Once the battle was won, Raniq realized she'd been so focused on giving Mara the option to choose that she hadn't taken the time to consider providing her with the tools to actually make an informed choice.

And as she sat there, waiting for Mara to wake up—she'd dozed off after Tomiko left—Raniq's resolve began to waver. What happened next was now up to her, and with the tension of anxiety gone, her head was clear enough to look at the issue from all sides.

She was staring off into space when Mara spoke.

"What happened?"

"Nothing. We didn't do anything."

Mara's hands went to her stomach. "They're both still there?"

"Yes. But I want to talk to you. And it's important. I know Tomiko has probably said all this to you already, but I hope it'll mean more coming from me. Do you trust me?"

"I don't trust no one but Jojin," she muttered. "But you more than that other lady."

"I'll take it," Raniq said with a smirk. "First of all, I want to tell you that I have good news. Tomiko won't be able to do anything to you without my permission. As far as the laws here are concerned, I'm your parent now. I know I'm not–"

"My parent?" Mara interrupted with surprise. "Like…my mom?"

"Well, foster mother, legally. I know it's not the same as being–" But she cut off when Mara dropped her face in her hands and started to cry. "What's wrong? I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you."

Unsure of what she'd done or how to fix it, she just helplessly offered a box of tissues—for about the thousandth time in the last three days. The first time, Mara hadn't even known what to do with it.

The now-familiar act of wiping her nose and cheeks seemed to calm her down. "I'm not upset. I'm…" But it seemed she lacked the vocabulary to express herself. "I don't even remember what it's like to have a mom. I been…so scared about being one, 'cause I don't know how."

"No one knows how until they are one." Raniq brushed away a rogue tear that escaped from her own eye. "Does it sound okay to you? To come home with me when you're able to?"

"Jojin, too?"

"Yes."

For the first time since they'd met, Mara cracked a smile. It was half-hearted and pitiful, but it was there. "When?"

"Well…that depends. That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. What happens to your babies is up to me now, and I prefer to let you be the one to decide. But I want to make sure you have all the information first. You understand that choosing to carry both of them is risky, both for you and your babies, right? They might both die. You might die."

"She told me that. She tried to scare me. But I never been scared of dying. Maybe Jojin is scared of me dying, but he can't tell me not to do this because he starved himself so I could have enough food for them to grow." Her hands moved across her belly, so tender and innocent. Like a child playing pretend with a doll.

Spirits, she's too young for this. Have I made a terrible mistake? At least if I had let Tomiko do it, then she would be the villain instead of me.

Another voice jumped in to scold her. Letting her choose her own path might be hard to watch, but it's her life. Don't infantilize her.

"The risk of you dying is low, thanks to our advanced medical care," Raniq said aloud. "But the risk to the babies is much higher, especially if you try to carry both. You'll need to stay in bed all the time, for weeks and weeks. No getting up, no earthbending, no nothing. And even if you do all that, it still might go wrong. You might get all the way to the end and still get your heart broken."

"Why are you saying all this? I already know. How is it any different if they die now, or die later?"

"It's different. This is where life experience fails you, Mara. It would hurt either way, but it'll hurt more the longer you carry them. And you'll have a much better chance of a good outcome if you only try to carry one."

"Nobody knows what's gonna happen," Mara said, angry now. "Everyone keeps saying 'chance' and 'risk' and a bunch of numbers. At first, I thought maybe there was some special machine here to tell the future, but I realized nobody knows nothing. I could have both babies just fine. The only thing I know for sure is that trying is the only way to make something happen. If you don't try to survive, you die."

It was such a bleak outlook on life. All Raniq could do was sit and stare at her. The words themselves were simple, almost childlike, but the hardened maturity behind them took her breath right out of her lungs.

"I won't try to change your mind," she finally managed. "But can you promise me something?"

"What?"

"If things go badly, you might decide surviving isn't so important anymore." She had to take a deep breath and blink several times before continuing. "Promise me that you'll keep trying, no matter what happens."

Mara gave her a solemn nod. "I will. For Jojin."

