Janet's life soon became very monotonous. She woke up every morning, fed the boys breakfast, kissed them goodbye and left them in the care of her mother while she went off to work at Best Friend Windows. During her eight to nine hour working days, she answered the phone, filed paperwork, created and sent out bills, and handled walk in customers. She was very good at her job. She ran the office like a well oiled machine. Hiring Janet was the one of the best moves that Nick made.

Business at Best Friend Windows continued to increase every day and Nick had no choice but to hire more guys. When he hired more guys he realized that he needed Janet to handle payroll and human resources issues so the company paid for her to take a semester long class at The Duf on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons from two until four and during those class times, Nick continued to pay Janet her hourly rate because she was after all taking the class for the company and once she completed the class with an "A" she was given more work to do and a raise.

When her work day was over she went home, fed the boys and herself dinner and then she drove them over to the nursing home in Mission Flats to see Eddie where they spent an hour visiting. The boys spent about ten to fifteen minutes telling their unconscious father about their day and then they went and played. Janet kept toys in Eddie's room for the boys so they could entertain themselves while she spent the next forty five minutes talking to Eddie and working out his legs. Her days usually ended with a short visit to the park so the boys could run off their energy, home for a bath, story and finally bed so they could all get up and do it again the next day.

The weekend consisted of Janet spending all day Saturday with her boys, making up for the time she spent away from them during the week. She began a Saturday morning breakfast in bed tradition. Janet would make breakfast for them and the four of them would climb into her bed, eat it and watch television. After breakfast the four of them would participate in a family activity, usually a cheap one. After dinner she would take the boys to Eddie's parents for the night and she went to stay the night at the nursing home with her husband. The hour a day she got to spend with him wasn't enough. Even though he was unconscious she needed to be with him. On Sundays she woke up next to Eddie and they spent a few more hours together before she went to go get their boys so they could spend the rest of the day together before the following week started.

Yes, Janet Latekka's life had become a boring routine. She worked too much but she had no choice. The boys were getting older and more expensive. She had to support herself, her upcoming baby and her three children. She felt like a horrible mother because she felt like she wasn't spending nearly enough time with the boys and the time would be even shorter once the baby was born but she had no choice. She was doing what she had to do until Eddie woke up.

She missed Eddie and every day that went by she missed him even more than the previous day. Every day that passed without her husband made her long for him. She longed for his touch; she longed to see his smile; hear his voice; look into his eyes again and her longing became more every morning the boys would tell her about the dreams that they had about their dad. According to the boys, they always did something really fun with Eddie and then they would pass on a message from Eddie. The messages at first were casual like "Daddy loves you." "Daddy is trying really hard to wake up." "Daddy misses you so much." but then the messages became more specific. On Janet and Eddie's seventh anniversary the boys told her "Daddy says Happy Anniversary." or when it was time to get an oil change the boys told her "Daddy says it's time to change the oil in our van and don't forget." Janet attributed those specific messages to one of three sets of ears with great hearing overhearing her talking about her anniversary and the fact that the oil had to be changed. She was happy the triplets had their dreams because those dreams gave them back their father when they were sleeping.

Janet's pregnancy was progressing normally. She was considered high risk because of her age and all of the complications in her last pregnancy so she had to see her OB every two weeks. Once the first trimester passed safely, Janet then began to tell her friends and because Knights Ridge is such a small town, word spread quickly. Janet thought that some people, the people that didn't really know her would think that she cheated on her comatose husband but if anyone thought that Janet didn't hear about it. The only responses she got from people was happiness, excitement, support and quite a lot of sympathy.

The happiness, excitement, and support was appreciated by Janet. It reminded her that even though she felt alone she knew she wasn't and with everyone else being excited about the newest addition to the Latekka family some of Janet's stress and anxiety began to fade and was replaced by excitement about the new baby, a girl that was confirmed with an ultrasound when Janet hit her twenty week mark.

It was the sympathy that bothered Janet. No one came out and said that they felt sorry for her but she saw it in the looks on their faces and heard it in the words that they didn't say. They felt sorry for the poor woman who is pregnant, raising three boys by herself while her husband is lying helpless in coma but the sympathy proved to be a good thing for Janet and her family because the citizens of Knights Ridge were good people who looked out for their own. People began bringing over things for the baby like a stroller, highchair, crib, bassinet, bouncy seats, clothes and toys and there were also food that showed up at her house, gift cards for the grocery store, for a toy store. Those gifts were anonymous so Janet had no one to thank for their generosity. As much as she hated people feeling sorry for her, she was thankful for what their sympathy led them to do; help take care of her family.

