"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."