N/a: Sorry for the delay I have had a rough week. I feel like I am just writing fluff because a) I like it and b) I fear where this is going and my skill to pull it off. It is intimidating me as a writer.

Aaron was in for his vasectomy and Idina was a bundle of nerves. Her mom had gone back ages ago and she was not sure if she was glad or mad. Either way, she needed something to do. She told Jane to take a day off. Idina needed something to focus on and the three babies were keeping her occupied. Walker was at a friend's house and she was shopping with Erika and the triplets. It was a hassle, but it needed all her attention. Of course, she had brought along their security guard. The last thing she needed to do now was worry Aaron. Or get herself hurt. And then she had someone to drive other than Erika, who was still nervous and easily distracted. If the triplets start crying it would be a disaster.

Erika brought a shopping cart up to the van. Idina sat Soren and Zephyr down in the seats, opting to hold Lucinda. Soren was in his oversized Eeyore costume. The kid adored it and it was the easiest thing to get him into. It was a fir to take him out of it though. Idina put the hood up and cooed at the infant.

Zephyr was dressed in jeans and a shirt and vest with an adorable navy hat that Walker had chosen out. She could already tell the two of them would be close. It would take years because of the age gap, but in the end, Idina was positive her kids would be a tight-knit group.

She struggled to push the cart and carrying Lucinda until Erika offered to carry the girl. Idina handed the child over reluctantly, but Erika had two hands free to prevent the baby from falling. Erika smiled and cooed and Lucinda, lifting her and making her giggle. Idina smiled. She needed to focus more on the positives, like the way her two daughters interacted.

She talked to the boys as they walked through the parking lot. She had read somewhere it was good for them, to talk to them and explain stuff to them, not just talk random gibberish at them. She could tell it was working. They had picked up on a few things, they seemed to get 'kiss' and they knew their names. She was also certain they had some understanding of 'mommy', 'daddy', 'Walk', and 'Erika.' While she was not sure they knew they were not dogs, she did think they had a grasp on Louie being one. And Louie was the only one who was their size, and everyone treated Louie like a fourth baby so she could not blame them.

She fished around her purse for the shopping list. Idina never bothered even trying to remember it now. The last thing she needed was to forget something, either as a normal occurrence or because she was having an off day. Walker noticed everything. She was surprised he had left the house when he knew Aaron was not home.

Quick and efficient was the plan. She was worried the security would bring unwanted attention, but with three babies she was sure to be noticed anyway. The triplets needed new experiences. Shopping centers were one of them.

The boys kept reaching out for her face and poking at it, similarly as they had when Erika had first come home with her glasses.

"It's just mommy," she told them.

"I think it's 'cause you're wearing makeup," Erika said. "It makes you look different."

"Duh," Idina replied with a chuckle. That is why she wore it. "But I'm good without it too," she added. The last thing she wanted was to push her insecurities on her girls.

"I said different not better," Erika said quietly, turning away as they rounded the corner.

"Oh, Erika, honey I'm not mad," Idina replied quickly, rubbing her back. "Okay?"

Erika nodded. Lucinda gurgle something and grabbed her glasses. "Those stay on my face, silly," Erika told her. The baby waved them triumphantly. Erika took them back and put them on. "You don't look bad, just different," Erika said.

"I know," Idina replied with a smile.

"You look nicer without it, not like visual nicer but like a nicer person nicer," she finished.

"That's very sweet," Idina said.

They walked around the store, grabbing items. It was early in the morning; not many people were out yet. She talked the triplets through it. Mommy wants this for supper, and this is a treat for Walker for being such a brave boy and an amazing older brother. Look, we put these in the cart... yes, like that! She had exclaimed as Soren took something from her and threw it in the cart. Lucinda went for Erika's glasses.

"These stay in my face," Erika told her. "Okay, Cindy? Glasses on my face."

The baby giggled in response and Erika blew her a kiss, smiling. She might not have been interested when Idina was pregnant, but now she loved her siblings. That much was clear. Idina wished the two of them could share something like that one day.

