Okay! So this chapter is a little shorter than most, but that's because it's the last chapter of my reimagination of "Psychic in the Light." With that said, thank you so much for reading and getting to know a whole lot more about Lily. I have decided to continue on with this story. Though my updates will be spaced out due to my wedding that is in just 15 days.

Yes, there will be a reimagination of "Epidemic" per the spoiler at the very end of the chapter. Yes, there will be be parts of "For Good" in this. Yes, I will be writing about Wilbur and Karena's wedding again, but from Lily's POV. There's lots to do in this story that will now pretty much be about the entirety of Lily's life.

But for now, enjoy this chapter, and I'll see you again soon!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything related to "Meet the Robinsons" nor "TMNT." I only own Lilianna, Karena, Athena, Ryan, and Venus.

May 13, 2039 – Todayland, North Montana, USA

DONATELLO'S POV

Lily's season as a cheerleader ended that night in February, and she no longer had to worry about the Magician taking her or her loved ones away. For the next three months, she only focused on her schoolwork and her training to hone her ninjutsu and psychic skills. She had grown more powerful since her encounter with the Magician in Los Angeles, and while she still grieved some for the Magician's death, her spirit was still very strong.

Spring break for Todayland University came a few weeks later. April took advantage of my time off and took the portal to Todayland. She stayed with me and Lily the entire week. I had taken April out on a date every day that week, and it always ended in bliss. April contributed to Lily's psychic training and even took her to the arboretum to train her. On the weekend, we took Lily back to New York through the portal to spend time with her cousins and family.

Both the university and high school was in session the following week, and then Lily was on her spring break. She took the portal back to New York to spend the week in the lair with her family. She trained more with Leo, Raph, and Mikey, and April gave more training on her psychic powers. I had a very comfortable week alone in the apartment while grading papers. The Robinsons had invited me over to their house for dinner every night so I wouldn't dine alone. I also took advantage of my time with them and played some games of chargeball with Wilbur and Karena. I sparred with Franny, giving me the exercise and training I needed for my ninjutsu skills.

Wilbur also taught me some moves with his flag. Leo was right in that twirling the flag was similar to twirling my bo staff, but it was just a tad more difficult. While the pole was lighter than my bo staff, the flag added weight and a swift motion. I could not twirl the flag as fast as I could my bo staff but tossing it in the air and catching it was easy to do. On the other hand, Wilbur had trouble twirling my bo staff at a fast pace but had no problem doing so in a slow pace.

Lily returned to Todayland the following Sunday, and we just went on with our lives for the next month. I had surprised my students with a scavenger hunt at the arboretum, which I told them was going to be their final project before the final exams. I had a lot of fun grading this project. In fact, it was the most fun I ever had in the twenty years I had been teaching at Todayland University.

Today was the last day of the semester for the students of Todayland University. I had given out my biology exams on Monday and Wednesday and my physics exams on Tuesday and Thursday. Today, I spent the entire day in my office grading those exams. I had smiled most of the time. All of my students had done well in my classes. There were some exams, however, that I had frowned upon because those students had scored low enough to the point where their grades dropped. Thankfully, not a single student of mine had failed my classes, and I put a big gap-toothed grin on my face.

I heard knocking at the door, and I turned to see Karena standing there with a basket in her hands.

"Karena, come on in!"

Karena walked into my office.

"How are you doing, Karena?" I asked, still carrying the grin on my face.

"I'm a little anxious," she answered.

"Oh? Let's talk about it."

I gestured her to sit in the chair across from my desk, and she sat down.

"What's gotten you worried, Karena?"

"I'm just wondering how I did on my final exam. It's the only one that hasn't been graded yet."

"On the contrary, I just put the grade in online."

I took Karena's test from my pile and gave it to her. Karena went from extremely anxious to shell-shocked.

"One hundred percent?" she asked loudly. "I must be dreaming. No one ever gets a perfect score on a final exam."

I laughed at that.

"You are correct. I have never seen a perfect score on any of my final exams until today. And I've been teaching for over 20 years!"

I watched Karena skim through her graded exam, still with widened eyes.

"I got all the questions right," she said with a surprised voice.

"That is what a perfect score means, Karena," I replied with a chuckle. "Let me tell you something. As your professor, I am extremely proud of how much time you have spent studying in my class despite what happened a few months back. As an education major, attention to detail is key, and you knew how to apply that here. As your friend, I want to ask you: are you proud of yourself for everything you have accomplished this semester?"

