The next week, Lin and Vanessa were at home with their two boys.  It had been a long week for both of them, and they were happy to just be home and relaxing.  Well, as relaxing as it could be with a 3-year-old full of energy and a baby.

Francisco was getting in his daily tummy time, an activity he despised.  A play mat was set out on the floor of their Washington Heights apartment, which was littered as it usually was with the kids' toys.

Lin was on the floor in front of his son, trying to make light of the situation.  He tried making silly faces and singing to cheer the boy up, but nothing helped.  Francisco's face contorted in annoyance, wondering why his father wasn't scooping him up to hold him.

"We're such terrible parents, I know," he told Francisco.  "But you've gotta work on those abs.  It's key to getting the ladies."

Vanessa, sitting nearby, scoffed.  "As if you've ever had abs."

Lin protested over his shoulder.  "I had abs for a week or two!"

"If that's what you want to think," she shook her head.

"Whatever.  You still do me on a weekly basis."

"Lin!" Vanessa laughed.  "Three year old ears present!"

Just then, Sebastian chose to jump on his father's back.

"Ohhh!" Lin exclaimed, feigning real injury.  Francisco started laughing along with his brother.  Lin looked at his youngest incredulously.  "Oh, so I can tell you jokes, but it's not until I get hurt that you laugh."

"Daddy, I want a bar!" He said.

"No, Sebby," he told his son gently, turning over onto his back.  "Mommy already told you no.  We're having dinner soon."

"But I want one," he whined.

"I know, bud," he sympathized, but didn't budge.  Sebastian was getting to the stage where he had a hard time accepting no for an answer.  Lin and Vanessa knew they needed to back each other up and stick to their guns.  Though they earned plenty of money between them, they agreed they didn't want to spoil their children.  Just because they could buy them the world, they didn't want their kids to think life was that easy.  They'd both come from hard-working families who'd worked hard to provide for their children.

To take Sebby's mind off a snack, Lin tried to distract him by grabbing a nearby book.  He invited his son into his lap as he continued to whimper.  The boy seemed to calm down a bit as his father began reading the story.  Lin's phone buzzed on the coffee table, and Vanessa looked over to see who it was.  

"It's Phil," she reported.  "Should I answer for you?"

"Yes, please," he said.

Vanessa picked up her husband's phone.  "Hi Phil, it's Vanessa."

Lin half-listened in on the conversation, assuming rightly they were calling to say they were on their way. As they began to wrap up the call, Francisco chose that moment to start screaming bloody murder.

"Great, see you soon," Vanessa said, getting up from the couch to tend to her son.  She hung up the phone and walked over to the play mat.  Gently picking up her little boy, she began to rock him gently.  "Ssshhhh, sssshhh, it's okay.  Lin, I'm gonna go feed him.  The Parkers will be here in an hour."

"Daddy, why does Francisco get a snack and I don't?!" Sebby protested, crossing his arms over his little chest.  So much for the distraction.

____

About an hour and a half later, Lin was finishing off the salad that would be one of the sides for the evening.  Both boys were happy, watching Daniel Tiger's Neighborhood, so their parents could finish up getting things ready for company.

Lin looked at his watch, then furrowed his brow.  "V, weren't they supposed to be here around 6:30?"

Vanessa closed the oven door, having re-checked the casserole.  "Uh...yea.  Must be traffic."

Lin pulled out his phone to check Google Maps.  The major interstate the Parkers would be taken showed a huge section of red.  "Yep," he reported.  "Looks like a major backup.  Hopefully they can make it soon."

Another hour later, the Parkers still hadn't arrived and they started to get worried.  None of the family was answering their phones.  They all went straight to voicemail.

"Lin, maybe we need to call the police," she wondered out loud.

Lin, hands on his hips, took a deep breath.  "Yeah, maybe we should.  It's not like Phil not to call."

As he picked his phone up again to call the police, his phone suddenly rang.  It was an unknown number, but considering the circumstances, he decided to answer.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Hi, may I speak with Lin-Manuel or Vanessa Miranda, please?" A man asked.

"I'm Lin-Manuel," he replied.  "How can I help you?"

"Hi, my name is Darryl Jacobs, and I'm a social worker for the Department of Child Services," he began.  "I'm afraid I'm going to need you to come down to Mount Sinai."

Lin knew Mount Sinai was the nearest children's hospital.  His heart dropped. "What's going on?"

Mr. Jacobs sighed, hating this part of the job.  "I'd rather not get into too much over the phone, but we have an Emma and Alexis Parker being treated here.  Their injuries aren't life threatening, but we need to get some parental consent for a couple procedures."

Before he could finish, Lin interrupted.   By now, Vanessa was standing right next to her husband, desperately trying to listen in to what was being said.  By the look on her husband's face, something terrible had happened.  "Parental consent?  Why would you need that from me?"