A loud knocking woke Raniq up on her day off. She'd worked a double shift the night before—thanks to a different patient going into labor three weeks early—and a look at her clock told her she'd only been asleep for about four hours. But daylight streamed in through the curtains and she got up to see who it was, worried there was an emergency with Mara.

"Good morning," a chipper man said when she opened the door.

"Um…hello?"

"My name's Nimon. I'm here for the interview and inspection…?"

"Inspection?" Raniq yawned and rubbed her crusty eyes. "Inspection of what?"

"For approving you and your home for foster care…? Didn't anyone call to tell you I was coming?"

Utterly confused, Raniq glanced at her phone. The answering machine light was blinking. "Oh. I must've missed it. I worked a double shift last night. But I don't understand… I thought I was already approved? Didn't the paperwork go through?"

"Perhaps there's been a misunderstanding here. That paperwork—which, by the way, is ancient and based on a system that doesn't even exist anymore—only functions as a sort of temporary permit so that you can have medical authority while the foster system processes your application."

"Tui and La," Raniq muttered, dropping her head. "I thought this was over. Ugh. Okay… Please, come in." Out of habit, she headed for the kettle. "Tea?"

"Green tea would be wonderful, thank you." Nimon settled himself at the table and pulled several forms out of his briefcase.

Now that she was more fully awake, Raniq began to feel anxious. She was still wearing her robe, hair a mess, and nothing had yet been prepared for Mara and Jojin's arrival.

"Please excuse me," she said once the kettle was on. "I'll just go get dressed. I'm very sorry, I had no idea you were coming and I was at work until five in the morning. I'm usually more put-together than this."

"Of course," Nimon said politely, though he seemed more focused on organizing the papers.

The more Raniq tried to hurry, the longer it took. Her usual routine was smashed to bits and she found herself rushing around frantically, flustered. Her hair was only barely presentable when the kettle started whistling.

"Thank you for your patience," she said to Nimon. Once two mugs of tea were poured, she joined him at the table. "So. How does this work?"

"Well, first off, I've got some paperwork. I understand you're wanting to take on two children? Boy and girl twins?"

"They're not related. They're…"—It made her cringe to say it aloud—"partners."

"Partners?" Nimon looked up and her and blinked. "I thought they were twelve? They have the same birthdate."

"The medical center assigned those birthdates because they don't know their true ones. We estimated their ages and used the day they arrived in Zaofu as their birthday."

"I see…" He frowned in thought and scribbled some things down. "How do you know them?"

"I'm a midwife at the medical center, assisting on the girl's case."

Nimon looked up and blinked again. "Pardon? Midwife? Is the girl with child?" It was spoken with a hint of sarcasm, as if he didn't believe such a thing could be true.

"Yes, unfortunately."

"Oh... And the boy…?"

"Is the father, yes." It was becoming tiresome having to explain all of this over and over again. "And I should tell you now that she's expecting twins. Due to her size and current health, it's unlikely both—or even either—will survive."

The look on Nimon's face said he was beginning to regret being assigned to this case. His upbeat attitude from earlier was gone. "Why on Earth is she being made to carry them at her age?"

"She's not!" Raniq said quickly. "She begged us to let her try. That's why I'm doing this. Well, part of the reason, anyway. I would've done it regardless, but now that I have medical authority, I can let her decide what she wants to do."

"I see…" More focused writing. "This is far more complicated than I was expecting. Do you know what the law says about minors who give birth in foster care?"

"...What?"

"Typically, one of two things happens: One, the mother gives up the child, effectively relinquishing parental rights. If the father is present and does the same, the child will enter the foster system. Newborns are usually placed quickly and adopted.

"Two, the mother chooses to retain parental rights. If the foster parent agrees to the responsibility, they're assigned a caretaker to assist with the newborn. If the caretaker has any reason to believe the child's needs aren't being sufficiently met, they can recommend placing the child into temporary care with another foster parent. Reunification with the biological parent or parents is the end goal, once they have matured.

"That's a simplified explanation, of course. There are just too many factors that play into such a complicated situation, and there is little precedent for each variation. The question I have for you is: Are you truly prepared to take on two adolescent parents and two newborns?"

