Carol watched as Susan hugged and kissed Charlie goodbye, remembering when her relationship had been like that. Susan kissed him one more time and then walked to the car, waving as she slid into the seat.

"I love you!" she shouted to him. Carol smiled. "Ready?" she asked, turning to Carol.

"Girls, you buckled?" She looked at them in her rearview mirror.

"Yes ma'am." They chirped together.

"Do they always do that?" Susan smiled.

"Sometimes." Carol replied. "Not most of the time. They're *way* too different." They both laughed.

"Then let's hit the road." Susan put on a pair of cat's eye sunglasses and revved up the engine, waving one more time to Charlie before pulling onto the road and driving off.

Carol let the Arizona air wash over her face, resting her fingertips out of the open window. She heard Kate and Tess chattering softly in the backseat. They usually didn't speak quietly, but had been doing so since she and Doug had begun arguing.

"Once I get to Chicago, I'm going to go to the hospital and see who's there." Susan said, grinning.

"Last time I checked in, Carter, Kerry, Benton, and Mark were still there. Mark's married now, did you hear?"

"Good for him, I always knew he'd find someone."

"Yeah, her name's Elizabeth Corday."

"Who else is there? Anyone I know?"

"Chuny, Malik, Haleh, most of the nurses...."

"Have you talked to Taglieri lately?" Susan asked, smirking.

"Oh, shut up!" Carol playfully hit her shoulder. "I haven't heard from Tag in...God, at least six years. Frankly, I don't want to. It'd be too weird."

"Do the girls know?"

"Are you planning to tell your baby about all your old lovers and such?"

"Guess that's a no."

"Yeah. I mean, if things keep going the way they are right now, the girls will never hear about their father, too."

"Carol?"

"Hmmm?"

"I know that you and Doug argued, but...how? You guys were the dream team when you were together."

"After a while, we found each other's faults too big and annoying. And we started spending less time together. So we grew apart."

"Who did, Mama?" Kate called from the backseat.

"Nobody, honey." She shook her head.

"We're gonna be there in a few minutes, you might want to get them ready."

"Girls, get your things, we're getting out soon." She said, turning to see them.

"OK, Mama." Kate said for the both of them. Carol watched her little girls gather their Barbies and books and put them back in their matching bags.

"Delta, South terminal, gate area B...." Susan said, looking off a few signs. "And look, not a parking space in sight."

"Mama, how much longer?" Tess asked impatiently after searching in the dark parking lot for a space.

"Only a few more minutes." Carol said, craning her neck for a place to park.

"Want to play a game, girls?" Susan asked.

"What kind of game?"

"We like games!"

"Is it a fun game?"

"Yes, it's a very fun game called Find the Space. And whoever finds the space first gets..." she dug around her purse. "Gets to share a bag of M & M's with her sister."

"Share?" They groaned.

"Yes, share." Carol enforced. Susan smiled. It was so weird hearing Carol talk strictly yet gently to these little beings, her children. Yet that was weird, too. Carol having children. *Doug's* children, at that. She could never imagine him settling down, marrying, having kids, and giving up cheap whores once and for all.

"I see one!" Tess shouted, pointing to an empty space.

"Good job, Tess." Susan handed her the bag of M & M's. "Now share."

"Oh, okay." She sighed and tossed her head but reluctantly handed a few to her sister. Susan pulled into the space and parked the car.

"Time to get out." Carol said, unbuckling her seat belt and turning around to help the twins with theirs.

"Mo-om! We can do it by ourselves!" Kate cried like a teenager stuck in a four-year-old's body.

"Fine, fine." Carol threw up her hands, surrendering. Susan laughed, and went around the back of the car to get her things. "Let me help." Carol said, following her.

"No, it's okay. I've got it." Susan brushed her off.

"No, four of these bags are mine, I'm helping." She started to remove the suitcases. "Kate, Tess, put your bags on."

"Yes, Mama." They said, slipping their arms through their backpacks' straps.

"Decided to go against the 'pink-and-blue' routine?" Susan asked, pointing out Kate's yellow backpack and Tess's purple one.

"I want my girls to be original and carefree." Carol said, tousling Kate's curls.

"That they are," Susan smiled and began the trek to the ticket counter. After retrieving their tickets, dropping off their baggage, and heading to the terminal- gate B42- it was almost time to board the plane.

"All senior passengers or passengers with children are now free to board." The woman at the ticket counter called over the intercom.

"That's us, right, Mama?" Tess asked.

"Yes, honey, that's us." She slid her purse over her shoulder and held Kate's hand in her right hand and Tess's in her left.

"Can I see your tickets?" The woman asked.

"Here," Susan handed her the four tickets.

"Thank you very much!" She smiled and gave her the stubs.

"You have a very, very big smile." Kate observed.

"Kate Ross!" Carol said, reprimanding, pulling her down the corridor. "You don't make comments like that to strangers."

"You're not supposed to talk to strangers." Tess said, wagging her finger at her sister. Kate stuck her tongue out at her, and Susan again couldn't help but laugh.

"Kate, don't stick out your tongue." Carol ordered.

"Why?" Kate asked.

"Because it isn't nice." She explained.

"And it might get stuck like that." Susan added. "Didn't you know that?"

"It might?" Kate's eyes widened, as did Tess's.

"Yes, and then we'd have to cut it off." She said, looking as serious as could be.

"I'm not sticking out my tongue, not never ever." Kate shook her head, her curls hitting her cheeks.

"Where's our seats, Mama?" asked Tess.

"Right here." Carol pointed to three in a row with one across the aisle for Susan. "Now, do I have to separate you two or can you sit next to each other?"

"We can sit next to each other." Tess said, adult-like.

"OK, I'm trusting you." She looked down on them, eyebrows raised. They nodded solemnly and slid into their seats, Kate nearest the window and Tess next to her. "Put your bags under the chairs in front of you."

"Yes, Mama." They sighed.

"They're like little teenagers." Susan commented, smiling.

"One can only imagine what they'll be like later." She groaned, envisioning the future. A future without their father there, supporting them, joking with them, questioning them about their schoolwork, boyfriends, and everyday lives. She shook her head to rid herself of the thought.

"You okay, Carol?" Susan asked, touching her arm.

"Yeah." She replied softly. "Yeah, I'm fine." She sat down in her seat and buckled up.

"How much longer?" Tess groaned a half hour later.

"Just a little bit, I promise." Carol said, kissing her forehead.

"Thank you for your patience, ladies and gentlemen." The stewardess called over the intercom. "Please direct your attention to the nearest flight attendant in the aisle as we attempt to instruct you on the safety of this flight."

"Watch the woman, girls. She's going to show you how to stay safe." Carol whispered, pointing to the tall black woman in the aisle.

"Like no talking to strangers?"

"And no playing with the knives in the kitchen?"

"Or the matches?"

"Or the bottles in the refrigerator?"

"No, how to stay safe on the plane, now watch closely." She put her finger to her lips and then sat back. The stewardess finished about six minutes later and the plane began its ascent.