Vi was nervous. More than 30 years - that was an incredibly long time.

Countless questions flew through her head. She wasn't worried about the fact that their identities could be jeopardized. Mr. Robinson had assured her otherwise.

However, with each passing minute, Violet became more conscious of the impending reunion. While only a few days had passed for her, her family aged for more than 30 years Vi could hardly imagine that fact, let alone comprehend it.

But she knew one thing. She would never be able to change that.

So she sat there, in the nicely decorated lounge, awaiting her fate. Her pulse went faster ...

Suddenly, Violet glanced up to see her parents standing in the doorway. Surprisingly, she was not as shocked as she had expected she would be. She realized that most supers were able to avoid serious medical problems in their old age, and this was obviously the case with her parents. Her father had gained more weight. He had lost some hair, and the hairs that remained were all grey. Her mother still had the same chestnut brown hair that she did thirty years ago, but Vi assumed that her mother now dyed it.

They just stood there and stared at her.

"Mom?" Violet asked after a pause. She said it just to break the awkward silence.

"Vi," her mother cried suddenly.

As her parents rushed forward and embraced her, Vi wondered why she had been so afraid. She felt that same warm, comforting feeling that she always felt when her parents hugged her. And now they were here ... her parents, her family ... and nothing in the world would change that

~*~*~*~*~

It was all so incredible, and yet so strange.

Yesterday when she saw her parents, she was relieved. They were still living, and they were feeling well.

But as for Dash, she hardly recognized him. He was the spitting image of their father. It was strange to embrace her little brother, especially because he was now much older and bigger than her.

And Jack-Jack, the last time she saw him, he was still a baby.

He had stood awkwardly in the doorway, not knowing quite what he should do. Vi could understand that. After all, she was like a stranger to him, just as he was for her.
They hugged quickly and awkwardly, and he smiled shyly, understanding that the situation was just as strange to her as it was to him.

It didn't proceed like she imagined. Violet had seen talk shows where families met up with lost ones they hadn't seen for years. Those reunions had always been filled with tears of joy and happiness.

But this wasn't a talk show ...

Vi smiled bitterly.

Even so, reality still wrote the craziest stories.

~*~*~*~*~

The next afternoon, Helen and Bob picked Violet up from hospital.

The doctors told her she was free to go, but they warned her that her body could still be weak and tired, and that she should be careful.

After their happy family reunion, Mr. Robinson explained their options. They shouldn't make any hasty decisions. This matter had to be thought over. Until then, Mr. Robinson and the Parrs agreed that Violet should stay with Dash and his family in TodayLand.

With wide eyes, Violet and her parents walked down the big marble staircase in front of the hospital. Vi was dazzled by the sheer magnificence of this city. As always, there was a steady stream of traffic - on the ground, as well as in the air.

Everything seemed peaceful and clean. People, plus a few robots, were transported on moving sidewalks, in giant soap bubbles, overhead railways, or flying cars. Everything was so futuristic. It was as if she had fallen directly into a comic strip.

Two blocks down, an instant building suddenly popped up into the sky. Vi winced. Her father laughed and laid a soothing hand on her shoulder.

"This all must be pretty overwhelming."

"Well, it seems as if I have to catch up on a lot."

"Overwhelming" was putting it mildly. This magnificent picture before her eyes - the colors, the light, all the individuals rushing through this scenery made her dizzy ...

But perhaps it was just an side-effect of her long, cold sleep. Vi said nothing about it to her parents. She didn't want them to worry again.

A futuristic-looking black car was parked at the foot of the stairs. Violet was relieved to see that it had wheels and was probably not designed to fly. When she entered, Bob pushed a few buttons, but Helen interrupted him, placing her hand on his shoulder.

"Honey, let's remain on the ground for now" she said with a harsh undertone. Bob sighed.

"But –"

"You remember what happened with Jack, when we flew with him for the first time."

That seemed to convince Bob.

"On the ground?" Vi asked timidly.

Helen turned around and beamed at her.

"Almost all cars have a flight function today, my dear. But don't worry, we'll take the old-fashioned way."

On the way to Dash's house, Violet was feeling a little overwhelmed. Her parents - especially her mother - spoke incessantly about what had happened in recent years to prepare Vi for the upcoming meeting. They explained that Dash was now the manager of a sporting goods store, that he and Jack had abandoned their superhero activities a few years ago, that Dash was married to a journalist and had two children, and so on ...

At the same time, her attention was drawn to the landscape outside. The continuous movement of the car, the back-and-forth and the stop-and-go, was all becoming a bit too much for Vi.
For 32 years, she was lying in the same position, completely comatose. Now, her senses flooded with impressions and movements, Vi was feeling not only dizzy, but queasy as well.

"Everything all right, sweetheart?" Helen asked, a little worried. Violet nodded, but her face was pale, and cold sweat had formed on her forehead.

"Well, it's been a long time since I've rode in a car" she said softly, with slight sarcasm. Helen smiled, and told Bob that he should slow down.

Vi leaned her head against the cool windowpane and looked at the panorama. The town was very sophisticated, and although the buildings were close together, there was still enough space in-between each, to keep it from becoming too closed-in. Everything looked bright and inviting.

