Emma woke up the next morning before her alarm clock, feeling refreshed.  A good night's sleep was just what she needed.  She checked the clocked.  She'd slept over twelve hours.  Emma swung her feet over the bed and went to the shower.  No one else was up yet.

After her shower, she fixed herself some breakfast and coffee and sat down at the kitchen table.  She began to work on some homework she hadn't gotten to last night.  Looking at the clock, she had about an hour before she needed to leave for school.

The work seemed to go faster since she was awake and alert.  She got through her math homework, but didn't think she'd be able to crack into chem yet.  Emma knew her grade was in trouble - she'd just bombed the test yesterday and now she'd have a late assignment.

Vanessa walked into the kitchen a while later with Emilia and was surprised to see her oldest daughter already up.

"You're up early," she commented, readjusting the baby in her arms.

"I slept for twelve hours," she said as she worked.

"Do you feel better?" Vanessa asked.

"Much," she admitted.

"Do you think you'd be okay with Lin asking your teachers to cut back on your assignments a bit?"

Emma sighed, rubbing at her forehead.  "I don't know, maybe."

"There's no shame in it," Vanessa told her, though she knew Emma probably didn't think about it that way.  Anything less than full throttle wasn't enough with her.

"I think it's a good idea," she told her daughter.  Once you get over this hump, you can get back into everything.

"It seems like this entire year has been one big series of humps," Emma commented.  Vanessa walked to the kitchen table and sat down across from Emma.

"You've had a rough year for sure," she agreed.  "You need to learn when to take a step back."

"I know," she sighed, having heard this from many people many times.

"How's AP chem going?"

"I failed my test yesterday," she told Vanessa.  "I fell asleep and he wouldn't let me make it up during study hall.  Plus I'm behind with homework."

"You know I'm always willing to help you with that," she reminded her.  "How about we work on that homework tonight?"

"Okay," she said.

___

The girls headed into school and Emma was unusually peppy, until it was time for AP chem.  It was her least favorite part of the day.  Her teacher had graded their tests and, as she'd thought, she failed her test.  Emma couldn't remember the last time she'd failed a test.  She spent the whole period feeling angry, and went up to her teacher after class.

"Mr. Gregory," she forced herself to sound respectful.  "I was hoping to talk to you about my test.  Is it possible to correct my test for credit or do extra credit?"

"I'm afraid not, Miss Miranda," he told her.  He was an AP teacher, so he was used to kids coming up to him trying to milk out every point they could get.

"But, Mr. Gregory -"

"Just because you fell asleep in class doesn't mean you get extra time on tests," he told her.  "Get a better night sleep next time."

She sighed in disappointment.  "Could you tell me what my current grade is?"

Mr. Gregory clicked around on his computer.  "B-"

Emma breathed out through her mouth to calm herself.  It was rare to get a B, let alone a B-.  That was almost a C.

"Are you sure there isn't any extra credit work I can do?"

"No," he told her.  "Run along before you're late to class."

Emma was pretty sure she wouldn't be able to pull up her grade before the end of the grading period.  She'd have to settle for a B.  It's not like she'd get in trouble for getting a B or for failing a test, but Emma had very high standards for herself.  She spent the rest of the day peeved.

After the little kids had been put to bed that night, Vanessa sat down with Emma at the kitchen table to help her with her chemistry homework.

"I have a B-," she told Vanessa, like it was the most horrible thing in the world.

"That's fine," Vanessa said.  "In fact, that's great.  This is a really hard class."

"But I don't get B minuses," she pointed out.

"You don't have to be perfect all the time," Vanessa said.  "Let's focus on what we can do now instead of what happened in the past.  Now, let's start on your late assignment."

Emma tried to focus on what Vanessa was saying, but the material was difficult.  Luckily, Vanessa was very patient.  She explained the concepts again and again until they began to seem more clear.  They worked for a good two hours and decided to stop around 10:00.  Emma was caught up and feeling better.

The next day was Emma's therapy appointment.  She reluctantly went back, though the onset of nightmares had her suspicious about their effectiveness.