"Sir," Mr. Jacobs said patiently, "I'm afraid their parents were killed tonight in a car accident.  All four were in the car when it happened."

Lin felt physically sick.  His best friend, dead?  He'd only talked to Phil a couple hours ago.  He'd been full of life.  "Oh my God," was all he could say.

"I know this is difficult, but we really need you or your wife down here quickly so we can get the girls the best medical care they need."

"Uh, yeah, I'll be down there as soon as I can." Lin pressed "End" on his phone, hanging up from quite possibly the worst phone call of his life.

"Lin, what happened?" Vanessa implored.  

"Phil and Melissa.  There was a car crash, and...." he paused, trying to fight back the tears.  "They're gone."

Her hand shot up to her mouth as she took in the news.  "Oh God," she gasped.  They'd been looking forward to a fun, carefree evening with their friends and all of a sudden it had turned into a nightmare.  "What about the girls?  Are they okay?"

"That was a social worker who just called," he went on.  "They're at Mount Sanai being treated.  Non-life threatening."

"Oh, Lin," she sobbed, pulling him in for a hug.  They'd known Phil and Melissa for a long time.  The news was absolutely devestating.  They embraced for a long few moments before Lin pulled away.

"I need to get down to the hospital to see the girls," he told Vanessa.  "We're their godparents, so I guess they need us to make some medical decisions." As the words came out of his mouth, they sounded alien.  Sure, he'd agreed to be Emma, then Alexis's godfather, but it had been more of a formality.  You never imagine a friend, in the prime of his life, all of a sudden being gone, leaving behind two children.

Vanessa nodded, knowing the girls needed to be a priority right now.  "I'll call your parents to come take care of the boys and I'll meet you down there."

Lin nodded and grabbed his wallet and keys and was out the door.

The short ride to the hospital was a blur as his mind churned over competing thoughts.  Dead?  They couldn't be dead.  They must have the wrong people.  Lin would get to the hospital and clear things up.  Everything would be fine.  No, what kind of idiot was he?  Hospitals don't make those sort of mistakes.  Social workers don't get involved by mistake.  Lin felt a stone in his gut the whole way there.

He finally made it to the hospital and rushed to the reception area.  "Hi, I'm looking for Emma and Alexis Parker.  They were brought here within the last hour or two."

The receptionist looked up some information on the computer and told him what room to find them in.  He raced in that direction as quickly as he could, wanting to get to the girls fast, but at the same time not wanting to know.  If he didn't know yet, then the situation still had hope.

As he turned down the hall, Lin noticed a man with a clipboard and ID badge ready.  "Mr. Miranda?" he stopped him.

"Yes," Lin said, close to being out of breath.  "Where are Emma and Alexis?"

"I'm Mr. Jacobs.  We spoke on the phone.  We have them here in a conjoined room."

"Do they know?" Lin asked.

Mr. Jacobs shook his head.  "Not yet.  They're both still in shock right now, so we're trying to get them stabilized before we tell them.  Having someone familiar nearby will help."

The Parkers didn't have family nearby; not even in the same country.  Both Phil and Melissa had been only children, and their parents still lived abroad.  Lin knew he and Vanessa were the closest thing to family they got.  And now, they were family.

"You said the doctors needed permission to do some procedures?" Lin continued, wanting something to focus on besides the shock.

Mr. Jacobs nodded.  "Their doctor will be able to explain it better, but basically, Emma will need surgery to reset her knee and her right leg is also broken.  Alexis has a broken wrist and a deep laceration to her abdomen.  They're stable, but it's best if they operate as soon as they can."

"Of course," Lin agreed.  "I'd like to have more discussion with doctors."

"Certainly," Mr. Jacobs said.  "Would you like to come in?  They're pretty woozy from the pain meds, but they'll be able to talk and recognize you."

Lin took in a deep breath and nodded.  He scrubbed his hand over his goatee as Mr. Jacobs led him into the room where his goddaughters laid.

The only sounds from within were the beeps of machines and the quiet movement of the hospital staff's feet.  On the right was Emma, laying on her bed with a bit of a shocked, bewildered look on her face.  Lin could only imagine what was going through her head.  He rushed to her side.

"Emma, sweetheart," he rushed over and smoothed back her bangs as her eyes struggled to focus.  Lin took her hand, kneeling down next to her bed.

"Uncle Lin?" she croaked.

"Yeah, it's me," he stroked the back of her hand gently with her thumb.  "You're okay.  You're in the hospital and you're safe.  The doctors are taking really good care of you and you're gonna be just fine."

"What happened?" She asked groggily.  A nurse walked up to the other side of the bed to take her blood pressure.

Lin sighed, wondering how to put it without overwhelming her and not revealing that her parents were dead.  "Well, you were in a car accident.  You broke your leg and your knee was dislocated. You've got some scratches and bruises as well."

