When Beatrice finally fell asleep, Violet took a moment to sit on her bed and just enjoy the peaceful night. Beatrice was not a baby that cried a lot, it was just some nights when she suddenly had a mood and cried for no apparent reason. It was almost like she suddenly realized the weight she already carried on her small shoulders, all the tragedies that happened before her birth.

Klaus and Sunny were already sleeping. They took turns taking care of the baby, and tonight was Violet's turn. She liked it, but she knew by now how tiring it could be. Another reason why she preferred to do it herself. She couldn't sleep well when it was their turn. They were too young to be dealing with that.

She knew she too was too young for it, but she had a duty as the oldest sibling.

Since the fire, she had taken a lot of responsibilities, always thinking back to the promise she made to her parents. Back then she had been very sure they could never have imagined the sort of things she would have to do to keep the promise and the sort of dangers they would face, but she wasn't anymore. After all, her parents had seen such dangers firsthand in their time.

Violet caught herself thinking a lot of her mother these days. How she smiled so brightly at her children while hiding so many dark secrets. She knew well how to cheer each of her children up when they needed it, and how to give her husband just the right push when he was being too stubborn. Her voice was so beautiful when she sang lullabies or her favorite old songs and everyone stopped to hear. She was smart, and playful, and carried in secret the weight of crimes and heartbreaks but she was still everything her family needed her to be. She wasn't perfect, but she was a remarkable woman. Violet wished to be like her.

In this chaotic world, all she had was her family, and she wanted to protect them, not as much for the promise she made to her parents as for the promise she made to herself. They had no one else they could count on.

Some days it hit Violet harder than others, the weight of all the things they had gone through. All the close calls, all the losses, all the violence and cruelty and all the disappointments. It hurt her that she witnessed them all, and that her siblings did too. That Sunny did when she was still a baby, when she should be playing carelessly, surrounded by people who loved her.

A few tears fell at the thought. Thinking of how things should be, or should have been, was of no use, because it had no power of magically changing reality. They were doing the best they could to make the island a home and to heal their wounds. They looked out for each other and helped each other.

"Vi?" She heard her younger sister call. Violet was sure she had been silent, so she guessed she had a nightmare. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Did you have a nightmare?"

Instead of answering, Sunny walked to Violet's bed and gave her a hug.

"Don't cry."

So young. So strong.

Violet held her sister and tried to think of comforting words, but then she realized that at this moment, she was the one in need of comfort. Just for this moment. She let herself stop thinking and just enjoy her sister's embrace, and remember she didn't have to carry everything alone.