Big Bros.

**Big Bros.** is a teen/young adult fiction tragicomedy novel written by teenage American novelist E. M. Rivera in 2021, set in Idaho in August 2022 to May 2023. The story centers around a teenage foster kid named Diana Watson who is taken in by the Field family after 12 years of her being in foster care. She is neglected by her four older foster brothers, Kyle, Jack, Tommy, and Harry Field, because she bears an identical resemblance to their late sister Amy Field, who died just recently. Rivera wanted to create a story that was "knee-slapping and tearjerking" and also "relatable and real". She drew her inspiration from films such as *My Sister's Keeper* and *Miracles from Heaven*. She also took inspiration from the children's novel *Ida B* by Katherine Hannigan and her own experiences with family members with cancer. She decided to make stomach cancer the sickness mentioned in her novel because of her own experience with stomach infections and viruses, and because it is the "fastest cancer, which provides enough time for the characters to bond, but not too much that the story ends up lagging". The idea of the main character being the only girl in the family, as well as the youngest, was drawn from Wattpad novels about brothers and sisters Rivera read.

> "I never had a brother or sister, and it's one of the things I want, but at the same time don't. I've gotten plenty of horror stories from my family and friends to know that it's best for me to be an only child. Though, an only child's desire for other siblings is inevitable, and I always find myself daydreaming about what it would be like to have an older or younger brother or sister. If I could choose, I would prefer an older brother. I honestly don't know why, but I seem to gravitate towards that idea."
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Rivera also wanted to make the story as relatable to as many people as possible, touching diverse topics and problems, such as:

* Cancer
* Sibling rivalry
* Toxic sibling relationships
* Toxic romantic relationships
* Manipulation
* Foster abuse
* Physical/Emotional/Mental/Sexual abuse
* Rape
* PTSD
* Pornography addiction
* Alcohol addiction
* Teenage rebellion
* Grief
* Depression
* Phobias
* Guilt complexes
* Suicide and self-harm
* Bullying and cyberbullying
* Social anxiety
* Belief and religion

Rivera was required to do research on cancer and foster care, as well as other topics mentioned in the books.

She plans to publish it on Christmas, after A Love-Hate Relationship finishes weekly publication on Wattpad on Christmas Eve. She hopes this novel will be "iconic, memorable, and heartwrenching", and that it'll reach audiences that "might need a bit of help". With many topics mentioned in the novel and its upcoming prequel, she predicts that it'll reach more audiences, relate to many readers, and give them comfort in dealing with their problems. She quotes:

> "I want this book to be as memorable as *The Fault in Our Stars*, or *The Last Song*, or *My Sister's Keeper*. It has everything, from comedy, to romance, to drama, to high school life, and it's meant to help anyone that feels they're alone, or that no one gets them. I want to give those people a hope, and have this story imprinted in their minds so they can have hope for a miracle. So they can *ask* for a miracle. They need to know that there's a family out there somewhere that'll help them make it through. All they need to do is look and wait."
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She dreams that in the future, the novel will be called "knee-slapping and tearjerking", and she imagines her readers "laughing until their sides hurt, then bawling like babies". She sees this novel as one of the most intense and sensitive books she's written so far, and also one of the most difficult. She expresses that she's "immensely proud of the work" and hopes to "see it in theaters someday, when it's good enough".

## Synopsis

### Logline

Diana Watson is a foster kid who is taken in by the Field family, a family of six. Along with two warm, loving parents, she ends up with four older brothers: Kyle, Jack, Tommy, and Harry. But they're not as kind. Diana will have to go through a lot of rejection and suffering before she finally finds her way to her new brothers' hearts. The question is, will they let her in? Or more importantly, will she let them in?

### Plot

WARNING: ALL SPOILERS ARE REVEALED IN THIS SECTION.

In Pierce, Idaho, 4-year old Diana Watson is finishing another day of preschool on Tuesday, November 8th, 2011. She rides the bus home with her best friend Thelma Williams after school ends. Her intelligence and high comprehension levels are shown when she reaches home alone and uses the key under the doormat to let herself in, and when she reads the note her parents left her on the fridge, telling her they went out and that they wouldn't be home until 4:00. When Diana turns on the TV to watch a kids' program, a severe car accident is being displayed on the news channel.

