The sound of giggling wafted toward her as if it was dancing in the wind. As soon as she saw the two little girls she knew this was a dream, but she didn't have the strength to pull herself out of the heavy sleep. It kept dragging her down, placating her, telling her it was easier to just give in instead of waking up and dealing with the real world, so she stayed and watched her dream play out before her like a movie.

The two little girls were dressed in safari costumes with an excessive number of barrettes, that surely they had arranged themselves, adorning their hair. Their pig tails had become lopsided as they ran through the woods.

They were playing their favorite game, explorer. Lexi was marching ahead in the lead, as she always insisted on doing, and Lynn was dutifully following her as they ducked under branches and climbed over logs that at the age of five appeared to be massive.

When they broke free of the forest, they ran across the expansive lawn toward the treehouse that their daddy had hired someone to build. It was complete with a ladder, a tire swing, multiple rooms, and a bucket on a string that they used to pass messages and toys up and down. It was exorbitant for a pair of five year olds, but it had convinced their father that he was being a good parent.

Their nanny Ms. Jenny watched from her place on the porch as the little girls waved to her from the little windows, binoculars pressing round marks around their eyes. She probably thought to herself how adorable they were, and how lucky to live in a large house like this knowing they would have so many opportunities in life. Jenny was thirty five herself, and expected so much more of herself than where she currently was in her life. At their age she wanted to be a movie star, but for the past five years since she lost her teaching position she'd been grateful for this job because it allowed her to feed her young son and keep her small apartment.

She loved the girls like her own, but she couldn't help but be jealous that the odds were so stacked in their favor. Jealous of a pair of five year olds? She scolded herself at how ridiculous that was. She'd have her shot, make a change. Soon, she promised herself. Soon.

Little did Jenny know that thirteen years later she'd still be working in the same house, being the parent those girls never had. Or at least that's what she'd heard Jenny say over the telephone one time. Lexi was conscious of how her real life experiences were penetrating her dream.

Meanwhile the girls were giggling to themselves as they pretended to see lions, and tigers, and bears wandering across their backyard. Pretending was their favorite game, and they pretended to be all sorts of things. Doctors, singers, actresses, teachers, explorers, and everything in between.

Young, impressionable five year olds with their whole lives before them.

She could feel the dream and the feeling of innocent bliss slip away as sleep let her out of its grasp.

Lexi woke up to see a bowl of cereal sitting on the table beside her bed. It'd been a week since the accident and they'd tried to discharge her two days ago, but she'd refused to leave Lynn. Instead she convinced them to let her sleep on a cot in her sister's room. Thanks to Jenny and Erick she had a suitcase full of clothes and some books, games, and her homework to pass the time. The TV and excessive time on her phone were off limits because of her concussion. Thankfully the worst of the head aches and the vomiting had faded. Now she was just waiting.

She downed the entire bowl of cereal in a matter of minutes before changing into a pair of running shorts and a long sleeve dry fit shirt. She braided her long hair and grabbed a book.

She spent the morning and early afternoon reading and catching up on her homework. The most exciting part of her days was when one of the nurses came in to check on Lynn. She savored those few minutes of conversation.

At 3:14 she checked her watch and slipped on her Nikes before sliding out into the hallway. Her sister was in a coma, had been for almost eight days, but she still felt the need to be quiet as if Lynn was taking a nap and would wake up at the drop of a pin like she normally did.

"Morning Carol," Lexi stood outside the door leaning against the doorframe and waved at her favorite nurse who sat at the nurses' station writing up patient reports. Lexi really had underestimated Carol at first. Carol sat with her in Lynn's room whenever she could, distracting Lexi from her guilt that Carol disapproved of. Since then she'd learned that Carol's first granddaughter loved legos and sprinkles on her ice cream. She loved the way Carol's eyes lit up when she talked about her kids and grandkids and selfishly wished once, just once, she could see that light in her parents' eyes.

She chastised herself for thinking that at a time like this. Her parents were paying for the best doctors in the state for Lynn and right now that was enough. Besides she had Jenny and Carol who always snuck her an extra cookie after dinner.

"Morning sunshine. How's the arm?" Carol's smile lit up her face.

"Still a little achy, but getting better," Lexi lifted up her cast as if to prove it. Underneath there were several screws holding all of the pieces of bone together.

"Look who's here to see his favorite girls right on time," Carol mused as Erick walked up.

"Morning Carol. Keeping this one in line?" Erick nodded toward Lexi.

"Trying, but you know how stubborn she is," Carol rolled her eyes as she stood and gathered up the patient files.

"Typical. How's..." Erick trailed off. They all knew what he meant.

"No change. The doctor should be around in a few hours to run some more tests. Keep your chins up you two," Carol tapped both their chins as she made her way down the hallway, "and Erick make sure this one takes it easy today. I found her pacing last night at midnight."

"Tattle tale," Lexi grumbled as Erick shot her a pointed look.

"It's only been a week Lexi," Erick reminded her as they started walking down the hallway. He came every single day after school to visit Lynn and ease Lexi's boredom. She'd been given the go ahead to start walking around and testing out her balance. Erick insisted on accompanying her on the daily laps around the hospital.

"I know I know, but sitting in that room for hours at a time is killing me. The silence will kill me Erick," she tried to pick up the pace, but he refused to let her overdo it. As much as she pretended to be annoyed when he insisted on walking slowly behind her until she let up, she had to admit it made her laugh.

"I would suggest that you go home and go back to school, but I know that's not happening," Erick signed.

"And you'd be right. Besides you've told me how exhausting it is dealing with all the questions and stares at school. I don't know if I'm ready for that," Lexi shuddered. The visitors at the hospital were bad enough. They were trying to be supportive, she knew, but the visits wore her out and made her feel even guiltier than she already did.

"I could use some back up," Erick's defeated voice had Lexi analyzing his appearance. The bags under his eyes were dark and prevalent, and it looked like he'd lost weight. Between his visits to the hospital, work, school, and worrying, he was wiped.

"Soon. I promise. Jenny spent all morning yesterday trying to convince me 'resuming my routine' would be better for everyone. I don't have the energy to keep fighting you two on this. Soon. I promise," she assured him as they slipped back into Lynn's room.

"The first few days will be overwhelming because everyone is so worried, but it should settle down after that," Erick assured her as they sat across from each other on her bed and started playing their tenth round of Go Fish that week.

"Before I forget did someone tell Caleb about the accident before Homecoming? Do you have any threes? It didn't even cross my mind until yesterday that he didn't have a date."

"Go fish. Don't worry someone gave him a heads up and he obviously understood. He was in the waiting room with everyone the night of Homecoming, but he's really into you and on the shy side, so I think he was nervous and didn't know what to say," Erick explained.

"Well at least someone is into me right now. I'm sure the rest of the people who heard my freak out think I've lost my marbles," Lexi let out a halfhearted laugh. Pieces of her hair fell out of her braid as she looked down and fiddled with her cards. She was still livid about what Ryan did, but she sort of felt bad for freaking out at the girl who asked about him.

"Hey you had a right to freak out. If anyone judged you for that then screw them," Erick insisted, but she still wasn't looking at him as motion out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.

Lynn's hand was moving, her eyes were open, and she was looking directly at them.

If you've read any of my other books I'd love to know!  Please comment what else you've read and don't forget to vote!