.
“Not now.”
Nellie's door opened.
She stepped into the hallway, half asleep.
“Why is everybody awake?”
Nobody answered.
Nellie looked at the bag.
Then Emily.
Then Jake.
Her eyes widened.
“BABIES?”
“Shhh!” Lina said.
“BABIES?!”
Zoe's door opened.
“What babies?”
Everyone froze.
Zoe walked into the hallway holding Mr. Sparkles by one leg.
Her hair was everywhere.
She looked at Emily.
Then the bag.
Then Jake.
Then Lina.
“Are the babies coming?”
Emily nodded.
Zoe gasped.
Then screamed.
“THE BABIES ARE COMING!”
“ZOE!” everyone whispered-yelled.
“What?”
“It is almost one in the morning!”
“Oh.”
She lowered her voice.
“The babies are coming.”
Nellie started bouncing.
“When?”
“We don't know,” Jake said.
“Like an hour?”
“No idea.”
“Two hours?”
“No idea.”
“Tomorrow?”
“Possibly.”
Zoe looked at Emily.
“Can you tell them to hurry?”
Emily laughed.
“I'll see what I can do.”
Lina grabbed her phone.
“I need to tell Lana.”
“No,” Jake said.
“What?!”
“It is almost one in the morning.”
“She'll want to know!”
“She can know in the morning.”
“But—”
“Lina.”
Lina sighed.
“Fine.”
She secretly typed:
LINA: WAKE UP
Jake looked at her.
Lina immediately put the phone away.
Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe were coming over to stay with the kids.
Until they arrived, nobody even attempted to go back to
sleep.
John paced around the living room.
Nellie sat on the couch.
Zoe had fallen asleep again.
Lina was checking her phone every ten seconds.
Finally, Lana responded.
LANA: WHAT
Lina typed so fast she nearly dropped the phone.
LINA: BABIES
Three dots appeared.
LANA: WHAT
LINA: THEYRE GOING TO THE HOSPITAL
LANA: RIGHT NOW????
LINA: YES
LANA: OMG
Lina smiled.
John looked over.
“You told Lana.”
“No.”
“Your face says you told Lana.”
“My face doesn't say anything.”
“You have a Lana face.”
“What does that even mean?”
“I don't know. But that's it.”
When Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe arrived, Grandma immediately hugged Emily.
“This is it!”
“Looks like it.”
Grandpa Joe took the hospital bag from Jake.
“Everything packed?”
“Yes.”
“Phone chargers?”
“Yes.”
“Clothes?”
“Yes.”
“Baby stuff?”
“Yes.”
“Snacks?”
Jake paused.
Grandpa Joe nodded.
“Knew it.”
He handed Jake a bag.
“What's this?”
“Snacks.”
Jake laughed.
“Thank you.”
John walked over.
“Grandpa.”
“Yes?”
“I'm about to find out if I have a brother.”
Grandpa Joe smiled.
“Looks like it.”
“I mean, I might not.”
“You might.”
“But I might.”
“You might.”
John stared.
“Helpful.”
Finally, it was time to leave.
Emily hugged each of the kids.
Nellie first.
Then Zoe, who barely woke up for it.
Then John.
Then Lina.
“Love you,” Emily said.
“Love you too.”
Lina held onto her for another second.
“Call us.”
“We will.”
“Immediately.”
“Yes.”
“Like IMMEDIATELY.”
“Lina.”
“Okay.”
John stepped forward.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Good luck.”
Emily smiled.
“Thank you.”
“And…”
He paused.
Everyone waited.
“If there's a boy, tell him I said hi.”
Lina rolled her eyes.
Emily laughed.
“And if there isn't?”
John sighed.
“Tell them both I said hi.”
“Deal.”
Then Emily and Jake left.
The front door closed.
And the Peterson house became strangely quiet.
Lina stood there staring at the door.
Nellie sat beside Grandma Lura.
John looked at the clock.
Zoe was asleep again.
Grandpa Joe walked into the kitchen.
“Anybody want something to eat?”
Nobody answered.
For once, nobody was thinking about food.
Or Kevin.
Or Mr. Sparkles.
Or the Snow Sisters.
Or who had won the argument.
Because after months of waiting…
the twins were actually coming.
The next morning felt like the longest morning of Lina's life.
She woke up at seven.
Checked her phone.
Nothing.
7:04.
Nothing.
7:11.
Nothing.
7:18.
Nothing.
At 7:23, John walked into the kitchen.
“Anything?”
“No.”
“At all?”
“No.”
He sat down.
Lina looked at him.
“You nervous?”
“No.”
“You look nervous.”
“You look nervous.”
“I AM nervous.”
“Well…”
John shrugged.
“Maybe a little.”
Nellie walked in.
“Babies?”
“No babies.”
Zoe walked in behind her.
“Kevin?”
“NO KEVIN,” Lina and John yelled.
Zoe smiled.
“Just checking.”
Hours passed.
There were calls.
Updates.
Waiting.
More waiting.
And then even more waiting.
Grandma Lura tried to keep everyone busy.
It did not work.
By the afternoon, Lina had cleaned the nursery again.
John had checked his phone approximately a hundred times.
Nellie had asked Grandma Lura when the babies were coming at least fifteen times.
And Zoe had drawn a picture of what she thought the babies looked like.
One had purple hair.
Lina stared at it.
“Why does the baby have purple hair?”
“Because it's cute.”
“Babies aren't born with purple hair.”
“You don't know.”
“Yes, I do.”
It wasn't until later that the front door finally opened.
Everyone froze.
Jake walked inside.
Alone.
Lina jumped up.
“DAD!”
John came running from the hallway.
Nellie jumped off the couch.
Zoe ran in holding Mr. Sparkles.
Grandma Lura stood up.
Jake looked exhausted.
But he was smiling.
Lina's heart started pounding.
“Mom?”
“She's okay.”
Everybody exhaled.
“And the babies?” John asked.
Jake nodded.
“They're here.”
For half a second, nobody said anything.
Then the room EXPLODED.
“THEY'RE HERE?!”
“BOTH?!”
“WHAT ARE THEY?!”
“BOYS?”
“GIRLS?”
“CAN WE SEE THEM?”
“WHEN ARE THEY COMING HOME?”
And over all of them, Zoe screamed:
“WHO WAS BORN FIRST?!”
Jake stared at her.
“What?”
“The boy or the girl?”
John froze.
Lina froze.
Nellie froze.
Zoe's eyes widened.
“WAIT.”
Jake realized what he'd just accidentally confirmed.
Lina pointed at him.
“YOU SAID THE BOY OR THE GIRL!”
“No, Zoe said that.”
“BUT YOU DIDN'T CORRECT HER!”
John's mouth dropped open.
“There IS a boy?”
Jake smiled.
“And a girl.”
John screamed.
“YESSSSSSS!”
Lina screamed even louder.
“A GIRL?!”
Nellie started jumping.
“I KNEW IT!”
Zoe held Mr. Sparkles in the air.
“WE ALL WIN!”
John pointed at her.
“YOU SAID TWO GIRLS YESTERDAY.”
“I changed my mind.”
“When?!”
“Right now.”
Lina grabbed Jake's arm.
“Tell us EVERYTHING.”
Jake laughed.
“Okay. First, your mother is exhausted, so she's still at the hospital.”
“Is she okay?” Lina asked.
“She is. She's resting.”
“And the babies?”
Jake paused.
“The little girl is doing great. She's with your mom.”
Lina smiled immediately.
“And the boy?”
“He needs some extra help right now, so he's in the NICU. The doctors and nurses are taking really good care of him.”
John's smile faded slightly.
“Is he okay?”
Jake put a hand on his shoulder.
“He's exactly where he needs to be.”
John nodded.
“Okay.”
Then Zoe raised her hand.
Jake looked at her.
“What?”
“You still didn't answer my question.”
Everyone stared at her.
“What question?”
“WHO WAS FIRST?”
Jake laughed.
“The girl.”
Zoe gasped.
“YES!”
“Zoe,” John said.
“What?”
“It's not a competition.”
“Everything is a competition.”
“How much first?” Nellie asked.
“About three minutes.”
Zoe looked at John.
“Girls won by three minutes.”
John rolled his eyes.
“Congratulations.”
Lina smiled.
“So… what are their names?”
Jake paused.
“Oh.”
Lina narrowed her eyes.
“What does ‘oh’ mean?”
“Well…”
Jake smiled.
“Your sister's name is Victoria.”
Lina's face immediately lit up.
“Victoria?”
“Yep.”
“I LOVE that.”
Nellie nodded.
“That's cute.”
Zoe thought about it.
“Okay. Victoria can stay.”
Jake laughed.
“Thank you for your approval.”
John looked at him.
“And the boy?”
“Sammy.”
Silence.
Lina blinked.
“Sammy?”
“Yes.”
John thought about it.
“Well…”
Everyone looked at him.
“I like Kevin.”
“NO!” Lina yelled.
Zoe gasped.
“FINALLY!”
“No Kevin,” Jake said.
“But—”
“No.”
Lina shook her head.
“I mean, Victoria is really cute. I love Victoria. But Sammy?”
“What is wrong with Sammy?”
“Nothing. It's just…”
She thought.
“Why not Ryan?”
Jake stared.
“Ryan?”
“Yeah!”
John looked at her.
“That's Lana's dad's name.”
“I KNOW. I like the name!”
Jake laughed.
“We are not renaming your brother Ryan.”
“Why not?”
“Because his name is already Sammy.”
Lina's eyes widened.
“WAIT.”
Jake knew that look.
“What?”
“You already NAMED THEM?”
“Yes?”
“Without us?!”
Jake stared at her.
“Yes.”
“I thought we were all going to choose!”
“When did we say that?”
“I don't know! I just thought we were!”
“Your mother and I chose their names.”
Lina crossed her arms.
“This is unbelievable.”
John nodded.
“I would've picked Kevin.”
“STOP WITH KEVIN.”
Nellie suddenly stepped forward.
“I have a proclamation.”
Everyone turned.
John sighed.
“Oh no.”
Nellie pointed dramatically toward absolutely nothing.
“The dude baby Sammy—”
Jake interrupted.
“The dude baby?”
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
“The dude baby Sammy shall be called…”
She paused.
“SAM.”
Lina's eyes widened.
“Wait.”
John nodded slowly.
“Sam.”
Zoe shrugged.
“That's better.”
Lina smiled.
“Yeah! Sam!”
Jake shook his head.
“His name is Sammy.”
“Right,” Nellie said. “Sam.”
“And,” Nellie continued, “Victoria is too long.”
“It's three syllables.”
“Exactly.”
Jake stared.
Nellie smiled.
“So…”
She thought for a second.
“Vicky.”
Lina gasped.
“VICKY!”
Zoe screamed.
“VICKY!”
John nodded.
“Actually, that's good.”
Nellie smiled proudly.
“Vicky and Sam.”
Lina repeated it.
“Vicky and Sam.”
Zoe held up Mr. Sparkles.
“Vicky and Kevin.”
“SAM!” everyone yelled.
“Fine!”
Jake shook his head.
“Your mother and I picked Victoria and Sammy.”
Lina smiled.
“And we picked Vicky and Sam.”
“You can't just rename babies.”
“They're nicknames!”
“We didn't pick nicknames.”
Nellie shrugged.
“You don't have to. We did.”
Jake stared at all four of them.
He could already tell this argument was over.
And somehow…
he and Emily had lost.
“Fine,” he said.
Lina gasped.
“YES!”
“I said fine. That doesn't mean your mom is going to agree.”
“She will.”
“You don't know that.”
“She will.”
Jake laughed.
“We'll see.”
John looked at him again.
“Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“Can you tell Sam something?”
Jake smiled.
“Sure.”
John suddenly looked a little embarrassed.
“Just tell him…”
He shrugged.
“His big brother said hi.”
Lina smiled.
“Aww.”
“Don't.”
“That was cute.”
“Lina.”
“It WAS.”
John looked away.
“And tell Vicky hi too.”
“I will.”
Zoe raised her hand.
“And tell Vicky I am her favorite sister.”
Nellie gasped.
“NO.”
Lina stared at her.
“Absolutely not.”
Zoe smiled.
“She'll decide.”
“She hasn't even met you!”
“Exactly. Clean slate.”
John laughed.
Jake looked around at all four of them.
The arguing had already started.
Vicky and Sam weren't even home yet.
And somehow, they already had nicknames, alliances, arguments, and four older siblings waiting for them.
Lina was already obsessed with Vicky.
John couldn't stop asking about Sam.
Nellie was proud of herself for officially renaming both babies.
And Zoe was apparently planning to become Vicky's favorite person before Vicky could even hold her own head up.
Jake smiled.
“Okay. Everybody calm down.”
Nobody calmed down.
Of course they didn't.
Because after months of waiting…
after the announcement…
after the ultrasound…
after the baby shower…
after all the arguments about boys and girls…
the two newest Petersons were finally here.
Victoria and Sammy Peterson.
Or, if their older siblings had anything to say about it—
Vicky and Sam.
The Peterson house had never felt this weird.
And that was saying something.
Emily had been gone for days.
Vicky had never even been home yet.
Sam was still in the NICU.
Jake had been going back and forth between the hospital and the house.
Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe had been helping with the kids.
And Lina had officially decided that she was tired of waiting.
She dropped onto the couch dramatically.
“I want my mother.”
Jake looked over from the kitchen.
“You have me.”
Lina stared at him.
“You're my dad.”
“Yes. I am aware.”
“We want our mother.”
“Wow.”
Jake put a hand over his heart.
“Cool with me.”
Nellie looked up.
“Don't worry, Dad. I still like you.”
“Thank you, Nellie.”
“But I also want Mom.”
“Never mind.”
Grandpa Joe walked into the room.
“What's happening?”
“Apparently nobody wants me,” Jake said.
Grandpa Joe nodded.
“Understandable.”
“Dad!”
“What?”
Zoe pointed at Grandpa Joe.
“Yeah, you with the beard.”
Grandpa Joe stopped.
“Me?”
“See, I told you Kevin would've been a better name than Sammy.”
Grandpa Joe stared at her.
“I don't remember saying that.”
Nellie sat up.
“Wait. Who said Kevin would be better than Sammy?”
“I did,” John said from the other couch.
Grandpa Joe pointed at him.
“Respect.”
John nodded.
“Respect.”
They gave each other a serious nod.
Lina stared at them.
“You two are weird.”
“At least I have somebody on my side,” John said.
Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles.
“I invented Kevin.”
“You did not invent the name Kevin,” Nellie said.
“I brought it into this family.”
“That is unfortunately true,” Lina said.
Zoe smiled proudly.
“Thank you.”
“That wasn't a compliment.”
“Oh.”
Lina suddenly sat straight up.
“WAIT!”
Everyone jumped.
“What?!” Nellie yelled.
“Lana!”
John groaned.
“What about Lana?”
“She was supposed to come over today! She got gifts for the babies.”
John threw his head back.
“Why does Lana always have to come over?”
Lina stared at him.
“What?”
“She's literally here ALL THE TIME.”
“Because she's my best friend.”
“She's basically a Peterson now.”
“She IS basically a Peterson.”
“No, she's not. She's a Smith.”
“Honorary Peterson.”
“That's not a real thing.”
“Yes, it is.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“Her name is literally Lana Smith.”
“AND?”
“That means she's a Smith.”
Lina crossed her arms.
“You know what? I'm not arguing with you.”
“You literally are.”
“No, I'm not.”
“You just did.”
“Shut up.”
Jake walked into the room.
“What's happening now?”
“John doesn't think Lana is an honorary Peterson,” Lina said.
Jake stared.
“Okay?”
“Tell him she is.”
“I'm staying out of this.”
“DAD.”
“Why does every argument in this house eventually require me to pick a side?”
“Because you're the dad.”
Nellie suddenly looked at Lina.
“Technically, Mom isn't here, so maybe he's not our father right now.”
Everyone stared at her.
Jake blinked.
“What?”
Nellie shrugged.
“I don't know.”
Lina started laughing.
“Nellie, how did you come up with that?”
“I don't care!” Nellie yelled. “He's not my daddy! Da-da-da-daddyyyy!”
John stared at her.
“Shut up.”
Nellie laughed.
Jake looked at Grandpa Joe.
“Do you want these children?”
“No.”
“You didn't even think about it.”
“I know them.”
The front door opened a few minutes later.
Lana walked in carrying two gift bags.
“Hello?”
Lina immediately jumped up.
“LANA!”
John groaned.
“See?”
Lana stopped.
“What?”
“Nothing,” Lina said quickly.
John smiled.
“Lina says you're a Peterson.”
Lana looked at Lina.
“I thought we established honorary Peterson.”
“THANK YOU.”
John pointed at her.
“Your last name is Smith.”
Lana stared at him.
“Yes, John. Thank you for telling me my name.”
“I'm just saying.”
“Why do you care?”
“I don't.”
“Then why are we talking about it?”
John stopped.
“I don't know.”
“Exactly.”
Lina smiled.
“That is why she's my best friend.”
Lana held up the bags.
“Anyway, I brought baby stuff.”
Zoe immediately ran over.
“For Vicky?”
“And Sam.”
Zoe looked inside.
“What did you get Vicky?”
“Don't touch!”
“I'm looking.”
“You're touching while you look.”
Zoe pulled her hand back.
“Fine.”
Lana smiled.
“One is for Vicky, one is for Sam.”
John nodded approvingly.
“Thank you for remembering Sam exists.”
Lana stared at him.
“Why wouldn't I?”
“Because everybody is talking about Vicky.”
“We haven't even MET Vicky yet!”
“Exactly.”
Lina looked toward the window.
“Mom said they were coming home today.”
Jake nodded.
“They are.”
Lina's head snapped around.
“WHAT?”
“I told you that.”
“No, you said probably!”
“Well, now it's definitely.”
Lina screamed.
“VICKY'S COMING HOME!”
Zoe screamed.
Nellie screamed.
