"We cannot become what we want by remaining what we are." -Max Depree

It had been a few weeks since Emily told Jennifer, Penelope and Spencer about being pregnant. Life was moving forward. Spencer was turning six in a couple of days and he was graduating fifth grade at school. Jennifer and Penelope were having a father daughter dance at school next week and Emily had narrowed her girl name list down to five names. The list consisted of Anna, Amelia, Olivia, Charlotte and Kira. Her boy list also had five names, which were Daniel, Oliver, Sebastian, Aiden and Noah.

Spencer has been skipping around the house the last few days, excited about his birthday and his graduation to sixth grade. Emily was happy for her little brother graduating from one grade to another, but sometimes having a genius for a brother could be a little bit much. It just made her feel so average.

Penelope was very excited for the father-daughter dance. She could hardly contain her excitement. It was the first father-daughter dance that she would ever go to, and hopefully the first of many. Jennifer was excited about the father-daughter dance too, but she was more excited about being an auntie. Jennifer loved babies and she knew that someday when she was married, she would also be a mother and have lots of kids.

Truthfully, Emily was a little jealous of her sisters. Her biological father, as well as her mother, had always worked a lot and he would promise to take her to the father-dance when it was coming up, but at the last minute he would tell her 'Oh I'm sorry, baby girl, Daddy can't go. I have to work'. And Emily would be heartbroken.

And Derek was just glad to not have to keep the secret of Emily being pregnant from his younger siblings anymore. He loves Emily, but he hates secrets. Especially since his birth mother had kept so many secrets from him. She kept her feelings from him after his father was killed. He knew that she thought that he wouldn't be able to handle it, but he could because he was feeling it too. He had been in the car when his father was shot. He saw what happened. The only thing that he couldn't figure out, even to this day, was why the man who shot his father didn't shoot him too. Why did the guy leave a witness?

David had wanted Emily out of the house for a reason that was unknown to the teen. Emily found it suspicious, but she also still didn't know how Penelope felt about being an auntie in a few months, so she decided to go for a walk with her little sister so they could have some one-on-one time, but then Spencer had insisted on going too. David tried to convince the boy that he needed him at home for some 'thing', but after pleaded and begging, Emily caved and finally just told David that it was fine if Spencer joined her and Penelope.

Spencer wasn't too much of a nuisance on the walk since he spent the entire time a few feet ahead of his older sisters, skipping and telling everyone that his birthday was in a couple days. As long as Emily was still able to see Spencer, she didn't care much that he was ahead of her because it allowed her to talk with Penelope.

"So Monkey, you've had a few weeks to think. How do you feel about being an auntie?"

Penelope shrugged, "I don't really know. Maybe I'll feel different when they are born."

"Okay. That's alright."

"Can I suggest names?"

Emily smiled, "Of course."

Penelope already knew that Emily was having a girl and a boy.

"Well how about Grace for the girl."

"That's your middle name."

Penelope nodded, "I know." Then she added, "And for boy, I like August."

"August." Emily repeated

"And we can call him Auggie."

Emily laughed slightly, "Yeah." She looked away and her smile turned into a frown, memories flashing through her mind.

Penelope grabbed Emily's hand, "What's wrong, Emmy?"

"Nothing. August was just the name of a boy who hurt me.

"Oh. Sorry."

Emily shook her head, looking at her sister, "It's okay. You didn't know. I don't know why I'm still bothered by it. It was a long time ago."

"Memories are hard to shake." Penelope told her sister, sounding much older than her nine years of age.

Emily nodded, "Yeah. That's true, but we have to remember that we're save now. No one will ever hurt us again. And if anyone tries Papà will kill them."

Penelope smiled as she giggled, "I know." She turned to see how far Spencer was ahead of them.

"Yeah. We should run and catch up with Spence."

"Hey Spencie, wait up!" Penelope called after her little brother as she and Emily ran to catch up with him, while the two sisters were still holding hands.

Emily and Penelope caught up with Spencer and then they turned around and started to head back home.

Upon walking in the front door, Emily saw a flash of lights which was the lights turning back on, and then heard a yell of 'surprise!'. She saw her family jumping up and balloons and streamers had been hung in the living room.

"What's this?" Emily asked

"This is your baby shower." David told his daughter

Emily smiled, feeling so loved. She knew she was loved, but sometimes she forgot.

"Thank you, Papà." Emily replied as she hugged him

David hugged his daughter back, "It was nothing. It was actually Derek's idea."

Emily walked over to Derek and hugged him, "Thank you."

"I love you, E." Derek said as he hugged his older sister.

"I love you too, D."

In this moment, Emily finally understood why she had suffered so much in the past. It was so she could truly appreciate the moments like these. It was so she could truly appreciate her family and never take them for granted, because just as her biological parents left her, everything she loves and holds dear could be taken away in the snap of a finger.

"In order for the light to shine so brightly, the darkness must be present." -Francis Bacon

I hope you enjoy. Comments are greatly appreciated.

What would you like to see happen next?

Emily's feelings of jealousy and never having gone to a father-daughter dance is actually my feelings. My dad never took me to a father-daughter dance.