"I'll have help, right? A caretaker?"

"Yes, but not twenty-four hours a day. You'll need to be able to provide some care, yourself. I assume, with you being a midwife, you're more than capable of seeing to the needs of an infant."

"Of course."

"You're young, though, and unmarried. What kind of support system do you have?"

Raniq let out a weak laugh. "The entire Beifong family, for starters."

"Mm, yes, I see you have a glowing recommendation from Suyin herself. She speaks of you like a member of her family. But why live alone, then, rather than on their estate?"

"I want to make my own way in the world, as much as possible. And not rely on favors."

Nimon nodded with respect. "Well, I suppose I'll have a look around, then."

Raniq's home was a nice size for just her, but as they went through it, she began to realize how small it would feel with four more people. "The bathroom is attached to my room, and there's another toilet through that door. And here's the guest room, which I'll convert into their room. They won't be discharged for at least another week. I plan to get two smaller beds to replace this bigger one." Even though they'll probably sleep together, regardless… she thought wryly.

"Hm…" Nimon had brought a clipboard and wrote down something. "One shower for three people, plus potentially two babies." He tsked and shook his head. "And the living space is quite cramped. I'm sorry, but this is not a suitable home for three—much less five —people."

Raniq's low-level anxiety shot up to near panic. "What are you saying? You won't approve me?"

"Well, there are steps you can take. You could move into a bigger space, or consider only taking one of the children and letting the babies—should they survive—be temporarily placed with other foster parents."

"That would destroy Mara. I– I can't do that. I won't separate them or take her babies away from her."

"Well…then I suggest you speak to Suyin Beifong and call in one of those favors you don't like to ask for."

Raniq was quite taken aback by Su's response when she explained the situation.

"I've already started prepping one of the guest houses," Su said with a light laugh. "This isn't my first hog monkey race. I knew you'd be back."

"Huh?" She cocked an eyebrow. "Hog monkey race?"

"Something Aang and Sokka used to say. It caught on for a little while, back in the day, but I guess it didn't stick with your generation."

"Right… Well, I hope you know how much I appreciate you doing this. And everything else. You know I wouldn't ask unless I was desperate."

"Mhmm, I do know," Su said with some amusement. "Miss Independent. Your mother likes to tell me how you'd rather poke your own eye out than ask for favors."

Raniq grimaced; no one seemed to understand. She had no problem trading favors between friends and equals. It was the nepotism that made her skin crawl. "I guess she probably knows by now… I'm surprised she hasn't shown up to check in on me."

"Oh, she means to. Just as soon as she–"

"Finishes whatever she's up to. Yeah, I know the drill."

Su gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know what it's like to have a…non-traditional upbringing with a workaholic parent. For what it's worth, she talks about you all the time."

"I didn't realize you two were so close."

"Closer than before, since you moved here." A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth. "She expects regular reports from me."

"I'm shocked," Raniq deadpanned.

"Because she cares. My mother used to do the same when she sent me—a troublemaking teen—to live with my grandparents. Of course, none of them ever actually told me that at the time, so I just thought she didn't care. But she did."

Raniq had heard it all before. And she understood, of course. Any lingering resentment was half-hearted. Her family was what it was, and she loved them. Missed them, even.

Still, she was glad to be on her own.

"I don't expect this to be a permanent arrangement," she said. "Sad as it is, the chances of both twins surviving are slim. I just hope Mara can cope with whatever happens." Her shoulders slumped; it got harder every time she said it aloud. "Did I make the right choice?"

"Do you think I would've interceded if I disagreed with your cause? You feel this way because there is no right answer. No good choice. Damned if you do, damned if you don't. But I would've done the same in your position."

"Well, this is much better," Nimon said cheerfully when he returned the next day to inspect the guest house that Su had offered. "Two full bathrooms, three bedrooms, full-size kitchen. Yes, this will be suitable. However…"

Oh, no… What now? "...Yes?"

"I still have some concerns about what will happen in the event that the twins are born healthy and come into your care. It's unheard of for a single foster parent—especially one as young and inexperienced as you—to be approved for four foster children, two of which will be newborns. Even with a caretaker and the leave period you'll get, it'll be a struggle."