"I was thinking," Erika said quietly as they went down the toiletry aisle. Idina needed bladder leak underwear and she was going to sucker punch anyone who took out a camera. She encouraged the girl to keep speaking, keep distracting her "What if I weren't to inherit the money. Like they cannot disinherit me, but what if we could prove I am not related to them. Like us and them, we both agree to get a botched DNA test, or they ask for a DNA test against someone they know will draw negative or inconclusive results, and if neither of us challenges it then it goes to someone else, not me and it's no longer an issue."

Idina stared at her for a moment, soaking it in. "I'll call Carlyle and see what he thinks," she replied. She did not know what she thought. Talking things over with Aaron would help.

Erika nodded and they continued down the aisle till Idina found what she wanted and crossed the last item off the list., then proceeded to the checkout. As they started loading the conveyor belt, Zephyr started to become very fussy, grunting and wiggling in his seat. It did not take long to realize what was up. The smell tipped her off almost instantly.

"I'm going to take him to the change room," she told Erika, handing her the debit card. "Finish up here and if I'm not back, load everything into the van, okay?"

Erika nodded. She put Lucinda down in the seat where Zephyr had been. The baby stared up at her, absolutely offended to be sat down and buckled into the cart when she had just previously been free.

"Get over it," Idina told her, kissing both babies on the cheeks. She told the guard to stay with Erika and the two babies. She would be fine on her own, she hoped.

When she made it back, everything was paid for the bags were almost finished being packed.

"Hey, Erika," someone called out. Erika jumped beside her, startled.

Idina stood up straighter, a bit more later and took hold of her daughter's wrist. A boy around Erika's age jogged up to them smiling and waving. Idina had not seen him before.

"Hi," the boy said again.

"Hi," Erika said.

He turned to Idina and smiled. "Hi, I'm in some of Erika's classes," he said, extending a hand. "My name's Sacha, we moved here a month ago." He had a slight French accent.

"Oh, uh, nice to meet you," she said, a bit flustered at his forwardness. Zephyr struggled in her arm. His skin was tanner than hers and his hair reminded her of Walker's. he had a wide smile and stood around Aaron's height.

"Mon Dieu, Sacha, qu'est-que tu fais ici?" someone said, running up to them. The girl looked like she was the boy's sister. "Sorry about him, he's like a puppy sometime." She grabbed his wrist and pulled him away. "We have to finish the shopping today," she said as she dragged him off.

He waved at them as he disappeared towards the self-checkouts.

"So," Idina said, turning back to Erika.

"It's just some guy in my class," she replied.

"He was excited to see you."

"He's excited to see everyone," she replied.

"He's cute," she teased.

"He has a girlfriend so stop," Erika replied. "Also, we, why do think someone my age is cute?"

Idina snorted. "Walker's cute, and so are the babies," she argued even though it meant different things. She was about to say something else then decided against it, instead of grilled her further. Sacha had a girlfriend already because he talked to everybody. He knew the kids of the janitor and was well above Erika's idea of appropriate extraversion. He was borderline extreme, and apparently, Hudson agreed.

"Talking to people is good," Idina reminded her.

"Yes, but I'm never going to walk up to someone in the street and say 'hi'."

"That's true," Idina said as they exited the building.

When they made it to the car, they crossed paths with Sacha and his sister again. Their cars were parked close and he talked at them across a couple of parking spots while they loaded groceries. Everything from the sunrise in the morning to the football game last Friday.

Idina suddenly; felt lost as he started going on with terms, she was not familiar with. Erika whispered a clarification to her.

"Wait, you like football?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I did cheer for a bit, so I had to know the game."

"Here?"

She shook her head again. "In New York, it was quite a few years ago." She turned away completely from the conversation after that, slightly irritated.

He was nice, but he asked too many questions for Erika's comfort.

"We have to get going," Idina said politely as she loaded the infants into the car, "it was very nice getting to talk to you."

"You too Erika's mom!" he called back. "And you," he said, motioning to the security guard, "dad?" he questioned.

"That's Miguel, he's security," Erika said dryly.

"Oh," Sacha said, his face falling. "You have security?"

"Yes."

He seemed a bit taken aback by her sudden brashness.

"We need to be going," Idina said calmly, motioning for Erika to step into the van. "You've got work," she reminded her, even though Erika knew.

"Yes," Erika replied quickly, climbing into the back and sitting down.

They left shortly after, dropping Erika off at her work.

