"Mama, I did it! I did it!"

When Jyll and Joy returned home at the end of their school-day, their mother Janine had already been home alone for a couple of hours; Fridays were a wonderful relief for Janine because she only taught two classes that day, and then she returned home early for the weekend.

Janine Yamakawa was a physics professor at Yale University where she had earned all three of her degrees, her Bachelor's, her Master's, and her Ph.D. This year, Janine had even more to be thankful for; she was taking over the position as head of the physics department at Yale. The position had been left open in May, and Janine was one of many applicants. She was pleased to have been selected, but it was turning out to be a pretty busy job in itself, and Janine wondered if she should opt for teaching even fewer classes next semester. She was awfully tired at the end of the day, even on Friday.

It had been a long road to getting a Ph.D, especially with her first daughter in tow before she earned her Master's, and her second while she was working on the Ph.D. The plan hadn't been to have children until much later in their marriage, but she and her husband managed just the same. All had worked out for the best. As Janine liked to say, "God was on our side."

"I did it!"

Janine had nearly jumped out of her skin when her oldest daughter came thudding into the house, yelling about something. It wasn't unsual for Joyanna to be this loud. Joy had just come home from school, but you'd have thought she'd just been let out of prison. She had what her father James liked call "life presence." He had coined the term after several people who had seen Joy in plays at church and school told him that she had great stage presence. He would laugh and say, "That's our Joy. Loud, dramatic and in the spotlight. Every day of her life."

"That's great, sweetheart..." Janine said, slowly. "Did - what now?"

The sixteen year old's expression went from complete exuberance to downright disbelief. She gaped at her mother.

"Did what? Only the single most awesome thing I've ever done!" Joy was speaking with her hands again, something she did often. It usually meant that she was either excited or flustered. "I did it; I'm Nora!"

Janine suddenly remembered the casting for Joy's play, and felt terrible over the fact that it had completely slipped her mind. She didn't even have a card ready. Janine liked to give cards to her daughters on any and all special occasions. When it was something like getting a role for a show that could go one of two ways, Janine sometimes bought two cards: one for congratulations, and one for better luck next time.

Lately, though, Janine just didn't feel like she was quite all there. It was a bit disturbing to a person like Janine who usually had a hold on things. The extra responsibilities at work, she decided, were taking their toll.

"In A Doll's Horse, of course," Janine replied quickly and was startled when her daughter burst out laughing as though she had said something funny.

"A Doll's HORSE?" Joy laughed at the mix-up. "You mean house, mother. A Doll's House by Henrick Ibsen. He was one of the most well-known modern playwrights. And we're doing his show! AND I GOT THE LEAD!"

Janine smiled at hearing her daughter spout off some facts about Ibsen. Joy wasn't the greatest student. (I've seen much worse, Janine thought, thinking of Claudia.) But anyone could see that she was very bright. And she was destined for great things... if she would just work a little harder sometimes. Particularly in math and science.

Kissing her daughter's cheek, she said, "I'm so proud of you, Joyanna." Joy beamed, and then her mother added: "Now where did your sister go?"

"Up to her room," Joy casually tossed off the usual response. "To study."

"To study?" Janine shook her head. "On the weekend? On her birthday? With her relatives arriving later?" Janine's volume level increased and became more incredulous with each question. Then she paused and chuckled at herself for being the least bit shocked. If anyone could relate to the real reason why Jyll studied as much as she did, it was Janine.

"Jyllina Sherice!" Janine called her younger daughter from the bottom of the stairs. Then she sat down on the bottom step, and shook her head, laughing lightly to herself. "Too much. She's too much like me."

"And what about me?" Joy asked.

"You're-

"Too much like Aunt Claudia," Joy spoke at the same time as her mother, having known full-well what she was about to say. Sometimes Joy wished she could have known her mother and her aunt when they were younger. Then she could see for herself whether or not the notion that she and Jyll were "too much like" them was true.



To say that Jyll wasn't having a very good birthday was an understatement. Indeed, Jyll had run up to her room to open her books to pick up where she had left off with her algebra homework. Homework: It was a good way to avoid thinking about things.

High school wasn't anything like what Jyll had hoped for. And even worse, she regretted ever wanting to skip eighth grade when her counselor had suggested it in the first place. Maybe her counselor had made a bad choice. Jyll wasn't ready for high school. She simply wasn't old enough. Today, she was a year older, true. But in her eighth grade class, she had been the youngest student. And now she was more than an entire year younger than the rest of the freshman class.

More like ten, from the looks of her.

Those were such harsh words. How could anyone say such a nasty thing to someone they didn't even know? Jyll had dealt with cruel words in the past, but somehow it was even worse when the person was two or three years older and also a complete stranger. And this time, it seemed that no one would come to her rescue. Not even her own sister.

"Do I really look ten?" Jyll whispered to her reflection, looking at herself in her full-length mirror. Why a person like Jyllina would have a full-length mirror was a mystery. The reason was that her mother bought her room furniture and put it there, naturally. But Jyll hardly ever scrutinized her own appearance. Certainly not to the extent of, oh say, her older sister. Looks and clothes just weren't important to her.

Turning away from the mirror, she noticed the birthday card from her Uncle Zach and Aunt Mindy and picked it up. She was going to have to open it in front of her relatives later, but she wanted a chance to read it in private.

Her father's youngest brother, Zachary, lived in Japan with his wife of three years, Mindy. His major during college had been International Studies and Politics, with a minor in Japanese. He met his wife because she was taking similar classes, majoring in Japanese herself. Shortly after they were married they went to live in Japan to teach Japanese-speaking children English. They didn't have any children of their own yet. Zach had recently turned 30, but he claimed that he still felt like a college student.

Theirs was a fascinating lifestyle. Jyll often thought she wanted to be just like her uncle and aunt when she grew up. For a thirteen year old, Jyll was awfully mature, already thinking seriously about where she wanted to go to college and what she wanted to study. Jyll hoped that college would be different. Maybe she wouldn't feel like she was the only one who cared so much about school.

And maybe by the time I'm in college, I'll look thirteen, Jyll thought cynically. She ripped open her birthday card which contained thirteen American dollars and also some Japanese currency for her to keep.

"Dear Jyllina," the card said. "Thirteen years old! And every day, looking more and more like a young lady. We are so proud of you, Jyll. When your mom and dad told us that you were going to be in high school this year, we were so excited for you. What a great opportunity! We know we can expect amazing things from you. Happy Birthday! Wish we could be there to give this to you in person. We'll be home for Christmas, though. We love you very much. Uncle Zach and Aunt Mindy."

Jyll smiled.

"Jyllina Sherice!" An instant later, her mom was calling to her from the bottom of the stairs. Jyll heard her loud and clear, and so did her father, James who was upstairs in the study. He ventured out, and peeked his head into Jyll's door, which was cracked open.

"Jylly-bean?" Her dad flashed her a goofy grin, and called her by that silly, affectionate nickname that both embarrassed her and made her feel loved. Jyll couldn't help giving him the same goofy grin. People said she looked like her dad.

"I think the birthday girl had better get her head out of her books and get downstairs!" He shook his finger in mock sternness. "C'mon, now. Can't keep Mom waiting."