The universe couldn't let me have three good days in a row.

I couldn't remember the last time I saw Erine cry. She was the strong one in the family and nothing went wrong for her to cry about. I was the crybaby. Here she was crying her eyes out looking so helpless. Something must have gone really wrong. Had something happened to Clara?

I was about to ask but mom shook her head, so I backed out to my room. I'll find out eventually so I didn't want to upset her anymore. Mom knocked on my door later that night. I was dying to know what happened so this is one of those rare times I wanted her in my room.

She didn't speak for a long time either, just stood there near the door looking so heart broken.

"Erine and Clara weren't approved for the baby."

Oh no! No wonder everyone looked so devastated. But seeing the look on my mom's eyes, I knew that wasn't all. There was more bad news and I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"They had a fight and Clara.... Clara went back to her parents'. She said she wanted to be alone for now."

"But Erine...and... Clara,".... were so perfect!

I didn't know what to say or think. I plopped down on my bed and tried to take it all in.

They were Erine and Clara. Bad things didn't happen to them. Why was the universe so cruel?

"Just let her be for tonight, Madeline. Don't make her more upset."

I wasn't even offended at my mom trusting me too little. Beside what was I gonna say to my sister? As painful as this feels for me, I couldn't even imagine what Erine is going through right now.

All the happiness I felt today just wooshed out of me.

I couldn't even sleep well that night. I kept tossing and turning before I gave up and went into the kitchen to get a glass of water. Just my luck, Erine was there too. She didn't even notice me when I came in. Half of me wanted to turn back and run away because I didn't know what to say but I knew I needed to be a good sister.

"How are you feeling?" I asked my voice low so as not to spook her.

She looked at me and I could see her eyes were all red from crying.

"I don't want to talk about it."

That answer made a lot of sense which is why I still don't know what possessed me to ask her the next question.

"Do you know why?"

Erine laughed a little and I knew from her voice that it wasn't because she was happy.

"Oh I know! They gave us a whole bucket list of reasons this time."

How the heck is that even possible. They were perfect applicants.

"But you guys have everything they look for!"

"Not everything Shortie. They say the quota for our race is filled for this year and since we need a surrogate father it doesn't matter that he don't need children of his own right now, he might change his mind in the future."

She sounded so bitter. Not that I could blame her.

Damn the aliens and their racial population quotas. As a means of population control they approve a certain number of births each year to make sure the different unique ethnic groups don't go extinct. If you think that sounds ridiculous it was because it was. Do you know how many smaller ethnic groups went extinct because of this ridiculous approval process?

"Then they say you might want children one day and that might be pushing the limit."

What kind of logic is that? I may never qualify or even chose to have children in the future. How could they make a decision about now thinking about a future that might not even happen?

"They even said that our jobs are too good and we'll never be able to take care of our child because we'll be too busy."

That's a load of bull crap! They would love the baby more than anything!

"I can't have a child and who knows tomorrow I might not even have a wife"

Erine began to sob. I went over and patted her back like I did with Bear. This time it didn't seem to help though.

"You're thinking too much. Clara is a little hurt right now. Give her some time."

Erine wasn't listening to me.

"If she married Greg instead of me she wouldn't have to deal with the surrogate crap. She might even have a child right now."

Greg was this guy in university that was always after Clara when they were in university. Erine mustn't be thinking straight. Under no circumstance was Greg a better choice. That guy never knew when to take no for an answer.

"Don't be ridiculous Erine. Clara loves you and you too deserve each other. She'll be pretty hurt if she heard you right now."

Mom was gonna wake up any second now and tear me a new one for hurting Erine but I was glad she was spilling things instead of bottling them in. At least now I can tell her how stupid she was being.

Her eyes shot up at my face. She looked pretty pissed at me. Oh me and my big mouth.

"And what do you know? Have you ever been in love? What the hell have you ever lost?"

Those questions haunted me for the rest of the night. It sucked even more when I knwe there was nothing I could do to help them.