"Any nightmares since our last session?" The therapist asked.

"Luckily, no," Emma reported, though she got anxious when she climbed into bed at night.

"Good," she said.  "Do you feel anxious any other times of day?"

"Not really," Emma said.  "Though I try to avoid the spot where it happened."

The therapist nodded in understanding.  "I imagine so.  Have you talked to any of the others students who were there?"

"I've talked to Seth a bit," she reported.  "He got shot in the foot.  We're both kind of frustrated by our parents' reactions."

"How so?"

"They're just overly worried now.  It's a bit exhausting, really, having them constantly checking on you.  It's like they walk on eggshells around us sometimes."

"How do you think they're feeling?"

"I'm sure it was terrifying," Emma said.  "But it's not like it's going to happen again.  I think they need to take it down a notch."

"How have you been sleeping?"

"Not so great," she said.  "I'm having nightmares a couple times a week at least.  I fell asleep in class the other day."

"Did you talk to your parents about cutting down on work?"

"Yeah," Emma said.  "I guess it's a good idea."

"I agree.  Let's get you through this, then focus on school again."

___

That night, Lin pulled up his email and called Emma over.

"Em, I emailed all your teachers," he told her.  "They're all very receptive to you cutting back on work.  In fact, they're glad we want you to take it down.  You overachiever."

Emma rolled her eyes.  "I'm not that bad."

Lin smirked.  "They'll tell you your adjusted assignment each time, starting tomorrow."

"Super," Emma said, patting the kitchen counter.  She had to admit, it would be nice to have a little less homework.  Maybe she could read a book.

___

Over the next few weeks, Lin and Vanessa began to notice a marked difference in both Lexi and Emma.  With Emma's reduced workload, she was able to go to bed earlier and was getting 9 hours of sleep most of the time.  She noticed she had more energy for ballet, which was a plus.  Lexi had one more panic attack, oddly when Sebastian had been having a temper tantrum.  The kid had gotten so loud that it had sent Lexi into a tailspin.

Lexi had her friend Savi over for a sleepover one Friday night.  Since doing Moana and the talent show together, they'd become pretty close.  Lexi had convinced Savi to join the volleyball team with her.  They would start practice next week.  Lexi had taken it upon herself to teach her the basics of the game.  They were watching videos on Youtube.

"How do I get the ball to stop hurting my forearms?" Savi asked.

"It takes some time, but you build a tolerance," Lexi explained.  "You're not afraid of the ball, which is the main thing."

Savi stuck another gummy worm in her mouth.  "Plus, we'll have rockin' bods for the summer."

Lexi giggled.  "Do you have a bikini?"

"No, my parents won't let me," she said.

"Do you like any boys at school?" Lexi asked.

Savi blushed and twisted her lips to the side.  "Maybe..."

"Spill!" Lexi said.  The subject turned to the boys in their grade.  Neither of them had ever had a boyfriend or kissed a boy.

"Do you wonder what it's like to kiss a boy?" Savi asked.

"Yeah," Lexi said.  "I don't get how people stick their tongues in each other's mouths.  That seems gross."

"Yes!" Savi agreed.  "Germs.  Plus boys eat disgusting things like beef jerky and nacho sauce.  Has your sister kissed a boy before?"

"Yeah," Lexi said.  "I think she's done more than that."

Savi opened her mouth.  "Really?"

Savi thought Emma was the coolest.  She was one of the more popular girls in the high school.  "Do you think she'd tell us what it's like?"

"I don't know.  Maybe.  I think she's out with her friend Seth tonight," Lexi said.

"Seth Matthews?"

"Yep."

"He's so cute."

"I know," Lexi smiled.  "We should spy on them tonight."

The girls agreed they would stay up.  Emma's curfew was 11:00.  They hid in the corner behind a couple chairs around 10:50.  A few minutes after 11, Emma walked in with Seth, holding hands.  She was allowed to have a boy over as long as they didn't go into her bedroom.