~

When Idina got home, Aaron was already there. She was not expecting him to be home so soon, but she was glad. Two of his sisters were there, Remona and Suzanne. They helped Idina put the triplets down for their afternoon nap before leaving.

Idina cuddled Aaron, leaning back on the couch while he tried to lay down on her, but the size difference was too much.

"I don't think this is a good idea," he said.

"Shut up and be loved," she told him, gesturing for him to sit with her. She wrapped her arms around his waist, letting him rest on top of her. "I feel like I'm five with one of those giant carnival teddy bears," she told him, kissing his cheek. "How are you feeling?"

"Not excited for the painkiller to wear off," he replied. He seemed a bit groggy. "This isn't very comfortable, do you even like laying like this?" he asked.

"I'm half the size of you," she pointed out, "I don't mind this. Like I said it is that carnival teddy bear feeling," she replied, slipping her hands under his shirt and holding onto him tightly. "Thank you," she told him. "I know it was a bit silly but it's giving me severe peace of mind. So, thank you, Aaron," she repeated. "I honestly do not know how to express how grateful I am." She closed her eyes and pressed her cheek against his, exhaling slowly.

"Don't call it silly," Aaron replied. "If it is allowing you to feel better, then it's not silly. Dee, your mental health is not silly."

"I know, it just, seems kind of..."

"Oh, god, Dee, don't tell me this is unnecessary now!" he joked.

She chuckled. "Thanks again," Idina said, kissing his cheek.

He cocked his head to kiss her on the lips, his hand going to her hair.

"This is a nice angle," he muttered on her skin. "maybe it's not so bad."

"You sound sleepy," she informed him.

"I'm not; tell me how the morning went. Sue and Rem are more excited about spending time with the triplets than with me since their kids are off to college. Mom is still being stubborn but dad's getting annoyed with her, and my other sisters, you met them I think, they're still off in Europe but I think Liz moved to New Zealand and I got all the family gossip."

"That's very amusing," Idina said. "You don't think your mom's going to be causing any more issues?'

"I don't think dad will let her, and if she does, I'm in your corner, always."

Idina then told him about the morning, which led to an in-length discussion on the court case. Idina was still wondering if there was foul play. Something about everything was rubbing her the wrong way, and now that she knew there was money involved it was not hard to see why. But she now agreed with Aaron, Erika's wishes were most important. She needed their support now more than ever.

"Carlyle's still saying to be bothered with the websites, but I'm having trouble believing someone would go through all that effort without having something to gain. I don't think it's just messing with us," she admitted.

"I thought you weren't looking at them Idina," Aaron replied, his tone serious.

"I'm not. Looking at the websites. I'm aware they exist."

"Idina, please don't," he begged. "Please Dee. Nothing good can come from it."

"I don't want to be ignorant."

"I'm not asking you too, honey. All I am asking is that you do not let the angry men who never moved out of their parent's basements rant on the internet get to you. Don't give them any attention."

"Lester Friday was an angry man ranting in his basement! I am pretty sure if he found a way to message me again, you would want to know. And you saw that one I showed you, that sounded just like him. What if it is not a copycat? What if Walker's grandparents actually want to hurt the boys? Shouldn't we have some sort of idea what happening?"

"Idina, those two situations are not equitable," Aaron said calmly. He took one of her hands and began to massage her palm while she huffed but did not take her hand away from him. "You are right, there could be threats, however, these are strangers with little capacity. It is cyberbullying and there is nothing we can do about it but ignore them. With all the scrutiny about Erika's safety we would hear about it if any of those... harmless, mad little people posed a valid threat. 'Kay baby? I know you think I do not care. I do, I do, Dee. I just do not want to fixate on something we cannot change. Security in the house? We can work on that. Getting the kids to and from school safely? We can work on that. Controlling what every angry person with a keyboard says? We can't."

"How do you do it?" she asked. "Because whenever I try I can't. I think about how the texting got out of hand with the blackmailer and I keep thinking that if we catch it sooner it won't ever get to that point again."

"But this did not start online Dee," Aaron said. "It did get out of hand, and I'm not going to say it was not partly your fault, but we know what to do now, and how to move forward. Will you do the same thing if it happens again?"

"No," she admitted. "At the very least I'd stomp on my phone, but I'd probably just tell someone about it and let them deal with it."