After a while, Diana's parents don't return home past 4:00. Worried, Diana goes to the neighbors across the street as her mother instructed her to do in an emergency. Her neighbors let her stay to keep her safe and call 911 to report that she's home alone. They later find out that they died in an accident— the accident displayed on the news channel— after investigating an attempted hack into their account at the bank. A drunk truck driver lost control of his vehicle, causing the loosely-placed cargo box to fall off the chassis and crush them.

12 years later, on August 14th, 2023, Diana is now 16 years old and heading to meet another new foster family with her foster care agent, Mr. Brian. They stop at a café to meet the foster parents, Susan and Davis Field, who requested a meeting beforehand. Upon seeing each other, the couple looks at Diana strangely, but right away shows that they are eager to foster her. They tell Mr. Brian they have four sons: Kyle, who is 20; Jack, who is 19; Tommy, who is 18; and Harry, who is 17.

The next day, the couple takes Diana in and move her into her new home. During the drive, Susan warns her of their sons, saying they may be hostile towards her because they didn't want a foster sibling. Being used to mistreatment, Diana readies herself. When she introduces herself to the brothers, they look at her with the same, strange expression their parents gave her the previous day. They go into the den to get to know Diana better, but with the absence of their parents, the boys are rude to her and treat her like a maid, ordering her to bring them snacks while they play PS5. Diana is disappointed, but fully used to the treatment, so she complies. Their way of treatment reminds her of how she started out in the previous foster homes, which were abusive, making her fear that the brothers will eventually become more abusive towards her.

They go out to eat the next morning at a restaurant called Rita's Pancake House. During the meal, the boys actively shun Diana in front of their parents, who scold them. A couple from their church recognize Diana and greet them, and the family acts strange, making her suspicious. They also mention that the boys used to play in their worship group in church.

Two days later, Diana reads an entry in her diary from when she was 11 years old, which implies that she was first raped by her then-foster father, Mr. Ellison, on October 4th, 2018. She then has a panic attack takes antidepressants she stole from her previous foster mother, Mrs. Mason, and faded scars on her arms are revealed, implying that she used to harm herself. She goes downstairs and meets Kyle, Jack, and Tommy's girlfriends; Nicole Gaines, Amelia Weber, and Shirley Heffer. Harry is the only brother who is single. They shun her again and make her prepare food, and she decides on a family-sized Eggs Benedict. When she serves the food, their girlfriends also shun her, obviously influenced by the brothers. As revenge, Diana intentionally contaminates Harry's serving by dipping her finger in it, and makes the others believe that the eggs are undercooked and that they may get salmonella.

The next day, Diana does chores all day while the brothers relax. Their parents suspect them of mistreating Diana during dinner after they return from work, and ground the boys as a result, not permitting them to invite their girlfriends over or play PS5. Tommy and Harry are forbidden to attend a concert planned on Saturday. As revenge, the boys dirty her recently-cleaned clothes with chip residue and water, and dump it on the den's floor. Reaching her limit, Diana dumps the bowl of dirtied water used for the prank onto the brothers and demands they wash the clothes for her.

Kyle later recalls a memory of his sister Amy, and reveals through his conversation with his brothers that they had a little sister named Amy who died in May, and that Diana is the spitting image of her. Diana joins them in the den and watch them play a game called Marvel's *Battlefield* on the PS5, then asks to let her play. They reluctantly agree on the condition that she leave if she loses, and she happily accepts, causing them pain when she smiles and reminds them of their sister. She does well in the game despite her lack of experience in gaming and impresses them. Kyle agrees to let her play more with them later on, unable to handle her familiar smile.

Susan and Jack have an argument regarding him using a dorm in college, having no money to pay for his room and board despite having a partial scholarship. She offers to enroll Diana in high school when the school year begins the next month, and Diana happily accepts. She then studies for the entrance test required to place her, given that she didn't have proper schooling since 5th Grade. The brothers argue with her upon finding out, not wanting her at their school, and Tommy insults her. Susan tries to destroy the PS5 as punishment, but they stop her and make a deal to tutor Diana for her test in exchange for the game. She accepts on the condition that they include Diana more in their games and outings with their friends if she wants to be with them.

On Sunday, Diana attends church with the family, after they stopped going a while before. She is immediately recognized by the congregation and suspects that she reminds them of someone, but can't figure out who. At the entrance, one of her healing bruises from former abuse is accidentally revealed to the family. The numerous stares cause her to have a panic attack during the worship.