Lana screamed because everyone else screamed.
John covered his ears.
“WHY DOES THIS FAMILY SCREAM ABOUT EVERYTHING?”
“VICKY!” Zoe yelled.
John looked at her.
“And Mom.”
“AND MOM!”
“And what about Sam?”
The room got quieter.
John crossed his arms.
“See?”
Lina looked at him.
“John, we love Sam.”
“Then why is everyone only screaming about Vicky?”
“Because Vicky is coming HOME.”
“And Sam isn't.”
Lina's expression softened.
“We're excited for Sam too.”
“Yeah,” Nellie said.
Zoe nodded.
“Obviously.”
Lana looked at John.
“We brought him presents.”
John glanced at the second gift bag.
“Okay.”
Lina smiled.
“You really like him already, don't you?”
John shrugged.
“He's my brother.”
“You haven't met him.”
“Still my brother.”
Lina smiled.
“Awwww.”
“Stop.”
“AWWWW.”
“Lina.”
“You love your little brother!”
“SHUT UP.”
About an hour later, a car pulled into the driveway.
Lina saw it first.
“THEY'RE HERE!”
This time, even John ran toward the window.
“Move!”
“You move!”
“I can't see!”
“Neither can I!”
Zoe squeezed underneath both of them.
“I CAN!”
“Zoe!”
“Mom's getting out!”
Everybody rushed toward the front door.
Jake immediately stepped in front of them.
“Whoa, whoa, WHOA.”
“Dad!”
“You are not stampeding your mother and a newborn.”
“But—”
“Back up.”
Nobody moved.
“Back. Up.”
They took approximately one step backward.
Jake stared at them.
“More.”
Another step.
“Thank you.”
Grandma Lura laughed from behind them.
“You're not going to stop them.”
“I can try.”
Grandpa Joe looked through the window.
“There she is.”
Lina practically vibrated.
Emily walked toward the door carrying a car seat.
And inside it—
was Vicky.
The door opened.
“Mom!”
Emily barely got inside before everyone started talking.
“HI!”
“HOW ARE YOU?”
“WHERE'S VICKY?”
“CAN I SEE HER?”
“IS SHE AWAKE?”
“CAN I HOLD HER?”
“CAN LANA HOLD HER?”
“CAN MR. SPARKLES MEET HER?”
Emily stared at them.
“I missed you too.”
Lina immediately hugged her.
“I missed you!”
Nellie hugged her next.
Then Zoe.
Then John.
“Are you okay?” John asked.
Emily smiled.
“I'm okay.”
Then every single pair of eyes moved toward the car seat.
Emily laughed.
“Oh, I see how it is.”
“Sorry,” Lina said quickly. “I love you. Now show me the baby.”
“Lina!”
“What?!”
Emily carefully set the car seat down.
And everyone gathered around.
Then—
silence.
For once.
Actual silence.
Because there she was.
Victoria Peterson.
Vicky.
She was sleeping peacefully, wrapped in a soft blanket.
She had a full head of dark, almost black hair—way more hair than anyone expected a newborn to have. It was soft and thick against her tiny head.
Her skin had a warm, light tone, and when she finally opened her eyes for just a moment, they were a bright, beautiful blue.
Lina gasped.
“Oh my gosh.”
Lana leaned closer.
“She is GORGEOUS.”
Nellie's mouth dropped open.
“Look at her HAIR!”
Zoe stared.
“She has more hair than some grown-ups.”
John looked at her.
“What grown-ups do you know?”
“I've seen people.”
Emily laughed.
“She was eight pounds.”
“Eight pounds?” Lina said.
“Yep.”
“Is that good?”
“She's healthy,” Emily said. “That's what matters.”
Lina couldn't stop staring.
Vicky looked so tiny even though she had been a good-sized newborn.
And her HAIR.
Lina looked at Lana.
“She kind of looks like us.”
Lana smiled.
“She does.”
“Especially the hair.”
Emily looked between them.
“She definitely came out with plenty of that.”
Zoe leaned toward the car seat.
“Hi, Vicky.”
Emily looked at her.
“Victoria.”
“Vicky.”
“Victoria.”
“Vicky.”
Emily sighed.
“This has already started?”
Nellie smiled proudly.
“It started the day she was born.”
Lana laughed.
“I like Vicky.”
“See?” Lina said.
Emily shook her head.
“I still like Victoria.”
“We like Victoria too,” Lina said. “Her government name can be Victoria.”
Emily stared at her.
“Her government name?”
“Yes.”
“She's four days old.”
“And her nickname is Vicky.”
Vicky opened her eyes again.
Everyone gasped.
“BLUE!” Nellie yelled.
“Shhh!” Emily said.
Nellie whispered.
“Blue.”
Lana smiled.
“She has really pretty eyes.”
Lina nodded.
“She is literally the prettiest baby I've ever seen.”
John crossed his arms.
“What about Sam?”
Lina looked at him.
“I haven't seen Sam!”
“Exactly!”
Zoe stared at Vicky.
“She's drop-dead gorgeous.”
Emily looked at her.
“Where did you learn that phrase?”
Zoe shrugged.
“Life.”
John laughed.
“She's been living a lot of life since Christmas.”
Zoe pointed at him.
“Exactly.”
Lina got to hold Vicky first.
Mostly because she refused to stop asking.
“Support her head,” Emily reminded her.
“I KNOW.”
“Be careful.”
“I KNOW.”
“Sit back.”
“MOM.”
Emily smiled.
“Okay.”
Vicky rested against Lina.
And Lina completely melted.
“Oh my gosh.”
Lana smiled.
“You look terrified.”
“I AM.”
“You just spent a month saying you were ready.”
“I was ready theoretically.”
Vicky moved her tiny hand.
Lina gasped.
“SHE MOVED.”
John stared.
“Babies do that.”
“Shut up.”
Lina looked back down at Vicky.
“Hi.”
Vicky stared up at her.
“I'm Lina.”
John laughed.
“She doesn't know English.”
“I'm introducing myself.”
“She doesn't care.”
“She DOES care.”
Vicky yawned.
Lina gasped again.
“DID YOU SEE THAT?”
“Yes,” everyone said.
“She YAWNED.”
John looked at Lana.
“Is she going to do this every time the baby moves?”
“Yes,” Lana said.
“Definitely,” Nellie added.
Zoe leaned closer.
“Vicky, I'm Zoe.”
Vicky closed her eyes.
Zoe froze.
“She went to sleep when I introduced myself.”
John smiled.
“Smart baby.”
“HEY!”
After Lina came Nellie.
Then Zoe.
Zoe sat completely still while Emily placed Vicky in her arms.
Everyone stared.
Zoe looked up.
“What?”
“You're being quiet,” John said.
“So?”
“You're never quiet.”
“I can be quiet.”
Nobody said anything.
“I CAN.”
Vicky opened her eyes.
Zoe smiled.
“Hi, Vicky.”
She looked down at Mr. Sparkles sitting beside her.
“This is Mr. Sparkles.”
Emily immediately said, “Do not put that stuffed animal on the baby.”
“I wasn't!”
“You were thinking about it.”
“I was going to introduce them.”
“From a distance.”
Zoe held Mr. Sparkles up.
“Mr. Sparkles, this is Vicky. Vicky, Mr. Sparkles.”
John covered his face.
“She's four days old.”
“She needs friends.”
“She has five siblings.”
Zoe looked at him.
“Exactly. She needs friends.”
Finally, John held her.
He looked down at Vicky.
“Okay.”
Lina smiled.
“What?”
“She is cute.”
“HA!”
“I SAID SHE WAS CUTE BEFORE.”
“You love her.”
“Obviously.”
“Say it.”
“No.”
“Say you love Vicky.”
John stared at Lina.
“She's my sister. Of course I love her.”
Lina smiled.
“Aww.”
“Stop.”
Vicky grabbed one of his fingers.
John froze.
Everyone saw it.
Lina immediately gasped.
“JOHN!”
“Don't.”
“SHE'S HOLDING YOUR FINGER!”
“I can see that.”
“You're smiling!”
“No, I'm not.”
“You ARE!”
John tried not to smile.
It did not work.
Then his expression changed.
He looked at Emily.
“Can we see Sam?”
The room became quieter.
Emily nodded.
“I have pictures.”
John immediately handed Vicky back.
Lina laughed.
“Wow.”
“What?”
“You just dropped Vicky for Sam.”
“I did not DROP her.”
“You know what I mean.”
Emily picked up her phone.
“Your dad sent me another picture earlier.”
Everyone gathered around again.
Emily opened it.
And there was Sam.
He looked completely different from Vicky.
His hair was extremely light—almost white-blond.
His skin was much paler than Vicky's.
He had rounder cheeks, a chubbier little face, and he looked like he had absolutely no interest in posing for
anybody's picture.
Zoe stared at the screen.
“Whoa.”
Nellie leaned closer.
“He doesn't look like Vicky.”
“No,” Emily said. “Not much.”
Lina studied the picture.
“Why is he so pale?”
John looked at her.
“Maybe because he's a baby.”
“Vicky isn't that pale.”
Lana leaned closer.
“And his hair is SO light.”
“Like white,” Nellie said.
“Almost,” Emily said.
Then Lina noticed something else.
“Wait.”
Emily looked at her.
“What?”
“His eyes.”
The picture showed Sam with his eyes partially open.
They had a reddish appearance in the photograph.
Lina looked confused.
“Why do his eyes look red?”
Emily sat down.
“Well…”
Everybody waited.
Emily looked at Jake.
Then back at the kids.
“Sam has albinism.”
Silence.
Zoe blinked.
“What?”
“He's albino,” Emily explained.
Lina looked back at the picture.
“Wait. Seriously?”
Emily nodded.
“Seriously.”
“How did you not know before?” Nellie asked.
“We didn't know.”
“Not even from the ultrasound?”
Emily smiled.
“That's not really something we could just see from the ultrasound.”
Zoe stared at the picture again.
“So that's why he has white hair?”
“His hair is very light, yes.”
“And his skin?”
“Yes.”
Lina looked fascinated.
“That's actually kind of cool.”
John looked at the phone.
“He looks awesome.”
Zoe tilted her head.
“He's really chubby.”
John looked at her.
“Don't call him chubby.”
“He IS.”
“He's a baby.”
“Babies can be chubby.”
Lina laughed.
“He has huge cheeks.”
“Exactly!” Zoe said.
Lana smiled.
“He's cute.”
Zoe thought about it.
“Vicky's cuter.”
John's head snapped around.
“HEY.”
“What?”
“Don't compare them.”
“I'm just saying.”
“Sam is cute.”
“I didn't say he wasn't!”
“You literally just ranked newborn babies.”
Nellie nodded.
“Vicky is prettier.”
John stared at her.
“NELLIE.”
“What?”
“He's a BOY. Why does he have to be pretty?”
“Boys can be pretty.”
John paused.
“That's not the point.”
Lina laughed.
“I think he's cute.”
“Thank you.”
“But Vicky—”
“DON'T.”
Lina smiled.
“Okay, okay.”
John took Emily's phone and looked at the picture again.
His little brother.
Sam.
The brother he'd been asking for from the moment Emily announced she was pregnant.
He didn't look anything like John had imagined.
He didn't look much like Vicky.
He had white-blond hair, pale skin, round cheeks, and was still at the hospital while everybody else was home meeting his twin sister.
John looked at Emily.
“When does he come home?”
“We don't know exactly.”
“But he's doing okay?”
“He's being taken care of.”
John nodded.
“Can we go see him?”
“We'll figure that out.”
John looked at the picture again.
Zoe leaned over his shoulder.
“He looks like a marshmallow.”
John looked at her.
“A marshmallow?”
“A cute marshmallow.”
John thought about it.
“Okay. I'll allow that.”
Zoe smiled.
“Marshmallow Sam.”
“No.”
“Marshmallow Kevin.”
“ABSOLUTELY NOT.”
The doorbell rang.
Grandpa Joe answered it.
A few seconds later, Grandma Lura walked in carrying food.
“Where is my granddaughter?”
Everyone pointed at Vicky.
Grandma Lura walked straight over.
“Ohhh.”
Lina smiled proudly as if she had personally created the baby.
“Isn't she beautiful?”
Grandma Lura looked down at her.
“She certainly is.”
“She has SO much hair.”
“I can see that.”
“And blue eyes.”
“I heard.”
“And she's eight pounds.”
“I heard that too.”
“And—”
Grandma Lura looked at Lina.
“Did you give birth to her?”
Lina laughed.
“No.”
“Because you're giving me the full medical report.”
“I've been paying attention.”
Grandpa Joe looked at Emily's phone.
“And how's the little guy?”
John immediately answered.
“Sam's doing okay.”
Grandpa Joe looked at him.
“Sam?”
John nodded.
“Nellie made a proclamation.”
Grandpa Joe stared.
“I see.”
“Sammy is Sam now.”
“And Victoria is Vicky,” Nellie added.
Grandpa Joe smiled.
“Sounds good to me.”
Emily groaned.
“Not you too.”
“Sorry.”
Zoe looked at Grandpa Joe.
“And he's albino.”
Grandpa Joe nodded.
“I know.”
“You knew before us?”
“Yes.”
Zoe gasped.
“Everybody knows everything before us!”
Lina pointed at her.
“THANK YOU!”
“I've been saying this!”
Emily laughed.
That evening, the house finally settled down.
Well—
as much as it could.
Vicky was asleep in her bassinet.
Emily was finally home.
Grandma Lura and Grandpa Joe were still there.
Lana had stayed longer than planned because she wanted to help with Vicky.
And John was still looking at pictures of Sam.
Lina noticed.
She sat beside him.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“You've been looking at that picture forever.”
John shrugged.
“So?”
“Nothing.”
They sat quietly for a moment.
Then Lina smiled.
“He's cute.”
John looked at her suspiciously.
“You mean that?”
“Yes.”
“Even though he's not Vicky?”
Lina rolled her eyes.
“Yes.”
John looked back at the picture.
“I think he's cool.”
“Because he's your brother?”
“Yeah.”
Lina smiled.
“You finally got one.”
“Finally.”
“You know you're probably going to be obsessed with him.”
“No, I'm not.”
“You already are.”
“No.”
“You've looked at his picture like fifty times.”
“You looked at Vicky's picture twelve times before breakfast.”
“That was different.”
“How?”
“Because it was Vicky.”
John stared at her.
“That makes zero sense.”
“I know.”
Across the room, Zoe whispered to Vicky:
“Don't worry. You're still my favorite.”
John heard her.
“ZOE!”
“What?”
“She's been home for six hours!”
“So?”
“You can't pick a favorite twin!”
“I didn't.”
“You literally just did.”
Zoe looked down at Vicky.
“Don't listen to him.”
“STOP TURNING HER AGAINST ME.”
“She can't understand you!” Lina yelled.
John looked at her.
“YOU SAID SHE COULD UNDERSTAND YOU EARLIER.”
“I CHANGED MY MIND.”
Zoe gasped.
“See? People change. Like me since Christmas.”
Lina stared at her.
“Do NOT start that again.”
Nellie walked in.
“Snow Sisters?”
“No!” Zoe yelled.
“Traitor.”
Grandpa Joe laughed from the kitchen.
Emily sat back on the couch and watched them.
Jake sat beside her.
“You happy to be home?”
Emily nodded.
“Very.”
Then she looked toward Vicky.
And then at the picture of Sam on John's phone.
“Almost everyone.”
Jake nodded.
“Almost.”
For the first time, there was a baby sleeping in the Peterson house.
A real baby.
Not a stuffed unicorn.
Not a picture.
Not an ultrasound.
Not something they were waiting for.
Vicky was home.
And everybody already adored her.
Lina couldn't stop holding her.
Nellie couldn't stop staring at her.
Zoe had already decided they were best friends.
Even Lana acted like she'd gained another little sister.
And John loved her too.
He really did.
But every few minutes, his eyes went back to the picture on the phone.
To the tiny, pale baby with white-blond hair and round cheeks.
The other crib upstairs was still empty.
And John was waiting.
Because Vicky was finally home.
But the Peterson family wasn't complete yet.
Sam still had to come home.
It had been four days since Vicky came home.
And in those four days, the Peterson household had completely changed.
There were bottles drying beside the sink.
Blankets on the couch.
Diapers in places diapers had never been before.
A bassinet in the living room.
A baby monitor on the kitchen counter.
And approximately twelve conversations a day that started with:
“Where's Vicky?”
“Is Vicky sleeping?”
“Can I hold Vicky?”
“Did Vicky eat?”
“Look at Vicky!”
“Vicky smiled!”
“Vicky moved!”
“Vicky made a noise!”
John was sick of it.
Not Vicky.
He loved Vicky.
He was sick of everybody acting like there wasn't another baby.
A baby who happened to be his brother.
A baby who was finally coming home today.
Sam.
John walked into the kitchen at 7:13 in the morning.
Fully dressed.
Shoes on.
Hair done.
Ready.
Jake looked at him.
“Good morning.”
“What time are we leaving?”
Jake looked at the clock.
“Good morning to you too.”
“Good morning. What time are we leaving?”
“Later.”
“When?”
“I told you yesterday.”
“Tell me again.”
“John.”
“What?”
“We're not leaving for hours.”
John opened the refrigerator.
“I know.”
“Then why are you dressed?”
John looked down at himself.
“Because I got dressed.”
“You're wearing shoes.”
“Yes.”
“In the house.”
“Yes.”
Jake stared at him.
John grabbed orange juice.
“Anything else?”
Jake smiled.
“Nope.”
John poured himself a glass.
“Is Mom awake?”
“Yes.”
“Is Vicky awake?”
“No.”
“Is Sam awake?”
Jake stared at him.
“John.”
“What?”
“Sam is at the hospital.”
“I know. You talked to them.”
“Yes.”
“So is he awake?”
“I don't know.”
John sighed.
“Okay.”
Nellie walked into the kitchen.
Her hair was a mess.
She was wearing pajamas.
