"I thought you had assignments," Samantha said as her mates settled around her on the bed.
"They can wait," Marcus replied. "You need us more."
"I'm fine."
"You're spiraling," Kai corrected gently. "We can feel it through the bond. You're thinking about everything that could go wrong, every way we might fail these children."
Before Samantha could respond, there was a knock on the door. Linda entered without waiting for permission—because of course she did—carrying a tablet and wearing the expression of someone about to deliver news that would complicate everything.
"I hate to interrupt your emotional support session," she said, "but we have a problem."
"Another one?" Kai groaned. "It's been two hours since the last crisis."
"This one's administrative," Linda said, sitting on the edge of the bed with the confidence of someone who'd decided she was part of this family meeting whether they liked it or not. "The children need to go to school."
Four faces stared at her blankly.