Diana passes the test for school with a C plus and gets accepted into 10th Grade at R. T. Summit High School. As an act of gratitude towards the boys for tutoring her, she cleans the house top to bottom, relieving them of any chores. Later, the boys host a party to celebrate, unbeknownst to Diana. She discovers she's been locked in her room and escapes through the window to crash the party, whose guests are recklessly making a mess after she painstakingly cleaned it. While looking for one of the brothers, she runs into a few drunk guests who address her as Amy and immediately react with confusion and distress. Kyle confronts her and forces her upstairs with Jack, ensuing a struggle. After locking her back in her room and threatening to lock her in the basement as a bluff, she decides she hates them completely.

On the first day of school, Diana takes the bus with Tommy and Harry. She is recognized by most of the students, including the backseat students, who seem dangerous. Tommy and Harry block off the seat next to them, forcing her to sit somewhere else with another girl. When the bullies start throwing food at Diana to taunt her, the girl defends her by catching a thrown orange and tossing it back at them. She introduces herself as Mildred Dawson, one of the new students in 11th Grade, becoming Diana's first friend. In Biology, she meets another new student in her grade who sits next to her, named Tony Lowe. When she introduces herself to the class with the other newcomers, they receive her with the same reaction of shock. During the day, she is pestered by her brothers, and Tony defends her when they bother her in front of him in the hallway. At lunch, she sits with a group of girls that includes Thelma Williams, her best friend from preschool, who recognizes her with her photographic memory.

At the end of the school day, Diana is bullied again by the brothers and their friends. When she gets on the bus with Mildred again, the boys throw an orange at her and humiliate her along with the backseaters. The bus driver throws her off, believing she was the cause of the riot, and she plots revenge on the brothers. She finds porn websites in Tommy's computer and uses them as a prank the next morning, printing out screenshots and replacing the books in Tommy and Harry's backpacks with them. At school, they inadvertently show them in class and get in trouble, also embarrassed in front of their peers. As revenge, they confront her at the end of lunchtime with their friends and throw her in the cafeteria freezer to scare her, inadvertently locking the freezer door in the process. When they decide to let her out after a couple of minutes, they are unable to open the door, and she is trapped. After asking for teachers to aid them, they break her out, whereas Diana has already developed mild hypothermia.

She is sent to the hospital and the boys are suspended for three days. Diana has flashbacks of her first love, Marco, who betrayed her when she was 14 after manipulating her into thinking he loved her. Meanwhile, Kyle and Jack find out about Tommy's porn addiction, and he tells them he'd been addicted since Amy died. The boys feel guilty about how they treated Diana and decide to change, feeling they disappointed their late sister with their actions. When Diana wakes up and they go in to apologize, she rejects them and tells them to leave. Susan nearly tells her the truth about Amy, but doesn't manage to. Later that night, Diana has a nightmare flashback from her PTSD about the day she was first raped at 11, having annoyed her then-foster father with her singing.

When she recovers, she overhears the boys talking about an upcoming high school football game Tommy and Harry will participate in. She makes believe that she forgave them and plans to get the younger brothers thrown off the football team, as well as getting the older brothers in trouble in college. With some regret, she ruins their football uniforms and humiliates the older brothers on social media. As a result, the boys get kicked off the team and the other two are embarrassed in college. Her foster parents ground her and punish her. After the kids leave, Susan and Davis decide to prank them into completing a makeshift escape room in the den so they can get along, with the fake condition that they solve the puzzles within the hour, or stay in the den overnight.

Diana attempts to make up with the boys by making them Monte Cristo sandwiches while they play videogames in the den, at Susan's suggestion. They get into an argument, prompting their parents to lock them in. They initially complain, but reluctantly do the puzzles, each one of them targeting one of the skills each sibling has. They start getting along more and having fun, and they successfully escape just as the clock strikes four, marking the hour-long limit. The boys then invite Diana to play PS5 with them.

The following day, Diana finds the attic door open and grows curious, since it is always locked. When she goes up, she finds a shrine built to a girl named Amy, and in the pictures, she sees herself, figuring out that the family had a daughter named Amy that was her exact double. Kyle finds her in the attic and orders her out, followed by his mother, who forgot to lock the door after visiting the shrine. An argument ensues and Diana retreats to her room. Susan later goes to her door and explains their daughter died from stomach cancer in May, and that she was just about to be 16, her birthday being July 13th, the same birthday as Diana's. She apologizes for hiding Amy from her and leaves. Being too distraught and confused, Diana rejects the antidepressants and resumes her self-harming tendencies, cutting herself on her wrists with a pair of scissors.

