"You''re the one who picked out Emmie''s name, but now you won''t let us use it?"


    Flynnined, only half-joking, as he turned away, defeated, and reached for


    Nancy instead. "Nancy,e here-let your second uncle get a hug."


    Nancy wasn''t having it. She wriggled out of his reach and dove straight into


    Anastasia''s arms. "Mommy smells nice. I want Mommy to hold me!"


    Flynn shot Herman a look. "Man, you''ve got yourself a little rival for Anastasia''s


    attention."


    Honestly, Nancy was the only other guy in the world who couldy im to


    Anastasia without raising eyebrows.


    Herman just nced over. "What are you doing here so early?"


    Flynn remembered why he''de. "It''s about Joseph and Dad wanting him to call


    him godfather. From the way Dad was talking, it sounds like he''s not giving


    Joseph much of a choice. He was out the door first thing this morning."


    Herman looked unconcerned. "Joseph won''t agree to it."


    If Joseph had his mind made up, there was no changing it.


    While the guys started their conversation, Anastasia stood up. "You two chat. I''ll


    take Emmie and Nancy to check on Pattie''s lesson."


    Herman nodded, silently telling her to go ahead and take the kids.


    Pattie was having her lesson in the next building over. Herman had bought this


    massive ce-nearly 10,000 square feet, with sprawling front and back gardens,


    and two houses joined together. The smaller, two-story side house was set up just


    for the kids, with ssrooms and yrooms.


    Emmie and Nancy had their early learning sessions upstairs; Pattie''s sses took


    ce on the ground floor.


    And honestly, this wasn''t even thergest property Herman owned. For someone


    with the Lunsford family''s kind of wealth, this house was just a tiny piece of the


    pie.


    There were six nannies to look after the three kids, plus three drivers. The


    Salstrom family was actually considered pretty modest and low-keypared to


    others in their circle.


    Anastasia peeked into Pattie''s math lesson, then took Emmie and Nancy up to the


    early learning room for their activities.


    All of Pattie''s sses were one-on-one with her tutors.


    Anastasia hadn''t realized until she married into this world just how seriously these


    people took their kids'' education.


    Sure, there were some spoiled rich kids around, but more often than not, the


    children here grew up with private tutors and Ivy League dreams.


    Born at the top of the pyramid, with every resource imaginable-unless they were


    truly hopeless, there was no way they''d turn out average.


    Flynn might not be cut out for running apany, but when it came to


    investments, he had a real talent.


    With the kids busy, Anastasia sat in the garden, letting the sun warm her while she


    brainstormed ideas for her own jewelry brand.


    That''s when James wandered over. Anastasia put down her phone. "You went


    out?"


    "Yeah, picked up some herbs,"


    James said, dropping into a chair.


    "So, have you and Herman decided


    what to do about Pattie''s surgery?"


    Anastasia fell quiet. This was one of those decisions that weighed heavy on any


    parent''s heart.


    She''d been thinking about it nonstop.


    "What are the odds?" she asked, her voice soft.


    James held up one finger. "Ten percent."


    Such a tiny chance.


    Anastasia''s heart ached at the thought of Pattie, unable to speak, getting hurt and


    not being able to defend herself.


    She was little now, mostly at home, but as she got older, her world would shrink.


    Her confidence would take hit after hit.


    Anastasia tightened her grip on her phone. "James, if it were you, would you do


    it? I want Pattie to live a normal life, but I''m scared."


    James''s tone was serious. "I can''t make that call for you."


    Anastasia sat there for a long while,


    thinking about when Pattie got into a


    fight with Layna-how she couldn''t


    speak up for herself. Finally, she


    took a deep breath. "James, go


    ahead and schedule the surgery. I


    trust you. And I know Pattie wants a


    chance to speak, too."


    She wouldn''t let her own fear hold Pattie back and leave her with a lifetime of


    regrets.


    She believed in James as a doctor. Even if things didn''t work out, at least Pattie


    would be safe.


    If they tried, there was hope. If they didn''t, there was none.


    James asked, "What about Herman?"


    "He feels the same way. We''ve both


    been worried. We were waiting until


    after Pattie''s birthday to decide, but


    after what happened at her party. If


    we don''t do this, I''m afraid she only


    face more heartache down the


    road."