"Yes, I am, Donnie. I've studied hard. Got all A's except for one class so far. I'm even more proud of myself for my perfect score here."

"Good! I'm glad!"

"You were extremely helpful too, Donnie. You gave me tips on how to study and how to do well in your class. That carried on to my other classes. The best part is that you never saw us as just students, but as individual people. You seemed to have the perfect piece of advice for every student. And your class was really fun to take."

"Thank you! I'm happy to hear you say that."

"I want to give you this."

Karena reached into her basket and took out a bag of cookies. She placed them in front of me. I smiled with delight.

"Aww, Karena! What's the occasion?"

"Thank you for teaching me everything you know," Karena said, returning the smile. "And thank you for being a friend."

"You didn't have to do that," I replied with a fond smile.

"It's a tradition for me to make cookies for my teachers. It's my gift of appreciation."

"Karena, you passing my class is a good-enough gift to show your appreciation. It has been an honor being your teacher."

"So, Donnie, will you be back in Todayland next semester? There's a lot of opportunity here."

"You are correct again," I replied, keeping the smile on my face. "But I'll be staying in New York and teaching remotely. I've been away from my practice for too long. My mutant friends have missed my expertise. April has missed me even more than that."

"Which means Lily will be staying in New York too."

"Yes."

"I'm really going to miss you guys."

"Aww, Karena. Don't miss us yet. Lily still has two weeks of school left. And besides, Leo's made plans for you and Wilbur to visit New York for a week. And somehow, I doubt that will be the last time we'll see each other. I'm not like my daughter. I'm no psychic. But I'm very confident that we will see each other again."

Karena stood up, and so did I. I walked around my desk to my door and opened it. To my surprise, Karena gave me a hug, and I returned it.

"Have a good day, Karena."

"You too, Donnie."

May 27, 2039

LILIANNA'S POV

I finished my last final exam for the school year. I smiled in confidence, knowing that I had passed this test with flying colors. I handed the test to my teacher, who thanked me, and then I left the classroom. I went up the three flights of stairs to my locker on the very top floor. Still carrying that smile, I cleaned out my locker, excited that I was finished with another school year.

I got excited at the thought of having a three-month-long break. When my dad was homeschooling me, I never got a break. School happened all year long and I would be promoted to the next grade every September. My dad had even taught me things that older students would learn. But this year was different. Because I had been enrolled as a freshman, I had taken all of the basic classes except for math; I started taking the first level of algebra and at some point in the school year, I was bumped up to geometry. My dad had taught me some physics in my spare time, so I would be more than ready to learn more when the time comes.

I finished cleaning out my locker, stared at it in its emptiness, and my smile went away. I let out a sigh, realizing that in three months, or even sooner than that, my dad would start teaching me again. I frowned, realizing that I would not be able to cheer for my new friends. I frowned, realizing that there was going to be no morning routine with Wilbur. Tears came to my eyes when I realized I may never see James again.

The tears started to fall. James and I made up our first date the following Friday in February, and we went on a date every Friday unless I was in New York spending time with my family. We had become close, and the topic of us becoming a couple was brought up last Friday. I had turned him down, telling him that I was returning to New York and will not come back to Todayland. I had assured him, however, that we would always be friends and we were only a text away.

I closed my locker, no longer wanting to look at its emptiness. I made my way to the stairs and trotted down the three flights and out the door. I sat down on the grass, appreciating the little nature that surrounded me on the school premises.

"Hey!"

I turned to my left to see Wilbur standing next to me.

"Hey, Wilbur."

"Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not."

"What's wrong?"

I let out a heavy sigh.

"I won't be coming back to Todayland, Wilbur. Which means I'll be going back to my old life. Homeschooling every day for a few hours. Doing chores around the house. Driving three hours to the city for ninjutsu lessons. Driving three hours back and then going to sleep. I never realized until just now how small my life is in New York."

"How small your life is?" Wilbur repeated. "What do you mean by that?"

"Don't get me wrong. I love my family. I love training with them. Heck, I love it when my dad teaches me. He is just as good a teacher in my own home as he is at Todayland University. But here-"

"You found a new purpose to your life here," Wilbur finished my thought.