At school, Diana goes to the bathroom to soothe her burning cuts and hides in a stall when she hears a group of girls approaching. She overhears a conversation between four girls, whose names are mentioned to be Ivy, Lisa, and Miranda, though the fourth girl's name isn't mentioned. It is later revealed to be Michelle. Ivy expresses her anger towards the Fields adopting Diana and mentions that she's wearing Amy's clothes to school, which was unbeknownst to her, also mentioning that she's wearing a shirt she'd given Amy for Christmas, which implies that she and Amy were friends.

Diana later runs into the girls in the hallway at the end of the day and is humiliated. She runs away to avoid them and is chased by Tony, who invites her to go out with him and his friends after school. The younger brothers interrogate Diana when she gets ready for her outing and forbid her from going out with Tony, but she defies them, saying they don't have legal authority over her. They discuss the matter with the older brothers and interrogate Diana when she returns. She retreats to her room and opens a social media account on FamiliarFaces, and starts adding people from her school as friends. She is promptly cyberbullied by some of them as a result of the rumors at school. Tony messages her, bringing her comfort, and alerts her that the brothers threatened him. She confronts the brothers, who are suspicious of Tony. Kyle insults her, and she retreats to her room to cut herself again.

Diana is once again bullied on the bus, this time without Mildred's support, since she is sick. A girl snatches her backpack away and the two fight over it, stopping when Diana's sleeve rolls down and reveals the recent cuts she self-inflicted. The girl whispers to Diana that she should cut herself deeper, hinting at her suicide. The brothers attempt to apologize to her after school, feeling remorseful and worried about her suicidal tendencies, but fail. When she goes to the bathroom, they read some of her diary out of curiosity, and Harry keeps a page with a drawing of a stuffed dog, believing it could be of use.

A few days later, Diana remembers her first suicide attempt at 12, having tried to jump out a window, but was stopped. She decides to try again and takes an overdose of her antidepressants. The brothers later go up to talk to her. When she doesn't answer, they open the door and find her unconscious on her bed, having vomited most of the drugs she took. They call 911 and perform CPR, successfully reviving her. Diana later wakes up in the hospital, relieved to have been saved. The boys' parents reconcile with them, admitting how insensitive they were towards their sons' grief, and promising to be better. Diana decides to forget their past issues and forgive them, thanking the boys for saving her life.

When she returns home fully recovered, the family gives her gifts to celebrate. Harry gives her an exact copy of the dog she drew in her diary, named Lonnie, having asked a friend to customize it. She has a flashback to when she was 10; her foster siblings destroyed Lonnie in a burn barrel. She tearfully thanks Harry and the boys. While playing videogames, they elaborate more on who their late sister was, and their parents tell her of Amy's twin sister, Julia, who died at birth. They later visit Amy and Julia's graves. The brothers insult each other, leading to a brawl, and then a play fight between their parents, and Harry acknowledges that it's the first time their parents have laughed in months.

After they return, Diana recalls her first day at Brimstone Academy during 5th Grade. She has a race with the brothers, astounding them with her athletic ability. They express that Amy was not athletic at all. Diana tells them she got used to running after numerous attempts to escape her foster families. She recalls an instance in which her foster father dislocated her arm when she was running away.

At school, Tony asks her out to Homecoming, but she doesn't confirm her answer, having a fear of commitment and intimacy from her past life. Her girlfriends assure her that relationships in high school are not as serious as she thinks. She changes her mind about not going to the dance and gives him a chance. While boarding the bus, Harry asks Mildred out, and she accepts. She then tells Diana, who finds herself jealous and uncomfortable with the idea. When she goes to confront Harry, she overhears them talking about the Homecoming games, and feels remorse for getting them thrown off the team.

The next day, Diana talks to the coach and gets Tommy and Harry back on the team to amend her mistake, admitting that she ruined their uniforms. The coach accepts, appreciating her candor. During dinner with the boys, their parents working late, Kyle takes away Jack's phone and discovers that he's joining a fraternity in college. This ensues a food fight between the two, which escalates and involves the other three. They leave a mess of food all over the room and hide in the basement when their parents come home, and they are grounded.