Before she knew, it, the first day of school for the triplets had arrived. Her boys were starting kindergarten and she could hardly believe it. It was a bittersweet day. As a mother, it was hard to let her children go and embark on a new adventure without her by their side and the worst part of this momentous occasion was the fact that their father was not there to see it.

"Are you guys excited to go to kindergarten?" Janet asked as the four of them were having breakfast.

"Yep." Jake answered.

"I guess." Jackson replied.

"I'm scared." Josh admitted.

"Why are you scared?" Janet asked her youngest son.

"I dunno. I just am."

"Don't be scared Joshy. Jax and I will be there with you." Jake encouraged his brother.

"Yeah. If anyone is mean to you I will punch them in the face." Jax informed them.

"No you will not young man. If someone is mean to either of your brothers you will go to the teacher. Do you understand me?"

"Yes ma'am. " Jax answered sadly.

"All right guys, time to go get dressed." Janet had their clothes laid out for them. She chose jean shorts and polo shirts for them.

"Mommy, daddy said to tell you that we shouldn't wear matching outfits today." Josh told her and Janet was shocked and then she smiled. It really did sound like Eddie. Janet had put the three of them in matching outfits through much of their lives and it drove Eddie crazy.

"Really Janet? What is the point?" Eddie asked, motioning to the three two year old boys standing in front of him in identical outfits. If he didn't know them so well he wouldn't be able to tell them apart.

"Don't they look cute?"

"Yeah sure but I don't get it."

"Get what?"

"They are getting their two year old pictures today and you dressed them the same."

"So? They are triplets. They should be dressed the same."

"You might as well just take picture of one of them and copy it three times."

"What?"

"Come on honey. In one year, five or ten years and you look at those pictures are you going to be able to tell them apart?"

"Of course I can. I am their mother and I will always know who is who."

"When they are standing in front of you of course you can but looking at a picture you may not be able to tell them apart."

"So what are you saying?"

"I know how much you love dressing the boys alike and I probably won't be able to stop you most of the time but the boys, they are each their own person and they should wear their own clothes especially when they are having pictures done."

"I guess I really didn't think of it like that."

"If you want to dress the boys alike every now and then, I am good with that but not all the time and especially not for pictures. I want our boys to be their own man and not clones of each other."

"Will you help me change two of them?"

"I sure will." Eddie scooped up Jackson and Jacob, one under each arm and carried them to their room like a sack of potatoes, their giggles echoing throughout the house.

Janet knew that the boys were right. Their father wouldn't want them in identical outfits for their first day of school. At school they were going to really begin becoming their own man and matching outfits would impede that.

"Come on guys. Let's go find you some new clothes." The boys ran up the stairs talking about what they wanted to wear.

It didn't take long to the boys ready for school. Joshua wore an outfit that his mother laid out. He was so easygoing and would wear whatever his mom told him too. Jacob and Jackson knew exactly what they wanted to wear. Jake wore a pair of jean shorts and a tee shirt with Sponge Bob on it and Jackson wore a pair of jeans a polo shirt and at that moment, in their own outfits, Janet saw exactly what Eddie had been saying. The triplets really were their own little man; Joshua, the easy going kid who would do whatever made his mom happy; Jacob, the kid who loved to have fun and Jackson, was just like his father; keeping it casual but looking good at the same time. Tears filled Janet's eyes. She really wished Eddie was here to see this.

Fifteen minutes before the bus was due to pull up in front of the Latekka home, Janet's mom, Tom, Jack, Laura and Janet were all out on the porch waiting for the bus with a video camera so when Eddie woke up, he will be able to see his boy's first day of school.

"Now Jacob, when the teacher is talking you have to be quiet." Janet told him. Jacob was the talker of the three boys.

"I know mom. Daddy already told me." Everyone but Janet looked at Jacob in surprise. Janet was used to this by now.

"When did your daddy tell you this?" Laura asked.

"Last night in my dream. He told me to sit down and don't talk unless the teacher asks me a question."