They sat on the couch and started chatting.  Emma was laughing a lot.  They noticed Seth put his hand on her leg a few times.  It started to quiet down and they saw Seth lean in to kiss Emma.  They closed their eyes and started kissing gently on the lips, then they began opening their mouths and let their tongues mingle.

"Ewww," Savi whispered.  They continued to watch and saw Seth reach for Emma's chest.  Lexi couldn't help it anymore.  She tried to stifle a laugh, but it was too loud.  Emma and Seth broke apart.  Emma stood up.

"Lexi, get out of here, you little brat!" she yelled.  The girls laughed and immediately ran towards Lexi's room, cracking up.  They slammed the door, afraid that Emma would come after them.  Lin opened the door at the sound.

"What's going on?" he called from the door.

"Lexi and her friend were spying on me," Emma said.  Lin sighed and walked to Lexi's door.  He knocked and then stepped inside.

"Lex, seriously?" he asked his daughter.  The girls were still laughing.  "Give your sister some privacy."

"He was touching her boob!" Lexi said.  "And their tongues were touching.  It was disgusting."

Lin hoped Lexi continued to think that way.  "Thanks for that.  Stay in here for the rest of the night.  Don't stay up too much longer."

The girls erupted in giggles once Lin shut the door behind him.  He rolled his eyes but smiled as he went back to his bedroom.  He and Vanessa weren't overly prudish about Emma and her boyfriends.  They were teenagers not long ago, and it was perfectly normal to want to make out.  Emma was given a certain level of privacy, but wasn't allowed to have guys back in her room.

Back in the living room, Emma sat back on the couch and sighed.  "Sorry about them.  They're dorks."

"They're just curious," he said.

"They're creepy," she told him.

Seth let his fingers wander to the little bullet wound scar on Emma's upper arm.  He fingered it gently.

"You've been so much braver than I've been," he told her.

Emma scoffed.  "Obviously you weren't there for when I woke up screaming from nightmares."

"You're not the only one," he said.  "I've been having nightmares like crazy.  I can barely sleep."

Emma knew the therapist had talked about other kids having nightmares, but it hadn't really sunk in that others were having problems.  Of course they were.  They'd all been through a terrible trauma.

"What are your nightmares like?" Emma asked.

"I'm frozen and I can't move," he said.  "I usually wake up right before I get shot."

"Mine are kind of the same," Emma said  "I can't hide and the shooter finds me."

"Do you think they'll stop?  The nightmares?" He asked gently.

"Eventually," she said.  "But not for a while."

"Well," he said.  "If you wake up in the middle of the night with a nightmare, give me a call.  We can talk."

Emma smiled at that.  He was so sweet.  She leaned forward and they began kissing hungrily again.  Emma felt really connected to Seth now, since they'd both been through the same experience.  Her friends had been super supportive of her after the shooting, but they didn't completely understand.  Seth did, because he'd been shot as well.  He'd been through the shock of realizing a bullet had entered your body, and wondering if you'd live or die.

They kissed for a long time before finally breaking apart.  Seth rested his forehead against hers.

"I better go," he said quietly, giving her another sweet kiss.  Emma nodded, feeling tired.  She stood up and led him to the doorway.  They shared a couple more kisses before he left and Emma locked the door behind him.  She sighed and smiled before walking down the hallway.

Emma pushed her sister's door open.  The girls were on the iPad watching more volleyball videos.

"Alright, dorks," she said, closing the door.  "What do you want to know?  What are you so curious about?"

The girls looked at each other and Emma turned off the iPad.

"You've never kissed a boy have you?" Emma guessed, sitting on her sister's desk chair.

"No..." Lexi admitted.  "Isn't it...gross, having someone else's tongue in your mouth?"

"No," Emma said.  "Unless they have bad breath."

"You're not worried about germs or anything?" Savi added.

"No, it's not like that," Emma said.  "It just feels good."

Savi looked at her friend nervously. This was a little uncomfortable but they had some burning questions.  Wasn't this what older sisters were for?

"Have you...had sex?" Lexi asked her sister, saying the word 'sex' very softly.

