Brianna was twenty-three. She might be no more than in her mid-thirties by the time Jem was fully independent. And if he no longer needed her care-she and Roger might possibly go back. Back to her own time, to safety-to the interrupted life that had been hers by birth. But only if she had no further children, whose helplessness would keep her here.
Brianna, at just twenty-three, contemplates her future and the implications of motherhood. She realizes that by the time Jem reaches independence, she could still be in her thirties. This notion brings her to consider the possibility of returning to her own time with Roger, where she feels safe and can reclaim the life she left behind.
However, Brianna understands that the presence of more children would bind her to this timeline, as their needs for care would prevent her return to the life she knows. Her internal conflict highlights the sacrifices and difficult choices she faces in balancing her family life and desires for the future.