"I think you should listen to your daddy." Jack told his grandson.

"Daddy told me to be brave."Josh whispered.

"And daddy told me to watch out for Josh and help him to be brave." Jackson proudly told the group.

"Why don't you guys go get your lunches?" Janet suggested, fighting back tears. "They are on the table with your names on them."

"Okay mommy." The three boys rushed into the house.

"What is this about these dreams?" Tom asked when they were alone.

"Every morning they wake up and tell me about a dream they had. In this dreams, they always do something fun with Eddie and they always have messages for me from Eddie."

"It sounds like the boys found a way to deal with Eddie being gone." Jack observed.

"Yeah that's what I thought but lately his messages to me are really specific. Like this morning they told me that he didn't want them wearing matching outfits. The boys have never cared about that but Eddie never liked it and it would be something that he would say not the boys so honestly, I don't know what to think."

"I'm not sure if you will ever know sweetheart." Sharon told her. "The mind is capable of amazing things."

"You're probably right." Janet mumbled but she wasn't buying it. She was convinced that something more was going on because the messages were too specific, things a grown man would advise not a five year old child but Janet knew that there would probably never be an explanation. She was just glad the boys had their father, if only in their dreams.

"All ready for school mommy." Josh announced running out on the porch.

A few minutes later the big yellow school bus came to pick up the Latekka triplets for their first day of kindergarten with the video camera rolling the entire time. Jackson and Jake eagerly climbed aboard but Josh did not. He clung to his mother, who was holding back her tears which was an accomplishment considering Josh was crying. Finally, Jackson and Jacob, being the good brothers that are came off of the bus and coaxed Josh on it with them and once the bus was out of sight, Janet burst into tears.

"Eddie should be here." She cried and no one on the porch disagreed with her.

Once the boys started school time seemed to move even faster. Every morning Janet would get the boys on the bus and then go to work. After school, her mom was there to get them off the bus and when Janet was off of work, like during the summer, she would come home, hear about their day, feed them supper and go to the nursing home to see Eddie. Now, his walls were covered with projects that the boys had done at school.

Holidays were rough simply because Eddie wasn't there with them. He missed Halloween when Josh dressed up as a puppy dog; Jackson dressed up as a cowboy and Jacob as Sponge Bob. He missed them trick or treating. Eddie missed Thanksgiving where the triplets sat in the living room with Jack and Tom watching the football game. The boys didn't have a clue what was going on but when their grandfathers cheered they cheered right along with them.

After Thanksgiving it was time for Christmas. Janet was really emotional during Christmas. She struggled with whether or not to buy Eddie any gifts. He was in a coma and couldn't open them but she wanted him to know that he was a part of Christmas so in the end she decided to buy him a gift and she had the boys pick him out a gift for him as well; one from each of them. As she wrapped the presents for the boys she sobbed because Eddie should have been there especially when she was trying to put together all of the toys she bought for them; a job that Eddie had done since they were born. On Christmas morning Janet filmed the boys opening their presents as silent tears fell from her cheeks.

Once Janet started to show she told the boys about their baby sister and they did not take it well. They cried and told her that they didn't want a stupid sister. Janet knew that they were only five and their reaction was expected but she still cried herself to sleep and wished Eddie was there. The next morning the three of them woke up and apologized to her and promised to be good big brothers and Janet had to wonder if Eddie gave them a hard time in their dream during the night.

This pregnancy was different then the last one. First of all, her belly wasn't anywhere as big as it was with the triplets. She could actually move around on her own, she could breathe easily and she could see her feet and shave her own legs. Secondly, she has had fewer complications. The baby girl inside of her was growing exactly as she should be. Janet's blood pressure was higher than it normally is when she isn't pregnant but it wasn't dangerously high and her obstetrician was keeping a close eye on it.

The hardest thing for Janet in regards to her pregnancy was what was hard for her every day; Eddie wasn't there. The first time she felt their daughter really move inside of her she burst into tears. She remembered the first time the boys really moved. They were sitting together on the couch when one of them started kicking and it wasn't long before the other two started kicking. Janet's belly was moving like crazy and Eddie was there to feel every kick. He placed his hands on her belly with a look of pure amazement and joy and then told Janet her belly looked like there was an alien inside of her. She missed the kisses to her belly and she missed the soft caresses and whispers he gave her belly.