At the Homecoming parade, Diana is insulted by Ivy and Lisa, and Ivy knocks her over on the way to the bus. Tommy and Harry then explain that she was Amy's best friend, and that she is also grieving for their other best friend, Monica Sullivan, who is dying of leukemia. As a result, she blindly befriended the girls that used to bully Amy, who didn't apologize to her before she died. At the dance, she meets with Tony and meets some of his friends at the school. They dance together and enjoy themselves, also sharing a romantic slow dance. Afterwards, all three couples go to the park. The brothers offer to go to a party, but Diana and Tony refuse, wanting to spend time together. In turn, the brothers leave their friends to watch them.

The couple strolls in the park and sits on a hammock to talk. Diana asks Tony about his intentions, and he admits he has a crush on her and hopes to be something more. They nearly kiss, but the hammock they are sitting on tips over and throws them into the fountain behind them. Diana kisses Tony, but still does not confirm a relationship with him. At home, the boys are initially protective and don't like the idea of her having a boyfriend, but then approve.

Diana goes to the basement with the younger brothers to pick up PS4 games for the older brothers and their friends. The boys show Diana Amy's passion project, which is destroyed, and explain that she was building her dream dollhouse before she died, but destroyed it when she realized she would be dead before she could finish. Diana decides to try and finish the project as a gift for the family, with Thelma and Kate's help, also receiving coaching in Geometry after getting a low grade on another quiz and being teased by top student Stuart Maguire.

On Halloween, Diana accompanies Thelma in trick-or-treating to help her babysit some kids whose families she works for, dressed as Carrie to embrace the nicknames at school. At one of the houses, they coincidentally visit one of Diana's former foster parents, Mr. Franklin. In a flashback, Diana reveals that he traumatized her by punishing her during an adult Halloween party, since she threw up all over his shoes, disgusted by the environment. He locked her in a closet in a bedroom and later forgot she was there, returning to have sex with a woman, implying that Diana saw the whole thing. Mr. Franklin seems to recognize Diana, even after 6 years, to her horror. She then goes home, too afraid to continue.

During English class, Diana studies the house plans for Amy's project. While the teacher is out, Ivy steals the plans through her friends, who pass the paper around to her seat. She grows angry when she recognizes the project and confronts Diana about it, leading to a minor brawl. The teachers find them and are taken to the principal, who calmly assesses the situation with them, acknowledging their connection with Amy. She gives them a two-hour detention period at the end of the day and every Friday, wanting them to spend time together until they finally got along. During detention, the two argue and hurt each other's feelings. Diana asks her brothers if she can stay home and they refer her to their parents, who refuse. Meanwhile, Tommy and Harry talk about their girlfriends, and Tommy thinks about breaking up with Shirley due to her toxic relationship with him.

Diana looks at pictures of Amy and Ivy, along with Monica, from when they were younger up to when they started high school a few months before Amy's death. For the first time, she prays to God for Ivy to stop bullying her, and also for adoption by the Fields and the truth about her origins, since she is skeptical about simply being Amy's doppelganger. At school, she meets with Tony in the hallway and confirms she wants to be his girlfriend, confronting her fear. They kiss and part ways happily. Ivy and her clique later see her, and openly slut-shame her by accusing her of kissing both Tony and Rick Ellison, Amy's boyfriend, along with other boys. An argument ensues between her and Ivy, and she accuses her of betraying Amy by befriending her former bullies. The brothers soon confront them and acknowledge Diana as their sister for the first time.

At home, now having their full trust, Diana tells them the complete story of when she was traumatized at 6 and given aquaphobia. She had lived in a group home temporarily due to her lack of conduct and disrespect at her current foster home at the time. She was also defiant at the group home, and was sent to Level 0, where the worst of the foster kids living there stayed. She was the youngest and the only girl aside from a presumably schizophrenic 14-year old girl, being surrounded by teen boys with mental disorders and dangerous behavior. Two boys in particular around 13 or 14, named Charlie and Jeb, constantly bullied her. They later dragged her into a room against her will with other teen boys much older than her, and dunked her head into a bucket of water numerous times to torture her, resulting in her trauma. The staff later found her and rescued her. The boys responsible later grew up to be a criminal gang who died in an arson fire they started in a house, being the only victims of the crime.

The next day, they have their friends and girlfriends over for a movie night. Diana cooks Monte Cristo sandwiches for them, and defends Tommy from Shirley, who insists that he isn't hungry despite him obviously being so. She has a heart-to-heart talk with Rick in the kitchen, who expresses how much he loved Amy. She defies Shirley and gives Tommy a sandwich. Tony arrives, having been invited by Diana, and they announce their relationship to the group, much to her brothers' dismay. They then try to kill her when everyone leaves and wake up their parents.

