I groaned and stretched as I, very slowly, made my way back into consciousness. Sleeping hadn’t been the easiest thing to do lately, and the weirdest thing was, I didn’t know why. Nothing particularly had changed in the past five months, so why couldn’t I sleep? Why did I feel as if something bad was about to happen, like my worst nightmares were going to crawl through my window and stare me right in the eyes?

    I sighed. Just what I needed, a headache to start the day. I chuckled, and sat up in my bed. I looked at the clock, and my mouth dropped. The clock read 6:00. PM. Had I really slept for as long as that said? Impossible. Besides, they wouldn’t let me sleep that long at all, would they?

    I jumped out of bed, and ran out the door, and down the stairs. Typically, I tripped over my own feet on the last three, and almost failed to catch myself on the banister.

    I heard two bursts of laughter come from the kitchen.

    “ Shut up.” I told them, coming in. There they were. My babies, my angels. Sitting on the counter, eating a bowl of cereal, was my baby girl. She’d kill me if she knew that I was calling her that (though I was completely surprised that she hadn’t noticed). She was 16 now, her long mahogany hair flowing over her shoulders beautifully. She smirked and shook her head, her entire body shaking with concealed laughter.

    “ Mom, when did you go to sleep?” came a rough yet sweet and protective tone I knew so well. I looked at my son who was sitting at the table with his feet propped up on it, and felt my eyes narrow at the sight. He felt my gaze and, slowly, lowered his feet with a repentant look on his face.

    “ When did you go to sleep, oh mighty protector?” I countered, only half jokingly. Owen did take it upon himself to protect us, and it worried me. Alice giggled. Yes, I named my daughter Alice. And, if that didn’t make me a masochist, her full name was Alice Renee Esme Rose Swan, named after the four most wonderful woman known to the earth.