"Yeah. I love cheerleading, Wilbur. And I can't do that at home. I love being surrounded by all kinds of people. At home, I'm a mutant, and all of my family except for Auntie Renet are mutants."

"Wait a minute, hold up. There is no way your mom is a mutant."

I gave him a blank stare, and Wilbur's eyes widened.

"What species?" he asked.

"Kraang. The Kraang experimented on her bloodline as a way to find a way to perfect their mutagen, the same substance that transformed my dad and uncles to humanoid turtles and my grandpa to a humanoid rat. The Kraang is why my mom has psychic powers. Which means I'm part-Kraang too."

I let out another heavy sigh.

"I know I'm a mutant, a genetically-enhanced human being. But I have learned so much more about life here surrounded by one-hundred-percent human beings. There is a compassion like no other here. Mildred at the orphanage made me feel at home despite my claims that I'm a freak. You treated me like I'm a normal human being, and so have the Robinsons."

"Lily, hold up. You are not a freak. You never were a freak to begin with. You are Donatello's daughter, and I know you are proud of that. You never once complained about your fingers and toes. Heck, you never complained about the gap in your teeth! But then again, normal human beings were born with gaps in their teeth too. And there are some human beings who were either born with three fingers on each hand or three toes on each foot, and there are others who went to war and lost some appendages. You and Athena are very blessed to be born the way you two are. Having some mutagen in your blood but having mostly human appearances."

"Athena's more fortunate than I am. She has all ten fingers and all ten toes."

"But is she one hundred percent human?"

"No. Her back and torso are hard also, just like mine."

"There you go. But anyway, your point was that you felt like you belonged in Todayland, right?"

"Yes, and I know my dad feels the same way. And I understand his position. My mom, his wife, is in New York, and they've been apart for a long while. And his family is there, and so is his practice. He needs to be in New York."

I let out one more heavy sigh.

"There are some days where I wish I was older so that I could make my own decisions. Today is definitely one of them."

"You really want to stay in Todayland, don't you?" Wilbur asked.

"Yes, I do. But my dad won't allow it. I'll be fifteen on Sunday. I'll still be a minor. It just won't be possible."

"Hey, look at who you're talking to."

I turned in Wilbur's direction and took a good look at his face.

"We are all about possibilities. We made it work for Karena to stay here, and she moved from the past and from another world. We can do the same for you."

I smiled for the first time since my final exam.

"Thanks, Wilbur, but I can't move in with you guys, and I can't have my own place. Maybe I can convince my dad to let me use the portal to come here for school and whatever games I would need to perform at, and then go back to New York."

"Just talk to your dad, alright? Don't force him to agree with you. Just present your points to him, and knowing your dad, he will be understanding and think about it."

"I'm his daughter, Wilbur. There's no way he's going to go for it."

"Lilianna, the answer is always no unless you ask. Don't settle for doubt unless it's in your gut."

I chuckled.

"I remember a talk when I was ten where I got in trouble for not cleaning my room and running off into the woods. Dad had disciplined me, took away my T-Pod. We were driving to my ninjutsu lesson, and we talked about my actions. I apologized and asked for his forgiveness. Then he teased me. He tickled me in the tummy, told me he would forgive my tummy for telling me to wander off. You wanna know what I said?"

Wilbur looked at me with a gleam in his chocolate eyes.

"I told him that my tummy tells me when I'm hungry and ready to eat. I told him that my brain tells me when to wander off."

Wilbur laughed along with me.

"Sassy Lily then. Sassy Lily now."

I cracked up laughing.

"You really think my dad will understand?" I asked.

"Lily, your dad is the most understanding person I know. Heck, he's more understanding than my parents! I wish I had Donatello as a dad. He encourages you to be your own person. My parents at first just wanted me to be a second Cornelius Robinson. They didn't get the message that I was my own person until two years ago."

"They wanted you to be perfect?"

"Yeah, or at least that's what I thought."

"A parent's actions do create thoughts in a child," I replied. "Things are okay with your parents though, right?"

"Oh yeah. So much better than they were two years ago."

"Good."

We smiled at each other as my dad pulled up.

"That's my cue to leave," I told him.

"Karena and I will see you in just a few hours."

We both stood up and we hugged each other.

"Thank you for being a friend, Wilbur," I told him.

"Thank you for being the sister I never had, Lily."

