Angela sighed and dipped the warm towel in the basin of water. She wrung it out and carefully laid it on top of Jack's forehead. She leaned back in her chair, her shoulders sagging and watched Jack sleep.

"Why can't things go back to normal, huh?" Angela quietly asked, knowing Jack could not hear her. She took his hand and placed it in her own, studying it. "Why can't life be happy and easy, like it is in story books? I'm so tired, Jack. I'm just so tired. Why can't life be simpler?"

"Because then it wouldn't be life." Angela looked up in surprise at the sound of Uncle Will's voice from behind her.

"How's he doing?" Will asked.

"Better, I think," Angela replied thoughtfully. "He was having a bad dream earlier but after that, he's been sleeping soundly."

Will nodded and removed the towel to feel Jack's forehead. "His breathing is better," Will noted.

"I thought it was Johnny's shift," Angela said, looking up at her uncle.

"Yes, it was. But it's only a few hours �til morning so I think I'll just take it from here. Besides, I couldn't sleep anyway." Uncle Will sighed. "He wouldn't have gotten sick like this if it weren't for me."

"You couldn't have known he was allergic."

Will nodded. "No, I couldn't have. I just wish I could have been more prepared."

"Are we ever prepared?" Angela raised her eyebrow.

Uncle Will looked at his niece and smiled. "No, I don't think we ever are; it just wouldn't be life if we were."

Angela squinted and pulled the blankets up around her ears in a vain attempt to hide the morning light from her eyes. She was exhausted from the events that had occurred just several hours earlier. Angela rolled over, feeling someone tugging at her blankets.

"Johnny, quit it! You got to sleep last night; I didn't," Angela whined, grabbing her quilt and yanking it back over her head.

"I'm not Johnny," a female voice responded, pulling Angela's covers back. Angela squinted up at her cousin Josephine.

"Ohhh," Angela groaned. "Go away!" Angela rolled onto her stomach and shoved her head under her pillow.

"Angela, get up! Your dad told me to get you up; it's almost eleven."

"Oh, fine," Angela grumbled, throwing her covers off and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. She slunk past her cousin and into her bathroom.

"You have the most beautiful gowns!" Josephine greeted Angela when she emerged from the bathroom.

"Thank you," Angela replied, noting that Josephine had opened up her closet and was nosing through her wardrobe.

"So, I was wondering..." Josephine started.

"Yes?" Angela looked up as her maid helped her into a dark purple skirt.

"Where did that boy come from?"

"Who?" Angela fingered the buttons on her cream blouse. "You mean Jack?"

"Whatever. The sick one." Josephine shrugged and tossed a strand of ebony-colored hair over her shoulder.

Angela snorted. "�The sick one', eh?"

"Yes, him. Where did he come from?"

"He's a friend of mine. Why do you ask?" Angela said vaguely, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

"I don't understand why you'd let those kind of people in your house, that's all," Josephine replied, sitting down on Angela's bed.

Angela excused her maid before coming and sitting down next to Josephine. She sighed and thought for a moment. " Well, then why do I let people like you into my house, Jo?"

Josephine looked at her cousin, confused. "What are you talking about? I'm family." "So? You still don't have as much money. So, tell me, why would I want you in my house? Hmm?" Angela raised her eyebrows.

Josephine sighed and rolled her eyes in exasperation. "You can be so immature sometimes."

Angela shook her head and let out a cynical chuckle. "You're one to talk, Jo."

"You know, just because I'm two months younger than you doesn't mean I can't be more mature than you. You've changed since last year."