Over the weekend, the weather grows considerably hot for the time of year, and the siblings go out for a 'Field Day' which was a tradition for the family to go out together for some quality time. They go to Walmart and have a shopping cart race. An employee who is acquainted with them escorts them out, finding out about Diana. When they return home, they eat brownies their mother made with a homemade topping, which they discover is actually their mother's used face mask, and they then spit it out in disgust.

The weather grows hot enough for the boys to hold a pool party in their backyard. Diana busies herself serving everyone food and drinks to avoid the water, but is promptly convinced by one of the brothers' friends to try and face her aquaphobia, given that Tony has restricted his own enjoyment for her sake. With Tony's help, she slowly goes into the water, succeeding when she recalls a distant, happy memory of swimming with her father when she was a toddler.

At school that Monday, she tries out for the girls' track team and reaches second place in the 100-meter run, sparking envy from the top runner, Roberta Crawley. On the way back into the school, Diana is stopped by some girls that squeeze her water bottle while she's drinking, causing her to choke and get distracted. Her coach then compliments her for her performance. Completely distracted, she accidentally wanders into the boys' locker room and takes off her shirt. A few sexist boys in the room surround her and sexually harass her, also mentioning Amy in their jabs. Tony, who is part of the gym class, protects her and nearly gets into a fight with Lucas Flynn, the ringleader. Diana instead kicks him in the groin for revenge and leaves. The brothers find out from pictures shared online and confront her, also telling the older brothers, and they all leave to beat Lucas up at his house, despite her protests.

Susan reads and compares Amy and Diana's birth certificates, along with Julia's stillbirth certificate. She theorizes that Diana and Julia were switched at birth, given that all three girls were born on the same day at the same hospital, and that Diana is the spitting image of Amy, leaving them thinking that Diana was their real daughter, and that Julia belonged to the Watsons. She discusses getting a DNA test from Diana with Davis, and decide not to tell her until they're completely sure if she's their biological child. Diana later has the same theory and discusses it with Kyle, and they promise to keep it a secret between them until they can prove her identity.

Diana improves her grade in Geometry, receiving an A- on her quiz, and she showcases her victory to Stuart Maguire and the rest of the class. She goes to the bathroom to freshen up and meets with Ivy. When she hums a song to break the silence, Ivy says that it was Amy's favorite song and breaks into tears, apologizing to her for mistreating her. At home, Diana is home alone, her foster parents working late, and her brothers having plans. They leave her with their cousins, much to her dismay, but she then gets to know them and has a nice time with them.

Meanwhile, Tommy breaks up with Shirley on their date and gets a ride home with Kyle, while Jack is invited to his first fraternity party, tasked to bring drinks and speakers as a pledge. He sneaks out the next night, unknowingly waking Diana, who decides to stow away with him on a whim. She hides in one of the speakers and goes to the party, and finds out it's a collegiate party, much to her dismay. With no way to return home, she sneaks into the house and avoids the students in charge of security looking for her, given that she's only 16 and they could get in trouble if anything happens to her. She then joins a liquor-drinking contest, having experience, and gets drunk. Jack and his girlfriend Amelia, who he invited, are alerted of Diana's presence later. He calls Kyle and asks him for help, and the other three brothers travel by taxi to the party.

They find Diana after she defends herself from a man who grabbed her, and struggle to get her out, later carrying her out unconscious while Jack and Amelia distract the fraternity brothers, since Jack would get in trouble if they found out that the "minor" is his sister. They get back home, but are caught by their parents. Diana wakes up the next morning with a hangover and is grounded for two weeks with Jack, while the other brothers are only grounded for two days, having helped them.

Diana recalls a memory from when she was 13 at an adult party, and she had participated in a similar contest disguised as an adult "short for her age". She had then been decapacitated, since someone had slipped her a Mickey during the party, and is nearly raped by multiple men until Marcus rescued her in time. In the present time, she says a prayer of apology to God and asks him why she had to go through all that pain. Kyle overhears his parents talking to a doctor after the sermon and finds out that they did a paternity test for Diana in secret, and the doctor confirms that Diana is their biological daughter, making her Amy's twin sister.