She looked at John.
Then his shoes.
Then the clock.
“Why are you dressed?”
“Why does everybody care?”
“It's seven in the morning.”
“So?”
“Are you going somewhere?”
John stared at her.
Nellie stared back.
Then she remembered.
“SAM!”
“Shhh!”
Nellie's eyes widened.
“HE'S COMING HOME TODAY!”
“Yes!”
“Why didn't anybody wake me up?!”
“Because nothing is happening yet!”
Nellie immediately ran out of the kitchen.
John looked at Jake.
“Where is she going?”
Jake shrugged.
Thirty seconds later, Nellie came running back.
Fully dressed.
John stared.
“How did you do that?”
“I'm fast.”
“You didn't brush your hair.”
Nellie touched it.
“Oh.”
She ran away again.
At 7:26, Lina came downstairs carrying Vicky.
Emily followed closely behind.
“Careful.”
“I am!”
“Support her head.”
“I KNOW.”
“Lina.”
“I've held her like fifty times!”
“She's still a newborn.”
Lina sat carefully on the couch.
Vicky was awake.
Her bright blue eyes moved around the room.
Lina smiled.
“Good morning, beautiful.”
John walked past.
“Morning, Vicky.”
Lina looked at him.
“That's it?”
John stopped.
“What?”
“You usually come look at her.”
“I already saw her.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
Lina gasped.
“She's changed since then.”
John stared.
“It has been eight hours.”
“Exactly.”
John shook his head.
“I have other things happening today.”
Lina smiled.
“Ohhh.”
“What?”
“Sam.”
“Yes, Sam.”
“You're excited.”
“No.”
“You got dressed at seven.”
Nellie walked into the room.
“He had SHOES ON.”
John looked at her.
“Why are you announcing that?”
Nellie smiled.
“Because it's weird.”
Lina laughed.
“You're SO excited.”
John crossed his arms.
“My brother is coming home.”
“Awwww.”
“Don't.”
“Your little baby brother.”
“Lina.”
“You've been waiting your whole life.”
“I haven't been waiting my whole life.”
“Pretty much.”
“I didn't want a baby brother when I was two.”
“You don't know that.”
“I don't remember being two.”
“Exactly.”
John stared at her.
“That makes no sense.”
Vicky made a tiny noise.
Lina immediately looked down.
“Oh my gosh.”
John sighed.
“What?”
“She made a noise.”
“Babies do that.”
“It was cute.”
“Everything she does is cute to you.”
“Yes.”
Vicky yawned.
Lina gasped.
“LOOK!”
John stared.
“She yawned.”
“I KNOW!”
Nellie leaned over.
“Awwww.”
John looked between them.
“This is exactly what I'm talking about.”
“What?” Lina asked.
“There are TWO babies.”
“Sam isn't here!”
“YET.”
Nellie nodded.
“That's true.”
John pointed at her.
“Thank you.”
Nellie looked at Vicky.
“She's still really cute, though.”
John sighed.
“I know.”
By nine o'clock, Zoe had woken up.
She walked into the living room holding Mr. Sparkles.
“Where's Vicky?”
John looked up.
“Good morning, Zoe.”
“Good morning. Where's Vicky?”
“With Mom.”
“Can I see her?”
John stared.
“What about Sam?”
Zoe blinked.
“What about him?”
“HE'S COMING HOME TODAY.”
“Oh yeah!”
John put his head in his hands.
Nellie started laughing.
Zoe smiled.
“I'm excited.”
“You forgot!”
“I just woke up.”
“You've been awake for twenty minutes.”
“My brain isn't awake.”
Lina walked in.
“Mom says Vicky needs to sleep.”
Zoe frowned.
“But I wanted to see her.”
“You've seen her every day.”
“I know.”
John pointed at Zoe.
“THIS.”
Lina looked at him.
“What?”
“This is what I'm talking about.”
“You need to calm down.”
“Everybody is obsessed with Vicky.”
“Because she's here.”
“Sam is coming!”
“We KNOW.”
“Do you?”
Lina stared at him.
“Yes.”
Nellie walked over to John.
“I understand.”
John looked at her.
“You do?”
“Yes.”
“Thank you.”
Nellie nodded seriously.
“Sam has been disrespected.”
Lina laughed.
“DISRESPECTED?”
“Yes.”
“He is four days old!”
“Exactly. And already disrespected.”
John pointed at Nellie.
“Finally. Somebody gets it.”
Zoe looked at them.
“Are you guys starting a club?”
Nellie thought about it.
“Maybe.”
John shook his head.
“No.”
“Team Sam.”
“No.”
“Sam Squad.”
“Absolutely not.”
“The Sam Sisters.”
John stared at her.
“I'M NOT A SISTER.”
Nellie burst out laughing.
Around ten, Lana came over.
John opened the door.
Lana smiled.
“Hi.”
John looked at the bags in her hands.
“Are those for Vicky?”
Lana stared at him.
“Hello to you too.”
“Sorry. Hi.”
“Hi.”
“Are those for Vicky?”
“One is.”
John narrowed his eyes.
“And?”
“One is for Sam.”
John stepped aside.
“You may enter.”
Lana laughed.
“Thank you, security.”
Lina came running down the hallway.
“LANA!”
John looked at Lana.
“She does that every time.”
“I know.”
Lina hugged her.
“You're early!”
“You told me to come early.”
“I know!”
“Then why are you surprised?”
“I don't know!”
Lana held up the bags.
“I brought the rest of the baby stuff.”
Lina immediately reached for Vicky's.
John took Sam's.
Lana stared.
“You guys are ridiculous.”
“What did you get her?” Lina asked.
“What did you get him?” John asked at the exact same
time.
Lana laughed.
“You'll see.”
Nellie appeared.
“Did you get Sam something?”
“Yes.”
Nellie smiled.
“Good.”
Lana looked between Nellie and John.
“What is happening?”
“We're Team Sam,” Nellie said.
“We are NOT Team Sam.”
“You literally agreed with me.”
“I agreed that everybody should pay attention to him.”
“That's Team Sam.”
John sighed.
“Fine.”
Nellie smiled.
“TEAM SAM.”
Zoe walked through.
“Team Vicky.”
Lina gasped.
“YES.”
John stared at them.
“We are not dividing the babies into teams!”
“You started it!” Zoe said.
“I DID NOT.”
“You're Team Sam.”
“Because nobody talks about him!”
“I talk about him.”
“You forgot he was coming home!”
“That was ONE TIME.”
Lana sat down.
“I've been here three minutes.”
Lina smiled.
“Welcome to the Petersons.”
Finally, around lunchtime, Jake walked into the living room.
“Okay.”
John stood immediately.
“What?”
“We're leaving soon.”
John's eyes widened.
“How soon?”
“About twenty minutes.”
“TWENTY?”
“Yes.”
John ran upstairs.
Nellie jumped up.
“Wait for me!”
“You're not coming.”
Nellie stopped.
“What?”
Jake laughed.
“Not everybody is going to the hospital.”
“But—”
“You'll meet Sam when he gets here.”
Nellie crossed her arms.
“That's unfair.”
“You met Vicky when she came home.”
“Exactly. I want to meet Sam when he comes home.”
“You will.”
“I mean BEFORE he comes home.”
Jake stared at her.
“That would mean going to the hospital.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
Nellie sighed dramatically.
“Fine.”
John came running downstairs.
He had changed his shirt.
Lina stared.
“Did you change?”
“No.”
“You were wearing blue.”
John looked down.
“This is green.”
“Exactly.”
“I wanted green.”
Lina smiled.
“You changed your shirt to meet Sam.”
“No.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No.”
Nellie pointed at him.
“He did.”
“STOP.”
Lana laughed.
John looked at Jake.
“Can we go?”
“Your mother is getting ready.”
“How long?”
“John.”
“Okay.”
The waiting was unbearable.
At least according to Nellie.
She paced around the living room.
“When are they coming?”
Lina looked at the clock.
“They left forty minutes ago.”
“That feels like six hours.”
“You're dramatic.”
“You text Lana if she takes seven minutes.”
Lana looked at Lina.
“She has a point.”
Lina stared.
“Whose side are you on?”
“Not this again.”
Zoe was sitting on the floor with Mr. Sparkles.
“What do you think Sam looks like in real life?”
Lina shrugged.
“Like his pictures.”
“No, pictures are different.”
Nellie nodded.
“He's probably chubbier.”
Lana smiled.
“His cheeks are adorable.”
Nellie gasped.
“YES.”
Lina looked at her.
“You're obsessed with his cheeks.”
“They're HUGE.”
“He's a baby.”
“He looks like a bread roll.”
Lana started laughing.
“A bread roll?”
“A cute one.”
Zoe looked thoughtful.
“Marshmallow bread.”
Nellie nodded.
“Yes.”
Lina stared at them.
“Please don't call the baby Marshmallow Bread.”
“Why?” Zoe asked.
“Because his name is Sam.”
“Technically Sammy,” Lana said.
Everyone looked at her.
Lana raised her hands.
“Sorry.”
Nellie shook her head.
“My proclamation stands.”
“Sam,” Lina agreed.
“Sam,” Zoe said.
“Marshmallow Sam.”
“NO.”
More time passed.
Then a car pulled into the driveway.
Nellie saw it.
She screamed.
“SAM!”
Everyone ran toward the window.
Lina grabbed Zoe before she could open the front door.
“WAIT.”
“Why?”
“Because last time Dad yelled at us for stampeding Mom.”
“Oh.”
They lined up.
Actually lined up.
Lana looked at them.
“Why are you standing like that?”
“Dad said don't stampede,” Nellie explained.
“You look like you're waiting to board an airplane.”
“Good.”
The door opened.
Jake walked in first.
He stopped.
He stared at the line of children.
“What are you doing?”
“Not stampeding,” Lina said.
Jake laughed.
“Okay.”
Emily came in behind him.
And she was carrying a car seat.
John followed.
He was smiling.
A lot.
Nellie pointed at him.
“You already met him!”
John smiled even bigger.
“Yep.”
“UNFAIR!”
“You'll survive.”
“Move!”
“Don't stampede.”
“I'M NOT.”
Everyone gathered around the car seat.
And there he was.
Sam.
His hair really was almost white.
Not gray.
Not yellow.
Not light brown.
White-blond.
His skin was pale, his tiny eyebrows were almost
impossible to see, and his cheeks looked even rounder in person than they did in pictures.
Nellie covered her mouth.
“Oh my gosh.”
Lina smiled.
“He IS chubby.”
John immediately looked at her.
“Don't.”
“I'm not being mean!”
“He's perfect.”
Nellie leaned closer.
“He looks like a bread roll.”
John stared at her.
“You are not calling my brother a bread roll.”
“A cute bread roll.”
“No.”
“A marshmallow?”
“No.”
“Marshmallow Bread?”
“NO.”
Lana leaned over.
“Hi, Sam.”
Sam opened his eyes.
Zoe gasped.
“His eyes!”
Emily smiled.
“Remember what we talked about.”
“I know.”
Zoe looked fascinated.
“That's so cool.”
John smiled.
“See?”
Nellie looked at Sam.
“I like him.”
John looked at her.
“You LIKE him?”
“I love him.”
“Better.”
Nellie rolled her eyes.
“Sorry, Dad.”
Jake looked over.
“What?”
“Not you.”
“Okay.”
Emily carefully took Sam out of the car seat.
“All right. Who wants to hold him?”
John raised his hand immediately.
Nellie raised both hands.
“I DO.”
John looked at her.
“I was first.”
“You already held him at the hospital!”
“That doesn't count.”
“That absolutely counts!”
“I'M HIS BROTHER.”
“I'm his sister!”
“So?”
“So I get a turn!”
John crossed his arms.
“I've been waiting for a brother my whole life.”
Nellie stared.
“You literally said you didn't want one when you were two.”
“I DON'T REMEMBER BEING TWO.”
Lina burst out laughing.
“You walked into that one.”
Emily held up a hand.
“John first.”
John smiled.
Nellie's mouth dropped open.
“WHAT?”
“He's been waiting all morning.”
“So have I!”
“You'll be next.”
Nellie crossed her arms.
“Fine.”
John sat down.
Emily carefully placed Sam in his arms.
And John instantly became completely still.
Lina noticed.
“You look scared.”
“I'm not.”
“You're not moving.”
“Because he's a BABY.”
“You moved when you held Vicky.”
“This is different.”
“Why?”
John looked down at Sam.
“It just is.”
Sam's eyes were closed.
His tiny head rested against John's arm.
John smiled.
Nellie leaned over.
“Look at his cheeks.”
“Back up.”
“I'M LOOKING.”
“You're breathing on him.”
“Humans breathe, John.”
“Do it farther away.”
Nellie stared.
“You've had him for eight seconds and you're already acting like his bodyguard.”
John ignored her.
“Hey, Sam.”
Lina smiled.
“Aww.”
John immediately looked up.
“Don't.”
“I didn't say anything!”
“You said ‘aww.’”
“Because it was cute.”
John looked back down.
Sam moved one tiny hand.
Then his fingers wrapped around John's finger.
John froze.
Nellie gasped.
“HE GRABBED YOU!”
“I know.”
“He likes you!”
John tried to act normal.
He failed.
Lina smiled.
“You're going to cry.”
“No, I'm not.”
“You look like you're going to cry.”
“I'm literally not.”
Nellie leaned closer.
“Sam loves John.”
John smiled.
“Obviously.”
Lina laughed.
“Oh, NOW babies understand things?”
John stared at her.
“Shut up.”
Ten minutes passed.
Then fifteen.
Nellie stood in front of him.
“My turn.”
John didn't move.
“John.”
“He's sleeping.”
“So?”
“I can't move.”
“Yes, you can.”
“No.”
“Give him to me.”
“He's comfortable.”
“JOHN.”
Sam was completely asleep.
John looked down at him.
“My leg is numb.”
Nellie stared.
“Then GIVE HIM TO ME.”
“No.”
“WHY?”
“He's sleeping.”
“You just said your leg is numb!”
“I don't care.”
Lina started laughing.
“I TOLD YOU.”
“What?”
“You're obsessed with him.”
“No, I'm not.”
“You are sacrificing circulation.”
“He's comfortable!”
Nellie put her hands on her hips.
“You have had him for twenty-three minutes.”
John looked at the clock.
“You timed me?”
“Yes.”
“That's weird.”
“You wore shoes at seven in the morning.”
“STOP TALKING ABOUT THE SHOES.”
Emily finally walked over.
“Nellie's turn.”
John sighed.
“Fine.”
He carefully handed Sam over.
Nellie sat down.
“Hi, little dude.”
John hovered.
Nellie looked up.
“Go away.”
“No.”
“You're making me nervous.”
“Support his head.”
“I KNOW.”
“Don't move too fast.”
“I KNOW.”
“Be careful.”
“JOHN.”
Emily started laughing.
“She's got him.”
John reluctantly backed away.
Approximately two feet.
Nellie looked down at Sam.
“Hi, Sam.”
Sam opened his eyes.
Nellie smiled.
“I'm Nellie.”
Zoe leaned over.
“And I'm Zoe.”
Nellie pushed her head away.
“My turn.”
“I was introducing myself.”
“You can introduce yourself on YOUR turn.”
Zoe frowned.
Nellie looked back at Sam.
“You and I are going to be friends.”
John smiled.
“He's a baby.”
Nellie looked up.
“You talked to him.”
“That's different.”
“How?”
“Because I'm his brother.”
“And I'm his sister!”
“Okay.”
Nellie looked back down.
“Don't listen to him.”
John gasped.
“Do not turn Sam against me!”
“He can't understand me, remember?”
John stopped.
Lina started laughing.
“GOT HIM.”
When Zoe's turn came, she sat beside Mr. Sparkles.
Emily immediately pointed.
“Mr. Sparkles stays over there.”
Zoe sighed.
“He met Vicky.”
“From a distance.”
“Fine.”
Zoe held Sam.
She stared at him.
Sam stared back.
“You're really pale.”
“Zoe,” Emily said.
“What? He is.”
John watched her.
“Say something nice.”
“He's cute.”
“Good.”
“And chubby.”
“Zoe.”
“In a cute way!”
She looked at Sam.
“You look like vanilla ice cream.”
John stared.
“Why does everybody compare him to food?”
Nellie started counting on her fingers.
“Bread roll. Marshmallow. Vanilla ice cream.”
Lana added, “Cotton candy.”
John looked at her.
“YOU TOO?”
Lana laughed.
“Sorry.”
Zoe looked down at Sam.
“I like you.”
John smiled.
“Good.”
“But Vicky—”
“DON'T.”
Zoe laughed.
Lina held Sam next.
She smiled down at him.
“Okay.”
John immediately looked suspicious.
“What?”
“He is really cute.”
“Thank you.”
“Why are you thanking me like you made him?”
John shrugged.
“Team Sam.”
Nellie pointed from across the room.
“TEAM SAM!”
John looked at her.
“I still hate that.”
“No, you don't.”
Lina looked down at Sam again.
“He looks nothing like Vicky.”
Emily nodded.
“They're twins. They don't have to look alike.”
Lana sat beside Lina.
“Vicky has all that dark hair and Sam's is almost white.”
“It's crazy.”
Lana smiled at Sam.
“Hi.”
John watched her.
Lana looked up.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“Why are you staring at me?”
“You like Sam?”
“Obviously.”
“More than Vicky?”
Lana stared.
“I am NOT ranking babies.”
John pointed at her.
“THANK YOU.”
Zoe yelled from the other side of the room:
“VICKY WINS!”
“ZOE!”
By evening, both babies were home.
For the first time.
Vicky was asleep.
Sam was asleep.
Emily was exhausted.
Jake was exhausted.
And somehow the four older kids still had energy.
Nellie sat beside John on the floor.
“Okay.”
“What?”
“I admit something.”
John looked at her.
“What?”
“I think I'm Team Sam.”
John smiled.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Why?”
Nellie shrugged.
