"Mother! Where are my new posters?" A voice yelled from down a long hallway.

From another room, a 34-year-old woman walked out. "They are in the trash."

A tall, dark-haired sixteen-year-old girl walked out of the room she had been in. "Why? I just got those yesterday!"

"Because, Parisa, there are too many of them. And half the men on them are half naked," the older woman said.

"Hello, I like them that way!" From another room, a younger girl of about 13 came out.

"Risa, could you please shut up?" The girl said in a rolling British accent. She had light brown hair and hazel eyes.

"Can it, Kiera!" Parisa said in her pure American accent. It was evident where these two girls had grown up. Though they were sisters, one had grown up in America and the other had spent most of her life in England.

The mother intervened, "Girls, can we please not fight all the time? I'd like you to be in good spirits when your Aunts come."

"That's right! Magic training this week. I'm so glad. This makes up for the fact that you threw my posters away," Parisa said kissing her mother on the cheek. She went down the hall and back into her bedroom.

Kiera smiled at her mother and went back to her room. The mother turned and went back into her bedroom, which she shared with her husband. "Brant, my Aunts and the rest of my family are going to be here in awhile, are you almost done?"

The shower in the bathroom turned off and Brant came out with a towel around his waist. "I won't be able to stay. There's a meeting at the hospital."

"You're always at the hospital," Portia said disappointedly. She swung her long brown hair back around her shoulder.

Brant looked deeply into his wife's sorrowful eyes. He did spend a lot of time at the hospital...in fact, the last five years had been spent at the hospital. He didn't even know his own children that well. Kiera and Will and turned into a young lady and gentleman without his help. It was all his wife and her family. "I'm sorry, darling. But you know very well that I'm head of my department and that it's imperative that I am there." He putlled the towel off and put a pair of underwear on.

"I understand, but I don't have to like it. It's just that..." "What Portia?"

"You know, when you have time for me we can discuss this, but since you never seem to have any it can wait, like every other important thing."

"Portia..."

"No, Brant. My patience is wearing thin, and so is this wedding band. I love you with all my heart, but there is no us, there's me and there's you. You're married to the hospital, not to me."

"Darling."

"Brant, I don't want to discuss this with you now. My family is coming and I would like them, as well as the children, not to know what is going on. This is between you and me. It's our marriage and we have to fix the problems." Portia turned away from him coldly, "I hope you have a nice meeting." She walked out of the room, her skirt rustling with each step.

Brant continued getting dressed. He was putting his tie on when their second child, Rhynna, came in. "Hey dad," she said. She too had spent most of her life in America.

"Hey, Rhynna."

"Going to work again?" She emphasized "again."

"Yes, and I'm afraid your mother is upset beyond words."

"She always is, dad. You should know that by now. Anyways, I had to interview a signifigant persons so I figured I'd do you. I wrote the questions down so you could answer them during one of your meetings. I need them back by tomorrow."

Rhynna handed him the questions. "Princess, I will make sure I answer these. I'll put them on your desk when I get home. I promise I won't let you down."

"Okay, dad. Thanks."

Brant looked at his watch. "Well, I must be going. The car is waiting for me. Be safe, I love you."

"I love you too, daddy."