Branch returned home that evening to find Poppy looking in a photo album at pictures of her father. Some of them included herself as a child, others were of him playing with his grandchildren when they were little. She, then, looked up at the photo on the shelf of the entire family together. It was the first photo taken since they started Juniper's transition, and the last photo of Peppy before his death.

"Hi, honey," Branch greeted, kissing his wife's cheek. Poppy didn't even move her head to smile at him.

"Did you get rid of anything?" Poppy asked coldly.

"No, we just sorted," Branch assured her. "I thought you should look things over, too, before we decided what to do about it."

"Whatever," she muttered. Branch just looked away nervously and went upstairs.

Flower spent the rest of the afternoon doodling away in her sketchbook. When she wasn't engineering, she would write and illustrate her own comic books about a princess from a faraway land who was also a brainiac butt-kicking superhero. It often helped her cope with her internal struggles.

Knock-knock-knock!

"Not now, Mom!" Flower groaned.

"Actually, it's Dad," Branch said. Flower got up from her bed and answered the door. "You doing okay?"

"I don't know," she admitted. "This past week has been... overwhelming."

"I get it," Branch admitted. "I was much younger than you when my grandma died, and everything took a sharp turn. Your mother, though... she never lost anyone she would remember and now that she has, she... seems to be focused on her own mortality."

"Is that why you locked yourself up in a bunker for all those years?" Flower asked her father.

"Well, sort of," he admitted. "Only, I was more worried about survival. Your mom seems more focused on... something else."

"What's that?"

"Don't worry about it," Branch said, attempting to brush it off. "Come on. Let's get ready for Barb."

On the other side of the village, Juniper was skipping stones across the lagoon.

“You doin' okay, kid?" a voice suddenly said. The prince turned around to find the Queen of Rock herself right behind him.

“I'm a little nervous," Juniper admitted. “I want to do this, really, but... I don't know if Mom will let me go."

“You won't know for sure unless you ask her," Barb pointed out. “And if she doesn't want you to do it, I'll convince her."

“Thanks, Barb."

“None needed," she replied. “Now, come on. Let's get you home."

🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋🦋

“Where's Rose?" was the first thing Poppy said at that unusually quiet dinner.

“I think she went to sing at Groovia's cousin's wedding," Juniper answered.

“I don't understand," said Flower. “Rose knew that Barb was coming. Why would she go to a wedding the rest of us weren't even invited to?"

“Maybe she just forgot," Poppy said, trying to stay positive.

“Well, I don't think those girls are really her friends to begin with," Branch muttered bitterly.

“Branch..."

“Maybe I should tell them another day," Juniper whispered to Barb.

“Kid, it'll be fine," Barb tried to reassure him. “Your aunt Barb's got your back."

“Tell us what?" Poppy asked suddenly.

“Here goes," Juniper said, taking a deep breath. “Mom, Dad, Flower... Barb invited me to go to school in Volcano Rock City."

“What?!" Poppy shouted, spitting out her juice.

“Well," Barb said, “I needed to find an heir to my throne, and I couldn't think of anyone better to try on my shoes than our boy Juniper here."

“Good for you," Flower congratulated her brother. “That's such an amazing opportunity."

“No, it's not!" Poppy claimed. “Juniper, you can't leave us!"

“I'll come back every summer," Juniper promised his mother.

“And I'll keep an eye on him," Barb insisted. “Make sure he gets everything he needs."

“The answer is no!" Poppy denied. Flower covered her ears at the sudden outburst.

“Loud, loud, loud..." she mumbled.

“Kids, go to your rooms," Branch said. “Barb, you should probably go, too."

“You sure?" Barb asked.

“Yes!" Poppy and Branch said simultaneously. Though Branch said it far more calmly.

“Alright," Barb replied, closing the door on her way out.

Branch groaned. “What has gotten into you?"

“Branch, I can't handle another thing going wrong right now," Poppy tried to explain. “This is–"

“Another thing?" Branch repeated in disbelief. “Poppy, what did you expect? For your dad to just live forever? For Flower's disability to just go away as she got older?"

“Of course not!" Poppy claimed. “I knew my dad wouldn't live forever, but it still felt too soon... And I just want Flower to be ready before something happens to me!"

“Ready, or just like you?" Branch asked. “Poppy, I may not have been born into royalty or afraid I wouldn't be someone everyone would remember forever, but even if I was, the last thing I would want is to rope my own kids into that. Flower isn't your replacement, she's your daughter. She'll never be you, just like you'll never be your dad!"

“Well, maybe Flower would've been better off without a dad like YOU!"

Branch's jaw dropped once he heard his wife say that. Poppy widened her eyes in realization and reached out to him, but he backed away.

“Branch, I... I didn't mean..."

“You know what?" Branch said, ignoring her. “I'm doing what Dr. Huggins said we should've done. You are more than welcome to stay, but I'm taking the kids uptown."

“I'm ba-ack!" Rose said cheerfully as she burst through the door. She, then, noticed her parents' distress. “Um... did I miss something?"

“Rosie, go to your room and pack your things," Branch replied. “Tell your brother and sister to do the same."

“Um, okay," Rose agreed nervously, heading for the room she shared with her twin brother.

“Branch, I really didn't mean it!" Poppy tried to reassure him.

“Then why did you say it?" he asked coldly. Poppy couldn't think of a good enough answer. “Thought so."

Right before Branch could leave the room, the twins ran back to them in alarm.

“Flower's gone!"