“He's cool.”
“He's four days old.”
“So?”
“What has he done that's cool?”
“He has cool hair.”
“True.”
“And giant cheeks.”
“Stop talking about his cheeks.”
“They're AMAZING.”
John laughed.
“And he's calm.”
Right then, Sam started crying.
Nellie stared at John.
John stared at Nellie.
“Great timing,” he said.
Nellie laughed.
Emily picked him up.
Vicky heard him.
Then Vicky started crying.
Jake closed his eyes.
“Oh boy.”
Lina came running.
“VICKY!”
John stood.
“SAM!”
Zoe came running behind Lina.
“VICKY!”
Nellie ran toward John.
“SAM!”
Lana, who was still there, stood in the middle.
“Which one am I supposed to help with?!”
“VICKY!” Lina yelled.
“SAM!” John yelled.
“VICKY!” Zoe yelled.
“SAM!” Nellie yelled.
Emily stared at them.
“Guys!”
Everybody stopped.
“There are no teams.”
Nellie slowly lowered her hand.
John looked away.
Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles.
Lina smiled innocently.
Emily looked at all of them.
“You love BOTH babies.”
“Yes,” they said.
“Equally.”
Silence.
Emily narrowed her eyes.
“Equally.”
“Yes,” everyone said.
John leaned toward Nellie.
“Sam.”
Nellie whispered back.
“Sam.”
Lina heard them.
“Vicky.”
Zoe nodded.
“Vicky.”
Emily closed her eyes.
Jake laughed.
“Good luck stopping this.”
Later that night, the house finally became quiet.
Lina and Zoe had gone upstairs.
Lana had gone home.
Emily and Jake were getting Vicky settled.
But Nellie found John sitting beside Sam's bassinet.
“What are you doing?”
John shrugged.
“Nothing.”
Nellie sat beside him.
Sam was asleep.
His little white-blond hair stuck up slightly at the top.
Nellie smiled.
“Bread roll.”
John looked at her.
“Don't.”
“Sorry.”
A few seconds passed.
Nellie looked at John.
“You were scared when he was in the hospital, weren't
you?”
John didn't answer right away.
“A little.”
“Me too.”
John looked at her.
“You were?”
“Yeah.”
“I thought you only cared about Vicky.”
Nellie shook her head.
“No.”
John looked back at Sam.
“Everybody was talking about Vicky.”
“Because she came home first.”
“I know.”
Nellie smiled.
“But he's here now.”
John nodded.
“Yeah.”
They sat quietly.
Then Nellie whispered:
“What about the Sam dude?”
John laughed.
“There he is.”
Sam moved slightly in his sleep.
Nellie smiled.
“I'm glad he's home.”
“Me too.”
Then Sam made a tiny noise.
John and Nellie both leaned forward.
Sam stayed asleep.
They looked at each other.
And laughed.
For once, John and Nellie weren't arguing.
They weren't talking about Team Boy or Team Girl.
They weren't fighting about who got to hold him.
They weren't even arguing about whether Sam looked like a bread roll.
They were just sitting there with their little brother.
Upstairs, Vicky was home too.
Both cribs were finally being used.
Both car seats had finally come through the front door.
And after months of waiting, guessing, arguing, planning, and approximately one million questions—
all six Peterson kids were finally under the same roof.
Vicky had her army of admirers.
Sam had John.
And, unexpectedly…
Sam had Nellie too.
A few months had passed since Sam came home.
And somehow, the Peterson house had gotten louder.
Much louder.
Vicky and Sam were no longer tiny newborns who mostly slept, ate, cried, and stared at the ceiling.
Now they smiled.
They laughed.
They grabbed things.
They recognized people.
And, most importantly, they had opinions.
Especially Vicky.
Vicky had a lot of opinions.
If she wanted to be held, everybody knew.
If she wanted her bottle, everybody knew.
If she was tired, everybody knew.
If somebody took away something she wanted, the entire neighborhood probably knew.
Sam was different.
He was usually calmer.
He loved being carried around and watching everything happening around him. His white-blond hair had grown a little more, his cheeks were somehow still enormous, and John continued to defend those cheeks with his life.
Nobody was allowed to call Sam chubby.
Except Nellie.
Apparently Nellie had earned special permission.
“Bread Roll!” Nellie said one afternoon, scooping Sam up.
John looked over.
“Stop.”
Sam smiled.
Nellie gasped.
“HE LIKES IT.”
“He doesn't know what you're saying.”
“Then why did he smile?”
“Because he likes you.”
Nellie froze.
Then smiled.
“Aww.”
John rolled his eyes.
“You walked into that one.”
Across the room, Vicky was sitting in Lina's lap.
Lina held up a stuffed bunny.
“Vicky.”
Vicky stared.
“Bunny.”
Vicky grabbed it.
“Buh.”
Lina's mouth dropped open.
“OH MY GOSH.”
John looked over.
“What?”
“SHE SAID BUNNY.”
“No, she didn't.”
“She said ‘buh.’”
“That's not bunny.”
“It was the beginning of bunny!”
“She made a noise.”
“Vicky, say bunny.”
Vicky shoved the bunny into her mouth.
Lina gasped again.
“She's so smart.”
“She is eating it.”
“She's exploring.”
John stared at her.
“Okay.”
The front door opened.
And the second Vicky heard the voice—
“Helloooo!”
She froze.
Her head turned.
Lina smiled.
“Oh no.”
Lana walked inside.
Vicky's entire face lit up.
“LA!”
Lana gasped.
“VICKY!”
Vicky started bouncing in Lina's lap.
“LA! LA! LA!”
Lana dropped her bag.
“GIVE HER TO ME.”
Lina laughed.
“She was literally happy with me two seconds ago!”
“I DON'T CARE.”
Lana scooped Vicky up.
Vicky immediately grabbed Lana's hair.
“Ow. Okay. Hi to you too.”
Vicky squealed.
Lina stared.
“This is betrayal.”
Lana smiled.
“She loves me.”
“I KNOW.”
“She said my name.”
“She said ‘La.’”
“That's my name.”
“Half your name.”
“Still counts.”
Nellie walked over carrying Sam.
“Let's test him.”
Lana looked at Sam.
“Hi, Sammy!”
Nellie gasped.
“Sam.”
“Sorry. Hi, Sam!”
Sam stared at Lana.
Lana smiled.
Sam smiled.
Nellie looked offended.
“That's it?”
“What?”
“He smiled at you immediately.”
Lana laughed.
“He likes me.”
“He likes everybody.”
John walked over.
“No, he doesn't.”
“Yes, he does.”
“He cried when Grandpa Joe held him yesterday.”
Nellie nodded.
“That's because Grandpa Joe's beard scared him.”
“It did not!”
Grandpa Joe yelled from the kitchen.
“I HEARD THAT!”
Nellie laughed.
Lana had been coming over a lot since the twins were born.
At first, she came over because Lina wanted her there.
Then she came because she wanted to see Vicky and Sam.
Then Emily realized something.
Lana was actually good with them.
Really good.
Vicky adored her.
Sam adored her.
And Lana genuinely enjoyed helping.
So eventually, when Emily needed to run errands or Jake needed to leave for a little while, Lana started helping watch the twins.
Not overnight.
Not for days.
Just here and there.
But enough that Vicky had decided Lana was one of the greatest people to ever walk the earth.
Possibly above Lina.
Lina was not handling that well.
“Okay,” Emily said one Saturday morning. “I'm going to be gone for about two hours.”
Lana nodded.
“Got it.”
“Bottles are ready.”
“Got it.”
“Extra diapers are upstairs and downstairs.”
“Got it.”
“Vicky usually gets tired around—”
“Mom,” Lina interrupted.
Emily looked at her.
“What?”
“Lana knows.”
Lana smiled proudly.
“I know.”
Emily looked between them.
“Okay.”
John walked into the room.
“Wait. Lana is babysitting?”
“Yes.”
“Us?”
Lana stared at him.
“Do YOU need a babysitter?”
“No.”
“Then no.”
Nellie walked in behind him.
“Technically, you're younger than Lina.”
John looked at her.
“Thank you, Nellie.”
“I'm just saying.”
“I'm aware.”
Zoe ran downstairs.
“LANA'S THE BABYSITTER?”
“Yes,” Emily said.
Zoe looked at Lana.
“Can we have ice cream?”
“No,” Emily and Lana said at the same time.
Zoe froze.
“Oh no.”
Lina laughed.
“They're becoming the same person.”
“That's scary,” John said.
Lana pointed at him.
“I heard that.”
“Good.”
Emily picked up her bag.
“Okay. Everybody behave.”
Nobody answered.
Emily stared.
“Everybody.”
“We'll behave,” Lina said.
Emily looked directly at Zoe.
Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles.
“What?”
“Behave.”
“I always behave.”
The entire room laughed.
Zoe frowned.
“Rude.”
The front door closed.
Lana turned around.
Five faces stared at her.
Technically six, because Vicky was staring too.
Sam was asleep.
Lana narrowed her eyes.
“Why are you looking at me?”
Zoe smiled.
“Babysitter.”
“I'm babysitting the BABIES.”
“And us.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
“Can I have ice cream?”
“No.”
“Babysitter.”
Lana sighed.
Lina laughed.
“This is going to be fun.”
For the first twenty minutes, everything was fine.
Sam slept.
Vicky played on the floor.
Lina and Lana talked.
John disappeared upstairs.
Nellie sat beside Vicky.
Zoe was suspiciously quiet.
Then Lana noticed.
“Where's Zoe?”
Lina froze.
“Oh no.”
Nellie looked around.
“She was right there.”
“Zoe?” Lana called.
Nothing.
“ZOE?”
A voice came from the kitchen.
“WHAT?”
Lana stood.
“What are you doing?”
“NOTHING.”
Lina looked at Lana.
“That means something.”
They walked into the kitchen.
Zoe was standing on a chair.
On the counter was a container of cookies.
Lana stared.
Zoe stared back.
Nobody moved.
Finally Lana said:
“Get down.”
“I was getting one.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because your mom said no sweets before lunch.”
“She said no ice cream.”
“She also told me no sweets.”
Zoe narrowed her eyes.
“She told you privately?”
“Yes.”
“That feels dishonest.”
Lina burst out laughing.
“GET DOWN.”
Zoe climbed off the chair.
“You're different when you're babysitting.”
Lana smiled.
“Thank you.”
“That wasn't a compliment.”
“I know.”
Vicky started crying.
Lana immediately turned.
“Coming!”
She hurried back into the living room.
Vicky had apparently decided she was finished playing.
Nellie was trying to give her the bunny.
“She doesn't want it!”
Lana picked Vicky up.
Vicky stopped crying almost instantly.
Silence.
Nellie's mouth dropped open.
Lina stared.
“You have got to be kidding me.”
Lana smiled.
“What?”
“She stopped.”
“I know.”
“You didn't even DO anything.”
“I picked her up.”
“I pick her up!”
Vicky rested her head against Lana.
Lina pointed.
“LOOK AT HER.”
Lana laughed.
“She loves me.”
“This is getting ridiculous.”
Nellie smiled.
“Vicky has a favorite.”
“She does NOT.”
“Lana.”
“No.”
“Lana.”
“STOP.”
Vicky grabbed Lana's shirt.
“LA.”
Lana gasped.
“SEE?!”
Lina crossed her arms.
“I taught her that.”
“You taught her MY name?”
“No.”
“Then how?”
“I don't know!”
Nellie laughed.
“Lina's jealous of a baby.”
“I'm not jealous!”
“You're jealous that the baby likes your best friend.”
“She's MY sister!”
“And Lana's your best friend.”
“Exactly! They're stealing each other!”
Lana laughed.
“Lina, nobody is stealing anybody.”
Vicky looked up at her.
“LA!”
Lana smiled.
“Hi!”
Lina pointed at Vicky.
“Traitor.”
Vicky smiled.
Lina immediately melted.
“Okay, never mind. I love you.”
Then Sam woke up.
John somehow knew immediately.
He came downstairs.
“Is Sam awake?”
Nellie stared.
“How did you know?”
“I heard him.”
“You were upstairs.”
“So?”
“You have Sam radar.”
John ignored her.
Lana picked Sam up.
John stopped.
“Hey.”
“What?”
“I was going to get him.”
“You weren't here.”
“I am now.”
Lana smiled.
“Hi, Sam.”
Sam looked at her.
Then grabbed her finger.
John stared.
“Oh, come on.”
Lina started laughing.
“NOW WHO'S JEALOUS?”
“I'm not jealous.”
“You look jealous.”
“I'm not.”
Lana smiled.
“He loves me too.”
John crossed his arms.
“Everybody loves you apparently.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn't a compliment.”
“I know.”
Nellie walked over.
“Give me Bread Roll.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because I just picked him up.”
Nellie sighed.
“Everyone is stealing my baby.”
John looked at her.
“YOUR baby?”
“Yes.”
“He's MY brother.”
“He's my brother too!”
“But—”
Nellie smiled.
“What?”
John stopped.
“Nothing.”
“Exactly.”
By the time Emily returned, both babies were asleep.
The house was clean.
Nobody was injured.
Zoe had not successfully stolen any cookies.
And Lana was sitting on the couch with Lina.
Emily walked in.
“Well?”
Lana smiled.
“Easy.”
Lina laughed.
“She's lying.”
“What happened?”
“Zoe attempted a cookie robbery.”
“I was hungry!” Zoe yelled.
Emily shook her head.
“Of course.”
“And Vicky is obsessed with Lana,” Nellie added.
Emily smiled.
“I've noticed.”
Lina frowned.
“Everybody has noticed.”
Emily looked at her.
“Jealous?”
“No.”
Vicky made a tiny sound from the bassinet.
Lina immediately stood.
“I'll get her.”
Lana stood too.
Vicky opened her eyes.
She saw both of them.
She looked at Lina.
Then Lana.
Then—
“LA!”
Lina froze.
Lana covered her mouth.
Nellie fell over laughing.
By then, Lana wasn't just Lina's best friend anymore.
She was part of the twins' routine.
Vicky recognized her immediately.
Sam smiled whenever she talked to him.
Emily trusted her.
Jake trusted her.
Even John had stopped acting suspicious every time Lana held Sam.
Mostly.
And Zoe had accepted that Lana was apparently immune to cookie manipulation.
Then, one afternoon, Lana came over looking strange.
Lina noticed immediately.
“What?”
Lana put her bag down.
“What?”
“You have a face.”
“I always have a face.”
“No. You have a face-face.”
Lana sighed.
“Okay.”
Lina stared.
“What?”
“I'm going on vacation.”
Lina blinked.
“Okay.”
“For a while.”
Lina stopped.
“How long is ‘a while’?”
“Couple weeks.”
“COUPLE WEEKS?”
John looked over.
“Why are you yelling?”
“LANA'S LEAVING.”
John stared at Lana.
“Forever?”
“No!”
“Oh.”
Lina looked offended.
“You sounded way too okay with that.”
“I thought you meant she was moving.”
“I'm going on vacation with my family,” Lana said.
Lina crossed her arms.
“You didn't ask me.”
Lana stared.
“To go on vacation with my family?”
“Yes.”
“Why would I ask you?”
“Because.”
“Excellent reason.”
Lina dropped onto the couch.
“What am I supposed to do?”
“Live?”
“No.”
Lana laughed.
“You'll survive.”
“What about Vicky?”
Lana's smile faded a little.
“I know.”
As if she had heard her name, Vicky looked over.
Lana walked toward her.
“Hi, Vicky.”
Vicky smiled.
“LA!”
Lana picked her up.
Lina watched.
“She's going to miss you.”
“I'll miss her.”
“And Sam.”
“Obviously.”
John walked over carrying Sam.
“You're leaving?”
“For vacation.”
“How long?”
“Couple weeks.”
John looked down at Sam.
“He's going to forget you.”
Lana gasped.
“JOHN!”
“What?”
“He's a baby!”
“Exactly.”
“He won't forget me.”
John smiled.
“We'll see.”
Lana looked at Sam.
“You're not going to forget me, right?”
Sam stared at her.
Then sneezed.
John laughed.
“There's your answer.”
The day before Lana left, she babysat the twins one last time.
And Lina absolutely refused to leave them alone.
“You know I'm babysitting, right?” Lana asked.
“Yes.”
“Then why are you sitting beside me?”
“Because you're leaving tomorrow.”
“For vacation.”
“I know.”
“I'll come back.”
“I know.”
“You're acting like I'm going to war.”
Lina stared at her.
“Two weeks is a long time.”
“You sound like Zoe talking about Christmas.”
Lina gasped.
“Don't ever compare me to that argument.”
Lana laughed.
Vicky was sitting in Lana's lap.
Sam was beside Lina.
Nellie sat on the floor.
John was nearby pretending he wasn't hanging around them.
Zoe was making Mr. Sparkles dance.
Lana looked around.
“This is weird.”
“What?” Lina asked.
“When I come back, they'll be bigger.”
Lina looked at Vicky.
“Probably.”
“Don't let her forget me.”
“She won't.”
“Promise?”
Lina smiled.
“Promise.”
Nellie looked at Sam.
“What about him?”
Lana reached over and touched his tiny hand.
“Him too.”
John smiled.
“He'll remember you.”
Lana looked at him.
“You just said he'd forget me.”
“I changed my mind.”
“Wow. Thank you.”
Zoe looked up.
“People change.”
Everyone immediately yelled:
“WE KNOW!”
Zoe smiled.
The next morning, Lana came over before leaving.
She wasn't babysitting.
She just wanted to say goodbye.
Lina met her at the door.
“You're actually leaving.”
“Yes.”
“Rude.”
“I'm sorry.”
“No, you're not.”
“I'm a little sorry.”
Lina hugged her.
“Text me.”
“Obviously.”
“Every day.”
“Maybe.”
“Lana.”
“Fine.”
They walked inside.
Vicky was awake.
The second she saw Lana—
“LA!”
Lana's face changed.
“Oh no.”