We broke the hug, and then I walked and hopped into my dad's flying car.

"Hey, Lily Mae," Dad greeted me with a smile.

I cringed. It suddenly didn't sit right with me.

"Whoa, you've never had that reaction before. Are you okay?"

"Dad, we need to talk."

"Oh! Okay. Did you want to talk now or when we get to the apartment?"

"Is the apartment empty?"

"Yes, Cornelius helped me empty it out today. Lily, is everything alright? You sound like you're having doubts."

"Dad, I want to stay in Todayland. Or if I can't, I want to use the portal to attend school here."

My father let out a sigh.

"Lily, I love Todayland just as much as you do. But you know that it's not possible. For one, you're going to be the leader of the Hamato Clan. You're needed in New York for that."

"So I'll go to school during the day, do cheerleading in the afternoon and evening, and then patrol New York City at night."

"Where will ninjutsu training fit in?" Dad asked.

"On the days I don't have cheerleading practice or a game to cheer in."

"Lily, you are aware that this would mostly fall on the weekends, right?"

"Dad, please relax. There is only one game I would cheer in every week during football season and it's on Fridays. Practices would be Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays. I'm free Thursdays after school, and practices only go for two hours after school."

"Lily, please also keep in mind that there is a one-hour difference in the time zones. You would lose an hour coming back from Todayland to New York. Which means that instead of you coming back to New York at five-thirty, you'd be coming back at six-thirty."

"And that's fine."

"And then there's homework, Lily. How are you going to fit homework in with your schedule?"

"Nothing is impossible for me, Dad. I got this."

"Lily, this is very worrying to me," Dad replied. "You are going to be stressed out to the max with all of that."

"Dad, it worked out well here."

"Yes, Lily, because you did everything here! This isn't New York. Lily, you would be jumping from one time zone to another. Here, you'd go to school at seven-thirty. You'd have to leave New York at eight-thirty Eastern Time to get to Todayland High at seven-thirty Central Time. And like I said before, you would lose that extra hour when you come back. You need that hour, Lily, to do homework or to train with us. With the way you are proposing your schedule, you are not going to have much time to do anything, especially your homework."

"Dad, I'm just as smart as you are. I could get my homework done in a flash."

"Lilianna, I need you to listen to me for a moment," Dad replied sternly. "I have no doubt that you can do anything you set your mind to. You are the Kim Possible of this generation. But doing too many things at once leads to stress, which means losing your focus. Your body and your brain need to rest for eight hours at nighttime, which means you need to be in bed by ten o'clock and you need to wake up at six o'clock the next morning. You would be at school for seven hours starting at eight-thirty, and then your cheerleading practice for two hours, and you'll lose an hour coming back. Lily, on the days you don't have a game, that is only three and a half hours to do your homework, eat dinner, train with us, and get ready for bed. You would be sleeping in the Party Wagon on the way home. Lilianna, that is a very strenuous schedule!"

"Dad, like I said, I would be free on Thursdays, and I'd also be free on Saturdays and Sundays. That's at least three days without any events the majority of the school year. Would that be enough rest?"

"Lily, when I was your age, I trained every day, not just a few days of the week. Granted, Splinter let us rest for one day once in a while."

"Well, Dad, think of cheerleading as my training. I exercise by flipping and tumbling my body for two hours. It's not ninjutsu, but you saw me out there. I used those ninjutsu skills to do well in cheerleading."

I heard my dad letting out a frustrated sigh.

"And I never mentioned the fact that you will be the clan's leader, which means you are in charge of night patrols in the city. So you really only have one and a half hours to get everything done."

"Dad, could you please at least think about this during the summer?" I asked.

"Lily, you know I cannot promise you anything. All I can promise is my talking to your mother about this. But please don't get your hopes up too high."

"Dad, what about you? You had big dreams when you were my age. You dreamed of sharing your knowledge of science with the world and of making the world a better place not just for the people here, but for people like you. And now you're telling me to not dream big?"

"That is not what I said, Lilianna. I am telling you to keep dreaming and to never lose hope. Maybe your mother and I can work something out, but I cannot make a promise that it will happen. Prepare for the best, Lily, but also prepare for the worst. Your definitions of the best and the worst are different from mine."

I let out a depressed sigh.

"Yes, sir."