"Yeah," Emma said.  "When Alex and I were together."

"What's it like?  Does it hurt?"

"It hurt the first time, but after that it's good."

"Is it true that you bleed?" Savi asked, feeling braver now that Lexi was asking a lot of questions.

"I didn't," Emma said.  "But some people do. So, do you two have a crush on anyone at school?"

They named off a couple guys they had crushes on.  Emma nodded in approval. 

"You should go on a double date," Emma suggested.  "It takes the pressure off.  You could go to a coffee shop or an arcade or something."

"How do you know if a boy wants to kiss you?"  Lexi asked her sister.

"I think most guys in middle school are desperate to kiss anybody," she said.  "It's safe to say those guys want to kiss you.  But don't rush it."

"But how do you know you're not rushing it?" Lexi probed.

"You just kinda know," Emma said.  "It'll just feel right."

Emma got up.  "Alright, dorks.  I'm going to bed.  Let me know if you have more questions."

Lexi and Savi were quiet after Emma left.  They were kind of amazed they'd gotten all that information.  Thank goodness they had an older sister to explain things.

___

The next morning, Vanessa smiled at Emma, who was obviously on cloud nine.  She knew she'd had a date with Seth the night before.  Vanessa liked Seth.  He was a sweet kid, and he'd been through the shooting as well.  She thought it was a good connection for them to have.  Maybe they'd help each other through emotionally.

After the others had cleared away, Vanessa sat down with her coffee mug.

"So, how'd it go with Seth?"

Emma smiled.  "Fine," she said.  "We kissed a little at the end of the night."

Vanessa nodded, smiling.  "So are you exclusive?"

"We haven't said so officially, but yeah," Emma said.

Vanessa tried to pull a few more details out of her, but Emma was only going so far.  She assured Vanessa they weren't having sex and weren't close to having sex.  Emma knew Lin was probably getting antsy.

Lin walked by and deposited Emilia in Vanessa's arms.  "She doesn't want me."

Vanessa rocked the baby around a little as she cried softly.  She'd just eaten, so she was just being a whiner.

"Lexi and Savi were being such dorks last night," Emma said.  "They were spying on me and Seth."

"Seriously?" Vanessa asked, rolling her eyes.  "I guess it's about time I had the talk with her.  What should I say?"

"Beats me," Emma said.  "You're the adult."

Vanessa chewed on her thumbnail a bit.  How did parents know what to say?  She had a pretty good relationship with Lexi, so she thought it wouldn't be quite as awkward as some mother/daughter talks.

"They do cover a lot at school," Emma pointed out.  "Just ask if she has questions I guess."

Lexi and Savi were still in Lexi's room fast asleep.  Around 11:00, Lin sent Sebastian in to wake them up.  Savi was in her sleeping bag on the floor.  Sebastian sat on her chest and started to gently pat her face to wake her up.

"Saviiiii...." he called.  "Daddy says it's time to get up.  So get up."

Savi laughed and tickled the little boy.  He rolled off to the side and then climbed up on Lexi's bed.  He began jumping up and down.

"Wexiii!!!  Wexii!!  Get your booty out of bed!" he told his big sister.  Lexi rolled over and he pounced on her legs, then started smacking her bottom.  "Lazy bones!"

Lin pushed the door open and called his son, "Good job, Seb.  Come on.  Girls, shake a leg."

The two middle schoolers reluctantly began to stretch and wake up.  A few minutes later, they were in the bathroom and at the breakfast bar.  They'd eaten tons of junk food the night before, so they weren't feeling the greatest.

"Savi, your mom texted me and said she'd be by around noon to pick you up," Vanessa told her.  That didn't leave the girls that much time.  After breakfast, they disappeared to Lexi's room to have a few more minutes together.

After Savi had left, Vanessa went to Lexi's room.  Her room was a bit of a mess after her sleepover.

"Did you have fun with Savi?"

"Yeah," Lexi said, laying on her unmade bed.  "We're gonna be on the volleyball team together."

"Great," Vanessa said, sitting on her bed.  "I heard you were spying on Emma and Seth last night."  She gave her daughter a pointed, but amused look.

