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I paused and looked around the square while not in a panic. My breath caught at the painted buildings and brightly colored flowers on nearly every corner. This had been what Jade had always wanted to see.

She had gotten what she wanted.

“Uh, no. Not new.”

“Are you from here then?”

“Yeah, I am. Name’s Gabriel. I used to live around here, but I’m sure you’ve not heard of me. It was a long time ago.”

Piper’s eyes widened. “And where are you living?” Clearly, she knew something I didn’t, and I didn’t like not knowing things.

“The new big apartment. That was good timing, huh?” I laughed. “Do you happen to know who lives in the unit next to me? I didn’t know it was even occupied.”

I didn’t know any of the apartments were occupied unless they’d been redone. Jade had the shop downstairs—that much I knew, but I didn’t know who would be brave enough to live above her.

Piper and Theo looked at each other with wide eyes, and I had a bad feeling I wouldn’t like whoever it was.

Maybe I should look into it. A lot of things in Strawberry Springs weren’t digitized, but anything that caused this kind of reaction wouldn’t mean anything good for me.

“I have a kid for you.” The woman with red hair walked up to me. “She’s yours, right?”

“I’m not!” Beatrice yelled.

“This stranger is stealing me!” Agnes yelled as the other woman walked toward me.

“My name’s Mollie,” she said as she put down Agnes right in front of me.

“So?” Agnes asked.

“So, I’m not a stranger anymore.” She put her hands on her hips with a proud smile on her face. I blinked and tried to remember the name.

Mollie. As in the one who took over Bennie Grove Farm.

“I’m Wren,” the other said.

“Right.” I nodded. “You had a TV show, didn’t you?”

“I did,” she said. “But I’m long past that. Who are you?”

“His name is Gabriel!” Piper replied. “Isn’t that great?”

Wren and Mollie froze.

Mollie was the first to recover. “Sorry, what did you say?”

I didn’t get a chance to answer because my kids darted. Apparently, they’d had enough of being near me.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath. “Thank you both. I’ll make it up to you!”

They were heading to an alleyway, going faster than any five-year-old should have been capable of. They cut the corner as I got to the sidewalk in front of the building.

Then I ran into someone.

My scattered brain struggled to follow, but I managed to catch whoever it was before they fell.

I was torn between the kids and at least saying sorry to whoever I nearly knocked over.

Then I looked down.