"S—"

"And then get worried that they aren't handling it properly and I'll just spiral differently," she finished.

"Or we let the professionals deal with it, and we get you to help right away before you spiral."

"Or the stress breaks my brain and I lose whatever sanity I have left," she huffed.

"That's why we get you help before that happens. It's like cancer, early detection and treatment is better than letting it get to stage three."

She nodded. "What about you?" Idina asked after a minute.

"Me?"

"Yeah, how are you feeling inside? What makes you nervous? There must be something. Don't let me be all alone over here."

"Well..." he muttered, not wanting to say a word. Her. Idina made him so nervous. Of course, the kids scared him sometimes, but it was his wife who constantly swam around in his brain. He thought of her every morning, and not in the sweet romantic way. In the way where he had to check her breathing and wonder if today a good or bad day would be. How Walker would react. How she would react Walker. If every day not medicated was bringing them closer to disaster.

"What?" she asked. Not mad, just kind, concerning. Caring. Idina. She gave him an encouraging squeeze. "it's me, isn't it? I am not surprised. I would be too if I were you. I just want to know how, what it's like for you," she pleaded. "I don't want to feel like I'm the only one who feels like our lives are bordering on insanity."

"Yeah, Dee, you worry me sometimes," he admitted. He did not want to make her worse. If she started worrying about him, it would be too much.

"And?" she prompted.

"And what?" he asked.

"And does it bother you every day? What is it like? Be honest with me, I want to know it all. I tell you everything. You could offer me the same courtesy."

"I don't want to burden you," he told her.

"You can't decide what burdens me," she replied. "We are a team. I am not letting you go until you spill, which means I cannot move, which means no one is going to pick Walker, or Erika, up tonight. No one will take care of the triplets. No one's doing anything because I run this household."

He took a deep breath. Then he told her. Slowly, quietly, wishing he could see her face. I could not say she felt lighter. It was already weighing on him that Idina might feel worse. But he felt different. She was quiet the entire time. "I love you Dee, and that means I'm going to worry about you. It means I am going to want what is best for you even when you do not like it. I am going to worry about you, just like you do with the kids. And I am going to worry about the kids too, I just think they are a bit better off right now. I put out fires as they come, you like to douse every bush so nothing can light in the first place. Not that damage control is bad, I think there are some situations where it's better for everyone until we know if we need to do damage control or not."

She was quiet.

"Are you going to say something?" he asked.

He felt her shake her head. "I'm just going to hold you," she whispered. "I love you. Please take care of yourself just as much as you do me."

"I am," he said, kissing her hand. "And maybe we can find a compromise about the sites. I just do not want you reading them. Live in the moment a bit. We have got five kids. This time next year Erika will be filling out university applications. The triplets will be over a year old. Walker's going to be less than a year away from being a teenager. I know you are worried about being there in the future, but I do not want you missing out now either. I know that I act like everything is fine. I just like taking a breather and enjoying what we have."

"If I could go back, and if I had to do all this over again... you know I cannot, I told you. It is not fair or right. I cannot tell Erika my life is fine. I cannot tell sixteen-year-old me it is either. But if I had to, I would want to spend more time with everyone. Erika when she first came to live with us. I hate it so much that I did not. Maybe it worked in our favour, maybe it is why we are still seeing issues. Either way, you're right."

"Let's make a plan," he said. "I like plans, you like plans. We can talk to Carlyle, see what is realistic. Make up a list about everything you're worried about and address it one by one."

"Deal," Idina said.

~

Lists worked. While she hated scheduling her life like she was on tour, it worked. They were in the process of doing a DNA test. Just because Erika was related to her parents does not mean her parents are who people think they are. All they needed was someone far enough away that the results would cast doubt, and considering how old the will was, it should not be hard to find an extended family member that would bring the results back negative. It was a win-win.

Idina also satisfied herself that Marcia and Jeffries just wanted to be in Walker's life. They did not care about the triplets. It was hard hearing someone did not care about them, but maybe it was for the best.

There was nothing to do about the websites, other than assuring herself that the right authorities would know if something dangerous popped up, especially concerning Erika. She promised herself not to look at the sites unless she was with Aaron, so she would curl up in his arms and skim them before bed, while he silently worried.