Physically the worst thing about the pregnancy was her exhaustion. She was tired when she was pregnant with the triplets but with the boys, she spent most of her time in the hospital and when she wasn't in the hospital, she didn't have three five year old boys to chase after…alone. She would put the boys to bed around eight thirty and after a shower she followed their example and slept hard until her alarm went off the following morning. During one of her overnight visits at the nursing home, she was exhausted. She came into Eddie's room, yelled at him because he wasn't waking up and because she was pregnant and exhausted. When he didn't respond she laid her head on his abdomen and cried herself to sleep.

"Hey Nick?" Janet was a work and had been waiting for Nick to finish his phone call. "I'm going to have to take the rest of the day off." Nick never cared if Janet took of early on occasion because she only left early because of the boys but it was ten in the morning and she never leaves this early.

"Is one of the boys sick?" Janet shook her head.

"No it's me. I'm in labor and I need to go to the hospital." Nick dropped the file he was holding.

"What? Are you serious? You aren't due yet." Janet was three weeks away from her due date.

"Babies come early Nick."

"How long have you been in labor?"

"I started feeling the contractions about six this morning but they were irregular. They just became regular during the last hour and they are about 5 and a half to six minutes apart." Nick couldn't believe how calm Janet was. "Now the payroll is already to go. You just have to enter the information into the computer like I showed you. I left…" Janet paused when her belly contracted and continued once the contraction passed. "I left you instructions in case you forgot and if you have any problems you can call me."

"Janet forget about payroll. We need to get you to the hospital."

"I can get myself to the hospital Nick." Janet took her purse out of her desk drawer.

"Over my dead body are you driving yourself to the hospital. Eddie would never forgive me if I let his pregnant wife drive herself to the hospital."

"Nick it's really not necessary."

"Don't argue with me Janet Latekka. I am taking you to the hospital." Nick grabbed her coat and walked over to her desk. Janet let him help her into her coat.

"But my van. What about my van?"

"I'll make sure your van gets to your mom. Now come on. I have no idea how to deliver a baby." Janet laughed and allowed Nick to lead her to his car.

Fifteen minutes after they left Best Friend Windows Nick and Janet arrived at the hospital. Since she was a woman in labor, she was taken straight back to labor and delivery. Nick waited outside while Janet changed and was examined. Twenty minutes after they arrived, Nick was ushered into Janet's room.

"So what goes on?" Janet was lying on the bed hooked up to a fetal monitor.

"I'm five and a half centimeters dilated."

"So she's coming today?"

"She is coming today." Nick and Janet looked at each other and Janet smiled. "This is awkward isn't it?"

"A little bit. Eddie should be here; not me." Janet was overcome with sadness.

"No offense Nick, but I agree with you but he would be glad that you are here."

"He's my best friend and since he can't be here, I will fill in until Hannah gets here of course."

"Thank you Nick."

"No problem Janet."

Four hours later, Janet still had not had the baby, and had only dilated a half a centimeter while her contractions continued. The contractions were still coming in regular five minute intervals but they hadn't increased in severity. Janet was in pain but it wasn't severe pain so at this point she was taking some pain medication.

"The boys. They will be home from school in an hour and I…"

"Honey Tom will be there when the boys get off of the bus." Sharon told her.

"As soon as Jack gets off of work he will be over to help out." Laura added.

"And Nick is available for back up along with Ikey and Katie." Hannah informed Janet.

"Make sure that they know that I am okay. They might be scared if they know that I am in the hospital. The only thing they know about hospitals is that their father came into one and didn't come home. I don't want them to worry."

"We'll tell them honey. We'll make sure that know that it's a good thing that you are in the hospital."

"And I don't want them here until after she is born. I don't want them to see me in pain." At that minute another contraction, five minutes after her last one hit Janet. "I…I…didn't pack a bag." Janet told her mom breathlessly. "And the baby…I didn't pack a bag for the baby."

"Don't worry. I'll pack a bag for you and the baby."

"How can I not worry? She's early and I'm not ready for her."

"Honey…" Laura began but Janet interrupted her.

"I'm not ready. I'm not ready to do this on my own without Eddie." Tears began to fall from Janet's eyes. "I can't do this without Eddie. I want Eddie here." Janet rolled over on her side, cradled her belly in her hands and sobbed.