At home, Kyle confronts his parents and demands they tell the truth. They explain the full story of how Diana and Julia were switched at birth, confirming the former's earlier theory, and they break into joyful tears. Diana says a prayer of thanks to God and is later put under legal custody of her biological parents, changing her name to Diana Field. They later spend Thanksgiving with their family, revealing Diana's biological relation to them during dinner. While they eat, Diana doesn't eat much, and is confused as to why.

A few weeks later, she goes on a run and witnesses a mother abusing her young foster child at a park, and later feels guilty for not intervening. She also exhibits the same feelings of indigestion while eating with her family and friends at home. At night, she has a nightmare of when she was first placed under the care of her abusive aunt and uncle, and she wakes up in terror. Her brothers stay with her to comfort her.

On their winter break weekend, they go out to lunch. Diana sees a family denying their foster child food to save money, and she decides to give the child the rest of her food, since she isn't hungry, and also offers to buy him a sandwich herself. At home, she rereads her diary and the brothers advise her to let go. She demolishes her diaries detailing her traumatic past and burns them along with Tommy's magazines. On Christmas, she spends time with her family and gives them Amy's finished project. She also acknowledges her parents as 'Mom' and 'Dad' for the first time.

The family notices Diana having a sort of indigestion; she no longer wants to eat anymore and she has stomachaches. Kyle recalls that Amy showed symptoms equal to Diana's before she was diagnosed with cancer. She later doesn't eat at all and decides to take a nap. At night, she vomits blood, prompting the family to take her to the hospital. The doctor speculates cancer at first, and after running tests, confirms she has gastric cancer through the official results sent to them. She has a gastrectomy a couple weeks later at a different hospital to get rid of the tumors, but the cancer has unfortunately already spread to lymph nodes, requiring chemotherapy. After surgery, Diana meets Monica, who is in the penultimate stage of leukemia.

They keep the cancer a secret at school and Diana can't bring herself to tell her friends or boyfriend. However, Ivy recognizes the symptoms and promises to keep it a secret. She suggests a wig shop that Amy went to so Diana can get a wig herself. At the mall, they buy the perfect wig for her that will conceal her cancer for the time being.

Kyle celebrates his 21st birthday with his family and friends. During the party, Diana's wig accidentally slips off, confirming her cancer to her friends and boyfriend. In shock and hurt, Tony storms off, but she stops him and they talk, and Tony states that he doesn't want to feel the same pain Rick did when he lost Amy. They return to the party, but the mood is mellowed.

At school, Diana practices for track and field adamantly, despite everyone advising her not to do so. Her coach, now aware of the truth, tries to convince her not to participate in the upcoming track and field season event, but she insists on competing. In the hallway, Diana's wig is pulled off by Lucas, and he makes fun of her with his friends and Lisa's clique. Ivy stands up for Diana and breaks down. Lucas is sent to the principal's office with Ivy and the rest of the bullies. When Lucas goes to apologize, she realizes he isn't being genuine and Tommy punches him.

At the hospital, Diana converses with Monica, who has become a good friend of hers. They discuss their fears of dying. The next day, at the activity, Diana collapses in the middle of the track and vomits. When they go to the hospital, the doctor announces Diana's cancer is nearing a terminal stage. Tommy's birthday arrives, and his siblings force him to celebrate and combat his depression. Thelma comforts him at the park and they share a moment. Diana yells at God, asking him why she had to get cancer, and is later sent a song by Ivy, which is also sent by Thelma and Monica. She listens to it and sends it to her family.

A few days later, Diana goes to visit Monica in her room, only to discover she has passed away. She goes to her funeral the next day and is inspired by the singer, who sings 'Amazing Grace', enabling her to face her fear of public speaking and singing. She rehearses the 'Shallow' song with her brothers and later presents it to the school to say goodbye, being that the hospital wants her to stay permanently until she dies. She tries to celebrate Harry's birthday, but is decaying too quickly to stay long enough.

She receives many gift cards from her family, friends, and people at school, and she forgives those that wronged her, even responding to their cards through letters. She also leaves special letters for her family, giving them to Tony when he spends time with her on her final day. Her family surrounds her to say goodbye, and she peacefully dies. She wakes up in her room, though her house is not complete, and finds herself in a fantasy-like dreamscape that she realizes is Heaven. She meets her twin sister, Amy, and spends time with her, exploring as much as she can of Heaven and getting to know her, as well as seeing Monica, her other parents, and their baby, Julia, who is personified into a girl her age.