The holidays were approaching. After a very spirited talk with Walker, they had agreed to all gifts on Christmas, but Hanukkah traditions and celebrations would be done and had to be attended by everyone, on a threat of no Christmas, Walker specifically. No avoiding them to play with friends. He promised to keep it if she promised to be here on Christmas. No more hospitals.

Thanksgiving was vast approaching. They could not travel with Erika, but it seemed wrong to ask everyone to uproot their lives to come to spend it with them again. Aaron kept telling her they could sort it out later, but soon there would be no later. He had immediate family who could still attend if his mother did not come. Cara was coming out with her husband and sons as they were sick of the cold weather. Idina hated to admit it, but she wanted to see her mother again.

Instead of counting the days till thanksgiving, which she hated anyway, she was counting the day until the tests came back. The will would be void. She would be free to adopt Erika.

Soothing Zephyr to sleep, she walked around the upstairs. Walker was in his room, chatting with his grandparents. She smiled at waved at them when her little boy held the screen up. They waived back and plaid "guess the baby" at their grandson's behest. They got it right, but there was a thirty-three percent chance they would. Fifty-fifty if they noticed she had been carrying a boy. But she smiled and went along anyway, exchanging pleasantries and life details because it meant she could sit on Walker's bed and cuddle him while he cooed over his bother.

"I'm sure everything's going to work out the way it's intended too," Marcia said.

Idina smiled and thanked her. She wondered if they had contact with Taye. If they wanted to contact Taye. If they knew what he did and if they did; if they blamed her. Those were questions she would never get answered.

Zephyr finally dozed off and she went to put him in his crib and wished him pleasant dreams, turning to see Aaron smiling in the doorframe. Yesterday had been a bad day. Today was light and airy, but a good day.

He smelt like his favourite shampoo. And he was right, as usual. Focusing on today was a good idea today because tomorrow might be worse.

~

A few days before the test was scheduled to come in Idina found Erika going through the New York box in her room.

"I'm just making sure there's not something in here that could ruin everything," Erika told her.

Idina looked over what was sprawled out on the bed. Mementos of a life Erika hated, one Idina was not a part of. A collection of letters tied with a worn shoelace. A few books with stains and rips and possibly mould. A bright orange sweater with a whole and skid marks across the back.

"That's going in the garbage," Erika said. "I always hated it and now I have something nice," she informed her, motioning to the light blue sweater she was wearing. Idina had to admit it was a nicer colour.

"That's up to you," she said,

"And no holes," Erika said as she pulled out another shirt and stuck two fingers through a rip in the seams, then turned it inside out. "I don't think this even fits anymore." She threw it on top of the orange sweater.

"Can I help?" Idina asked, "or do you want to be alone."

"You might have a better idea of what I'm looking for," Erika said.

"Are you sure?" she pressed. "I don't want to accidentally stumble across—"

"It is fine," she said tartly. "I'm kind of surprised they pulled out this much stuff. It's almost everything I think."

"Everything?"

"So maybe I was lying when I said I had nothing," Erika replied.

"That's not when I meant," she trailed off. She would have expected more. Then again, she was not sure why.

Idina stuck her hand into the box and felt something sharp pierce her skin. She pulled her hand away to see blood beading on a cut that went from the tip of her pinkie to the center of her palm. Erika did not seem to notice. She was going through the pile of letters.

Idina reached in again, this time paying more attention and pulled out a picture frame. The glass had been shattered. The picture was a bit scraped, but it was still quite pristine. There was a young Erika. She could not age her, but maybe around twelve, judging by who was standing next to her. A tall girl with colour-blocked dyed shoulder-length hair. They were both dressed in cheerleading costumes and Erika had her hair up in a sparkly bow. They were posed with their left hands on their hip, and the other one straight up at the sky, holding blue and white pompoms.

"What's that?" Erika asked when she noticed Idina staring at something.

"Oh, uh..."

"Aw," Erika said when she saw it. "I love that picture."

Love. There was the word Erika could not say out loud about anyone under this roof, yet she applied it so easily to the picture.

"Pride, tradition, we've got no competition. That is the cheer. Followed by the very obnoxious 'Tiger fans in the stands, lemme hear you clap your hands.'"

