Colleen Cooper was sitting in school. One minute she was listening to Reverend Johnson and the next she was asleep. At the end of school, Reverend Johnson stopped Colleen. Brian waited for his sister standing by his desk.

"Go ahead Brian. I'll meet you at the clinic." Colleen said. Brian looked at Reverend Johnson.

"Is Colleen in trouble?" Brian looked at his sister. "Ma will want to know." Reverend Johnson chuckled.

"No Brian, Colleen isn't in trouble. I just want to talk to her." Reverend Johnson said.

"Okay." Brian replied and walked out of the room.

"Sit down Colleen." Reverend Johnson said. Colleen sat in the front of the room. Reverend Johnson sat at his desk. "You have fallen asleep a lot lately in school and I'm worried about you." Colleen sighed.

"I'm sorry Reverend Johnson. I just haven't been sleeping well the last few days." Colleen said with a laugh.

"I know that it hasn't been easy on you since your mother died. Have you talked to Dr. Quinn?" Reverend Johnson asked. Colleen looked down at her hands. After a long while she said,

"Dr. Mike wouldn't understand." Colleen said.

"How about me?" He asked. Colleen looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"Do you remember my Ma?" Colleen asked.

"Colleen, of course. Your mother was a wonderful lady."

"Yeah, she was." Colleen replied. "She was." She stood and cried. Reverend Johnson walked toward her and she ran outside. He ran to the door of the school.

"Colleen!" Reverend Johnson hollered. Colleen wiped the tears from her eyes as she walked into the clinic. Michaela was reading a book at the desk. She looked up when Colleen closed the door.

"Good afternoon Colleen. Brian is in the back room doing his homework. I sent him back there because I wanted to talk to you." Michaela said. Colleen looked down at the floor.

"Oh yeah? What do you want to talk about?" Colleen asked.

"Brian told me that Reverend Johnson kept you after school today. You always seem to have incomplete homework assignments; you fall asleep while doing your homework. Your grades have been slowly slipping for the last several weeks. Why is that?" Michaela asked.

"I don't know Doctor Mike. I guess I'm just going to have to work harder." Colleen said still not making eye contact with Michaela.

"Colleen, you want to go to medical school and become a doctor right?" She asked. Colleen looked up at her.

"More than anything." Colleen replied.

"Well, your grades right now are not medical school quality." Michaela said. Colleen shuffled her feet.

"Can I go now? I have some homework I need to do." Colleen said.

"Go on." Michaela replied. Colleen walked past and went into the other room where Brian was doing his homework.

"Hi Colleen. I'm sorry that I talked to Ma, but she asked where you were and I told her that you were with Reverend Johnson." Brian said. Colleen half smiled at her little brother. It wasn't his fault.

"It's okay Brian. I don't want you to lie to Doctor Mike." Colleen said.

"Okay. Well I didn't." Brian replied. Colleen smiled. "Have you finished your homework yet?" Brian nodded yes. "Why don't you go over to Grace's café while I do my assignments?" Colleen paused as Brian walked over to the door. "Wait Brian, do you remember Ma?"

"Our Ma?" Brian asked.

"Yeah Brian, our Ma." Colleen responded.

"But Doctor Mike is our Ma now." Brian said.

"I know that, but I mean the Ma that raised us. The Ma that loved us for a long time before we met Doctor Mike." Colleen said.

"I remember her Colleen. Why?" Brian asked.

"Her birthday is coming up. It's tomorrow actually. And nobody has even said anything about it. Not you, not Matthew, not Doctor Mike. I want to remember Ma, but it doesn't seem like anybody else does." Colleen replied. Brian walked over and hugged Colleen.

"I want to remember Ma, Colleen; it's just kind of hard because she's not here." Brian stated.

"Well I intend to make it feel like she is here." Colleen said. Brian walked out of the room. Colleen sighed and opened her reading book.

[

The next morning Colleen got out of bed and walked over to where Michaela was trying to make eggs for breakfast.

"Would you like some help with that?" Colleen asked. Michaela turned around and looked at her.

"Oh I think I can handle it Colleen. But thank you for asking. Why don't you just go get ready for school?" Michaela asked. Colleen turned around and headed back where she was going to change her clothes. She stopped and turned to face Michaela.

"Doctor Mike?" Colleen asked.

"Hmmm?" Michaela questioned turning to face her.

"Do you remember my Ma?" Colleen questioned. The pan on the fire started smoking.

"What? Please speak up Colleen." Michaela said.

"Do you remember my Ma?" Colleen asked a little bit louder. Michaela had to focus on the pan because it was too smoky and loud in the house. Colleen walked out of the kitchen and into the room where she sleeps. She pulls out a dress and slips it on. She picks up her schoolbooks and heads out the door.

"Where are you going?" Brian asked. Colleen looked at her brother.

"I'm just getting out of here. Don't tell Matthew or Doctor Mike that I'm leaving. I am going where I can celebrate Ma's birthday by myself." Colleen said.

"Okay." Brian replied. Colleen walked out the door and headed into the woods behind the house.