Twelve hours after she was admitted at ten thirty at night, she had barely dilated. She was a smidge over six centimeters so the doctor decided to break her water to move things along. He suggested that she get an epidural because the pain would get worse and Janet was all for that especially since her pain has steadily increased.

"I'm going to kill him." Janet groaned after another contraction hit her. It was going on eight in the morning and Janet had been labor for twenty six long hours and at this point she was miserable. Her contractions had become unbearable in the last two hours and she was dilating slowly. The last time she was checked she was nine and a half centimeters.

"Eddie?" Hannah asked.

"Yes Eddie. When he wakes up from his coma I am going to kill him. He did this to me and he's not here to suffer the agony of his actions."

"What would you do if he was here?"

"I would be yelling at him; maybe pulling his hair or squeezing his hand until it falls off when a contraction hits."

"You can do all that to me."

"It's not the same."

"Here comes another one sweetie." Hannah warned, watching the fetal monitor. Janet cried out in pain.

"Hannah, I feel like I need to push." Janet gasped.

"No. Don't push Janet." Hannah hit Janet's call button and told them of the latest development. In less than a minute a nurse was in there, checking Janet's cervix.

"Okay Mrs. Latekka. She is finally ready." The nurse called in some assistance to get the room ready.

"Hannah, my mom and Laura."

"I'll have them paged." Sharon and Laura took a break and went down to the cafeteria for breakfast.

"Thanks…Ohh…."

"Do not push Mrs. Latekka."

"But I…"

"A few more minutes."

"I don't think I can wait that long." Janet groaned again. Her contractions were non-stop.

"Well I see someone decided to get this party started."

"She's coming doctor. I want to push."

"Go ahead Janet. Push for me." The doctor stood in between Janet's legs and watched her push as a nurse got him gloved and gowned. "Great job. On the next contraction push again."

It took thirty more minutes before Eddie and Janet's daughter was pushed out into the world. Laura had the video camera ready and rolling when the doctor held up the screaming girl for all to see so when Eddie woke up he would be able to see his daughter's birth. Janet was crying right along with the baby as she was laid on her mother's chest. Janet immediately noticed that she was the spitting image of her father and that made her cry harder.

"Hello baby girl." Janet finally managed to say once her crying subsided. "You are such a beautiful little girl. You look just like your daddy." Janet turned her daughter to the video camera. "Eddie, this is your daughter Jocelyn Edith." Laura zoomed in and got close ups of mom and baby. "I gave her the name you wanted her to have. She's perfect Eddie and I know she can't wait to meet you." Janet wished, more than anything that Eddie was here to meet his daughter. Janet kissed her daughter's head. A nurse cut the umbilical cord and took Jocelyn away from her mother to get cleaned and checked out. Seeing, a nurse and not Eddie cut the cord pushed Janet over the edge. She watched her daughter and cried silently.

"What did mommy name your new sister?" Eddie asked his boys, as they ate ice cream cones.

"Josh-Lynn. Like me." Josh answered proudly.

"No bud. It's not Josh-Lynn. It's Jocelyn."

"How do you know? You asked us what her name was." Jackson asked.

"Because mommy and I talked about it before…"

"Before you went to sleep and didn't wake up?" Jacob accused.

"Yeah Jake. We talked about it before I went to sleep and didn't wake up." The boys and their father were silent for a few minutes, eating their ice cream." So what do you guys think of your new sister?"

"She's boring."

"All she does is sleep and cry."

"Look guys, she is a baby and babies need a lot of attention but she will grow up real quick and then she will do more than sleep and cry.. She won't be boring. Now I need a promise from you guys."

"What daddy?"

"Promise me that you are going to be the best big brothers that you can be to her. Can you do that?"

"Yes sir."

"Help your mom out too. Keep your room clean and listen to your mom. Don't make her ask you to do something twice. Since I'm not there she needs you guys more than ever. Do you understand?" Three boys nodded.

"Daddy when are you coming back?"

"I don't know. I just can't wake up."

"Everybody misses you."

" 'Specially mommy."

"She is so sad all of the time. She cries a lot. 'Specially when she looks at Josh-Lynn." Tears filled Eddie's eyes. He had to find his way back to his family.

"Tell mommy not be sad and enjoy Jocelyn. Can you tell her that?"

"Yes sir."