"Many of the Beifongs have offered to help me." Even if they all clearly think I'm nuts… "You can ask them if, you like."

"Hm. Very well. I will look into that and take it into consideration, assuming they're willing to make a formal commitment."

"When will you make a decision?"

"Due to your unique situation, your case has been given high priority. You'll know by the end of the week."

Both fortunately and unfortunately, the next several days at work were slower than usual. None of her patients—other than Mara—were high risk, nor were any of them about to give birth. She just had a few post-natal checkups, a handful of scheduled ultrasounds, and a moderate amount of paperwork.

It made the days drag on slowly, but it also gave her plenty of time to sit with Mara, who was gradually beginning to open up and show more curiosity. It was shocking how little she knew about her own body and what was to come in the next few months.

Those conversations were hard, though, because Raniq couldn't bring herself to admit that the foster situation might fall through—especially after already making promises. She honestly had no idea what would happen if she wasn't approved. Surely, they'll at least give me Mara… But Jojin and the babies… It broke her heart to think about this little family being split up.

Whenever their talks began to approach the topic, she quickly veered off in another direction. Fortunately, Mara wasn't an especially talkative girl. Though she seemed to have a lot of questions about the babies themselves, she was also content to sit in silence for hours on end—especially when they managed to borrow the television.

On the third day of waiting for the foster agency to make a decision, Raniq was able to bring her a different sort of good news.

"Jojin is waking up!" she said cheerfully. "Would you like to visit him?"

"Yeah!"

It melted her heart to see a genuine smile on Mara's face. What might this child's personality be like if she'd had an easier life? Determined, ambitious, and fierce, she was sure. Like Kiriko.

"You remind me a little of my friend, sometimes," she said as she wheeled Mara down the hall. "You remember I pointed her out the other day when we were watching pro-bending?"

"Yeah."

"She'll probably come to visit at some point. But…she might not be her usual self."

"'Cause her mom died?"

"Well…we don't know that for sure yet," Raniq said slowly. They'd had a whole conversation about Kiriko and Korra. She'd been shocked to learn that Mara had little concept of what an Avatar actually was.

"I don't see how anyone could kill someone that strong. But…I guess maybe someone snuck up on her while she was asleep."

"Yeah, maybe," Raniq said weakly. Fortunately, they'd just reached the pediatric ward and she was able to drop the conversation. Jojin had been moved to a semi-private room and Mara craned her neck around to peer through each window they passed. "Ah, here we are, room two twenty-three."

The curtain between the two beds was drawn for privacy, with Jojin at the far side of the room. He appeared to be sleeping, though Raniq saw his fingers twitching. The ventilator was gone and he now had only a thin feeding tube in his nose, a nasal cannula for supplemental oxygen, and the IV in his hand.

"Do you want me to put you on the bed with him?"

"Yeah." Once settled, Mara leaned in to brush the hair from his forehead and turned his face toward hers. "Jojin, it's me. Can you hear me?" His eyelids fluttered a little but didn't quite open. "I'm here. I know you probably feel weird but it's okay. You'll wake up soon and everything will be okay."

His lips twitched and the very tip of his tongue shot between them. A soft noise came from deep in his chest.

"Hey, I think he knows you're here," Raniq said, grinning through watery eyes. The way Mara gazed at him made her breath catch. It was so reverent. Those sapphire blue eyes seemed to belong to an adult who had seen too much, yet they still held a deep well of love.

"He's looking better, I think," Mara said. "Not so skinny."

"Yeah, he's put on a bit of weight. Although most of it's probably water. It's amazing what being well-hydrated can do."

Mara herself was looking healthier, too. Her face was a bit rounder, wrists a little less bony, and she had a nice glow to her skin. "You'll like this place," she said to Jojin softly, now cuddled up next to him on the pillow. "You did good, bringing us here. We get to eat as much as we want, and it's real good food, too. Nothing rotten at all."

It felt so intimate and private that Raniq silently excused herself to as not to eavesdrop. Outside in the hall, she let herself fall into a chair and leaned her head against the wall.