Lina smiled.
“What?”
“Now I'm sad.”
“I told you.”
Lana picked Vicky up.
“Hi, baby.”
Vicky grabbed her hair.
“Ow.”
Lina laughed.
“She's giving you something to remember her by.”
“Hair loss?”
“Yes.”
Lana kissed Vicky's forehead.
“I'll be back.”
Vicky had absolutely no idea what she was saying.
She just smiled.
Then Lana went to Sam.
John handed him over without even arguing.
“Here.”
Lana looked surprised.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
She held Sam.
Sam stared up at her.
“Don't forget me.”
Nellie leaned over.
“He won't.”
Lana smiled.
“Thanks.”
“And if he does, I'll show him pictures.”
John looked at Nellie.
“That is actually smart.”
Nellie gasped.
“John said I'm smart!”
“I said that ONE thing was smart.”
“Still counts.”
Lana laughed.
Eventually, she had to go.
Lina walked her to the door.
Vicky was back in Emily's arms.
Sam was with John.
Nellie and Zoe stood nearby.
“Bye, Vicky,” Lana said.
Vicky stared at her.
“Bye, Sam.”
Sam blinked.
“Bye, Peterson weirdos.”
“Bye!” Nellie said.
“Bye!” Zoe yelled.
John nodded.
“Bye.”
Lina hugged her again.
“Come back.”
“I will.”
“You better.”
“I live here.”
“Still.”
Lana laughed.
Then she walked outside.
The door closed.
For a moment, everyone was quiet.
Then Vicky looked toward the door.
“LA?”
Lina froze.
“Oh no.”
Vicky looked around.
“LA?”
Lina's heart broke approximately in half.
“She'll come back.”
Vicky stared at her.
“LA.”
“I know.”
Nellie walked over.
“Aww.”
John looked at Vicky.
“She actually misses her.”
Lina picked her up.
“Yeah.”
Vicky looked toward the door again.
“LA?”
Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles.
“Maybe Mr. Sparkles can babysit.”
Everyone looked at her.
“No,” Emily said immediately.
Zoe shrugged.
“Just an idea.”
The first few days without Lana were strange.
Vicky looked toward the door whenever somebody came inside.
Sometimes she said “La.”
Sam didn't say anything, obviously, but he seemed to notice too.
And Lina definitely noticed.
She texted Lana constantly.
Pictures of Vicky.
Pictures of Sam.
Videos.
Updates.
LINA: Vicky said La again
LANA: STOPPP
LINA: Sam smiled
LANA: SEND VIDEO
LINA: I DIDNT GET IT
LANA: USELESS
LINA: RUDE
But there was another problem.
Emily needed help.
Two babies were a lot.
Especially with everything else happening in the
Peterson house.
One afternoon, Emily sat at the kitchen table with Jake.
“We need somebody.”
Jake nodded.
“For the babies?”
“Yes.”
“While Lana's gone?”
“Not just while Lana's gone.”
Emily looked toward the living room.
Vicky was playing on the floor.
Sam was with John.
Nellie was making ridiculous noises trying to make him laugh.
Lina was doing something on her phone.
Zoe was arguing with Mr. Sparkles.
Emily sighed.
“We need someone who can help regularly.”
Jake nodded.
“A babysitter.”
“A real babysitter.”
From the living room, Lina looked up.
“WAIT.”
Emily froze.
Lina walked into the kitchen.
“What do you mean a real babysitter?”
“Someone who can help with Vicky and Sam.”
“Lana helps.”
“Lana is on vacation.”
“She'll come back.”
“I know.”
“Then why do we need somebody else?”
Emily smiled.
“Because Lana has a life, Lina.”
Lina looked offended.
“Barely.”
“LINA.”
“What?”
“She's your friend. She's not our full-time nanny.”
Lina crossed her arms.
“So you're replacing her?”
“No.”
“Sounds like replacing.”
“It isn't.”
John walked into the kitchen.
“Who's replacing Lana?”
“Nobody!” Emily said.
Nellie appeared.
“Lana's being replaced?”
“No!”
Zoe came running.
“WHO'S REPLACING LANA?”
Emily closed her eyes.
Jake laughed.
“This is going well.”
Emily looked at all of them.
“We are simply going to find somebody who can help with the twins.”
Lina frowned.
“Vicky isn't going to like that.”
“You don't know.”
“I know Vicky.”
“She is a baby.”
“She has preferences.”
John nodded.
“She does.”
Emily looked at him.
“Don't encourage her.”
Nellie smiled.
“What about Sam?”
Lina looked at her.
“What about him?”
“Maybe Sam will like the new babysitter.”
John thought about it.
“He likes people.”
“Exactly.”
Zoe raised her hand.
“Can I pick the babysitter?”
“No.”
“Can Mr. Sparkles?”
“No.”
“Can Vicky?”
“No.”
“Can Sam?”
“No.”
Zoe lowered her hand.
“Then what's the point?”
Jake laughed.
Emily looked around at all four older kids.
“Your dad and I are choosing.”
Lina sighed.
“Fine.”
“But,” Emily continued, “you'll meet whoever we choose.”
Nellie smiled.
“And if they're weird?”
Jake shrugged.
“We'll find somebody else.”
Zoe gasped.
“I can test them.”
“No tests,” Emily said.
“I already have ideas.”
“Absolutely no tests.”
John looked at Zoe.
“What kind of tests?”
Emily pointed at him.
“DO NOT ASK.”
John laughed.
Later that night, Lina FaceTimed Lana.
“You're being replaced.”
Lana stared at the screen.
“What?”
“Mom's finding a babysitter.”
Lana started laughing.
“That's not replacing me.”
“That's what Mom said.”
“Because it's true.”
“They need somebody to help with Vicky and Sam.”
“Good.”
Lina stared.
“You're okay with this?”
“Yes!”
“Why?”
“Because I'm not a nanny.”
Lina paused.
“Oh.”
Lana laughed.
“I like babysitting them. But your mom probably needs somebody who can actually be there regularly.”
“Okay, fine.”
“Also, I'm coming back.”
“I know.”
“And I'm still seeing Vicky.”
“Obviously.”
“And Sam.”
“Obviously.”
Lina smiled.
“Vicky still says ‘La.’”
Lana smiled.
“She better.”
Lina looked toward the nursery.
“So you don't care if somebody else babysits them?”
“No.”
“Not even a little?”
Lana thought.
“Okay. Maybe a tiny bit.”
Lina smiled.
“I KNEW IT.”
“Shut up.”
“YOU'RE JEALOUS.”
“I didn't say jealous!”
“You totally are!”
“Lina!”
Lina laughed.
Then she heard Emily calling her.
“I have to go.”
“Okay.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Lina hung up.
She walked downstairs.
Emily was sitting at the kitchen table.
Jake was beside her.
There was a notebook in front of them.
Lina looked at it.
“What is that?”
Emily smiled.
“We're starting to look.”
“For the babysitter?”
“Yes.”
Nellie came running in.
“Already?!”
John followed.
Zoe appeared approximately three seconds later because apparently nobody in the Peterson house could have a conversation without everybody joining.
Jake looked at them.
“Why are all of you here?”
John shrugged.
“We heard babysitter.”
Emily looked at the notebook.
“We're going to talk to a few people.”
Lina sat down.
“Okay.”
Nellie sat beside her.
John leaned against the counter.
Zoe climbed into a chair.
Emily looked at all of them.
“And you are going to be nice.”
Zoe smiled.
“Sure.”
Emily narrowed her eyes.
“Zoe.”
“I'll be nice.”
“No interrogations.”
“Fine.”
“No weird tests.”
Zoe sighed.
“Fine.”
“No asking if they support the Snow Sisters.”
Nellie gasped.
“I wasn't going to!”
Emily looked at her.
“You were thinking about it.”
Nellie smiled.
“Maybe.”
John laughed.
Lina looked at the empty chair across from them.
Somebody new was going to sit there soon.
Somebody who didn't know the Petersons.
Didn't know Mr. Sparkles.
Didn't know about Kevin.
Didn't know that Nellie made proclamations.
Didn't know that John would defend Sam's cheeks with his life.
Didn't know that Vicky had already decided Lana was one of her favorite people in the world.
Lina wasn't sure how she felt about that.
But one thing was obvious.
Whoever got the job was going to have a lot to learn.
Because babysitting Vicky and Sam was one thing.
Surviving the rest of the Petersons?
That was going to be the hard part.
It started with a phone call.
Which was weird, because the Peterson house was having an extremely normal afternoon.
Vicky was on the living-room floor trying to eat the corner of a blanket.
Sam was sitting in Nellie’s lap.
John was sitting beside her, watching her like she had never held a baby before.
“Support his head.”
“I AM.”
“Your arm is moving.”
“Because I'm a human.”
“Just be careful.”
Nellie stared at him.
“John, I have held Sam approximately nine thousand times.”
“No, you haven't.”
“Eight thousand?”
“No.”
“Seven?”
“Nellie.”
She looked down at Sam.
“Your brother is annoying.”
John gasped.
“Don't tell him that.”
“He'll figure it out.”
Across the room, Zoe was holding Mr. Sparkles directly in front of Vicky.
“Vicky.”
Vicky stared at the unicorn.
“This is Mr. Sparkles.”
Vicky grabbed his face.
Zoe gasped.
“GENTLE.”
Lina looked up from her phone.
“She's a baby.”
“She almost ripped his eyeball out.”
“He's survived worse.”
Zoe looked offended.
“Don't bring up his past.”
Lina rolled her eyes.
Then her phone buzzed.
She immediately looked down.
John noticed.
“Lana?”
“No.”
“It was Lana.”
“You don't know that.”
“You smile differently when Lana texts you.”
Lina stared.
“What does that even mean?”
“I don't know.”
“Then stop saying it.”
Lina looked at her phone again.
It actually wasn't Lana.
She frowned.
“She's supposed to be back soon.”
“Who?” Nellie asked.
“Lana.”
John groaned.
“Of course.”
“What?”
“You talk about her every seven seconds.”
“I do not.”
“You do.”
“She's my best friend!”
“We know.”
“She's basically family.”
John pointed at her.
“No. We already discussed this. She's a Smith.”
“Honorary Peterson.”
“Smith.”
“Peterson.”
“SMITH.”
“PETERSON.”
Jake's phone rang.
Nobody noticed at first.
“SMITH.”
“PETERSON.”
“SMITH.”
“PETER—”
“Guys,” Emily said.
Lina stopped.
“What?”
Emily wasn't looking at them.
She was looking at Jake.
He had answered the phone.
And something about his face had changed.
“Hello?”
A pause.
“Yes.”
Another pause.
Jake stood.
Emily's smile disappeared.
“Jake?”
He held up one finger.
The kids went quiet.
Even John and Lina stopped fighting.
Jake walked toward the kitchen.
“Wait. What happened?”
Emily followed him.
The kitchen door swung closed behind them.
Nellie looked at Lina.
“What was that?”
“I don't know.”
John stood.
“Something happened.”
Zoe looked up.
“How do you know?”
“Dad had the face.”
“What face?”
“The bad face.”
Nellie nodded.
“That was definitely a bad face.”
Lina looked toward the kitchen.
She suddenly didn't care about her phone anymore.
A minute passed.
Then two.
Nobody spoke.
Vicky made a happy little noise from the floor.
Zoe looked down.
“Vicky doesn't know there's a bad face.”
“She's a baby,” John said quietly.
Then the kitchen door opened.
Emily walked out first.
And Lina knew.
She didn't know what she knew.
But she knew something was terribly wrong.
Emily's eyes were already wet.
Jake followed her.
“Guys,” Emily said softly. “Come sit down.”
Lina's stomach dropped.
“Why?”
“Just come sit down.”
“Mom, what happened?”
“Sit down first.”
“No. What happened?”
“Lina.”
Something about Emily's voice made her stop.
She sat.
John took the chair beside her.
Nellie held Sam a little closer.
Emily picked Vicky up from the floor.
Zoe climbed onto the couch with Mr. Sparkles.
Jake sat beside Emily.
Nobody spoke.
Finally Lina couldn't stand it.
“Mom.”
Emily looked at her.
“It's about Lana.”
Lina's heart seemed to stop.
“What about Lana?”
“There was an accident.”
“What kind of accident?”
“A car accident.”
Lina stood immediately.
“What happened?”
“Lina—”
“Is Lana okay?”
“Lana wasn't in the car.”
Lina exhaled.
Then froze.
“Then who was?”
Emily's eyes filled.
Lina stared at her.
“No.”
Nobody had even answered.
But Lina already knew.
“No.”
Emily stood.
“Lina—”
“Was it Sabrina?”
Emily nodded.
“And Ryan?”
Another nod.
“Are they in the hospital?”
Emily didn't answer.
Lina looked at Jake.
“Dad?”
Jake's voice was quiet.
“They didn't survive the accident.”
Lina stared at him.
For several seconds, she didn't move.
Then she shook her head.
“No.”
Emily walked toward her.
“No.”
“Lina…”
“No, that's not—”
She backed away.
“They were just here.”
“I know.”
“They were at the baby shower.”
“I know.”
“Ryan was talking to Dad.”
Jake looked down.
“And Sabrina brought those little blankets.”
Emily nodded.
Lina's voice broke.
“So they can't just be dead.”
Nobody knew what to say to that.
Because they shouldn't have been.
But they were.
Lina started crying.
Emily pulled her into a hug.
“What about Lana?”
“She knows.”
“Oh my gosh.”
Lina pulled away.
“Where is she?”
“With her grandparents right now.”
“I need to call her.”
“Give her a little time.”
“No, Mom.”
“Lina—”
“She needs me.”
“I know.”
“Does she have her phone?”
“I don't know.”
“I need to see her.”
“We're going to make sure you see her.”
Lina covered her face.
Across the room, Nellie had started crying too.
John was staring at the floor.
Zoe looked confused.
Not because she hadn't heard.
Because she was trying to understand.
“Wait.”
Emily looked at her.
Zoe's voice was tiny.
“Lana doesn't have a mom anymore?”
Emily swallowed.
“No.”
“And her dad?”
“No.”
Zoe looked down at Mr. Sparkles.
“But… where did they go?”
The room became even quieter.
Emily sat beside her.
“They died, sweetheart.”
Zoe stared at her.
“Both?”
“Yes.”
“At the same time?”
Emily nodded.
Zoe's face crumpled.
“That's not fair.”
“No,” Emily said. “It isn't.”
Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles.
Then suddenly she looked up.
“Does Lana have Mr. Sparkles?”
Everyone stared at her.
“No,” John said.
Zoe stood.
“She needs him.”
John blinked.
“Wait.”
Zoe started toward the stairs.
“Where are you going?”
“To get his travel bag.”
Nellie wiped her eyes.
“Mr. Sparkles has a travel bag?”
“Obviously.”
Even Lina made a tiny sound that was almost a laugh.
Almost.
And somehow that made her cry harder.
Lana came over the next afternoon.
Lina had been waiting by the window for almost an hour.
“You're going to wear a hole in the floor,” John finally said.
“I don't care.”
“You've walked past the window like fifty times.”
“I don't care.”
“Okay.”
Lina looked again.
Nothing.
Then a car pulled up.
She froze.
“She's here.”
Emily stood.
Lina ran toward the door.
“Don't overwhelm her,” Emily said.
Lina stopped with her hand on the doorknob.
For once, she actually listened.
She waited.
A few seconds later, there was a knock.
Lina opened the door.
And there was Lana.
Except she didn't look like Lana.
Not the Lana who normally walked into the Peterson house yelling hello.
Not the Lana who fought with Lina over ridiculous things.
Not the Lana who stole Vicky's attention and laughed about it.
Not the Lana who always seemed to have something to say.
This Lana looked exhausted.
Her eyes were red.
Her hair was pulled back.
She was wearing a sweatshirt.
And she was holding nothing.
No bag.
No baby gifts.
Nothing.
Lina opened her mouth.
She had planned what she was going to say.
She'd practiced.
I'm so sorry.
I'm here.
I love you.
But when she saw Lana, all of it disappeared.
“Hi,” Lana whispered.
Lina started crying.
Lana did too.
And Lina hugged her.
Hard.
Neither of them said anything.
They didn't need to.
Emily quietly closed the door behind her.
Lana held onto Lina.
“I don't know what I'm supposed to do.”
Lina cried harder.
“You don't have to do anything.”
“I want my mom.”
“I know.”
“And my dad.”
“I know.”
“I just talked to them.”
Lina squeezed her tighter.
“I know.”
“They were supposed to come home.”
Lina couldn't answer.
There wasn't an answer.
Finally Lana pulled back.
She wiped her face.
“This sucks.”
Lina nodded.
“Yeah.”
“I hate everything.”
“Yeah.”
“I don't even want to be here.”
Lina froze.
Lana immediately shook her head.
“No, not HERE here. I mean… anywhere.”
“Oh.”
“I just want everything to go back.”
“I know.”
Behind them, Zoe appeared.
She was holding Mr. Sparkles.
And a tiny backpack.
Lana noticed.
“What is that?”
Zoe walked toward her.
“Emergency supplies.”
Lana blinked.
“What?”
Zoe handed her Mr. Sparkles.
Lana stared.
John's mouth actually fell open.
Nellie whispered:
“No way.”
Zoe looked at Lana.
“You can borrow him.”
Lana looked at Mr. Sparkles.
Then Zoe.
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
“For how long?”
Zoe swallowed.
“As long as you need.”
Everyone went silent.
Lina covered her mouth.
Lana started crying again.
“Oh my gosh, Zoe.”
Zoe looked uncomfortable.
“You don't have to cry.”
“I'm sorry.”
“It's okay.”
Lana hugged Mr. Sparkles.
Zoe immediately added:
“Just don't lose him.”
John closed his eyes.
“There it is.”
“What?” Zoe asked.
“Nothing.”
“And don't wash him.”
“Okay.”
“And he doesn't like sleeping near windows.”
