They had all the time in the world.

Nicky remembered them eating ice cream after the stand closed. The cool sweet flavor of the ice cream. The coolness that filled her mouth.

She remembered Rosie being happy.

And most of all, she reminded herself that it was okay to think of the good times. She didn't have to keep torturing herself with memories of when everything went wrong. There was so much more to Rosie and Nicky's life than those horrible three days in that cabin. So much more.

But remembering all of that happiness only made Nicky's resolve burn brighter.

She couldnt give up on Rosie.

Because Rosie never would have given up on her.

EPILOGUE

Nicky sat on her couch and looked out the window at Jacksonville. The sky was clear, smooth, and faintly blue. She could see the hotel and casino across the bay, lit up by the early evening sun. A gentle breeze wafted from the bay, carried on the salty air. Nicky could smell the salt in the air and feel it on her skin.

It felt good to be home.

After what Dr. Graham had said, Nicky was feeling more optimistic about the future--and about letting someone into her life. Or someone back into her life.

She opened up her laptop and went on social media, where she opened the message from Matt. Nicky hesitated. It had been so long since she'd seen him. Or anyone from home. It'd been so long since she'd seen someone who actually knew Rosie in real life.

Maybe it would be triggering for her. Matt was a reminder of her past, a reminder of her home. Jacksonville, and Florida in general, was a different world from West Virginia.

Nicky had a lot of memories of Matt. Most of them were good. She remembered how he used to be able to tease her about her goofy family and her goofy friends. He was fun. He was smart. He was funny.

He'd also helped her through the first few months after Rosie went missing. He'd tried so hard to make sure Nicky was okay. But she also had some memories that were less than pleasant.

Matt had been where she felt the most alone, and that was when she was in his arms. She'd had a hard enough time without having him be a part of the pain. They never dated, they were just close friends, but Nicky knew that Matt had always had a soft spot for her.

And now he was back for her.

The key to her heart had always been hard to find.

But maybe she could at least accept Matt's olive branch and go for coffee or something.

She messaged him back, saying:

Hey Matt--I gave your offer some more thought. Would you want to meet for coffee soon?

Thanks.

Nik.