Some memories seemed to seep back into her head.  "Where's Alexis?!" she asked worriedly.  Though the girls didn't always get along well, they still loved each other.  Emma was the big sister and she didn't always like to admit that she felt protective of her sister if she was hurt or in trouble.

"She's right here in the room with you," Lin said, glancing over to the other side of the room.  Alexis was currently asleep, or just knocked out from the painkillers.  Two nurses tended to her.  "She broke her arm and she's got some cuts, but she's gonna be fine as well."

"I want my mom," Emma choked out, suddenly getting overwhelmed.  "Where's my mom?"

Lin's stomach sickened again.  "She can't be here right now.  She and your dad are at another hospital."  Not a lie.  A half-truth, but that Emma had already had enough sprung on her tonight.  No 16-year-old should have to go through this.

"Okay," she tried to calm herself.  "Okay," she breathed out in a whisper.  Lin began gently rubbing her arm, being careful to avoid the IV in her arm.  It broke his heart to see Emma this way.

"Okay," he whispered.  "I'm gonna go check on Lexi, then I'm gonna go talk to the doctors, okay?"  Emma just nodded, barely, too exhausted.  "You're being so brave, Em.  You're gonna be fine."  He kissed her forehead gently.

Lin walked over the the other bed, and the nurses excused themselves.  Lexi looked so tiny on the massive hospital bed, with all the machines around her.  Even in sleep, her forehead was slightly wrinkled in discomfort.

The girl's long, dark hair spilled out on the pillow, slightly tangled.  He remembered Melissa musing about what a fight it was to get her to brush her hair.  Lin didn't want to disturb her; didn't want to rouse her from sleep.  If she was asleep, she was immune to the pain of the world she'd face.  He wondered if she was dreaming.

There was a soft knock at the door.  "Mr. Miranda?" A woman asked, dressed in a long white coat.  Obviously the doctor.

Lin reached out to shake the doctor's hand.  "Yes," he said, then cleared his throat.

"I'm Dr. Wallace and I've been overseeing the girls' care since they arrived.  Would you like to come outside to speak?"

"Yes.  Absolutely," he said, following the doctor out into the hallway.  Dr. Wallace began filling him in on the girls' injuries in more detail.  Emma's was more severe and would require several days in the hospital.  However, there was staff available to perform surgery for both girls as soon as they got permission.

"The social worker filled me in," Dr. Wallace said, pausing with a sigh.  "Their parents didn't make it, which is why you're here, I assume."

Lin nodded.  "Yes.  I'm their godfather.  And my wife is on her way.  Sh-she's their godmother.  Obviously."

Dr. Wallace nodded patiently.  "As their legal guardians, we'll need you to sign some consent forms.  Then we can get started with the procedures.  Will you be staying?"

"Yes," Lin said, not hesitating.  He couldn't imagine leaving the girls alone at a time like this.  He'd known them all their lives and had a great affection for them both.  Lin already felt fiercely protective of Emma and Alexis.  He'd known them since they were born, and he owed it to Phil and Melissa to make sure they got what they needed.  Lin realized he and his wife were now solely responsible for the well-being of these two young lives.

About 20 minutes later, Vanessa arrived, looking frantic and worried.  Lin waited, seated on a set of chairs outside the girls' room.  He was hunched over, his hand working its way through his hair.  Vanessa rarely saw her husband looking unsure or stressed. He was almost always upbeat and positive.  He looked scared and completely out of his element.

"Lin," she said softly.  He stood up and brought his wife into an embrace.  She rubbed his back, feeling that his muscles were tense from worry.  This was uncharted territory for both of them.

"How are they?" She asked gently.

"They're both being prepped for surgery right now," he said.  "Emma's should take several hours.  Alexis should be done in an hour or so.  They're both pretty out of it.  Alexis hasn't been awake since I've been here."

Just then, a hospital bed began being wheeled out of the room.  It was Alexis, still conked out.  Vanessa covered her mouth at the sight of the little girl.  She looked so helpless.  Lin put his hands on both of his wife's upper arms, trying to reassure her.  "She's in good hands."

Vanessa nodded, tears beginning to stream down her face.  Emma came out minutes later, being wheeled by another team of nurses.  "Aunt V," she croaked out.  Vanessa walked over to give her a hug - as much of a hug as she could, considering  Emma's position.  

"Hey, Em," she tried sounding upbeat, so as not to worry the teenager.  "Uncle Lin and I will be right here.  We'll see you when you wake up."

Emma nodded, her eyes welling up with tears a bit.

Lin let out a deep breath as they watched their goddaughter being wheeled down the hall.  There were many questions to be answered and so many things to be worked out, but they could think of none of that right now.  For the next few hours, all they could do was worry and grieve for their two friends.