"We were just being silly," Lexi assured her mother.

"Well, it got my thinking that we haven't really had 'the talk' yet," she continued.

Lexi immediately flushed.

"Vanessa, please don't," she said, letting out an annoyed moan.

"No, it's important," Vanessa insisted.  "What have they talked to you about at school?"

She sighed.  "The junk and how a baby starts to develop."

"Good," she said.  "And have you talked about menstruation yet?"

Lexi twisted her face in disgust.  "Yes," she grumbled.  "Why don't guys have to deal with anything disgusting like that?"

"I know, it isn't fair," Vanessa agreed.  "You haven't started yet, I assume, since you haven't come to me."

"No," Lexi said.  "And I'd like it to stay that way for as long as possible."

"It usually starts when you get to around 100 pounds, so I imagine it'll be soon," Vanessa told her.  "You'll probably want to use pads when you first start out."

"Tampons seem...invasive," Lexi said.

"It's not that bad," Vanessa said.  "They're pretty small, really.  You'll probably prefer them eventually because it's way cleaner."

Lexi shuddered at the thought, but Vanessa figured she'd probably feel differently in a few years.

"So...any other questions for me?  Are you curious about anything?"

"Emma said it hurts the first time you have sex," Lexi said.

Vanessa nodded.  "A little bit, but it's not terrible.  That'll fade."

"Did it hurt your first time?"

Vanessa thought back.  "Yes, it did.  Are you worried about that?"

"Yeah, a bit," Lexi admitted.

"Well, don't be.  It's more like it's a bit uncomfortable."

"Does it hurt for the guy?"

"I don't think so," she said.  "You can ask Lin."

Lexi made a disgusted face.  "No thanks."

Vanessa told Lexi that she could come to her or Lin with any questions, though she doubted she'd ever ask Lin anything.  That would be super embarrassing.  Vanessa realized she also had an older sister, who could be great for answering questions.

Vanessa walked out to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of wine, looking relieved but uncomfortable.  Lin was playing with the boys on the floor with some Legos.

"What's wrong?" he asked his wife.

"I just had the talk with Lexi," she reported.

Lin gave her a sorry look.  "How'd it go?"

"Fine," she said.  "She's just curious.  School already covered a lot of it.  She did want to know whether it hurts the first time for guys.  I told her to ask you, but I doubt she will."

Lin laughed at that.  "No I don't think she'd ever ask me that," he agreed.

"So, does it?"

"What?"

"Hurt?"

Lin shook his head.  "Nah.  You girls get the short end of the stick.  Sorry 'bout that."

Vanessa rolled her eyes and sat down with her wine as Francisco pummeled his father.

"Good one, Franky," she praised him, causing the boys to laugh.  "You're gonna stay mom's boys forever, right?  You won't want a girlfriend when you get older."

"Girls are gross!" Sebastian said, making a sick face.

"That's right," Vanessa agreed.  "Stay away from girls.  No kissing."

Sebastian acted like he was barfing.  Lin started tickling him, thankful he still had a good ten years or so before he had to have the talk with Sebastian.  He liked to think he and his sons would have a really good, open relationship as they got older.  Lin hoped they knew they could talk to him about anything.  He would raise them to be respectful of women, polite and chivalrous.

"I don't think you'll be able to find anyone as pretty as Mommy," Lin said, laying on his back.  He was a jungle gym.

"Mommy's the prettiest," Sebastian agreed.  Vanessa sipped her wine and smiled at her son.  She knew they wouldn't stay little boys forever, so she tried to savor their time.  Soon, they would be in school and in the blink of an eye they'd be graduating.

Moments later, they heard Emilia crying from her crib in their bedroom.  Lin stood up and passed Franky to his wife.  He planted a sweet kiss on her lips.

"I'll get her," he told her, since she was relaxing.  Franky cuddled into his mother's arms, always up for a snuggle.  Vanessa wrapped her arms around her youngest son and kissed the top of his head.

"Don't grow up too fast, buddy."