When we get home and put Dawn to bed I lie on the bed and he stands in the doorway and says “ What was that about?” “ She said that she was prettier than Avril and Callie said no she wasn’t and Dawn said she was the prettiest girl in the world and I said she wasn’t so she’s angry. “ So why not let her believe it.” “ Fine.” “ So your going to tell her she’s the prettiest girl in the world?” “ No I’m not gonna lie.” “ Yea of course not even for the sake of our own daughter.” A tear tried to come out of my eyes which I held back with much difficulty. I lied on my bed and had a dream of Dawn and Avril as friends and then of the future that was held for us at Darthmouth. I woke up in the middle of the night cold so I reached for Connor. I layed my head on his warm back. “ Keaira” he moans. I then say with much love “ Connor please don’t be angry at me if not for me then for your face it makes you so ugly when you scorn smile.” He looks to me with a half smile that makes my heart flutter. I fall asleep in his arms but am awoken by a loud bang on my door. I lazily get up with a stretch and a yawn. There at the door is Kaden his face in a smile. “Phionex is pregnant with a boy with black hair and dark blue eyes the spitting image of me Keaira.” “ That’s great” I say with a yawn. “ Oh its 4 am isn’t it sorry its just I’m so excited I had to tell you since Jamal died and Tommy I haven’t really had anyone to go to but you.” I touch his cheek and say with sob “ I miss them too.” “ I’ve been hanging out with Kevin but he’s so obsessed with Kira he doesn’t talk to me very much any more.” “ I’m worried about that Kira’s only 15 and she’s having it.” “ Really I waited till I was 16.” “What with who?” “ Umm.. Paloma.” “ What my bestfriend back there.” “ Yea” he says rubbing the back of his neck. Dawn comes out of her room and says “Uncle Kaden!” “ Hey there buttercup.” She smiles and soon I hear Connor wake up and say “ What’s going on out here oh Kaden.” They do their hand shake then Connor yawns and says “ I gotta catch some more sleep gotta be up at 7 today for a test at the college. I kiss his cheek and he wobbles off to bed. Kaden then asks “ Should I leave?” “ Na you know me I never sleep.” He gives a chuckle at the memories it had always been me and him that stayed up into the late hours of the night. We sit there watching Saturday cartoons till Connor gets up and starts eating cereal from the box. When he leaves I make some bacon for Dawn, me, and Kaden and get out some yougurt for Dylan. We go for a walk in the park where we meet Pranet, Riss, Damon, and Debbie. Damon goes to work while I take Debbie, Dawn, Mel, Dylan, and Kaden for a walk. All of the sudden as the kids are playing on the monkey bars I hear a gun shot and instinctively grab the kids and run. Then I see them. The gun pointed at Pranet who’s hands are up. Then I really see the whole scene. Riss avredge kind Riss lying face down in the river. Oh god I think then without think I yell “ No.” The man turns to me and then I see his face and I gasp “ Tay.”

    He stares at me for a while as if he wasn’t prepared for me. He looks from me, to dead Riss, to Pranet, and then to his gun. He lifts it up and points it at me and Kaden and Pranet yell “ NO NO” at the same time. Kaden gets in front of me but I just move to his side. Tay doesn’t look like he’s going to stop until Dawn and Debbie peek out from behind my legs and say “ Tay Tay.” He looks at them and his mouth twitches as if it wants to smile but can’t. He lowers his gun and looks back at Pranet and then to Riss and then to me. “You don’t understand” he says. “ Then help me” I reply. “ Seraphina and me were going through a rough patch and so were Riss and Pranet.” I thought back and remembered Pranet staying at Kaden’s apartment and then I look back at Tay who continues on with his story. “ It was one night we didn’t think anything would come of it but then nine months later Mel was born” he says looking at baby Mel who is asleep in the stroller.” “ I didn’t care then” he says. “ But now you do” I ask? “ Yes.” “ Why?” “ Seraphina dumped me I need something other than hockey in my life and I came for only partial custody of Mel and said I wouldn’t tell Pranet and she said he already knew.” I look at Pranet for him to deny this but he just says “ It’s true.” I then look at baby Mel hoping to find those resemblences of Pranet I had found earlier but find none it seems as if Mel’s face has transformed into Tays. I look at Tay and believe. Mel wakes up and see’s his dad well I guess Pranet and says “ Daddy.” This sends a burst of anger through Tay who pulls out his gun aims it and Pranet’s heart but misses and hits his arm. I scream at the top of my lungs and Tay runs for it when he hears the police sirens. I run across the bridge over the river and to Pranet’s side. I look at his wound and my legs begin to hurt and I feel sick. “Keaira are you ok” Pranet asks? “ Yea I’ve never been good with blood.” He chuckles a little and says “ Yet your favorite tv show is a medical one.” I smile and I see Dawn run to his side and say “ Uncle Peanut are ya ok?” “ Yea mocking bird I’m just fine.” She smile and rubs his silky brown hair. The cops ask me what the criminal looked like them and I give them a description of Tay and a picture of him with Seraphina and sadly our dearly departed Riss and Pranet who’s injured and being treated in a helicopter overhead. Debbie in he pink sun dress is petrified and clutching Kaden’s pinky. I lift her and Dawn up and put them in their car seats and head for the college. I walk to the art studio and Connor’s just walking out and he says “ Hey what’s wrong” he asks seeing the gaunt look on all our faces. “ Tay he killed Riss and shot Pranet, Connor I saw him shoot Pranet and then Tay ran and Pranets at the hospital.” He rubs my arm and kisses the top of my head and says “ It’s ok lets just get Debbie back to Damon.” We go to the technology area of the school and there he is working over a computer “ Oh hey guys” he says then seeing Debbie’s face and mine he asks “ What’s wrong?” “ Tay shot Riss and killed her and shot Pranet he’s alive though and me, Kaden, Dawn, and Debbie saw it. He takes Debbie in his arms she is still petrified with either fear or shock. The soothes her silky black hair and skin and rocks her in his arms. I go home and fall asleep after putting Dawn to bed and keep having todays events replayed in my head.” Then I hear a scream and I awake I jump up and run to Dawn’s room and she is crying and I pick her up and calm her down. I then get a call from Damon a minute later. “ Debbie just woke up screaming I think somethings wrong.” “ Same here but I think they just need therapy like me, Kaden, and Pranet will have to cause I can’t sleep.” “ Can you believe it what its only been a year since Jamal and Tommy died how are we supposed to deal with this too?” “ I don’t know but I miss them.”

The next day me, Kaden, Dawn, Debbie, Damon, and Connor go to the therapist. Connor and Damon are only here to observe. The therapist is a woman with short spikey red hair. She sits with her legs crossed and looks at us and asks “ So you 4 saw your friend die and your other friend shot by another friend. We nod and she looks at Debbie. “ You said yur daughters woke up screaming here this will help.” She hands me and Damon Cd’s for the kids and a movie that’s supposed to keep them calm if they wake up. She then leans down and gets a pink elephant and blue lamb and hands the elephant to Debbie and the lamb to Dawn. Debbie still doesn’t flinch and she say’s “ all of you are fine except for your little one” she says speaking to Damon. Damon has a worried look on his face that she see’s and tells him “ the good thing it probably won’t have any long term effects because she is 2 and they usually don’t start remembering things till they reach the age of 3.” Debbie looks at her with her dark blue eyes that have gotten darker which doesn’t seem possible.