�Zo�?� Her father said. �Your mother was worried about you last night.�

�Well, I�m alive,� she said snottily.

�She was worried about you, Zo�,� he emphasized. �Can�t you go in the backyard for three minutes and just tell her, let her see you�re OK?�

�I don�t need a lecture.� She snapped.

�Goddamn it, Zo�! She loves you! Why do you hurt her like this?� He shouted. �I love you! Why do you insist on hurting us?�

�I have a life, Dad.� She answered. �If that hurts you and Mom so much, maybe you need a therapist.�

�Don�t talk to me like that, young lady!� He shouted. �None of your brothers and sisters talk to me that way, and they�re all older than you. I don�t expect you to speak to me that way!�

�I�m not them,� she said, narrowing her eyes at him. �I never want to be.� She turned away from him and stormed up the stairs. She went to the bedroom that her older sisters had shared in their childhood, which was now her room, and slammed the door. She locked the door behind her and resisted the urge to kick it as hard as she could. She threw her jacket at the wall, causing the baggies to fall out onto the floor. She picked them up, burying one in her underwear drawer, but left the drawer open. She took the other baggie, poured some powder on top of the dresser, bent down, and sniffed it all. She closed the little baggie, and buried it with the other one in her drawer, and closed the drawer this time. She stayed in her room all afternoon, until she left that night, without a word to either of her parents.

�Tay?� Zac whispered. �Bad dream?�

�Uh-huh,� he whispered back, getting between his father and mother. Becca looked at her husband, almost apologetically � their son always slept between them when he had nightmares. Zachary just smiled a little. He put his arm over their son to let him know that he was safe, and just waited for him to fall back to sleep. And at quarter to one, he carried little Taylor back to his own bed.

It was Zac�s turn to wake-up in the middle of the night. It was around three a.m. and he jolted upright in bed, breathing heavily, waking his wife. She was quiet for a few minutes, waiting to see if he was going to lay down and go back to sleep, but he didn�t.

�Zachary? Honey, are you OK?� She asked softly.

�I�m fine,� he said, nearly breathless.

�Are you having those dreams again?� He looked at her when she asked that, but didn�t answer. He didn�t have to.

�He was telling me something about Zo�.� She didn�t have to ask who �he� was. She put her arms around him, and made him lay down with her. But he wasn�t going to get much sleep; his mind was on his dream, and Zo�. The next day, his dream resulted in calling his older brother. He wanted Isaac, Marie, and their kids to come over for the day. He�d decided that he and Isaac, and their families, hadn�t been spending enough time together� and he needed to talk to him. Isaac immediately agreed.

�Taylor,� Zac called, �stay where you can touch until me or mommy gets in the pool with you.� He nodded to his father�s request and went on splashing.

�They grow up so fast.� Isaac said. �I can�t believe my little girl is gonna be nine in September.�

�Tell me about it. Taylor�s gonna be six July first; it�s already June twenty-sixth.� Isaac shook his head; Zac assumed he was reminiscing. He seemingly snapped out of it, and looked around questioningly.

�Where�s my wife?� He asked.

�In the house, with my wife.� He answered with a slight smile.

�How�s the pregnancy going? Any problems?�

�No, thank God.� Zac replied. �Why?�

�Well I know Becca had a relatively difficult pregnancy with Taylor, I was just making sure.�

�Thanks for worrying, but she and the baby are fine. She didn�t start having problems with her pregnancy for Taylor until around this time, but I�m praying, and so far so good.�

�Good.� Ike replied.

�Any more kids in your future?� Zac asked him with a grin.

�It�s funny you should ask that,� Isaac replied, a grin of his own on his face.

�Why?�

�Actually, we�re trying. We want another one.�

�That�s great, Ike.� He replied smiling. �Any luck yet?�

�Marie hasn�t said anything, so�� Zac nodded, smiling still. Although his brother seemed to be in a good mood, Isaac could see something else in his eyes as well. Something was bothering him. �What�s on your mind, Zac?� He asked him. Zachary almost smiled; his brother knew him too well. He and Isaac had grown very close after Taylor had died.

�Actually� Zo�.�

�Zo�?�

�Besides the obvious ones, I�ve noticed some changes in her��

�You�re thinking something.� Ike said. �Care to fill me in?�

�I�m glad you asked, very glad you asked. I�ve noticed some changes in her� like� Taylor-changes.�

�Taylor-changes?�

�Like when he was using cocaine. A couple of months ago, on his birthday actually, we got into a fight. It was like fighting with Taylor all over again. We were in the kitchen� it was like when he hit me, right before � � he stopped. That memory was too painful. He closed his eyes, trying hard to make it go away, to make bury it deeply like it had been.

�Zac�?� He put his hand on his younger brother�s shoulder.