“Zoe,” Emily said gently.
“Right.”
Zoe nodded.
Then she hugged Lana.
Lana hugged her back.
A little while later, Vicky woke up.
Lana was sitting on the couch beside Lina when Emily brought her downstairs.
The second Vicky saw Lana, she smiled.
“LA!”
Lana froze.
“Oh.”
Vicky reached toward her.
“LA!”
Lana covered her face.
“Don't do this to me.”
Lina smiled through her tears.
“She missed you.”
Emily handed Vicky over.
Vicky immediately grabbed Lana's sweatshirt.
“Hi, baby.”
Vicky smiled.
“LA.”
“I missed you too.”
For the first time since she'd walked through the door,
Lana smiled.
A real smile.
Tiny.
But real.
Lina noticed.
Then Nellie came over carrying Sam.
“Sam missed you too.”
John followed immediately.
“You don't know that.”
Nellie looked at him.
“He told me.”
John stared.
“He can't talk.”
“He communicates.”
“With what?”
“His eyes.”
John rolled his eyes.
Lana laughed.
It was barely a laugh.
But everybody heard it.
Nellie smiled.
“See? I'm funny.”
John whispered:
“Don't ruin it.”
That night, Lana stayed.
Nobody made a big deal about it.
She just did.
She ate a little dinner.
She held Vicky.
She held Sam.
She cried.
She stopped crying.
Then cried again.
Sometimes she talked.
Sometimes she didn't.
At one point Grandpa Joe came over.
He walked into the living room and saw Lana.
He didn't say anything.
He just hugged her.
Lana cried into his shirt.
Afterward, Grandpa Joe looked down.
“You got tears in my beard.”
Lana stared at him.
Then laughed.
“Sorry.”
“It's okay. Needed washing.”
“Dad,” Jake said.
“What?”
Lana smiled again.
Grandpa Joe winked at her.
That was the weird thing about the Peterson house.
Even on one of the worst days imaginable, somebody
eventually said something ridiculous.
It didn't make the sadness disappear.
But sometimes it made enough room to breathe.
A few days turned into a week.
And the adults started having conversations.
Lots of them.
Lana's grandparents loved her.
Nobody questioned that.
But things weren't simple.
They lived differently.
There were questions about where Lana would stay, what would happen with school, what Lana wanted, what her grandparents could manage, and what would
make her feel safest after her entire life had changed without warning.
Lana hated every conversation.
“I don't want everybody deciding where I go,” she told Lina one night.
They were sitting on Lina's bedroom floor.
“I know.”
“I feel like a package.”
“You're not.”
“Everybody keeps saying, ‘What's best for Lana?’ while I'm literally sitting there.”
“Have you told them what you want?”
“Yes.”
“What?”
Lana looked at her.
“You know.”
Lina did.
“You want to stay here.”
Lana nodded.
Then immediately looked guilty.
“But that sounds horrible.”
“Why?”
“Because my grandparents love me.”
“You can love them and still not want to live with them.”
Lana picked at the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
“I don't want another whole new life.”
Lina didn't answer.
“I already lost my house.”
Her voice cracked.
“My parents.”
Lina reached for her hand.
“My normal everything.”
Lana wiped her face.
“I don't want to lose you too.”
“You won't.”
“You don't know that.”
“Yes, I do.”
“How?”
“Because I'm not letting you.”
Lana laughed through her tears.
“That sounds threatening.”
“It is.”
Lana smiled.
“Thanks.”
A few nights later, Emily and Jake asked Lana to sit with them.
Lana immediately looked terrified.
“What?”
Emily smiled gently.
“Nothing bad.”
“People keep saying that before serious conversations.”
Jake nodded.
“Fair.”
Lana sat.
Lina tried to sit beside her.
Emily looked at her.
“Can we talk to Lana for a minute?”
“No.”
“Lina.”
“She wants me here.”
Emily looked at Lana.
Lana nodded.
“Okay,” Emily said.
Lina sat immediately.
Jake almost laughed.
“Fastest negotiation ever.”
Lana didn't laugh.
She was squeezing Lina's hand.
Emily looked at her.
“We've been talking with your grandparents.”
Lana looked down.
“Okay.”
“And we've been talking about what you want.”
Lana looked up again.
Emily continued.
“They love you. A lot.”
“I know.”
“They're still going to be part of your life.”
“I know.”
“But they also understand that you've already been through an enormous change.”
Lana's eyes filled.
Emily reached across the table.
“And they know how close you are to our family.”
Lina held her breath.
“So,” Jake said, “if this is still what you want…”
Lana stared at him.
“…we want you to stay here.”
Lana didn't move.
“What?”
“With us,” Emily said.
“For how long?”
Emily looked at Jake.
Then back at Lana.
“For good.”
Lana stared.
Lina's mouth dropped open.
“WAIT.”
Emily smiled.
“There are legal things that still have to happen. It isn't instant.”
Lina stood.
“WAIT WAIT WAIT.”
Jake laughed.
“Lina.”
“You mean she's LIVING HERE?”
“If that's what Lana wants.”
Lina turned.
Lana was crying.
“Do you?”
Lana nodded.
Lina screamed.
Then immediately covered her mouth.
“Sorry!”
Lana laughed while crying.
“Yes.”
Lina hugged her.
“Oh my gosh.”
“Lina, I can't breathe.”
“Sorry.”
She didn't let go.
“Lina.”
“Okay.”
She finally released her.
Then Lina froze.
“Wait.”
Everyone looked at her.
“Does this mean…”
Jake knew exactly what was coming.
“Don't.”
“She's actually going to be a Peterson?”
Lana laughed.
“Oh my gosh.”
Lina turned toward the hallway.
“JOHN!”
“No,” Jake said.
Too late.
John appeared.
“What?”
“LANA'S A PETERSON!”
His eyes widened.
“What?”
Nellie appeared behind him.
“WHAT?”
Zoe came running.
“WHAT HAPPENED?”
Emily put her head in her hands.
“So much for telling them calmly.”
Lina pointed at Lana.
“SHE'S STAYING.”
Nellie gasped.
“FOREVER?”
Lana laughed.
“I guess.”
Nellie ran over and hugged her.
Zoe joined.
John stood there.
Lina smiled at him.
“Well?”
John sighed.
“I guess I was wrong.”
“ABOUT?”
“She's not just a Smith.”
Lina smiled triumphantly.
“Say it.”
“No.”
“Say it.”
“Lina.”
“SAY IT.”
John rolled his eyes.
“Honorary Peterson.”
Lina gasped.
“Nope. Not anymore.”
John looked at Lana.
Then smiled.
“Fine.”
He held out his fist.
“Peterson.”
Lana bumped it.
“Peterson.”
Nellie gasped.
“WAIT!”
Everyone looked at her.
“If Lana becomes our sister…”
“Yes?” Emily said.
Nellie counted on her fingers.
“Lina, me, Zoe, Vicky, Lana…”
John's face dropped.
“No.”
Nellie smiled.
“FIVE SISTERS.”
John looked horrified.
“NO.”
Zoe started laughing.
“FIVE!”
“I JUST GOT A BROTHER.”
“And now you got another sister!” Nellie yelled.
“This is a terrible trade!”
Lana laughed.
“Wow, thanks.”
John immediately shook his head.
“No, no. Not YOU specifically.”
“Oh, good.”
“I mean mathematically.”
“That is not better.”
Nellie was laughing so hard she could barely speak.
“John has FIVE SISTERS.”
John pointed at Sam.
“You and me, dude.”
Sam stared at him.
“It's us against the world.”
Vicky made a noise from Emily's arms.
John looked at her.
“Love you, Vicky. Still outnumbered.”
Zoe raised her hand.
“What about Kevin?”
Everyone yelled:
“NO KEVIN!”
Lana laughed.
A real laugh this time.
Big enough that she had to wipe her eyes afterward.
And for just a second, Lina saw her best friend again.
Later that night, Lina and Lana were lying awake.
Lana was going to have her own room eventually.
But not tonight.
Tonight, she wanted to stay with Lina.
The lights were off.
Neither of them was asleep.
“Lina?”
“Yeah?”
“I'm still a Smith.”
Lina turned toward her.
“I know.”
“I don't want to lose that.”
“You won't.”
“My mom and dad were Smiths.”
“I know.”
“I want to keep their name somehow.”
Lina nodded.
“Then you should.”
Lana was quiet.
“And I don't want everybody acting like this makes what happened okay.”
Lina's eyes filled.
“It doesn't.”
“I'd rather have them.”
“I know.”
“I love your family.”
“I know.”
“But I'd rather have my mom and dad.”
“I know.”
Lana started crying again.
Lina moved closer.
“You don't have to be happy about what happened to be happy you're staying.”
Lana wiped her eyes.
“That actually made sense.”
“Wow.”
“Don't ruin it.”
Lina smiled.
They were quiet again.
Then Lana whispered:
“Five sisters.”
Lina laughed.
“Poor John.”
“He's doomed.”
“Completely.”
From somewhere down the hallway came John's voice:
“I CAN HEAR YOU.”
Lana covered her mouth.
Lina started laughing.
“How is he awake?”
“I DON'T KNOW.”
John yelled:
“GO TO SLEEP!”
Lana yelled back:
“GOOD NIGHT, BROTHER!”
Silence.
Then:
“THAT'S WEIRD!”
Lina laughed so hard her stomach hurt.
And Lana laughed too.
She was still sad.
She would be sad for a long time.
Tomorrow would probably hurt again.
There would be days when she wanted Sabrina.
Days when she wanted Ryan.
Days when the Peterson house felt too loud and too different and absolutely nothing like the home she had lost.
Becoming part of another family didn't replace her parents.
It couldn't.
It wouldn't.
But when Lana eventually closed her eyes that night, she wasn't wondering where she would have to go next.
For the first time since the accident, she knew where she would wake up.
With Lina down the hall.
With Nellie making proclamations.
With Zoe and Mr. Sparkles.
With John complaining about having five sisters.
With Vicky yelling “LA!” the second she saw her.
With Sam and his ridiculous bread-roll cheeks.
With Emily.
With Jake.
With the Petersons.
Lana Smith had lost something that could never be replaced.
But she hadn't lost everyone.
And even though she wasn't ready to call this new life okay—
for tonight,
she was home.
Lana did not want to get out of bed.
She had been awake for almost an hour.
She just hadn't moved.
The black dress Emily had helped her pick out was hanging on the closet door.
Her shoes were underneath it.
Everything was ready.
Lana wasn't.
She stared at the ceiling.
Today was the funeral.
Her parents' funeral.
Even thinking those words made her feel sick.
Sabrina and Ryan Smith.
Her mom.
Her dad.
People kept saying their names differently now.
We're so sorry about Sabrina and Ryan.
Sabrina and Ryan were wonderful people.
We'll always remember Sabrina and Ryan.
Lana hated it.
They weren't Sabrina and Ryan to her.
They were Mom and Dad.
And they weren't supposed to be people everyone was remembering.
They were supposed to be downstairs.
Her mom was supposed to be telling her to hurry up.
Her dad was supposed to be asking if she'd seen his keys when they were probably in his pocket.
They were supposed to be alive.
There was a knock on the door.
Lana didn't answer.
Another knock.
“Lana?”
Lina.
“Go away.”
“No.”
“Please?”
“No.”
Lana pulled the blanket over her head.
The door slowly opened.
“I said go away.”
“I heard you.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Because I ignored you.”
Lina walked in wearing a black dress.
She sat on the edge of the bed.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then Lina looked at the lump underneath the blanket.
“You alive?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
Silence.
“Do I have to go?” Lana asked.
Lina's expression changed.
She pulled the blanket down just enough to see Lana's face.
“To the funeral?”
Lana nodded.
“I don't want to.”
“I know.”
“I really don't want to.”
“I know.”
“If I don't go, does that make me horrible?”
“No.”
“I feel horrible.”
“You're not.”
Lana looked toward the black dress.
“I don't want to put that on.”
“Then don't.”
Lana looked at her.
“What?”
“Wear something else.”
“It's a funeral.”
“So?”
“I'm supposed to wear black.”
“Says who?”
“Everybody.”
Lina shrugged.
“Wear pink.”
“My mom hated pink.”
“Okay. Definitely don't wear pink.”
Lana almost smiled.
Almost.
“My mom liked blue.”
“Wear blue.”
“My dress is black.”
“Then wear something blue with it.”
Lana thought about that.
Then she got up.
She walked toward her bag and dug through it.
Finally she pulled out a small blue bracelet.
Lina recognized it.
“Your mom's?”
Lana nodded.
“She gave it to me.”
“Wear that.”
Lana slipped it onto her wrist.
Then she looked at it.
And immediately started crying.
Lina stood.
“Oh.”
“I hate this.”
“I know.”
“I hate today.”
“I know.”
“I hate this dress.”
“Understandable.”
“I hate funerals.”
“I've never liked them.”
“I hate black.”
“You look good in black.”
Lana glared at her through tears.
“Lina.”
“Sorry.”
Lana laughed once.
Then cried harder.
And Lina hugged her.
Downstairs, the Peterson house was unusually quiet.
Almost.
Grandpa Joe was standing in front of the hallway mirror fighting with his tie.
Nellie was watching.
“You're doing it wrong.”
Grandpa Joe looked down at her.
“Excuse me?”
“Your tie.”
“I've been tying ties for about fifty years.”
“Well, apparently you've been doing it wrong for fifty
years.”
John looked over.
“Don't let Nellie touch your tie.”
“I know how to do it!”
“No, you don't.”
“I've seen Dad do it.”
“That doesn't mean you know.”
Nellie reached for Grandpa Joe's tie.
“Let me.”
“No.”
“Come on.”
“No.”
“I can fix it.”
Grandpa Joe moved away.
“I would like to survive the funeral.”
Nellie gasped.
“You think I'm going to strangle you?”
“Accidentally.”
John laughed.
Emily walked into the room carrying Vicky.
“What is happening?”
“Nellie is trying to kill Grandpa.”
“I'M FIXING HIS TIE!”
Emily closed her eyes.
“Can we please have one morning?”
“I'm being helpful.”
Grandpa Joe looked at Emily.
“Tell her my tie looks fine.”
Emily stared at it.
“It is crooked.”
Nellie pointed triumphantly.
“HA!”
Grandpa Joe sighed.
“Fine.”
Nellie stepped forward.
She adjusted it.
Then stepped back.
Everyone stared.
It was worse.
Much worse.
John started laughing.
Grandpa Joe looked in the mirror.
“Nellie.”
“What?”
“My tie is sideways.”
“It's unique.”
“Fix it.”
“I don't know how.”
“YOU SAID YOU DID.”
“I was confident.”
John had to walk away because he was laughing too hard.
Emily tried not to smile.
Today of all days, she didn't want to laugh.
But Grandpa Joe standing there with a sideways tie while Nellie defended herself was making that difficult.
Jake walked in.
He looked at the tie.
“What happened?”
“Nellie.”
“Ah.”
“DAD!”
Zoe came downstairs holding Mr. Sparkles.
Mr. Sparkles was wearing a tiny black ribbon.
John stared.
“What is that?”
“Funeral clothes.”
“For Mr. Sparkles?”
“Yes.”
“Why is he coming?”
Zoe looked offended.
“He knew Sabrina.”
John blinked.
“Did he?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“At the baby shower.”
“He was there?”
“He was in the car.”
“That means he DIDN'T know her.”
“He knew of her.”
Nellie nodded.
“That's different.”
Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles.
“He's supporting Lana.”
Emily looked at the unicorn.
Then Zoe.
“You know what?”
“What?”
“Mr. Sparkles can come.”
Zoe nodded.
“Thank you.”
John whispered to Nellie.
“I can't believe the unicorn is attending a funeral.”
Nellie whispered back.
“He's dressed appropriately.”
John looked at the black ribbon.
“Fair.”
Lana and Lina finally came downstairs.
Everybody stopped talking.
Lana immediately noticed.
“Please don't.”
Emily walked toward her.
“Don't what?”
“Look at me like that.”
Emily nodded.
“Okay.”
Grandma Lura hugged Lana.
Lana held onto her for a moment.
Then Grandpa Joe came over.
His tie was finally straight.
“Hey, kiddo.”
“Hi.”
“You ready?”
“No.”
“Good answer.”
Lana looked at him.
Grandpa Joe shrugged.
“Would've been weird if you said yes.”
Lana smiled a tiny bit.
“Your tie looks nice.”
Grandpa Joe pointed at Nellie.
“Not because of her.”
Nellie gasped.
“I STARTED THE PROCESS.”
Lana laughed.
And then immediately looked guilty for laughing.
Emily noticed.
“Hey.”
Lana looked at her.
“You're allowed to laugh today.”
Lana looked down.
“It feels wrong.”
“It isn't.”
Grandpa Joe nodded.
“Your parents wouldn't want you miserable every second.”
Lana swallowed.
“I already am.”
Nobody had an answer for that.
The drive felt longer than it was.
Lana sat beside Lina.
Neither talked much.
Lana kept twisting the blue bracelet around her wrist.
Lina finally reached over and took her hand.
Lana didn't look at her.
But she held on.
When they arrived, Lana froze.
There were cars everywhere.
People everywhere.
Family.
Friends.
People from Sabrina and Ryan's jobs.
Neighbors.
People Lana knew.
People she didn't.
All of them were there because her parents were dead.
“I can't.”
Lina looked at her.
“What?”
“I can't get out.”
“You don't have to yet.”
“They're all going to look at me.”
“Probably.”
“Lina!”
“Sorry.”
“I don't want everybody hugging me.”
“Then don't hug them.”
“They're going to say they're sorry.”
“Probably.”
“Stop saying probably.”
“Okay.”
Lana stared out the window.
“What do I say when they say they're sorry?”
“You don't have to say anything.”
“What if they ask how I'm doing?”
Lina thought.
“Tell them the truth.”
Lana looked at her.
“‘Horrible, thanks’?”
