Today is Derek’s last day on-site, so I brought my mom along. She spent most of the morning weeping over her boys working together and the rest freaking out over Shelby’s nook. Steve asked to get her on camera, and unlike my brother, she was thrilled. He shot a really nice segment with my mom and Shelby sitting cozily together in the nook and reminiscing about the old days.

“Is it my imagination,” my mom asks me during lunch, “or are you and Shelby getting closer?”

I grin. “I love her.”

She throws her head back. “Oh, thank God. And she loves you, obviously.”

“I don’t know if I’d go so far as obviously, but yeah. Or so she tells me.”

“You two have been destined since you were eleven years old. Two Michigan kids in L.A.”

I laugh. “Well, that would have been helpful to hear a few months ago, but I doubt I would have believed it.”

“Probably not,” she agrees. “It’s one of those things you have to figure out on your own. I’m happy for you, kid. For both of you.”

“Thanks, Mom. Don’t be a stranger, okay? Shelby’s dad is first-class, but her mom … she came by a few weeks back…”

My mom makes a rude gesture. “Ada Mae Springfield is not a mother to that girl. She only ever saw her as a paycheck or an accessory. There is a special place in H-E-double-hockey-sticks for women like that.”

“Amen,” Daniel says from behind us.

“Oh, Danny, it’s so good to see you. Let me hug on you a sec.” Daniel accepts my mom’s embrace and she’s speaking low in his ear as he nods along. A moment later, they pull apart and my mom is wiping her eyes.

“Mom?” I ask. “You okay?”

She gives me a soggy smile. “Of course. I’m just so grateful is all. For so long…” She shakes her head, starting over. “You’re not old, Cam. You and Shelby are still young, but you also started young. You know? You’ve lived a lot of life already. More than most. I’m just so happy to see you happy and creating something important and loving someone and being loved in return. And you did it all your way. You deserve that.” Her smile is soft and fresh tears spring to her eyes. “You might not believe me, but that’s all your dad and I ever wanted for you. He didn’t know how to help you get it, and I’m not saying he did right by you, though I know you’re both working on that. But ultimately, it is what he wants. And I’m so grateful to Danny because he was there for you.”

“I don’t know what’s going to happen with the show, Mom,” I warn.