Idina looked over at her. She had a sad smile. Like the memory brought her joy, but it was painful to know what she lost.

"The glass is broken," Erika noted.

"I'm sure we've got some extra frames in the storage room."

"No," the girl said a bit too quickly. "It's fine, I'm sure." She took the picture from Idina and undid the back. Using a discarded shirt, she broke the rest of the glass from the frame before putting the picture back inside and placing it on her nightstand beside one of her, Walker, Aaron, and the triplets. Idina had taken that picture.

Erika quietly fished out more broken glass from the box and wrapped it all up in her shirt before dumping it all in her garbage can.

"Sometimes we'd mess the cheer up and say 'Tiger stans in the fans,'" she muttered, and she made sure there was no glass left in the box.

"What?" Idina asked. She had zoned out staring at the picture.

"Nothing," Erika replied. "Can you look through some of the papers? Most of it's probably defuncted now, but maybe there's something on them you'll notice since you've been looking at all the legal papers."

"Right," Idina said. They were here to make sure there were no more surprises. Not to rehash Erika's old life.

The teen handed Idina the stack of hand-written letters too, in addition to an envelope of official-looking documents. She started reading over them while Erika took more things out of the box. A few more books got spread evenly between the pile of the books and the orange sweater which seemed to be her 'dump' pile. Another picture, with a cracked, but still intact frame, that went on her nightstand. Old notebooks and textbooks in the dump pile. A few plain shirts and jeans were covered in embroidery that got neatly folded. Her entire life fit into one box and a handful of legal documents. She could not have enough stuff in there to make a mess in a room this large if she tried.

"I don't think the jeans fit," she said, looking at a pair. "They're nice though."

"Do you want to keep them?"

"Why, they don't fit?"

"Maybe Cindy might like them when she grows up," Idina said, "or you might want to give them to your daughter."

"I'm never having children," Erika said as she folded them back up.

"Why?" Idina asked.

Erika was silent for a moment. "I just, I don't think I can consciously, morally, say that I'd create a new person without their consent and bring them into the world after everything. No one asks to be born. We just have to grin and accept it like as if the greatest gift we ever got."

"Isn't it?" Idina asked, unsure where she was going.

"No, it isn't. I could have done without being born, but there is nothing I can do about that. As for my greatest gift, it is probably you and Aaron. So, like, if I must be here at least I have you two 'cause it's a whole lot worse without you guys." Erika sighed. "I'm never having kids just so they can hate the world. Besides, climate change is going to kill us all. And there is overpopulation, not that I am judging you for the triplets that are not the issue. It is the fact that there are so many people who need a home and instead of thinking about giving one to someone who is already stuck on this planet people think they must create another person because they cannot love them if they are not blood-related. Especially people who do not have the resources to have a kid or people who should not be having kids. I do not care how much someone wants a baby if they cannot care for them, they will not end up caring for them. It's pure selfishness."

"Some people just want to experience childbearing," Idina pointed out.

"That's stupid, you were miserable."

She chuckled. "I was a bit, but it was also magical. I know you weren't keen on feeling the babies move, but it's truly one of the closest things we have to magic."

"It's just, why can't we care for the people we have before we make a big deal about creating new ones? We are actual people, not clothes that go out of fashion. It's very..." her lip quivered. "Upsetting," she finished. Erika sat down on the bed and crossed her arms, pouting in a face Idina had not seen in a long time. It was the angry tormented orphan, except this time Idina was not being shut out. Erika's defence might also be her weak spot.

Idina sat down beside her and rubbed her back. "Those are very valid opinions," Idina said.

"Don't tell me they're valid, I know," she said. "That sounds kind of condescending if anyone else were to say it."

"Life handed you a very bad card," Idina said. "A fucked up, shitty card," she clarified. "And it's given those out to so many other people. And you are right. Instead of trying to clean off and iron out those cards, we just print new ones and try to bury the shitty ones. I am doing my best to clean off yours. It is always going to be stained, but that does not mean it will always be a bad card. You are smart and hard-working. Your chemistry mark has improved drastically," she pointed out. Erika was a few A+s away from matching the highest average. "And you can work to change it. You do not have to sit back and take it anymore because I have got your back. Have you thought about what you want to do in uni?"

