This is her home town where her parents and sister lives. Although she has worked at Austin Grace Hospital for a short time, she is back and taking up where she left off–helping her folks look after her younger sister, Jess. Jess was always a little bit unstable emotionally. For the most part, she would be normal, but once in awhile she became restless, impulsive, irresponsible; one time she even ran away. Her family, including Lauren, tip-toed around her, afraid of upsetting her fragile state of mind. Lauren figured that’s what family was for. Helping her sister took a lot of her time and attention, but eventually Elijah Landry began to claim some of her time as well. This did not sit well with Jess because at one time she and Eli had a history.