MAY 29, 2039 - New York City, New York, USA

KARENA'S POV

Wilbur and Lily's school year concluded this past Friday. The Robinsons had thrown a good-bye party for Lily and Donnie. Wilbur and I accompanied them back to New York City that night. We had gotten settled in Splinter's old room for the weekend. We enjoyed all day Saturday catching up with the Turtles and their families while Wilbur received the same tour I did back in the winter.

Today was a very special day in the lair. We spent the day celebrating Lily's fifteenth birthday. Mikey and I assisted Athena in making her a cake. Wilbur had helped Donnie and April wrap gifts for their daughter. The other Turtles, as well as their wives and Venus also wrapped gifts, but they also decorated most of the lair for the occasion. Ryan had distracted Lily by giving her a present of his own: a dance lesson on a rooftop overlooking Manhattan Bridge. When they returned, Lily was given the best surprise party, full of joyous celebration of her being present in our lives.

Later that night, we all gathered around with Lily and Ryan in the center of the dojo. It was a very serene place with only candlelight surrounding us. Wilbur and I, who were sitting off to the side, witnessed Leonardo drawing his sword and placing it on Ryan's shoulder as if he was knighting his own son. They spoke Japanese to each other, and I will admit that I had absolutely no idea what they said. After they spoke, Karai gave her son a black spear, which she called a yari. Leonardo then declared their son as an official ninja of the Hamato Clan.

Then, it was Lily's turn. But this time, Donatello was the one with the honor of conducting her ceremony. He presented his daughter with a flag carrying the symbol of the Hamato Clan.

"Lilianna Mae Hamato, you have overcome so much tragedy this past year," Donatello told her in English. "You were taken away from us, and yet, you used your training to get away. You came upon a new place and overcome your anxiety to start a new life there. After we found each other, you ventured on your vision quest and proved that you are as bold as the sun. Your final test was facing your darkest fears with your expanded training and powers. You killed your kidnapper, yes, but you endured and have moved forward. On behalf of the Hamato Clan, we are beyond proud of everything you have achieved, and tonight, we are granting you mantle of leadership."

"Sore wa watashi no kōeidesu, chichiue," Lily replied in Japanese.

"Lead your cousins to victory in everything you do, Lilianna," Donatello encouraged her with a gap-toothed smile. "Represent us with honor. And remember who you are: a lily in the sun."

"Tōsan arigatō."

"Good luck on your first patrol," Donnie encouraged her, and then he turned towards us. "Karena, Wilbur, you two are more than welcome to join them."

"I'm not that fast of a sprinter," I replied with a giggle.

"Uncle Donnie, have you shown them the Turtle Blimp?" Athena asked.

WILBUR'S POV

"This is the best possible idea for a date," I told my girlfriend.

"It was a great idea Athena had," Karena replied. "Allowing us to spend time alone while Lily and her cousins patrol the city."

"You're not exactly alone you know!"

We both laughed at Donatello's sassy tone.

"Just keep driving and don't mind us, Don!" I shouted back.

Karena and I both let out a sigh of content, holding each other in our arms as we flew over the city in the Turtle Blimp.

"Hey, may I confide something in you, Karr?"

"Sure. What's going on?"

I let Karena go and whispered in her ear.

"I don't want Don to overhear this and make his decision based on what I said. But Lily spoke to me on our last day of school. She's wanting to stay in Todayland."

"That's a 180-degree turn for her," Karena whispered back. "When she first came here, she was trying to escape."

"And now she wants to stay. She thinks she has found a purpose in Todayland. She loves cheerleading, and that's something she cannot do at her home. She's enjoyed being around other people."

"She's really gotten to know you and that boy she really likes."

"James? Yeah. It's too bad she turned him down."

"How come?"

"James told me that Lily told him a long-distance relationship doesn't work and that her dad may not allow her to come back to Todayland."

"I seem to remember a wise person telling me that love is always worth pursuing," Karena whispered in reply. "That was enough to convince me to move to the future to be with you."

"Yeah, but you were eighteen and just become a legal adult," I replied. "Lily's a minor. She can't make her own decisions on where she's going to live."

"Could we invite Lily to move into your house?"

"I already tried that. Lily turned me down, saying her dad would not agree with it. And I don't blame him. He loves his daughter. And he loves his family. His place is in New York."

"Lily is coming of age, Wilbur. I'm sure someday she'll come back to Todayland on her own terms."