Memories of the last few days swam into her mind. She'd taken Mara to one of the birthing pools, which also doubled as hydrotherapy baths. It had been such a joy to see Mara's fascination and delight when she realized the water was warm. She'd even let Raniq wash her hair. It was possibly the first time she'd been truly relaxed since waking up in Zaofu.

Showing her the television had been a lot of fun, too. Mara had seen one before, but only in junk yards, and had no idea what they were actually capable of. Her wide-eyed wonder had made Raniq laugh, and they'd enjoyed watching many different programs together. Pro-bending was Mara's favorite, though.

You're really going to like this girl, Kiriko. I hope you come soon.

Raniq had held off sending any letters yet. She wanted to wait until things were settled. Until she knew what was going to happen with the foster care system. The worry and anxiety kept her up at night, but spending time with Mara soothed her. She just kept telling herself that, whatever happened, they had a bond now.

Even if they take you away from me, I'll find you. I won't abandon you. You'll always have me.

Was this what it felt like to be a mother? She suspected it might be—perhaps not in the traditional sense, but the end result was the same. It was so nice to have someone to take care of.

"Having a good nap?"

Raniq's eyes popped open to find the nurse she'd gotten to know over the last week. Alika was assigned to Jojin's case and had been kind enough to keep her in the loop.

"Mara's in there with him. I wanted to give them some privacy." She stood up and stretched. "Probably should get back in there, though."

"I was just doing my afternoon rounds."

Alika gave a brisk knock before letting herself in. She passed the first patient, who was also unconscious, and instead went to Jojin's bed. Mara appeared to have dozed off, though she cracked her eyes open when they approached.

"How are we doing today?" Alika asked cheerfully, picking up Jojin's chart.

Unsurprisingly, Mara didn't answer. She wasn't exactly talkative with anyone else. Raniq seemed to be the only one she was willing to have a real conversation with. But Alika took it in stride and went about her tasks.

"He's looking good. Vitals are strong. That means his heart is beating well, and his breathing is good. I'm just going to take a little blood sample. That helps us know if he's got any infections anywhere."

Mara watched it all with silent, cautious interest. Like most people who worked in peds, Alika was a gentle soul who knew how to talk to children. She worked around Mara without touching her, all the while giving a calm commentary of what she did.

"Well, I'm all finished. He should be fully awake by tomorrow."

Mara buried her face in his neck and wrapped her arm around his chest. Raniq suspected she was emotional and trying to hide it. After all that unpleasant business with Tamiko was over, Mara had been far less willing to express what she was feeling around anyone else.

Alika seemed to understand. She quickly moved on to her other patient and left the room shortly after.

"Are you ready to go?" Raniq asked Mara once they were alone.

"Why can't I stay with him? We both fit in the bed."

"Unfortunately, the medical center has a lot of strict rules. Patients have to stay in their assigned rooms. I've also got some things to do this afternoon and I can't leave you here unattended. The nurses in the maternity ward are the only ones who know your feeding schedule, and"—she looked at her watch—"looks like you're due for another meal in fifteen minutes."

"I guess I am hungry," Mara said with a sigh. She reached up to cup Jojin's face and laid a gentle kiss on his lips.

Raniq was taken aback; Mara had never done that before, at least not in front of her. She supposed it wasn't that surprising, all things considered, but it still looked… strange . They were just children…

"I'll be back tomorrow," Mara murmured to him. "Maybe we'll be able to talk. I hope so." One more light peck on his cheek, then she sat up. "Okay. I'm ready."

Raniq found a letter shoved through the mail slot when she arrived home that evening. She opened it in the dark and didn't turn on the light until its contents were free and unfolded. Maybe it's from Kiriko?

But it wasn't.

To Raniq Varrick:

The Zaofu Child Fostering Agency has reviewed your application to become a foster parent and approved you to become the indefinite guardian of MARA [NO SURNAME] and JOJIN [NO SURNAME].

Her heart seemed to briefly stop and lose out on several beats. Legs shaking, she just barely managed to land on the arm of the nearest chair in her living room.