“Maybe not exactly that.”
Despite herself, Lana laughed.
Then she covered her mouth.
“Stop making me laugh.”
“No.”
“Lina.”
“Nope.”
Lana took a breath.
“Okay.”
“You ready?”
“No.”
“Me neither.”
“This isn't your parents' funeral.”
“I know.”
Lana looked at her.
“Then why aren't you ready?”
“Because you're my best friend.”
Lana's eyes filled again.
“Oh my gosh, shut up.”
“Okay.”
They got out.
The service was beautiful.
Lana hated every second of it.
There were photographs everywhere.
Sabrina smiling.
Ryan laughing.
Pictures of them together.
Pictures of Lana when she was little.
A picture of Sabrina holding baby Lana.
A picture of Ryan carrying Lana on his shoulders.
A family picture from Christmas.
Lana stopped in front of that one.
She stared.
Lina stood beside her.
“That was last Christmas.”
Lina nodded.
“My dad complained about taking that picture for twenty minutes.”
Lina smiled.
“Sounds like a dad.”
“He said we already had enough pictures.”
Lana touched the edge of the frame.
“My mom said there was no such thing.”
Lina didn't say anything.
“She was right.”
Lana started crying.
“I wish we had more.”
Lina put her arm around her.
Emily cried during the service.
Jake did too.
He tried not to.
Zoe noticed.
She leaned toward John.
“Dad's crying.”
John whispered back.
“I know.”
“I've never seen Dad cry.”
“People cry.”
“I know.”
“Then stop staring.”
“I'm not staring.”
“You're literally staring.”
Zoe turned around.
Then, approximately thirty seconds later:
“John?”
“What?”
“Can boys cry at funerals?”
John looked at her.
“Boys can cry anywhere.”
“Even Walmart?”
John stared.
“Yes, Zoe. Even Walmart.”
“Okay.”
Nellie leaned over.
“Why Walmart?”
“I don't know.”
“Shhh,” Emily whispered.
They went quiet.
For approximately forty-five seconds.
Then Zoe whispered:
“Does heaven have Walmart?”
John slowly closed his eyes.
“Zoe.”
“What?”
“Not today.”
“I'm just asking.”
Nellie whispered:
“I don't think they need Walmart.”
“Why?”
“Because it's heaven.”
Zoe thought about that.
“Oh.”
Grandpa Joe leaned over.
“Girls.”
They immediately stopped.
Then someone began talking about Sabrina.
About how kind she had been.
How much she loved Lana.
How proud she was of her.
Lana's face crumpled.
Lina grabbed her hand.
Then they talked about Ryan.
His jokes.
His family.
The way he could make people laugh.
How much he loved Sabrina.
How much he loved his daughter.
Lana bent forward and covered her face.
“I can't.”
Lina put an arm around her.
“I can't do this.”
“You're doing it.”
“I don't want to.”
“I know.”
“I want to go home.”
“We can tell Emily.”
“No.”
“You want to stay?”
“No.”
Lina paused.
“Okay.”
Lana cried.
“I don't know what I want.”
And that was the truth.
After the service, people surrounded Lana.
So many people.
“I'm so sorry.”
“Your mother loved you so much.”
“Your dad was so proud of you.”
“If you need anything…”
“You're such a strong girl.”
Lana hated that one most.
Strong.
She didn't feel strong.
She felt like she wanted to scream.
She didn't want to be strong.
She wanted her parents.
Finally, she escaped.
She walked outside.
Lina followed.
“Lana?”
“I need everybody to stop talking to me.”
“Okay.”
“I know they're being nice.”
“I know.”
“But I don't want to hear that they're sorry anymore.”
“Okay.”
“I don't want people telling me I'm strong.”
“Then I won't.”
“I don't feel strong.”
“You don't have to.”
Lana sat down.
Lina sat beside her.
For several minutes, they didn't say anything.
Then Lana looked at her bracelet.
“My mom picked this out.”
“I know.”
“She said blue looked good on me.”
“She was right.”
Lana smiled slightly.
“She usually was.”
“Usually?”
“She was wrong about mushrooms.”
Lina stared.
“What?”
“She liked mushrooms on pizza.”
Lina made a disgusted face.
“Oh.”
“Exactly.”
“That is unfortunate.”
Lana laughed.
“My dad hated them too.”
“Smart man.”
Lana's laugh disappeared.
Then the tears came again.
“I miss him.”
“I know.”
“I miss both of them.”
“I know.”
Eventually, it was time to leave.
People began walking back toward their cars.
Emily came over.
“Lana?”
Lana didn't move.
“We can stay a little longer.”
Lana nodded.
So they did.
Grandma Lura took Nellie and Zoe toward the car.
Grandpa Joe followed.
Jake carried Sam.
Emily had Vicky.
John walked beside them.
But Lina stayed.
Of course she did.
Lana stared toward where her parents had been laid to rest.
Then she whispered:
“If I leave, they're still here.”
Lina looked at her.
“Yeah.”
“But I'm not.”
Lina swallowed.
“Yeah.”
“That feels wrong.”
“I know.”
“What if they think I left them?”
Lina's eyes filled.
“They won't.”
“You don't know.”
“No.”
Lana looked at her.
Lina shook her head.
“I don't know everything.”
For once, Lana almost smiled.
“Finally admitting it?”
“Don't ruin my moment.”
Lana laughed quietly.
Then Lina continued.
“But I know you loved them.”
Lana looked back.
“And I know they knew that.”
Lana cried.
Lina cried too.
And neither tried to stop.
Finally Lana stood.
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Okay.”
She took Lina's hand.
And they walked away together.
The drive home was quiet.
Until Zoe spoke.
“Lana?”
Lana looked over.
“Yeah?”
“Do you still have Mr. Sparkles?”
Lana looked down.
He was sitting in her lap.
“Yes.”
“Okay.”
Pause.
“You can keep him tonight too.”
Lana smiled.
“Thanks.”
Another pause.
“Maybe tomorrow too.”
“Wow.”
“Don't push it.”
John laughed.
Lana laughed too.
When they got home, Lana felt exhausted.
Not sleepy.
Just empty.
She walked through the front door.
Emily carried Vicky in behind her.
The second Vicky saw Lana—
her little arms went up.
“LA!”
Lana stopped.
Vicky smiled.
“LA! LA!”
And that was it.
Lana started crying again.
“Oh my gosh.”
Emily handed Vicky to her.
Lana held her against her chest.
“Hi.”
Vicky grabbed the blue bracelet.
Lana looked down.
“Careful.”
Vicky stared at it.
“My mom gave me that.”
Vicky obviously didn't understand.
She smiled anyway.
Lana kissed her forehead.
John walked in carrying Sam.
He stood beside Lana.
“Here.”
Lana looked at him.
“What?”
“You need Sam too.”
Lana laughed through her tears.
“Do I?”
“Yes.”
Nellie appeared.
“He's medicinal.”
John looked at her.
“What?”
“He makes people feel better.”
“That's not what medicinal means.”
“Basically.”
Lana laughed again.
John carefully brought Sam closer.
Lana looked at both babies.
Vicky in her arms.
Sam beside her.
Then Nellie squeezed onto the couch.
Zoe climbed up too.
John sat on the floor.
Lina sat right beside Lana.
Grandma Lura came in.
Grandpa Joe followed.
Jake sat with Emily.
Nobody planned it.
Nobody announced it.
They just ended up together.
The whole ridiculous Peterson family.
And Lana.
Except now, somehow, that wasn't quite right anymore.
Because Lana wasn't just visiting.
She wasn't Lina's friend who practically lived there.
She wasn't the babysitter.
She wasn't the Smith girl who was always coming over.
She was still Lana Smith.
She always would be.
Sabrina and Ryan would always be her parents.
Nothing could change that.
Nothing should.
But she had another family now too.
One that was loud.
And weird.
And occasionally fought over whether a stuffed unicorn needed funeral clothes.
One where Nellie thought babies were medicinal.
One where Zoe asked whether heaven had Walmart.
One where John had finally gotten a brother and then immediately complained about having five sisters.
One where Vicky screamed “LA!” whenever Lana entered a room.
One where Lina wouldn't leave her alone even when she specifically requested it.
Lana looked around.
She was still devastated.
She still wanted her parents.
She would have traded every good thing that had happened that week to have Sabrina and Ryan walk through that door.
But they weren't going to.
And accepting that was going to take a long time.
Maybe forever.
Lana looked down at her mother's blue bracelet.
Then at Vicky.
Then at Sam.
Then at Lina.
Lina rested her head against Lana's shoulder.
“You okay?”
Lana thought about it.
“No.”
Lina nodded.
“Okay.”
Lana looked at her.
“You're not going to tell me I will be?”
“No.”
“Good.”
A few seconds passed.
Then Lina added:
“But I'm staying here.”
Lana smiled.
“I know.”
From the floor, John looked up.
“Unfortunately, we all are.”
Lina kicked him gently.
“OW.”
“Not today.”
“Why does everybody keep saying that to me?”
“Because it's the funeral!”
“I DIDN'T EVEN DO ANYTHING.”
Nellie laughed.
Zoe hugged Mr. Sparkles.
Lana started laughing too.
And this time—
she didn't feel guilty about it.
She just laughed.
Then she cried a little.
Then she laughed again.
Because grief was weird like that.
And today had been the hardest goodbye of Lana's life.
But when night finally came, she wouldn't have to say goodbye to everyone.
She was going home with the Petersons.
A few weeks had passed since the funeral.
Things weren't normal.
Not exactly.
Lana still had bad days.
Sometimes she'd be laughing with Lina and suddenly remember something about her mom.
Sometimes she'd hear a song her dad liked and immediately leave the room.
Sometimes she wanted to talk about Sabrina and Ryan.
Sometimes she absolutely did not.
And the Petersons were slowly learning something
important:
Do not ask Lana if she's okay every eleven seconds.
Especially Zoe.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes.”
Five minutes later—
“Are you still okay?”
“Yes, Zoe.”
Ten minutes later—
“Okay now?”
“ZOE.”
“What?! I'm checking!”
John finally pulled Zoe aside.
“Stop.”
“But what if she becomes not okay?”
“Then she'll tell us.”
“What if she doesn't?”
“Then Lina will know.”
Zoe thought about it.
“That's true.”
Lina looked up.
“Why am I involved?”
“You always know Lana things.”
“I do.”
Lana stared at her.
“You absolutely do not.”
“Yes, I do.”
“What am I thinking right now?”
“That you want Zoe to stop asking if you're okay.”
Lana paused.
“Okay. That one was easy.”
Lina smiled.
“Exactly.”
But there was another problem in the Peterson house.
The babies.
Vicky and Sam were getting bigger.
And faster.
And louder.
Especially Vicky.
Vicky had discovered crawling.
This was terrible news for everybody.
“WHERE'S VICKY?” Emily yelled from the kitchen.
Lina looked around.
“She was right there!”
John looked under the coffee table.
“Why would she be under there?”
“I DON'T KNOW. SHE'S SMALL.”
Nellie pointed.
“There!”
Vicky was halfway across the living room, heading directly toward Zoe's pile of toys.
Zoe gasped.
“NO.”
She ran.
“VICKY! THAT'S PRIVATE PROPERTY!”
Vicky crawled faster.
“She's speeding up!” Nellie yelled.
“GET HER!”
Zoe grabbed Mr. Sparkles.
Vicky reached for him.
“NO!”
Vicky smiled.
“LA!”
Everyone stopped.
Lana looked up from the couch.
“What?”
Vicky changed direction.
She crawled straight toward Lana.
Lina gasped.
“Traitor.”
Vicky reached Lana and grabbed her leg.
Lana smiled.
“Hi.”
Lina crossed her arms.
“She was heading toward Mr. Sparkles and literally changed directions for you.”
“Because she loves me.”
“I know.”
“You sound jealous.”
“I'm not.”
“You've been jealous for months.”
“I AM HER SISTER.”
“And I'm also her sister now.”
Lina froze.
Lana smiled.
“Oh.”
Lina narrowed her eyes.
“You're using that against me already?”
“Absolutely.”
John laughed.
“She's learning fast.”
Sam wasn't crawling quite as fast as Vicky yet.
But Sam had discovered something else.
Grabbing.
Everything.
Hair.
Clothes.
Blankets.
Faces.
John's nose.
“Ow!”
Nellie laughed.
Sam had both hands on John's face.
“Get him off!”
“You're the Sam expert.”
“He has my nose!”
Nellie leaned closer.
“Sam.”
Sam stared.
“Release.”
Sam did not release.
“Sam.”
Nothing.
“Bread Roll.”
Sam smiled.
John stared at Nellie.
“Don't encourage him!”
Lana started laughing.
“Look at his face!”
“He's trying to remove mine!”
Nellie carefully pulled Sam's hands away.
John rubbed his nose.
“He's strong.”
Nellie smiled.
“That's my boy.”
John looked at her.
“YOUR boy?”
“We've discussed this.”
Emily walked into the room.
She looked tired.
Extremely tired.
She was holding laundry.
Vicky was crawling toward Lana.
Sam was trying to attack John's face again.
Zoe was yelling about Mr. Sparkles.
Nellie was making Sam laugh.
Lina and Lana were arguing over whether Lana had officially stolen Vicky.
Emily stopped.
She looked around.
Then she turned around.
And walked right back out.
Jake saw her.
“Where are you going?”
“I don't know.”
“You just walked into the living room.”
“I changed my mind.”
Jake looked inside.
“Oh.”
Emily stared at him.
“We need help.”
Jake nodded.
“Yes.”
“Actual help.”
“Yes.”
“Regular help.”
“Yes.”
“Someone who isn't Lana.”
From the living room:
“HEY!” Lana yelled.
Emily called back:
“You know what I mean!”
“I DO!”
Lina yelled:
“LANA IS EXCELLENT HELP!”
Emily closed her eyes.
“I'm aware!”
Jake laughed.
“So we're doing this?”
“We're doing this.”
That evening, Emily made the announcement.
Everybody was at dinner.
Which meant everybody had an opinion.
“We're hiring a nanny.”
Lina stopped eating.
“A what?”
“A nanny.”
Lana looked at Emily.
“Oh.”
John nodded.
“Good.”
Lina stared at him.
“GOOD?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because you and Lana have lives.”
Lina looked suspicious.
“That was weirdly mature.”
John frowned.
“I can be mature.”
Nellie laughed.
“No.”
“I CAN.”
Zoe raised her hand.
“Question.”
Emily sighed.
“Yes?”
“Does the nanny live here?”
“No.”
“Can she?”
“No.”
“Can she sleep in Lana's room?”
Lana stared.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because it's my room.”
“But—”
“No.”
Zoe lowered her hand.
Then immediately raised it again.
Emily stared.
“What?”
“Can she bring snacks?”
“Maybe.”
“I'm voting yes.”
“You don't vote.”
“Then why are we having this meeting?”
Jake covered his mouth, trying not to laugh.
Lina looked at Emily.
“What happened to me helping?”
“You do help.”
“And Lana?”
“She helps too.”
Lana nodded.
“I do.”
Emily smiled.
“But neither of you should be responsible for Vicky and Sam all the time.”
Lana shrugged.
“Fair.”
Lina looked at her.
“Whose side are you on?”
“The side where I don't change diapers every day.”
Lina gasped.
“You said you loved them.”
“I do!”
“Wow.”
“Loving somebody doesn't mean I want their poop.”
John nodded.
“That's actually a good point.”
Nellie looked at Sam.
“I don't mind.”
John stared at her.
“You can have all diaper duty.”
Nellie immediately shook her head.
“I changed my mind.”
Over the next few days, Emily and Jake talked to several
people.
The older kids became increasingly interested.
Especially Zoe.
“What's her name?”
“We don't know yet.”
“How old is she?”
“We don't know who we're hiring.”
“Does she like unicorns?”
“Zoe.”
“Important.”
Nellie had her own requirements.
“She needs to like babies.”
Emily stared.
“Yes, Nellie.”
“And she can't be mean.”
“Obviously.”
“And she has to understand that his name is Sam.”
Jake laughed.
“His legal name is Sammy.”
Nellie looked offended.
“We've been over this.”
John nodded.
“The proclamation stands.”
Emily sighed.
“I regret allowing proclamations in this house.”
“You never allowed them,” John said.
“Exactly.”
Then, finally, Emily found someone.
Her name was Emma.
She was young.
Nice.
Responsible.
She had experience with babies.
She had good references.
And she was coming over that afternoon to meet everyone.
Emily told the kids one thing:
“Please act normal.”
The entire table went silent.
Jake looked at her.
Emily looked at him.
Then she sighed.
“Okay. Act as close to normal as possible.”
“Better,” John said.
At exactly two o'clock, the doorbell rang.
Zoe sprinted toward it.
“I'LL GET IT!”
“No!” Emily yelled.
Too late.
Zoe opened the door.
Emma stood outside.
She smiled.
“Hi.”
Zoe stared at her.
Emma stared back.
“Are you the nanny?”
“Zoe!” Emily called.
Emma laughed.
“I might be.”
Zoe narrowed her eyes.
“Do you like unicorns?”
Emma paused.
“Sure.”
Zoe nodded.
“Good first answer.”
Emily appeared.
“I'm so sorry.”
“It's okay.”
“This is Zoe.”
“I figured.”
Zoe smiled proudly.
Emma walked inside.
Lina and Lana were sitting together.
Nellie was holding Vicky.
John had Sam.
Jake was in the kitchen.
Emma looked around.
“Wow.”
Lina smiled.
“What?”
“Big family.”
John nodded.
“You have no idea.”
Emily started introductions.
“This is Lina.”
“Hi.”
“Lana.”
“Hi.”
“Nellie.”
“Hi!”
“John.”
“Hey.”
“And you've met Zoe.”
Zoe waved.
“And these are the twins.”
Emma smiled.
“Hi!”
Nellie immediately held Vicky slightly closer.
Emma noticed.
“Can I say hi?”
