Aston went to his bedroom and put his backpack in the table and exited the room. He went to the living room and lifted his son in his arms and kissed his cheek. "Hello little boy, daddy is here..."

The 3 years old girl went to Aston's sides and grabs at his t-shirt. "Uncle where is my doll? You promised me you will buy me a doll," she said.

Aston smiled and lifted his niece into his lap and kissed her forehead. "Ah, sorry baby Emily, I forgot to buy your doll. But Mommy will buy you a doll tomorrow, okay? I will give her lots of money so that you can choose any doll you like in the supermarket. How many dolls you want to have?"

"I want five barbie doll! Then I want ice cream...lots of ice cream...!" the girl said enthusiastically.

"No problem, you and baby Oliver will go shopping tomorrow with Mommy, okay?" said Aston.

"Okay, thank you, Uncle!" the smiling girl said.

Such a sweet scene.

Emma was wiping the tears in her eyes while watching the trio.

Life is tough.

Always been for the two of them.

She just hopes that Suzanne will wake up from her comatose estate, soon, she knew her brother's way of living, it gives her a cold chill. She just wish that he would be spared from death if one of his illegal operations suddenly goes wrong, in spite of his brother's bad choices when it comes to earning for a living, he was generally a good man, just that circumstances in life pushes him to do bad things...in most of his adult life...destiny never give him a break.

They grew up in a very troubled family, their parents were both alcoholic and drug addict. Aston only finishes high school then work in a various job to help pay her tuition in college. Her brother abhor alcoholic drinks and don't do drugs, growing up with an alcoholic and drug addict parents made him dislikes those kinds of stuff to the core.

Aston and Emma left their parents home and found a home of their own.

Then Emma met and fell in love with her abusive irresponsible boyfriend Mallory in college and got pregnant, later they broke up, feeling regretful and shameful of her past actions she asked her brother's forgiveness, Aston never raise a voice over her mistake and he promised her that he will never abandon her and the baby.

Their life moves on...

Then one day Aston met the love of his life Suzanne while they were walking in the park to let the children inhale the fresh air, Aston and Suzanne exchanged phone numbers, they texted each other a lot, Emma had seen her brother sporting a goofy smile every time he glances at his phone. She knew that his brother was falling hard for his text mate. Aston and Suzanne dated several times and Emma saw his brother falling seriously in love with a woman for the very first time.

Suzanne is a pretty woman who got a marvelous sunny personality, she has this innate gift that can make anyone feel at ease when she was around with them, she works eight hours daily as a cashier in a nearby department store from Monday to Saturday. Emma advised her brother to buy Suzanne gifts... just small things nothing pricey such as chocolates, flowers, and cards with romantic messages. These simple gifts can make any woman's heart flutter once given by their lovers.

She'd never seen his brother feels so happy all his life until he met Suzanne, they fell in love with each other, definitely a match made in heaven. Then the new couple starts living together in the house with Emma and her daughter.

Emma and Suzanne become close friends like blood sisters.

All is well from that moment onward.

Then one day Suzanne told Emma that she was pregnant. Suzanne's happiness was contagious, her face was glowing every day. Suzanne was looking forward to being a mother.

When her brother comes home that night, he was the happiest man after learning that his girlfriend was pregnant, he was ready to become a father and eager to start a family of his own.

They decided to legalized their union and promised to stick together through thick and thin, and they got married in a civil ceremony.

After two years of marriage, Suzanne got pregnant, she delivered her baby through a cesarean section and was not able to wake up from the anesthesia, she continued her sleep and declared comatose by the attending physician who conducted her cesarean operation.

Aston's world collapsed.

But he remained calm all the time, Emma never saw her brother cry, but deep inside he was just trying to stay strong for her, for his niece, for his newborn son and his comatose wife.

He was trying to stay strong for everyone who depended on him.

Then one day he got fired from his job in the slaughterhouse...

The bills in the hospital were mounting...

That was the start of her brother's descent into the dark world.

Every time Emma asked his brother what is his recent work... where is he working? he always tells lies to her and she knew because his brother is not a good liar. But those late-night coming home, disappearing for a few days without telling her where he is going, then coming home late at night, then several instances she saw lots of money inside a black backpack, and the next day it was gone, those signs tells her he was involved with something illegal behind her back.

She becomes suspicious...

She was able to connect the dots and made her conclusion, her brother was involved in illegal undertakings, but she can't tell him to stop, because he would never admit to her anything.

Until one day, she just kept her mouth shut and stopped asking questions and just accepts any money that he will give her and set aside some excess money into her savings account in the bank.

When shit hit the fan, she had to survive with two babies under her care.

"Emma, please prepare baby Oliver's foods I will be feeding him," Aston said.

"Okay... in a minute," she said.

Emma mixed the baby food and placed it on the sofa beside her brother, she took baby Emily from his brother's lap and feeds her with the soup she just prepared earlier.

Thirty minutes later, they both finished feeding the children.

Afterward, Emma put the babies into sleep.

When she exited the bedroom and went to the living room...Aston gave the money to her, she accepted the money without questioning him where the money comes from, she went back to her room and put the bundle of money in the drawer, barely looking at it.

She sighed and prepared herself to retire for the night.