Your case has been flagged as UNCONVENTIONAL, which means that more frequent check-ins and inspections will be conducted. If at any point, your case worker believes the situation to be untenable, your status will undergo a review.

A welcome packet will be sent to your residence in two to three business days, which will help you navigate this journey. Please feel free to contact your case worker, NIMON WANAK with any questions or concerns, using the information below.

Thank you for choosing to support Zaofu's children!

Sincerely,

The Zaofu Child Fostering Agency

After a quick dinner of leftovers and a lengthy shower—during which she mainly zoned out while the water streamed down her face—Raniq got into bed with her usual cup of chamomile tea and cried harder than she had in a long time.

But these were tears of relief. Finally, she could make promises to Mara—tell her all about the new house and living on the Beifong estate, where there were other kids near her age. Had Mara ever had a friend, besides Jojin? From what she'd said, it didn't sound like it. She and Jojin apparently had a habit of avoiding everyone.

It's no wonder they accidentally discovered sex… Raniq mused. They were completely isolated and probably bored silly.

She went straight to the pediatric ward the next day, delighted to find Jojin blinking slowly in the late morning light that streamed through his window's open blinds. Then she noticed that his wrists were bound and securely fixed to the bed frame.

"Good morning," she said, having a look at his chart out of habit. "It's nice to see you awake."

He slowly turned his head and stared at her with heavy-lidded wariness. "Mara…"

"Yes, I'm sure you want to see her. And I'm guessing you tried to escape the moment you woke up." She put the chart down and approached his bedside. "Mara is just fine. You can see her soon, I promise."

Out in the hall, she spent a few minutes locating the nurse from before.

"Yeah, the night nurses had to restrain him," Alika explained. "Poor kid. He was really scared and disoriented. He'd actually be fully awake by now, but we're keeping him lightly sedated so he stays calm."

"He's not going to be calm until he sees Mara. Do you think he could be transferred to the maternity ward so they can share a room?"

"Mm, I don't think Dr. Myelo will go for that. He's still being monitored closely for organ failure and refeeding syndrome. But I'll ask."

In the meantime, Raniq checked on Mara before starting her duties for the day, but found her still sleeping peacefully. Curled up on her side as she was, under a thick blanket, she looked so childlike and innocent—more than usual. Two weeks of frequent meals and a constant IV drip full of electrolytes had worked wonders. She looked quite healthy now, if still a little on the thin side.

Maybe it'll turn out alright, Raniq thought, allowing hope to blossom. She's strong. She can do it.

An hour later, she found Mara picking at her breakfast with a worried frown on her face.

"What's the matter?"

"Someone came in my room… A man."

Raniq's breath caught. "...What?"

"He had something… I dunno what it was. But it made a bright flash and he asked me a bunch of questions and I didn't want to talk to him. But then the nurses outside found him and made him leave."

"Spirits." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "It was a reporter. I guess word's gotten out about you. He must've snuck in here. I'm so sorry." Anger began to bubble up; she wanted to find someone to blame. How dare he do that! But Mara's scared eyes pulled her back. "I'll see about posting a security guard outside your room. Intruders aside, how are you feeling today?"

"Okay. Can I see Jojin again? Is he awake yet?"

"Almost! I'm trying to arrange for him to come here, but we'll have to wait a little while."

"Can we watch the television while we wait?"

"Mm, I think someone's using it in the conference room right now, sorry. But don't worry. You'll probably be able to get out of here soon and there'll be a television at home."

"Home…" Mara murmured. "What does it feel like?"

It hadn't been an idle musing born of dismal sarcasm, but a genuine question—one Raniq had no idea how to answer. "The place we're going is new to me, too. I haven't moved in yet. It'll feel a little strange at first, not like home, but soon you'll settle in. Then you'll know what it feels like."

A few minutes later, a short knock on the door preceded someone pushing a wheelchair inside.

"Jojin!" Mara went so far as to lean forward on her knees, obviously unable to contain herself. It was the most animated she'd been yet.

He was more alert now, though still obviously groggy. But he smiled when he saw her.