Nellie looked at Emily.
Emily smiled.
“Of course.”
Nellie carefully brought Vicky closer.
“This is Vicky.”
“Victoria,” Emily corrected.
“Vicky.”
Emma laughed.
“Hi, Vicky.”
Emily sighed.
“Fine.”
Vicky stared at Emma.
Emma smiled.
“Hi.”
Vicky stared.
Nothing.
Lana leaned forward.
“This is interesting.”
Lina whispered:
“She usually smiles.”
Emma held out a finger.
Vicky looked at it.
Then looked at Lana.
“LA.”
Lana covered her mouth.
Lina started laughing.
Emma smiled.
“I guess she likes you.”
Lana nodded.
“A little.”
Lina stared.
“A LITTLE?”
Then Emma met Sam.
John handed him over carefully.
“Support his head.”
Emily looked at John.
“She knows.”
“Just saying.”
Emma smiled.
“Hi, Sam.”
Sam stared at her.
“His name is technically Sammy,” Emily said.
John and Nellie immediately said:
“Sam.”
Emma laughed.
“Okay. Sam.”
Nellie nodded approvingly.
John watched closely.
Sam reached up.
He grabbed Emma's hair.
“Ow!”
John smiled.
“He likes you.”
Emma laughed while gently freeing her hair.
“That's how he shows it?”
“Yes.”
“He grabbed my nose yesterday,” John said.
Nellie smiled.
“He REALLY likes John.”
For the next hour, Emma played with the twins.
She was nice.
She was patient.
She knew how to hold them.
She knew how to feed them.
She even managed to get Sam to sleep.
Emily was impressed.
Jake was impressed.
Lina had no complaints.
John seemed okay with her.
Nellie was watching carefully.
Zoe was conducting an investigation.
Emma sat on the couch.
Zoe sat directly across from her.
“Favorite color?”
“Green.”
“Favorite animal?”
“Dog.”
Zoe frowned.
“Not unicorn?”
“Unicorns are probably second.”
Zoe smiled.
“Good recovery.”
Emily called from the kitchen.
“ZOE.”
“What?”
“No interrogations.”
“This isn't an interrogation.”
Emma laughed.
“What else?”
Zoe thought.
“Do you believe in the Snow Sisters?”
Nellie gasped.
John covered his face.
Lina whispered:
“Oh no.”
Emma looked confused.
“The what?”
Zoe slowly turned toward Nellie.
Nellie stared back.
“Don't.”
Zoe smiled.
“There are no Snow Sisters.”
Nellie stood.
“TRAITOR.”
“IT'S NOT CHRISTMAS!”
“THEY'RE YEAR-ROUND!”
John looked at Emma.
“You can still leave.”
Emma started laughing.
Eventually, Emma left.
The door closed.
Everyone immediately looked at Emily.
“Well?” Lina asked.
“I like her.”
Jake nodded.
“Me too.”
John shrugged.
“She's fine.”
Nellie nodded.
“Sam didn't cry.”
Lana smiled.
“Vicky didn't exactly love her.”
Lina looked at Lana.
“Vicky doesn't love anybody as much as you.”
Lana smiled proudly.
“Correct.”
Emily stared.
“You're enjoying that way too much.”
“Yes.”
Zoe raised her hand.
“I approve.”
Emily laughed.
“Thank goodness.”
“But.”
Everyone groaned.
“What?” Emily asked.
“She needs unicorn education.”
“No.”
Emma got the job.
And for the first few days, everything went surprisingly well.
She showed up on time.
She played with the babies.
She fed them.
She changed them.
She cleaned up.
Sam seemed to like her.
Vicky…
tolerated her.
Mostly.
But Vicky had one problem.
Whenever Lana left the room, Vicky noticed.
Immediately.
“LA?”
Emma picked her up.
“She's upstairs.”
“LA!”
“She'll be back.”
“LA!”
Lana yelled from upstairs:
“I'M HERE!”
Vicky immediately stopped crying.
Emma stared toward the ceiling.
“Wow.”
Lina smiled.
“Told you.”
One afternoon, Lana was getting ready to leave with Lina.
Emma had both babies.
“We'll be back later,” Lana said.
Vicky stared at her.
Lana waved.
“Bye, Vicky.”
Vicky's face changed.
“LA?”
“I'll be back.”
“LA.”
Lana walked toward the door.
Vicky started crying.
“LA!”
Emma bounced her gently.
“It's okay.”
“LA!”
Lana froze.
Lina grabbed her arm.
“Don't.”
“She wants me!”
“She has to get used to Emma.”
“But—”
“Come on.”
Vicky reached toward Lana.
“LA! LA!”
Lana looked devastated.
“I can't do this.”
Emma laughed.
“Go. She's okay.”
Lana reluctantly left.
The door closed.
Vicky cried harder.
Emma looked down at her.
“Okay.”
Vicky stared at her.
“LA.”
Emma smiled.
“I'm Emma.”
Vicky sniffled.
“LA.”
“No. Emma.”
“LA.”
“Emma.”
Vicky stared at her.
Emma pointed to herself.
“Em-ma.”
Vicky blinked.
“Ma.”
Emma gasped.
“YES!”
Vicky looked toward the door.
“LA.”
Emma sighed.
“Almost.”
Sam was sitting nearby.
Emma looked at him.
“Can you say Emma?”
Sam stared.
“Emma.”
Nothing.
“Em-ma.”
Sam smiled.
“Ma.”
Emma's eyes widened.
“Oh my gosh.”
She picked him up.
“Say it again!”
“Ma.”
Emma laughed.
“You said my name!”
When Lina and Lana came back, Emma immediately told
them.
“Sam said Emma!”
John came running.
“What?”
“He said ‘Ma.’”
John stared.
“That's not Emma.”
Emma laughed.
“It counts.”
Nellie appeared.
“No.”
“What?”
“His first word cannot be Emma.”
“He's probably just making sounds,” Lina said.
John nodded.
“Exactly.”
Lana walked toward Vicky.
Vicky saw her.
Her face lit up.
“LA!”
Lana smiled.
“See?”
Emma laughed.
“Okay. You win.”
A few weeks passed.
Emma became part of the routine.
But something was becoming obvious.
The twins liked her.
They just didn't love her.
Not like Lana.
Vicky especially.
Emma could feed her.
Change her.
Play with her.
Make her laugh.
But the second Lana walked into the room?
Emma ceased to exist.
“LA!”
One afternoon Emma laughed.
“I've accepted my position.”
Lina smiled.
“Second place?”
“Like seventh.”
John looked up.
“Behind who?”
Emma started counting.
“Lana. Emily. Jake. Lina. Probably Nellie.”
Zoe gasped.
“What about me?”
Emma looked at Vicky.
“Zoe.”
Vicky stared.
Zoe smiled.
“See?”
Emma laughed.
“Okay. Sixth.”
John pointed at himself.
“And me?”
“Seventh.”
“What about me?” Emma asked.
John smiled.
“Eighth.”
Emma shook her head.
“I quit.”
Emily walked in.
“WHAT?”
Emma laughed.
“I'm kidding!”
Emily put a hand over her heart.
“Do not joke about that.”
That night, everyone was sitting in the living room.
Emma had gone home.
Vicky was asleep.
Sam was almost asleep in John's arms.
Lana sat beside Lina.
Nellie was on the floor.
Zoe was brushing Mr. Sparkles with an actual hairbrush.
Emily looked around.
“Emma's doing well.”
Jake nodded.
“She is.”
Lina shrugged.
“She's nice.”
Lana nodded.
“Yeah.”
John looked down at Sam.
“He likes her.”
Nellie smiled.
“But he likes us better.”
“Obviously.”
Zoe looked up.
“Mr. Sparkles doesn't trust her yet.”
Nobody responded.
Zoe frowned.
“I'm serious.”
Jake smiled.
“We know.”
Lana leaned back.
“I think she'll be good.”
Lina looked at her.
“Really?”
“Yeah.”
“Even though Vicky likes you better?”
Lana smiled.
“Especially because Vicky likes me better.”
Lina rolled her eyes.
“There it is.”
Lana laughed.
And Emily watched her.
Really watched her.
A few weeks ago, Lana had barely been able to get out of bed.
Now she was sitting on the couch laughing.
She still wore her mother's blue bracelet almost every day.
She still had pictures of Sabrina and Ryan in her room.
She still had nights when she cried.
There were still moments when something reminded her of them and the entire day changed.
But there were also moments like this.
Normal moments.
Funny moments.
Peterson moments.
And maybe that was what healing actually looked like.
Not forgetting.
Not replacing.
Just slowly finding reasons to laugh again.
Then Sam suddenly made a loud noise.
Everyone looked at him.
Nellie smiled.
“Bread Roll speaks.”
John sighed.
“Don't.”
Sam made the noise again.
Zoe stared.
“What did he say?”
“He didn't say anything,” John said.
Nellie gasped.
“I know what he said.”
“What?”
Nellie smiled.
“He said Emma.”
John looked horrified.
“DO NOT START THAT.”
Lana laughed.
Lina laughed.
Emily laughed.
Even Jake laughed.
And from upstairs—
Vicky woke up.
“LAAAAAA!”
Lana froze.
Lina pointed toward the stairs.
“YOUR CHILD.”
Lana stood.
“She is NOT my child!”
“She's asking for you!”
“Because she loves me!”
“THEN GO!”
Lana started toward the stairs.
John smiled.
“Honorary mom.”
Lana turned around.
“JOHN.”
He laughed.
And upstairs, Vicky yelled again:
“LA!”
Lana shook her head.
“I'm coming!”
And ran upstairs.
By now, Emma had been babysitting Vicky and Sam for a few weeks.
And she had learned several things.
Number one: Sam would grab anything within six inches of his hands.
Number two: Vicky had absolutely no patience.
Number three: if Vicky could see Lana, Emma basically did not exist.
And number four:
Never.
Ever.
Let Zoe “help.”
Emma learned number four the hard way.
It was a Saturday morning.
Emily and Jake were getting ready to leave for a few hours, and Emma had just arrived.
“Okay,” Emily said. “Bottles are in the fridge.”
“Got it.”
“Sam already ate breakfast.”
“Got it.”
“Vicky needs—”
“LA!”
Everyone looked over.
Vicky was sitting on the floor pointing at Lana.
Lana was walking downstairs.
“Good morning.”
Vicky started bouncing.
“LA! LA! LA!”
Lana smiled.
“Hi, Vicky.”
Emma looked at Emily.
“See?”
Emily laughed.
“Sorry.”
“I've accepted it.”
Lana picked Vicky up.
“Who's my favorite baby?”
John appeared from the hallway.
“Don't answer that.”
Lana looked at him.
“What?”
“There are two babies.”
“I know.”
“You said favorite.”
“I was talking to Vicky.”
“Exactly.”
Lana rolled her eyes.
“Sam is my favorite boy baby.”
John stared.
“He's the only boy baby.”
“Then he wins.”
“That's not how favorites work.”
Nellie walked downstairs.
“Bread Roll!”
John sighed.
“Good morning to you too.”
Nellie walked over to Sam.
“Good morning, Bread Roll.”
John pointed.
“His name is SAM.”
Nellie smiled.
“Samuel Bread Roll Peterson.”
Emily looked over.
“His name isn't Samuel.”
Nellie froze.
“Oh.”
John started laughing.
“You don't even know his name!”
“His name is Sam!”
“His name is Sammy!”
Nellie looked at Emily.
“Can we legally change it?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
Jake grabbed his keys.
“Everybody behave.”
Zoe appeared.
“Define behave.”
Jake stopped.
Emma looked at him.
Jake looked at Emma.
“Good luck.”
“JAKE,” Emily said.
“What?”
“You're terrifying the babysitter.”
Emma laughed.
“I've survived them before.”
John nodded.
“You're getting stronger.”
“Thank you?”
Lina walked downstairs.
“Where are you guys going?”
“Out,” Emily said.
“For how long?”
“A few hours.”
Lina nodded.
“Okay.”
Then Emily looked at Lana.
“And you're coming with us.”
Lana froze.
“What?”
“Remember?”
“Oh.”
Vicky's smile disappeared.
Lana looked at her.
“Oh no.”
Emma laughed.
“Here we go.”
Lana carefully handed Vicky over.
Vicky stared at Emma.
Then at Lana.
Then back at Emma.
Her bottom lip moved.
“Don't,” Lana whispered.
Vicky's face crumpled.
“LA!”
“I'm coming back!”
“LAAAA!”
Lina covered her ears.
“She's so dramatic.”
John stared at her.
“She's a baby.”
“Still dramatic.”
Lana kissed Vicky's forehead.
“I'll be back.”
Vicky screamed.
“LA!”
Lana looked at Emily.
“I can't go.”
“Yes, you can.”
“She needs me.”
“She has Emma.”
Vicky screamed louder.
“LAAAAA!”
Lana pointed.
“DOES THAT SOUND LIKE SHE WANTS EMMA?”
Emma laughed.
“Wow.”
“Sorry.”
“No, you're right.”
Emily opened the door.
“Come on.”
Lana slowly backed toward it.
Vicky reached toward her.
“LA!”
“I LOVE YOU!”
John stared.
“You're going to Target.”
“IT DOESN'T MATTER.”
The door closed.
Vicky went silent.
Emma blinked.
“Oh.”
Vicky looked at the door.
Then at Emma.
Then—
“LA.”
Emma sighed.
“She's gone.”
Vicky stared.
“Emma.”
Everyone froze.
Emma's eyes widened.
“What?”
Vicky stared at her.
“Emma.”
Emma gasped.
“OH MY GOSH.”
John looked over.
“Did she just—”
“EMMA!”
Vicky smiled.
“Emma.”
Emma picked her up.
“YOU SAID MY NAME!”
Nellie came running.
“What happened?”
“Vicky said Emma!”
Nellie stared at Vicky.
“No, she didn't.”
“She DID.”
“Vicky.”
Vicky looked at Nellie.
“Say Emma.”
Vicky smiled.
“LA.”
Emma's face dropped.
John burst out laughing.
“She took it back.”
“She SAID IT.”
“No witnesses.”
“I HAVE WITNESSES.”
John raised his hands.
“I'm staying out of this.”
Five minutes later, the chaos began.
Sam started crying.
Emma picked him up.
Then Vicky started crying because Emma wasn't holding her.
Emma held both.
Then Sam grabbed Vicky's hair.
Vicky screamed.
“Okay!”
Emma separated them.
Vicky reached for Sam.
“No.”
Sam reached for Vicky.
“No.”
They both started crying.
Nellie walked over.
“Give me Sam.”
Emma handed him over.
Sam immediately stopped crying.
Nellie smiled proudly.
“See?”
John appeared.
“What happened?”
“Sam wanted me.”
“He wanted anybody to pick him up.”
“Jealous?”
“No.”
“Jealous.”
John took Sam.
Sam smiled.
Nellie gasped.
“TRAITOR.”
John grinned.
“He knows his people.”
Nellie pointed at Sam.
“I defended your cheeks.”
Sam stared at her.
“Remember that.”
Meanwhile, Zoe had disappeared.
Emma noticed.
“Where's Zoe?”
Everyone froze.
John looked around.
“Oh no.”
Nellie whispered:
“Never good.”
Emma called:
“Zoe?”
Nothing.
“ZOE?”
A tiny voice came from upstairs.
“BUSY!”
Emma immediately handed Vicky to Lina.
“I'll be right back.”
Lina laughed.
“Good luck.”
Emma went upstairs.
“Zoe?”
“Don't come in!”
Emma stopped.
That was worse.
“Why?”
“Because.”
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing.”
Emma opened the bedroom door.
She froze.
Zoe was sitting on the floor.
Mr. Sparkles was beside her.
And there was an open diaper on the floor.
Emma stared.
“Zoe.”
Zoe smiled.
“Practice.”
“Practice WHAT?”
“Changing diapers.”
“ON WHO?”
Zoe pointed at Mr. Sparkles.
Emma looked down.
Mr. Sparkles was wearing a newborn diaper.
Backwards.
Emma covered her mouth.
“Why?”
“I want to help.”
“You put a diaper on a unicorn.”
“Yes.”
“Backwards.”
Zoe looked down.
“Oh.”
Emma started laughing.
“Take it off.”
“But he's comfortable.”
“He does not need a diaper.”
“You don't know that.”
“Zoe.”
“Fine.”
When Emma returned downstairs, John looked at her.
“What happened?”
“Don't ask.”
Zoe followed.
John saw Mr. Sparkles.
He stopped.
“Is that a diaper?”
Zoe immediately ran.
“DON'T.”
John fell onto the couch laughing.
“WHY IS MR. SPARKLES WEARING A DIAPER?”
“HE'S PRACTICING.”
“For what?!”
“LIFE!”
Nellie was laughing too.
Emma shook her head.
“I was warned.”
By lunchtime, Emma was exhausted.
And the twins were wide awake.
She put Vicky in her high chair.
Sam sat beside her.
“Okay.”
Emma held up a spoon.
“Lunch.”
Vicky smiled.
Sam slapped his tray.
“Food.”
Sam slapped it again.
“FOOD.”
John looked over.
“He understands you.”
“Thank you.”
Emma gave Vicky a spoonful.
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Violet Guy is the author of many fun and imaginative books, including Sunny Elgin and the Magic Pancakes, The Adventures of the Petersons: The Cruise, The Adventures of the Petersons: The Cruise Q&A, Alex and the Giant Sea Monster, Autumn and the Popcorn Dragon, The Adventures of the Petersons: The Not-So-Merry Christmas, The Adventures of the Petersons: The Not-So-Merry Christmas Q&A, The ABCs of the Petersons, The ABCs of the Adventures of the Petersons, The ABCs of the Adventures of the Petersons Q&A, The Official Adventures of the Petersons Reading Guide, and The Adventures of the Petersons: The Big Surprise! Violet is so happy you chose to read her book and hopes you had just as much fun reading it as she had writing it! :)
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