The kitchen table was covered with envelopes from various colleges, each addressed to Beatrice, Joanna, or Sabrina. The triplets had been waiting anxiously for weeks, and now the moment had finally arrived.

Beatrice and Joanna tore into their envelopes with excitement, reading their letters aloud.

"Cornell! NYU! Georgetown!" Beatrice announced, her voice brimming with confidence. "I'm going to Cornell. That's it. I know it."

Joanna followed suit, her hands steady as she opened hers. "Harvard, Stanford, Johns Hopkins…" She grinned, a light in her eyes. "Harvard it is. Pre-med, no question."

The family turned their attention to Sabrina, who had opened her letters but sat silently, staring down at them.

"What did you get, Sabby?" Mulder asked gently.

Sabrina looked up, her face thoughtful. "I got into NYU, Berkeley and Columbia."

"That's incredible!" Scully exclaimed.

"But…" Sabrina hesitated. "I don't know if I want to go to any of them."

A quiet fell over the room as Mulder and Scully exchanged a glance. Mulder sat down beside Sabrina, while Scully moved to stand behind her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"If your dream school hasn't replied yet, it'll come," Mulder said reassuringly.

Sabrina took a deep breath, her hands twisting nervously in her lap. "Joanna wants to be a doctor—like Mom," she began, her voice wavering with the weight of expectation. "Bea wants to be a lawyer, so she'll be in law enforcement… like you guys." She hesitated, glancing up at Mulder, her gaze seeking something unspoken. "So, I have to go into psychology to honor Dad. But I… I don't know if I want to follow that path. Does that make me selfish?"

Before Mulder could answer, Joanna's voice broke the silence from across the kitchen table. "It doesn't make you selfish, it makes you you."

All eyes turned to Joanna, her curly auburn hair pulled into a loose ponytail. She crossed her arms, leaning casually against the doorframe but with an expression that radiated quiet determination. "I want to be a doctor because I love it, not because Mom's one. And if you want to do something different, that's okay."

"Joanna's right," Bea added. Her sharp, focused gaze softened as she sat down on Sabrina's other side. "You've always been the storyteller in the family. I mean, who else could turn that stupid camping trip into an epic adventure about survival?" She grinned, nudging Sabrina lightly. "Honestly, I think you'd be a great writer—or whatever you choose to be."

Mulder leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. His expression softened into something warm, almost tender. "Sabrina," he said, his voice steady but filled with conviction, "you don't have to be anything that you don't want to be. If you want to go into psychology because you love it, then I'd be more than honored. But if you feel like you have to follow that path because of me, then I'd rather you didn't."

Scully nodded, her voice as firm as it was kind. "That applies to all of you," she said, glancing briefly at Joanna and Bea before turning back to Sabrina. "You're free to choose any career path you want. You don't have to study something just because your dad or I did it. We'll support you no matter what."

Sabrina looked up at all of them, tears threatening to spill over but held in check. "I know you say that, but it's hard. It feels like… like I'd be letting you down if I didn't follow in your footsteps."

Mulder tilted his head, his eyes sparkling with the trace of a smile. "Sabbie, you could never let us down. Trust me, the only thing that would disappoint me is if you lived someone else's dream instead of your own." He leaned back slightly, giving her a playful nudge on the shoulder. "Now, let's cut to the chase. What do you actually want to be? Given the schools you applied to, I'd guess it's something like literature, communications… maybe journalism?"

Sabrina blinked, startled by how easily he'd read her. "Yeah," she admitted softly. "I was thinking journalism… or maybe creative writing."

Mulder's face lit up. "If you want to be a journalist, I'll subscribe to every single newspaper you ever write for. Heck, I'll frame your first article and hang it in the living room." He grinned. "And if you decide you want to be a clown instead, I'll sit front row at all your shows. Just promise me you'll follow what you want, not what anyone else thinks you should do."

Scully bent down slightly, brushing Sabrina's hair back from her face and looking into her eyes. "Your father's right," she said, her tone gentle but unwavering. "It's your life, Sabrina. The best way you can honor us is by living it fully, authentically. And if that means journalism, then I think the world could use more honest storytellers."