�I�m fine,� he said, opening his eyes again. �I�m just worried. Zo� can hardly stand me anymore, but I still don�t want to lose her. I don�t think I could handle losing another sibling, especially not to drugs.�

�Well what do you expect to do?�

�I was thinking a Fourth of July party, like a cookout, something. I could ask Mom and Dad to have it at their house.�

�She won�t be around, Zac. She�ll make sure of it.�

�I still want to try.� He replied, flipping burgers over. They were quiet for a minute, the sound of the children laughing and playing in the pool drifting towards them.

�Then I�m behind you.� Ike said. Zac looked over at him to thank him.

�Dad!� One of the boys yelled; both of them looked. It was Danny. �Amanda won�t stop pushing me under!�

�Amanda Lynn Hanson!� Isaac called; she froze. He�d used her full name� �If you dunk your brother under one more time, you�re going on time out!� She stuck her tongue out at her brother, and swam away.

�Burgers and hotdogs are done.� Zac said, turning off the grill.

�Zo�? Can I get you anything?� Her mother asked.

�Did I ask for anything?� She replied.

�Well, I just thought � �

�No, Mom. I don�t want or need anything.�

�Why do you hate me so much?� She asked quietly. �What did I do?�

�Oh my f*cking God, I�m not getting talking about this.� Her mother�s mind flashed back to a conversation she had with Taylor, fourteen years ago� when he was using drugs.

�Are you on drugs?� She blurted out. �Have you forgotten that you�re brother died because of drugs?� She had tears in her eyes. �You�re acting like Taylor did ��

�Wake-up, Mom! I�m not Jordan! Jordan�s dead; he�s been dead for fourteen years!� Before she knew anything, there was the sound of a slap. Almost instantly her mother had reached up and slapped her hard across the face. Zo�s head turned on impact with her mother�s open hand; her hair in her face, she brought her hand up to her stinging cheek. Her mother was still angry.

�Don�t you ever � � she started, but Zo� pushed passed her. She stormed into the living room, and after quickly putting her sandals on, ran out the front door. She got into her car, keys in her pocket. After a minute she sped off. Diana stood in the doorway watching as her car sped off down the street.

�We need to do this more often.� Marie said.

�Tell me about it,� Zac replied, sipping his own beer.

�Ooh!� Becca said suddenly, putting her hand on her stomach.

�What?� Zac asked quickly, fearing something was wrong. �Are you OK?�

�You�re daughter is kicking the crap out of me, to a beat.� She said, smiling.

�Yep, that�s definitely Zac�s kid.� Ike said, grinning. Zac kicked him good-humouredly under the table.

�Decide on a name yet?� Marie asked.

�Actually, we have.� Zac answered.

�Dawn Marie.� Becca said.

�That�s so pretty; I love it.� Marie replied.

�It is pretty,� Ike commented. Marie and Rebecca exchanged glances. Neither Zac, nor Isaac misses a beat.

�What was that?� Zachary asked.

�What?� Marie smiled.

�That� look.� Isaac said. �What secrets are you keeping?� Rebecca started to smile too much and put food in her mouth.

�You know something,� Isaac accused; she shrugged.

�Becca�� Zac started, but Taylor saved her.

�Mommy, can I go swimming again?�

�No,� she said, swallowing her food. �You know you have to wait until your food digests.�

�Aw, Mom�� he whined.

�Taylor, don�t argue.�

�But I�m not gonna get a cramp! I didn�t eat that much!�

�Taylor Michael Hanson,� she said sternly. �You heard what I said. Don�t argue.�

�Dad?�

�Sorry, buddy. You heard what your mom said.� He huffed and sat down at the kiddy-picnic table. Isaac still hadn�t given up on what his wife could possibly be hiding.

�Marie�?�

�He�s not going to let up until you tell him whatever it is you�re hiding.� Zac said.

�Well�� she started, and grinned. �Becca and I were in the house so long because, when we stopped at the store this morning, I snuck and bought a home pregnancy test�� Zac�s eyes went wide, and Isaac�s wider.

�Are you�?� He questioned, looking at her. She smiled and nodded.

�I�m pregnant.� She said, smiling. He stood up, as did she. He hugged her tightly, and kissed her on the mouth. Zac put his arm around his wife�s shoulders, pulling her close.

�I�m gonna be a daddy again!� He exclaimed excitedly, looking at Zac and Becca. They smiled at him.

�You know, we haven�t finished the baby�s room.� Becca said quietly to Zac.

�That could be a problem� I don�t think it�s going to be ready before she�s born.�

�Zac��

�Don�t worry about it right now. We�ll figure it out.� He kissed her temple, and watched as Isaac put his hand to his wife�s yet flat stomach, while she laughed at him.

�Zo�? Baby, what happened?�

�She hit me! My mother hit me! She f*cking hit me!�

�Baby, baby��

�You know how to make this better,� she said looking at him, black make-up streaking her face from her tears. �Make it better, Jimmy.�

�I got exactly what you need, baby girl.� He said to her, taking her in his arms. �I know exactly how to make you happy�� Drugs and sex, specifically, cocaine and sex. What was real happiness to her anymore, anyway?