"I'm sorry," Alika said to Raniq. "I couldn't get him transferred. But Dr. Myelo said I could bring him for a short visit."

Jojin surprised them all by pushing himself onto shaky legs and scrambling up onto the bed to sit next to Mara. Raniq looked at Alika and jerked her head towards the door. They left silently and stood outside the window; she had to make an effort not to stare.

"Bit of an odd love story," Alika remarked with a wry twist to her mouth. "It's…unsettling."

"Yeah, no kidding. It helps if I don't think of them as kids, but just very small adults. In a way, it's the truth. Their childhoods were stolen from them a long time ago. I don't know how exactly. I'm not sure even they know."

They stood outside the door and chatted for a few minutes until Tomiko showed up.

"What are you doing just standing here?" she asked, peering in through the window. "Tell me you did not steal Dr. Myelo's patient."

"Of course not! Have you lost all faith in me?"

Tomiko crossed her arms and arched an eyebrow as if to say, 'Do you really want me to answer that?'

"He's just visiting," Alika said quickly. "We wanted to give them some privacy."

"Hmph. I'm not convinced that's such a good idea." She let herself into the room, followed closely by Raniq. "Good morning, Mara. How are you feeling today?"

"Okay."

All throughout the brief exam and ultrasound—Raniq took the liberty of making a printout this time—Jojin watched with silent wariness. How much had Mara managed to tell him about what was going on?

Finally, Tomiko left, though not without a gentle but blunt warning. "Bed rest means no fooling around, got it? If you want to give your babies their best chance to survive, you need to be still."

"I know," Mara whispered. "I won't do nothing."

"Good."

Once Tomiko was gone, Raniq gave Mara the ultrasound picture. "I thought you two might like having this."

Jojin scooted closer and wrapped an arm around Mara's shoulders. His other hand came up to rest on her belly and they looked at the picture together.

It should've been cute and sweet, but it wasn't. Raniq's placid smile faded as harsh reality returned. The scene in front of her wasn't romantic; it was wrong in every way. It should never have happened. Nothing less than a series of heartbreaking events had brought them to this moment.

"Have you gotten Jojin caught up with everything?" she asked to dispel those thoughts.

"Yeah, mostly. There's a lot to say. I'm sure I forgot some stuff."

Jojin fixed Raniq with a penetrating gaze that seemed to bore right into her soul. "Mara says you're gonna take us to your house and we're gonna live there, and we can get food without having to do anything for it. Is that true?" His voice had the raspiness of someone who'd been unconscious for a while—not to mention on a ventilator—and the brittle quality of a boy going through puberty.

"It is. I'm responsible for you now. I may not be your mother exactly, and I don't expect you to think of me that way, but I'll do my best."

"Why? Why do you…care?"

His demeanor was much like Mara's had been at the beginning, as if he couldn't fathom that someone would want to go to the trouble for them.

"It's just the way I am," Raniq said with a shrug. "I like to take care of people."

He swallowed hard, jaw tight. On the surface, it looked almost like anger, but she suspected he was fighting the urge to hope for good things. It was the mark of someone who had been let down too many times. As someone who had grown up privileged, Raniq was only able to recognize the emotion because she saw the same thing in the eyes of some of her patients—women who were with men that didn't treat them right.

"You don't even know us," Jojin said almost plaintively.

"That's easily fixed. I've already gotten to know Mara a little bit these last couple of weeks."

"What did she tell you about us?"

Spirits, this boy acts like a grizzled old cop. I feel like I'm being interrogated. What happened to him to make him so jaded, so mistrustful? But then she remembered the scars on his arms. Of course…

Aloud, she said, "Not a whole lot. Just that you've been on your own for a while. She told me you ran away from your father years ago, and that you two have been together ever since. And she told me about the woman that helped you—and I use the word 'helped' loosely—before you came here."

Finally, Jojin nodded and relaxed into the pillow. A brief, tense silence was broken when someone knocked on the door and pushed it open.

"I've got Jojin's breakfast," Alika said, giving him the tray of food. "I have some things to do, but I'll be back in a little while to take you back to your room."

