That she had recovered at all was a miracle, or so they all said. No one had expected her to ever emerge from the coma she’d been in for three years after being hit by a car. But four months ago, she’d defied the odds and awakened after a fever doctors had feared would finally end her life. Yep, a real miracle. Everything that happened since then had been somewhat less than miraculous: her twenty-year marriage had disintegrated, and her days were now marked by the struggle to regain her health.

Clare knew she was lucky, but she’d grown tired of hearing that word. Doctors had told her she would most likely be confronted with physical challenges for the rest of her life, including chronic urinary tract infections, a propensity toward pneumonia, fatigue, muscle spasms, and other fallout from three years of inactivity. Oh yeah, what a miracle.

A tearjerker movie on TV caught her attention, and it was a relief to be absorbed into someone else’s drama for a change. When someone knocked at her door, Clare muted the television. “Come in,” she called and was surprised to see Jack’s sister, Frannie Booth.

“May I come in?”

“Of course,” Clare said to her former sister-in-law. “Come sit.”

Frannie crossed the room to sit next to Clare on the sofa. She wore her auburn hair in an elegant twist left over from her brother’s wedding.

“I didn’t expect to see you, especially tonight,” Clare said, admiring the yellow floral silk dress Frannie had worn to the wedding. “You look fabulous.”

“Thanks. I was thinking of you and thought I’d stop by to see how you’re doing.”

“I’m fine, but you didn’t have to come.”

“I wanted to.”

“How was it?” Clare tried to sound casual as she twirled a lock of her unruly blonde hair around a finger.

“It was lovely but a little more exciting than we’d planned. Andi’s water broke during the reception. They had twin boys right there at the hotel. The doctor said they appear to be identical.”

“Oh.” Clare struggled to hide the surge of emotion. Jack had sons.

“It all happened so fast.” Frannie shook her head and smiled. “Apparently, she’d been in labor all night and didn’t realize it because she’d had back pain.”

Clare worked at keeping her expression neutral as she absorbed the news that the babies had arrived a month early. “They’re all fine?”

“Yes.”

“The girls must’ve been excited,” Clare said, referring to her daughters.

“They were.”

“What’re their names?”

“They named them for Jack and the grandfathers, John Joseph Harrington the fourth, and Robert Franklin Harrington. Johnny and Robby.”

Despite her best efforts, Clare’s eyes flooded with tears. “Johnny and Robby,” she whispered.

“I’m sorry to upset you.”

Clare wiped her eyes. “It’s okay.”