I walked down the stairs at my parents’ house and turned into the family room. My mom and her two sisters were there, trying on shoes. I grabbed some shoes and joined in.

My Aunt Terry and I started teasing my mom and Aunt Kathy about their wide feet. Terry and I can buy shoes without trying them on, but Kathy and my mom had to spend hours finding a comfortable pair.

Kathy said, “No, shoes fit me just fine now.” She and her sisters laughed.

I left the family room and walked down the hall, turning right into a bedroom. My grandma was there, sitting in her rocking chair, working on a quilt.

“What do you think?” She asked, holding it up for me. It was the Grandmother’s Fan pattern, like the one she’d made for me many years ago, but this one was all in shades of purple. “It’s beautiful Grammy,” I said, hugging her.

“The girls are waking up,” my grandma said. I looked over, and two little girls were stirring on the bed. One had brown curly hair, the other blond curls.

“Hi babies!” I said. “Hi mama!” said the blond one with blue-green eyes. “Mama!” said the one with blue-gray eyes and brown hair. I helped them each off the bed, and they walked off down the hall together holding hands, the blond one taller than her sister.

I opened my eyes in my own bed. I’d dreamed of them all.

I felt so alone.