Emma woke to the lavender-scented air of Lily's reality, the crack in the plaster ceiling anchoring her in its familiar imperfection. Ethan's fierce resolve—"If Mom says Paris, I'm going"—and his sketch of the Paris skyline with the looping symbol echoed in her mind, intertwining with Noah's confession that she was their doctor, Lily's hospital memory of Ethan, and Sophie's fragile fight. The bracelet in her pocket, its looping symbol matching Sophie's, Noah's drawings, and Ethan's keychain, pulsed like a heartbeat, tying her children to a past she was beginning to reclaim. Lily's hope—"You saved us once. Save us again."—and her sketch of the hospital ward with Ethan, Noah, and Sophie burned in Emma's heart, pulling her toward Paris, where their shared truth awaited. She slipped out of bed, the tile cold under her feet, David's steady breathing beside her a constant in her fractured world. She needed to reach Lily, to prepare her for Paris and solidify their fragile trust.
The house was quiet, the morning light dim through the blue velvet curtains. Lily's bedroom was empty, her backpack gone, but her sketchbook lay open on the desk, a new drawing stark against the page—a Paris skyline, the Eiffel Tower glowing, three figures with bracelets bearing the looping symbol, labeled Ethan, Lily, Noah. Below it, in Lily's careful script: "You promised we'd meet again." Emma's breath caught, a memory flashing—her own voice in a hospital ward, promising three children a future. She dressed quickly, pulling on the red wool coat, the bracelet and Lily's note—"E said to keep fighting. Like you did."—heavy in her pocket. Downstairs, David was in the kitchen, reading the paper, his coffee mug steaming.
"Lily's gone again," Emma said, her voice tight, grabbing her keys. "I'm going to find her."
David looked up, his face creasing with worry. "Emma, you're pushing too hard," he said, setting the paper down. "Lily's scared, and this… obsession with Ethan and Noah isn't helping. You need to focus on her."
Emma's frustration flared, her hand clutching the bracelet in her pocket. "It's not an obsession," she said, her voice trembling. "Lily told me about Ethan, a boy in the hospital who gave her this bracelet. Noah said I was their doctor. They're drawing the same symbol, David, and they all say Paris is where we'll meet. Lily's part of this, and I'm not stopping."
David stood, his voice rising. "Emma, you're not well," he said, his eyes glistening. "You're scaring her. You're scaring me. We need to get you help."
Emma shook her head, her resolve hardening. "I don't need help," she said, her voice fierce. "I need Lily." She headed for the door, pausing at a photo on the counter—Lily, young, in a hospital gown, her wrist bare. The absence of the bracelet gnawed at her, a puzzle piece still missing. She drove to the school, her heart pounding, hoping Lily had returned to the art room, her refuge.
The campus was quiet, the early hour keeping it empty. The art room door was ajar, and inside, Emma found Lily sitting at a table, her sketchbook open, her hands trembling as she drew. The looping symbol dominated the page, surrounded by a hospital ward, three beds, three children—Ethan's sharp jaw, Noah's glasses, a girl with a beanie. Emma's heart raced—Sophie, again.
"Lily," Emma said, kneeling beside her, her voice soft, "you don't have to hide from me."
Lily's eyes flicked up, red and glistening, but she didn't close the sketchbook. "You keep saying you'll find them," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Ethan, Noah. But what if you can't? What if I lose you, too?"
Emma's chest tightened, Lily's fear echoing Ethan's desperation, Noah's trust. She reached for her hand, her voice gentle but firm. "You won't lose me," she said. "I'm going to Paris, Lily, to find Ethan and Noah. I want you to come with me. We'll do this together."
Lily's breath hitched, her fingers tracing the looping symbol. "Paris?" she said, her voice trembling. "You really think they're there?"
Emma nodded, pulling the bracelet from her pocket, its looping symbol glinting. "I do," she said. "You said I was your doctor, gave you this bracelet. Ethan and Noah said the same. We were all together, in a hospital. I promised we'd meet again, and Paris is where we'll keep that promise."
Lily's eyes widened, tears spilling down her cheeks. "I remember you," she said, her voice breaking. "You were… kind. You made us feel safe. But then you were gone, and I thought… I thought I made it up." She pushed the sketchbook toward Emma, revealing a new drawing—a bracelet with the looping symbol, and beside it, a note: "You said we'd be a family again."
Emma's throat tightened, a flood of images—hospital beds, three small faces, her own voice promising a future—surging through her. She pulled Lily into her arms, the girl's trembling form solid against her. "We will be," she said, her voice fierce. "I'm keeping that promise."
The art room door creaked open, and David stood there, his face pale, his eyes wide with worry. "Emma, Lily," he said, his voice low. "What's going on?"
Emma stood, helping Lily to her feet, the sketchbook in her hand. "Lily remembers," she said, her voice steady. "She was in a hospital with Ethan and Noah, and I was their doctor. This bracelet—I gave it to them. We're going to Paris, David, to find them."
David's jaw dropped, his eyes flicking to Lily, who nodded, her face pale but resolute. "It's true, Dad," she said, her voice small but firm. "I remember them. Mom's right."
David sank against the doorframe, his hands trembling. "This… this can't be real," he said, his voice hollow, but his gaze lingered on the sketchbook, doubt creeping into his expression.
Emma's heart swelled, Lily's trust a lifeline. She turned to David, her voice steady. "We're going," she said. "For Lily, for Ethan, for Noah. For Sophie. You can come or not, but I'm keeping my promise to them."
David stared at the bracelet, the sketch, then at Lily, his resolve wavering. Emma's gaze fell to the sketchbook, the Paris skyline glowing, the looping symbol a beacon. Paris was no longer a dream—it was a collision point, where her past as their doctor, their mother, would converge with their present. She had to go, to keep her promise to Lily, to find Ethan and Noah, to save Sophie, no matter how much David feared, no matter how close her reality came to breaking.