Outside the city, the traffic calmed down. The landscape was green and healthy. Neatly trimmed lawns and artfully clipped hedges lined the way. Behind a small hilltop, Vi saw a large, sparkling blue lake.

Everything was very harmonious ... a little too harmonious, and almost artificial. Vi took it all in, completely reserved and silent. At the moment, she felt as if she was on a ghost train ride with the car, but instead of the skeletons and ghosts this strange panorama passing her by. It seemed that she would never leave that ghost train. She was in a strange world.

Suddenly, the car stopped.

"Here we are!" her father exclaimed happily. Vi stepped out.

"This is my brother's house" she thought, swelling up with sisterly pride.

The house was modern - at least, it was for Violet's standards. It was rust red and had a flat roof. The top floor had large, round windows. A white fence wrapped around the garden at the front of the house, and in the backyard, there were large, dark green hedges. Like all the lawns in the future, theirs was short and neatly kept. In the back corner of the garden, Violet noticed a doghouse, but with a closer look, she realized that it wasn't a dog in there, but a robot.

Vi wrinkled her nose, thinking of the cheap robot dog toys from her time. Had such a toy - during her absence - developed into a complex replacement for a pet?

"Hey! You're finally here!"

Vi turned around.

Dash had come out of the house, sporting a big grin. A woman stood behind him, her blonde hair arranged neatly atop her head. That had to be Sybille, Vi's sister-in-law.

"Nice lodge" Violet said approvingly, giving a slight smile.

"And it's still not the best" he laughed, and hugged her tightly. Then suddenly, Dash scooped her up off the ground.

"Hey Dash! Let me down!"

Dash carried her to the house. Bob laughed as he took the suitcases out of the car. He and Helen had spent the whole night at the hospital.

"Be careful with her, dear" Helen said worriedly.

Vi sat on Dash's shoulder, holding her stomach. She still felt queasy, and this didn't make it any better.

"The lost daughter has returned" Dash announced dramatically.

He placed his sister on the doorstep with Sybille. Vi glanced up at her, and Sybille smiled back shyly.

"Hello, Violet I'm Sybille" she said kindly, shaking hands with Violet. Sybille was pretty, and very neatly dressed. What did her mother just say? She was a journalist, wasn't she? Anyway, she looked as if she came straight out of an office.

"Opposites attract" Vi thought. She would have never believed that her brother would marry such a woman.

"Come in" she said invitingly, "Well, it looks as if you will stay with us the next few days.
Emely cleared out her room, so you can sleep there"

Emely? That had to be one of Dash's daughters. Violet gulped. She was an ... aunt?

Sybille led Violet in, Dash and her parents following behind. They talked about the trip and other things, while they removed their jackets. Violet didn't listen to them. Her knees were weak as she walked and looked around. Then she suddenly paused.

Two girls were sitting in the kitchen and looking at her carefully in the hallway. They seemed to have been waiting a while. Violet didn't know exactly what she had imagined when her mother said that Dash had two daughters. They both looked so much like their father, as well as their mother.

They both seemed to be around Violet's age. This was just wrong

Vi got a knot in her throat and felt dizzy again. These were her two nieces ... and she was their aunt!

The older one of the two, a girl with long, dark blonde hair, immediately stood up when she noticed Violet's gaze and walked slowly towards her.

"Hello. I'm Flame ..." she said kindly, reaching for Violet's hand. But before Violet was able to take it, a blonde blur suddenly appeared in front of her.

"Hello, Aunt Violet!" cried the younger sister.

Flame rolled her eyes. "And this is my sister, Emely"

"But they all call me M! Come on! I'll show you where you'll sleep"

Before Violet was able to say anything, Emely grabbed her hand and pulled her through the hallway and up the stairs. The upper hall was painted orange and lined with several red doors.
Emely opened one of them.

Violet blinked. This room was almost completely pink. The walls, the bed, the curtains ...

"And this is MY room! Here's where you'll sleep. I'll be sleeping in Flame' room. Of course, not with her in her bed. She has a couch. I also wanted one, but my room is too small. If Flame gets a new couch, maybe I'll get her old one. But that would be – well, it doesn't matter, because ... well, my room is too small. I thought that maybe we can exchange our rooms, but ..."

Vi escaped from Emely's crushing embrace, went inside and sat down on the bed.

"Are you okay?"

Nothing was okay ... all this sudden effort - this running upstairs - was a little too exhausting. She felt queasy and dizzy.

And besides that, she felt like she was in a totally crazy dream – in a room that could've belonged to Barbie herself... only that it wasn't a dream ... and she would never wake up.

"I'm okay. I feel just a little dizzy. The doctors said that would be normal in the first few days"

"Dizziness?" Emely asked, "So, if I feel dizzy, then ... well, then I'll just stop twirling around, but you haven't. So –"

"Shut up, M!" Flame scolded. She appeared behind Emely and came into her room.

"Don't talk to your sister like that, honey" Helen said, as she walked up the stairs.

Then she turned to Vi.

"Sweetheart, dinner's ready. Are you sure you want something to eat?" she asked lovingly, sitting down beside her on Emely's bed and putting her arms around her.

"Or do you want to rest first?"

Vi sighed. Sleep sounded very tempting at the moment. But she changed her mind quickly when she took a look at the pink bed-linens.

"I think I've rested long enough" she said finally. Helen smiled.