Norris led little Penny through the grove like he’d done it a hundred times before, weaving between the trees with ease. Penny’s short legs had to move so fast they were almost a blur just to keep up. Whenever he noticed her lagging behind, Norris would stop, wait, and let her catch her breath before continuing. They reached the other side of the grove, where another cluster of bushes stood—a spot Taylor and Nina often visited. Norris ducked behind the bushes, gesturing for Penny to stay quiet. Two small heads pressed close together, looking for all the world like a pair of curious chicks. On the other side, Taylor’s voice carried through. As head of Heaven Island’s network security, Taylor rarely had a free moment, but today he’d managed to steal some time for a date with Nina. “Nina, you’re so beautiful,” he said, gazing at her like she was the only person in the world. Nina’s cheeks flushed crimson. She lowered her head, but inside she felt sweeter than honey. Taylor slowly leaned in, and Nina shyly closed her eyes. Then came the familiar sound of a kiss—one Norris and Penny had heard more than once. They parted the leaves to peek through. Penny whispered, “Norris, why do they always like kissing, just like Mommy and Daddy?” “Because they like kissing,” Norris explained matter-of-factly. Penny thought for a moment, then nodded. “I like kissing too.” Before she could say more, Norris leaned over and planted a noisy kiss on her chubby cheek. Penny giggled but then asked, “Why don’t we kiss on the mouth like Aunt Nina and them?” “Mom and Dad said only husbands and wives or boyfriends and girlfriends can kiss on the mouth,” Norris replied seriously. “What’s a husband and wife?” That one made Norris pause. After thinking hard, he said, “They’re two people who can have a baby together.”Penny tilted her head. “Then can you and I have a baby?” “Dummy!” Norris flicked her forehead. “I’m your brother. We can’t have a baby together. Only people who didn’t know each other before can do that.” Rubbing her forehead, Penny nodded solemnly. Norris always knew everything—he must be right. Still curious, she asked, “But why do Aunt Nina and them kiss for so long? And they look like it’s hard work.” “Maybe it’s their special kissing ritual,” Norris guessed. Just then, the back of both their collars was suddenly lifted, plucking them from the ground like wayward chicks. Arthur and Ashley stood behind them. Ashley had her hands on her hips, clearly not pleased. “Norris! You took Penny out wandering again!” Heaven Island might be surrounded by water, but to the two little escape artists, it was one big playground. They had an uncanny ability to slip past guards, finding every hidden gap and crawl space. Caught red-handed, both children gave their best pitiful faces. “We’re sorry, Mommy, Daddy…” The sheer cuteness made Arthur and Ashley’s scolding soften. But the commotion had already alerted Taylor and Nina. They sprang apart, faces flaming with embarrassment. Arthur narrowed his eyes. “What are you two doing here?” Taylor blurted the first thing that came to mind. “We were… digging—” Before he could finish, Norris piped up, “They were kissing!” Penny added helpfully, “For a long time! Longer than Mommy and Daddy!” Suddenly, the two little darlings didn’t seem quite so adorable.