"Jess, you are glowing today," Sean said the next morning without taking his eyes off his cereal. At twenty, he had taken on the role of family leader since their dad passed away, mostly through sarcasm and occasional responsible actions.

"That’s called happiness, Sean. You should look it up," Jessica replied as she grabbed a piece of toast.

Scott, who was already dressed and making his lunch with great care, glanced at her with his sharp dark eyes. At eighteen, he seemed more mature than Sean despite being younger and much more protective.

"You were up late again," Scott stated. It wasn’t a question.

"How would you know? Were you timing how long I spent in the bathroom?" Jessica raised an eyebrow.

"I heard you laughing around midnight."

"Oh no, I was having fun. Call the police!"

Sean finally looked up. "Wait, Jess made a friend? Is the world ending?"

"Shut up, Sean." But Jessica couldn’t help but smile.

Scott's face turned serious. "An online friend?"

The change in his tone made Jessica defensive. "Yes, *Dad*, just an online friend. And no, he hasn’t asked for anything weird like nudes or my social security number."

"That’s not funny, Jess."

"It’s a little funny."

Their mom, Edna, hurried through the kitchen in her scrubs, grabbing her coffee and kissing each of them on the head. "Good morning, angels. Scott, make sure she eats real food and not just Pop-Tarts. Sean, please take a shower today. Jess, my angel—"

"be good; I know." Jessica hugged her mom tightly. "Are you working another double shift?"

"Just until we get caught up on the mortgage." Edna's tired smile still held warmth. "Mrs. Patterson next door said she’d check in on you guys."

Once Mom left, Scott sat down across from Jessica. "But seriously, be careful online. There are some really messed-up people out there."

“That's coming from the guy who met his last girlfriend on Instagram.”

“That’s not the same.”

“How so?”

“Because I'm not a sixteen-year-old girl.”

Jessica tossed a piece of toast at him. “That's sexist.”

“No, it’s realistic.”

Scott smiled when he said it, and Jessica understood that his words came from love, not control. He had always been protective…sometimes to an annoying extent but after their dad died, that protectiveness grew even stronger. She could see the worry in his eyes and how he watched her as if he was scared she might vanish too.

“I’m fine, Scott. Really. It’s just nice to chat with someone who doesn’t know all my secrets already.”

Scott nodded slowly. “Just… if anything seems off, let me know, okay? I don’t care how embarrassing it is.”

“Deal.”

But Jessica's phone buzzed with a good morning message from Sky, and she couldn't help but smile as she read it.

*Sky: Good morning, shining star. I dreamed about roses last night. Red ones blooming in the dark.

*Jessica: That’s either super romantic or really creepy. I can’t decide which.

*Sky: Why not both?

Jessica laughed out loud, catching Sean's attention.

“Okay, what kind of guy makes Jess giggle like that? Should I get ready for my big brother scare tactic?”

“Please! You’re about as scary as a golden retriever.”

“Ouch! Scott, tell her I'm intimidating!”

“You're intimidating, Sean,” Scott replied obediently while keeping an eye on Jessica with those sharp glances again.

She put her phone away, but the warm feeling in her heart stayed. For the first time in months, she felt like there was something exciting ahead of her.