"I was thinking I'd go to college and do a trade," she said. "because trades will always be in need. You cannot outsource mechanics. And with trades, you work with your hands. I was always good at labs; it was just the practise exams that tripped me up. But that doesn't help anyone in the end."

"Social work?" Idina suggested.

She shook her head. "It doesn't pay well, and you don't get to make the changes you want. The system needs more people at the top trying to change it."

"Politics?"

"Not my thing."

"What about being a lawyer. You should know how much a good lawyer can do."

Erika was thoughtful. "Maybe," she said. "But I don't even know where to start to get into law school, and it's expensive."

"Erika Rivera, I'm a Disney Queen. I can pay for you to go to law school so if that's your only excuse it is bullshit."

"I don't know where to start."

"You have a thing called an academic advisor. I'd say pull up the school app, arrange an appointment for after school tomorrow, and find out." Idina was serious. She made Erika do it. "Tada, planning for your future. It's not as hard as it looks."

"You're still assuming the adoption goes through."

"Even if it doesn't, I can still fund your education, there's no law against it."

"Wouldn't that create a lot of legal issues with taxes and stuff?"

"Erika, just quit, okay? You do not know what you are talking about. I have investigated this. As much as Aaron and I do not want to have to do it, we have a plan if that happens. Because legal paper or no we care about you and your success and for the rest of your life you will still be expected to show up and call for holiday, fly across the world whenever I get a fancy award and be a good eldest sister to Walk and the triplets, capiche?"

"Fine," she huffed. "We still haven't gotten through all the papers," she said. "I don' think there are any left in the box."

"I highly doubt there's anything in here," Idina said.

"You've been hoping I'd open it for a while, are you going to question my reasoning now?" Erika teased, standing up and pulling out some more clothes.

"No," Idina said, pulling out her stack of paper and continued to skim them.

"And check the letter too," Erika said. "I don't really remember what's in them but there could eb something."

"Are you sure?" she asked. Some of them looked like they had been from Elsa.

"Yeah," Erika said. "We have to check everything."

Idina was not going to put up a fight. She started with the top letter. At first, it was just stuff from her sister. A small note, probably passed in the hallway, asking to meet up. Soon the letters got longer. Then they were not from Elsa at all. They were from her parents. Long letters, two people who were grieving their daughter yet still trying to make sure a strange child was okay filled with small lines Idina could not help but notice.

Did you get the money we sent? I do not mean to pry but Diane is worried it is not getting to you.

Here are some of Elsa's books. Roger wants to keep them, but I want them to get used. She would have hated them laying around.

Do you think you could come to supper tonight?

We are worried about you.

We miss her too. We do not blame you. We never will. We miss you too, please come over if your foster parent allows, there is something we think you should know.

"Do you know what they're talking about?" she asked as Erika handed her another slip of paper.

"What?"

"This letter, they're saying there was something important they thought you should know."

Erika shrugged. "I wasn't allowed to leave the house I was in at the time. I don't think I got all the letters they sent since the only time I ever saw them was when I got the mail myself."

"I'm sure it's nothing."

"Nothing that matters now anyway."

"Do you mind if ask, why, because they seem worried—"

"The system wouldn't allow it for some reason," Erika replied. "And before you ask, I don't know how to contact them. I lost contact on the third house move, there was a meth lab that exploded in the apartment below and it burnt the secret hole under the floorboards I kept sentimental stuff in, including their address. That's when I decided keeping everything on my person again might be better than hiding it."

"Do you want to contact them?" she asked.

Erika shrugged. "I'm sure they know I'm fine, if they even still care," she replied. "And I'm not sure how we would go about that."

"To start with, you have their first and last names."

"Oh, right." She looked stunned. "I don't think they want to hear from me though, it's been so long."

"I think that's exactly why they might want to hear from you."

"If you want to look into it, go ahead," Erika said. "But right now, I really want o get through all of this. For my peace of mind. I do want to stay with you and Aaron and everyone else."

"Okay," Idina replied. She kept reading through all the letters. It was not until she got to some legal documents that some things seemed amiss. She started separating them out. There were records here she had never seen; stuff she was quite sure Florence their social worker had never told her about. Then she found something Carlyle most definitely would want to see.