"Maybe she can attend college in Todayland? I already know that's where I want to go after high school."

"I wonder if Todayland University has a criminal justice major," Karena replied. "It's worth checking out."

"Lily wants to go into criminal justice? That makes sense."

"Not just criminal justice, Wilbur. Lily wants to be a criminal psychologist. She admitted that to me when I visited New York last winter."

"With her psychic powers, she'd be able to warn victims before they actually get hurt."

"Actually, Lily wanted to use her experiences as a victim to help others," Karena corrected me.

"That makes even more sense."

We paused, looking out toward Manhattan Bridge with the moon behind it.

"What a view!" Karena gasped.

"Yeah, what a sight!" I replied.

"I'll give you two a fun fact," Don chimed in. "I proposed to April at this very location. Though I proposed to her on a rooftop, not in a blimp."

I glanced at my girlfriend, and then I walked to the other side of the blimp where Don was driving.

"How are you enjoying your date so far?" Don asked me.

"This is an amazing idea," I answered. "I can't believe I didn't think of this before. Hot air balloons still exist. Just imagine the view of Todayland from the sky!"

"Well, I don't want you to leave Karena alone."

"Don, there's a reason I came over here. Has Lily talked to you about staying in Todayland?"

"Who hasn't talked to me about it?" Don asked in a tone of annoyance.

"Okay, geez. All I did was ask a question."

"I'm sorry, Wilbur. You didn't deserve that."

Donatello let out a sigh.

"Leo, April, and Lily have all talked to me about both of us staying in Todayland. I cannot stay. My practice and my family are here in New York. I can't just pack up, move to a new place, and start over. As for Lily, she has expressed her desire to go to school in Todayland. Wilbur, you are aware that Todayland is an hour behind New York, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

Donatello gave me a weird look.

"You don't like being called sir?"

"The only person I am okay with calling me sir is my daughter. I'm not even comfortable with my students calling me that. But anyway, with everything Lily would be involved with there, there would not be enough time for her to do her homework or do her training. If she stays here, she can have a more relaxing schedule like she used to have."

"But she'd also be missing the things she loved to do, like cheerleading."

"I am aware of that. Being a teenager is hard, Wilbur, and with how Lily's schedule would be if she attended school at Todayland using the portal, I can only see her being stressed and falling behind."

"Not Lily. Any kid, yes, but Lily is not just any kid. She's just as smart as you, Don. She's jumped from algebra one to geometry in the middle of the school year. Trust me when I say that if she says she's going to get something done, then she's going to get it done."

I paused, biting my lip.

"I know it's not my place because I'm not a parent. However, I am Lily's age. Please, Don. Let Lily have a try at conquering all her days at Todayland High. If it turns out that she's falling behind, then you may pull her out."

"Wilbur, thank you for your concern, but she's my daughter. She is not old enough to make this decision for herself."

"But she is old enough to think about it, and she's smart enough to think critically."

"Wilbur, please get back to your date before I turn this blimp around."

I bit my lip. Not wanting to argue with the mutant turtle any longer, I walked to the other side of the blimp, my head hanging down.

"Uh-oh," Karena said upon my return. "I don't like that look."

"I think I got into Don's boundaries. I tried convincing him to have Lily attempt a life at Todayland High, but he harshly turned it down."

"Let's just enjoy our date then," Karena told me. "It looks like the Hamato cousins are finished with their patrol."

We both heard cheering underneath us. Lilianna Hamato was successful in leading her first night patrol. I smiled, and then I frowned. After everything that Lily had told me in Todayland, I wondered if her being kidnapped had truly changed her life for the better. Would Lily ever enjoy her old life again?

APRIL'S POV

My husband and I were lying in bed after our daughter returned from a peaceful night patrol. But I felt uncomfortable. There was a deathly silence in the bedroom, and in the lair. I was staring up at the ceiling, wondering why it was so quiet. I turned to my right to see my husband also looking at the ceiling with a perplexed expression.

"Uh-oh," I finally spoke. "You have that look on your face."

"What look?" Donnie asked, still gazing up at the ceiling.

"You have your am I doing what is best for my child look on your face. What decision are you doubting this time?"

Donnie turned towards me with a puzzled expression, relaxed his facial muscles, and let out a sigh.

"April, you know me like a book, I swear."

