Emma's heart pounded as she left St. Mary's Hospital, the memory of Sophie's reluctant nod—her agreement to try the experimental trial—clashing with the haunting image of her notebook, where the looping symbol surrounded the names Ethan, Lily, Noah. The hospital's antiseptic scent lingered in her nose, triggering flashes of memory—charts, monitors, a child's frail hand—that felt both hers and not hers. Ethan walked beside her, his shoulders hunched, his hands shoved deep into his jacket, the weight of Sophie's decision heavy between them. The looping symbol, etched on her bracelet, Noah's sketches, and Lily's note, pulsed in Emma's mind, tying her children across realities she couldn't fully grasp. Paris, Noah's cryptic promise, loomed closer, but Sophie's fight and Ethan's fragile hope demanded her focus now.
They climbed into the car, the evening air cool against Emma's skin. Ethan stared out the window, his face pale, his fingers fidgeting with the keychain bearing the looping symbol. "She's really gonna try it?" he asked, his voice low, almost disbelieving.
Emma nodded, her hands gripping the wheel. "She is," she said, her voice steady despite the turmoil in her chest. "Dr. Larson said the trial's promising, but it's a long shot. We need to keep her strong, Ethan. And you—you need to stay out of trouble. No more stealing motorcycles."
He flinched, his eyes flicking to her, then away. "I know," he muttered. "I just… I needed to see her. She was slipping away, and I couldn't—" His voice broke, and he swiped at his eyes, angry at his own vulnerability.
Emma's heart ached, his pain echoing Lily's fear, Noah's isolation. She reached for his hand, and he let her take it, his fingers cold but solid. "You're not losing her," she said, her voice fierce. "We're in this together. But, Ethan, that notebook—Sophie's drawing. It had your name, and… Lily and Noah. Do you know those names?"
Ethan's head snapped up, his eyes wide with confusion. "Lily? Noah?" he repeated, his voice sharp. "No. Why would she write that? It's just… us." But his fingers tightened around the keychain, and Emma saw a flicker of doubt in his eyes, as if the names stirred something buried.
She pulled into the driveway, the familiar brick house a stark contrast to the alien homes of Lily and Noah's realities. Inside, David was pacing the kitchen, his phone in hand, his face etched with worry. "The lawyer called again," he said as they entered. "Ethan's court date's been moved up—two days from now. We need to prepare."
Emma nodded, but her mind was on Sophie's notebook, the looping symbol, the names. "Ethan, go upstairs," she said, her voice gentle but firm. "I need to talk to your dad."
Ethan hesitated, then nodded, his sketchbook tucked under his arm as he trudged upstairs. Emma turned to David, her hands trembling. "David, I saw something at the hospital," she said, her voice low, urgent. "Sophie's notebook—it had Ethan's name, and Lily's, and Noah's. The same symbol I've seen with them all. They're connected, and I don't know how."
David's face fell, his hands pausing on the counter. "Emma, not this again," he said, his voice strained. "There's no Lily or Noah. You're seeing things that aren't there. You're exhausted, you're stressed about Ethan's court case, Sophie's illness—"
"No," Emma cut him off, her voice shaking. "It's not just stress. I was with Lily yesterday, scared her cancer's back. Noah's drawing the same symbol, talking about Paris. Sophie knows their names, David. It's real."
David ran a hand through his hair, his frustration boiling over. "Emma, you need help," he said, his voice breaking. "You're scaring Ethan. You're scaring me. I'm calling a doctor tomorrow."
Emma's anger flared, but she kept her voice steady, pulling the keychain from her pocket. "Look at this," she said, holding it up, the looping symbol glinting in the kitchen light. "Ethan said Sophie's bracelet is from someone who saved her life. Lily had one, too. Noah draws it. It's not a coincidence, David."
He stared at the keychain, his expression wavering, but he shook his head. "It's just a design," he said, his voice hollow. "Emma, please. Focus on Ethan. He needs you now."
She wanted to argue, to shake him, but a thud from upstairs stopped her. She ran to Ethan's room, finding him on the floor, his sketchbook open, his face pale. "Ethan!" she cried, kneeling beside him. "What happened?"
He sat up, his breath ragged, his eyes wide with panic. "I… I saw her," he said, his voice trembling. "Sophie. In my head, like a dream. She was with two other kids—a girl with a ponytail, a boy with glasses. They were… calling me."
Emma's heart stopped, her hand clutching the keychain. "A girl with a ponytail—Lily? A boy with glasses—Noah?" she asked, her voice shaking.
Ethan nodded, his eyes glistening. "I don't know how I know their names," he said, his voice breaking. "But they said… they said we'd all be together. In Paris."
Emma's breath caught, Noah's promise echoing, the looping symbol a burning thread. She pulled Ethan into her arms, her mind racing. Paris was no longer just a destination—it was where her children's truths would collide, and she had to follow, no matter how much David doubted, no matter how fragile her reality became.