She later goes into the Gates, which lead to God himself, so she can talk to him. On Earth, the family grieves for her with their other family and friends. Diana returns to Amy after her talk with Jesus, and tells her she has decided to return to Earth, being the opposite of Amy's choice of staying. Amy gives her a parting gift, telling her not to see it until she returned home, and says goodbye. As the doctors prepare Diana's body to be taken to the mortuary, she suddenly revives. Her family is in shock at first until they rejoice and welcome her back. Diana opens her fist to see a necklace with a half-heart charm inside, with the word 'Sister' engraved in the charm. She recalls Amy wearing the other half, which says 'Forever'.

Diana's story is told to many people, bringing over 3,000 people to listen to her singing and her testimony when she goes to perform in a makeshift parking lot concert. She sings an original song written by Tommy made for her and her family to praise God, also dedicating the song to her sisters and parents.

Two years later, Diana celebrates her high school graduation with her family, now fully recovered and with no relapses of her cancer. She sees Amy's spirit watching them, wearing a graduation outfit, and the twins throw their hats in the air to celebrate. She then leaves with her family and boyfriend for a dinner.

### What Happened Now? Epilogue

In the *What Happened Now?* Epilogue, there are different outcomes for the family members;

* Diana graduated cum laude in her Creative Writing career at Greenfield University and was part of the college track team, as well as the Iota Xi Rho sorority. She became an Olympic track runner and earned many medals. She married Tony, who became a soccer coach, and had twin sons and a daughter. She later adopted two more daughters from the foster care system. She worked as a foster care agent, being one of the best. She later became a journalist in QuickIdahoNews, but quit after the company was corrupted. She published her autobiography, co-written by her brothers, and wrote foster care advice books. She became a motivational and religious speaker in churches and remained the lead singer of her family band, *Field Day*, which was passed down to their children.
* Kyle became a successful business entrepreneur and opened his own technology corporation, FieldCo. He married Nicole and had twin daughters, followed by twin sons. He also started a missionary company. He later adopted a son from his sister’s foster care agency who was previously abused. He became a a successful soccer coach and writer, publishing many advice books for business entrepreneurs. He continued being a singer and guitarist for *Field Day*.
* Jack became a football player in college, and finally, in the Seattle Seahawks. He broke up with Amelia, remaining friends, and married someone else. He and his wife had three sons and an adopted daughter. He also worked in his brother’s missionary company. He became a football coach after retiring from the NFL, and also an advisor for teenage sportsmen, as well as writing a book for aspiring football players. He remained being the guitarist and producer for *Field Day*.
* Tommy became an Art History professor. He was known as a talented pianist. He joined the Seattle Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oregon Symphony, and was invited to many other concerts. He continued being the pianist and writer for *Field Day* and wrote songs detailing his life and journey with his sister as his own autobiography. He married Thelma and had a son and a daughter, and adopted another son. He participated in his brother’s missionary company and also became a religious advisor.
* Harry became a successful psychologist and psychiatrist, and a motivational religious speaker. He wrote many books related to his career. He specialized in helping people get over phobias and compulsions. He later became a member of the American Psychological Association and won many awards. He participated in the foster care agency as a therapist for PTSD and mentally ill patients. He unfortunately broke up with Mildred during college, but stayed friends with her. He married a different woman later on and had a daughter, later adopting two more girls and a boy. He remained as the drummer for *Field Day* and passed his talent to his children.
* Amy’s finished project was sold as a model for one of the best dollhouses in the toy industry. Her other projects were also sold and created a new toy brand, named ‘Ames Toys’. The ‘Amy Field Memorial Park’ was funded by her church. Her singing recordings were included duets with Kyle or Diana, or her own solos for *Field Day*. Her original projects were enclosed in a small museum dedicated to her, built in her childhood home, and her story was also told in an additional book written by her brothers, which became a bestseller along with her sister’s autobiography.
* Susan and Davis sold their house as the museum for their late daughter’s projects, and moved to a house that their children paid for, which was custom-built to be Amy’s dream home. They fostered many children, most of which were from their daughter’s agency, and they became pastors. They participated as guest singers in *Field Day* for some songs. They contributed to Diana and Amy’s autobiographies and spread their testimony to many churches. As a gift to Diana, they funded and created the ‘Watson Memorial Park’ with plaques and pictures of her other parents and Julia. Susan died of stomach cancer like her daughter at 84 years old. Davis later died at 87 years old from a heart attack.