"I am your wife, Donatello. Now what's wrong?"

"Lily wants to go to school in Todayland."

I smiled.

"Well, I'm glad she's decided which college she wants to go to," I told him.

Donnie's puzzled expression returned. Then it clicked.

"Oh! You mean high school."

"Yes! Lily and I had quite the talk about it this afternoon. She keeps on telling me that despite the lost hour hopping from Eastern Time to Central Time and back, she's going to fit everything in her schedule."

"Okay, what is this everything?" I asked.

"Seven hours of school, cheerleading, ninja training, dinner, homework, getting ready for bed. April, she's going to be stressed!"

Donnie let out a weary sigh.

"I thought she was looking forward to resuming her old life here, which was simple. I teach her for only a few hours, we do chores, we come down to the lair for training, and that's it. And now she wants to go back to the place she's lived for only seven months. April..."

Donatello turned onto his left side and looked at me.

"I don't want Lily falling behind on her education. Her education is far more important than cheerleading."

"Donnie..."

I turned onto my right side and caressed his right cheek.

"Lily is just as smart as you. She knows that, and you know that. If Lily does end up having a busy schedule, she will find a way to fit homework into it. We both know her, D. She's our intelligent little girl. She wouldn't just slack off on her schoolwork just to do what she wants to do."

My husband let out a sarcastic chuckle.

"She's not so little anymore, April. She's fifteen now. Next year, she'll be driving."

Then he let out a sigh.

"I can't believe I just said that."

I chuckled.

"Imagine Wilbur being in that very spot right now. He just turned sixteen and got his driver's license."

Donatello let out a very loud sigh.

"April, what are we doing? I do believe it's best for Lily to stay here with us so she wouldn't be so stressed, but--"

"Donnie, didn't you make a promise the day Lily came into our arms? You promised to raise her to be her own person. She needs to be that person now. She's fifteen. She's a teenager. She's in high school. And her IQ is right up there with yours. She needs to discover more of who she is. She needs to find out who she is as a person. If we hold that back from her, she will resent us. We need to show her that we love her, but we also need to let her make her mistakes. And who knows? Her school year at Todayland High changed her life for the better. This may be good for her. If it isn't, she'll know."

To my surprise, I saw tears coming out of my husband's amber eyes.

"Oh, Donnie. Come here."

I held my husband in my arms, and I took off his purple mask so he'd let his tears fall.

"Are you okay?" I asked in a soothing voice.

"I'm worried about her, April. What if she fails?"

"And I thought I was the one who is supposed to worry about this," I mumbled.

I let out a sigh.

"Then Lily will learn from her failure and keep moving forward. That's the only way to grow, D. But you can't be the dad she needs you to be if all you do is worry. Lily needs you to believe in her and love her like you always have. Be her backbone, Donnie. Be her shoulder to cry on when she needs it, like you always have. Be the father she can count on to give her advice, like you always have. We will help her when she needs it, even if she doesn't know it."

My husband looked up at me, and our lips met. We shared a small, sweet, tender moment before breaking our kiss. When I opened my eyes, I found a smile on his face.

"Please promise me you'll be my backbone," Donnie told me.

I gave him a big smile.

"Oh, Donnie, I made that promise twenty-one-and-a-half years ago when we got married. I haven't broken it yet, have I?"

Donatello finally laughed for the first time tonight.

"No, darling, you haven't."

"You worry a lot, dear, because you're a doctor and more importantly, you are Lily's father. Leave all the worrying to God. God is the only one smarter than you, and he knows far more than Lily and I what will happen. I have to have faith that Lily will thrive to become the person God needs her to be. Will you have that same faith, Donnie?"

He gave me a fond smile, slightly showing his gapped teeth, and he caressed my left cheek.

"Yes, sweetheart. You're right. I need to have true faith that Lily can do anything she sets her mind to."

"So does that mean Lily attending Todayland High School is a go?"

Donnie smiled and rolled his eyes at the same time.

"Yes, Operation Todayland High is a go. Now, please, kiss me and this time, don't stop."

I laughed heartily. We leaned in to share another kiss, and another, and another. We sat up. I felt my husband's hands on my nightgown, and in between kisses, it was off. My husband took some time to admire me, and I admired him. I lied on my back, he lied on top of me, and he put the covers over us. We kissed, and we continued making love into the night.