Raniq watched him carefully inspect it. The portion was quite small, comprised only of soft foods and soup, and he seemed just as wary of it as he was of everything else.

"Is there enough for Mara?" he said after using his fingers to try a small bite of mashed potatoes. "I'd rather her have more if there's not much."

Raniq very nearly broke down into tears. So many times, she'd had to hold back the sudden emotions that came up when Mara said certain things—small, poignant comments that said so much with so little.

"There's plenty for her. That food is for you. You're on a special diet to get your body used to solid foods. I know it's not much, but you'll get more in a couple of hours."

Whenever she spoke, Jojin always listened hard and made firm eye contact. It was such a stark contrast to how Mara was. But he just nodded and shifted his attention to the food, more enthusiastic about eating it now.

"Really, Jojin. They give me a lot," Mara said cheerfully. It was amazing how much more animated she was with him. A flower blooming for the morning sun. "It's good, huh? There's all kinds of different things. Things I've never seen before. And nothing ever tastes rotten. And the meat doesn't even have any bones in it! It's so strange… It makes me think of animals flopping around without bones."

Raniq couldn't help herself this time. She buried her face in her hands and laughed until she cried. It felt a bit hysterical, and was a little embarrassing, but there was a certain catharsis to it.

"Sorry," she gasped, wiping her eyes. "I'm just… Ah, I'm so tired."

Mara and Jojin were staring at her like she'd lost her mind, though there was at least a flicker of skeptical amusement in Mara's expression.

"Well, anyway…" Raniq continued. "I, unfortunately, have things to do. And I'm sure you two still have a lot to talk about. Just hit the call button if you need anything. I'll be around."

Two days later, Raniq moved into her new place. It was unexpectedly bittersweet to leave her little townhouse on the edge of the park. She stood in the doorway and looked around at the space that had once been home but was now just bare walls and sparse furniture. There was nothing left to make it feel like… home.

As she walked across the park toward the expansive Beifong estate, Mara's question swam into her thoughts.

'What does home feel like?'

There were no words in Raniq's vocabulary to properly articulate that feeling. Right now, she felt strangely empty, carrying one last little duffel bag through Zaofu. She felt…alone. Transient.

It was irrational, she knew. The same thing had happened when she moved out of her first little apartment. That place had a certain nostalgia to it. But she barely remembered it now, and she knew her new place would feel like home soon enough.

Moving from Republic City had been much different. It was exciting and new and a little scary. Kiriko had been with her then, steadfastly at her side from start to finish—except for those random few minutes when she ran off to chase Nik down.

Raniq chuckled at the memory. How old had Kiriko been? Fourteen? It felt like a lifetime ago. Things had been so simple back then. No complicated feelings, no missing parent.

That thought led to another and Kiriko was quickly pushed out of her mind by Mara and Jojin. Who were they? Where were their parents? Were they still alive? Did they wonder where their children were?

They're my children now.

The thought hit her like a sack of bricks. In all the time that had passed, she hadn't allowed it to articulate itself so bluntly. But it felt good. Really good. She walked a little taller, chin held high.

On the edge of the Beifong estate, a row of beautiful guest houses sat proudly by a manicured courtyard. Such opulence. It made her uncomfortable. It was too much like the ostentatious home she'd grown up in.

That never used to bother her before, and she cringed at the memory of how spoiled she'd been. How privileged. Moving to that tiny apartment, where she had no luxuries to speak of, had been a huge reality check. And she was eternally grateful for it—for making that leap and sticking with it.

There was no one around when she put the key in the door of her new house, turned the lock, and pushed the door open. It was beautifully furnished and decorated; the boxes against the wall were the only things marring the spacious living room.

This is all too much. I'm going to get too comfortable living here. Spirits. But no, this isn't for me. It's for Mara and Jojin.

Raniq let out a self-deprecating laugh. It seemed to echo around the room. How silly was it to believe that living here would be some kind of sacrifice that she was making for them? It was absurd. Irrational.

Maybe everyone's right. Maybe I really am crazy. Dad hit the nail on the head: I'm obviously more like him than I ever thought.