"Besides," Joanna chimed in with a teasing grin, "you're already the family expert at spotting plot holes and writing dramatic dialogue. You might as well make a career out of it."

Bea laughed. "Exactly! And don't worry, if you ever need a lawyer for some hard-hitting exposé, you've got me."

Sabrina laughed—a genuine, warm sound that filled the room. For the first time in weeks, the knot in her stomach began to unravel. Maybe she didn't have everything figured out yet, but at least she knew she wasn't alone.

"Thanks," she said quietly, looking between her parents and her sisters. "I'll try to remember that."

"You don't have to try," Mulder said, leaning back and folding his arms with a satisfied grin. "We'll remind you whenever you forget."

Scully kissed the top of Sabrina's head, her hand still resting protectively on her shoulder. "We'll always be here for you," she promised.

Joanna threw an arm around Sabrina's shoulders, pulling her into a lighthearted hug. "We're not going anywhere, Sabbie. You've got a whole cheering squad right here."

The tension in the room eased as Mulder popped open a bottle of sparkling cider. "Let's celebrate the fact that all three of you have a world of possibilities ahead of you," he said, raising his glass.

"To Beatrice, Joanna, and Sabrina," Scully added, "for their courage to take on the next chapter."

The girls clinked their glasses with their parents, the mood lightening.

As the afternoon went on, Sabrina started to relax, joining her sisters in joking about dorm life and discussing potential majors.

Later that evening, as the girls were upstairs, Scully turned to Mulder. "It's hard watching them navigate this, isn't it?"

Mulder nodded. "Yeah, but they'll be okay. Sabrina will find her path, just like Bea and Jo have."

"She's always been the one to think things through deeply," Scully said. "We just need to remind her she doesn't have to have it all figured out now."

Mulder smiled. "And we'll be here every step of the way."

Scully leaned into him, their hearts full as they listened to the excited chatter of their daughters upstairs. Whatever the future held, they knew the triplets would face it with strength, curiosity, and the unwavering support of their family.

The morning sunlight streamed through the kitchen windows as the family gathered for breakfast the next morning. The triplets were chatting about their college acceptances, brochures scattered across the table. Beatrice had already started planning her classes at Cornell, while Joanna was excitedly marking up Harvard's pre-med course list.

Sabrina, however, was quiet, flipping through the Berkeley brochure one more time.

Mulder noticed her thoughtful expression and set his coffee mug down. "You've been awfully quiet, Sabby. Something on your mind?"

Sabrina closed the brochure and took a deep breath, looking up at her family. "Berkeley," she said firmly, her voice steady. "That's my choice."

A smile broke across Scully's face. "That's wonderful, Sabrina. What made you decide?"

Sabrina hesitated for a moment, then shrugged lightly. "I thought about following Bea's path and becoming a lawyer. And for a second, I even thought about psychology like you, Dad. But..." She paused, her voice gaining confidence. "I think I'd like my own path, if that's okay. I'm going to be journalist."

Mulder and Scully exchanged a proud glance. "More than okay. That's fantastic, actually," Mulder said, smiling. "It's your path, Sabby. You should follow what feels right for you. And as big plus, your godfather will be so proud."

Sabrina grinned, the weight visibly lifting from her shoulders. "Thanks, Dad. I think I'll take one psych class, though," she added with a playful smirk. "For the social skills."

Beatrice laughed. "You'll need them if you're going to do investigative journalism."

Joanna chimed in, "And you're already better at socializing than half the people I know. You'll be fine."

Mulder raised his coffee mug in a mock toast. "To Sabrina, the investigative journalist, and the most socially skilled in the family."

Scully rolled her eyes but smiled. "We're so proud of you, Sabrina. You've worked hard for this, and we're here to support you every step of the way."

Sabrina beamed, her confidence fully restored as her family's encouragement surrounded her. It felt good to have made her decision—not just for them, but for herself.