“Bridgette,” Reina says, at the same time Diantha says, “Briar.”

We laugh again. It’s a beautiful sound when you laugh with people you know. I pick out Xander’s deep chuckle, Aristelle’s faint and airy, Reina and Diantha both bells, one high and one low, and me. My own laugh comes out raspy and tentative, shy from not being allowed out for so many years. It blends all the same, whispering between theirs to bind everything together.

I pull the zippers down on my boots and yank my socks off, scooting forward on the blanket to bury my toes in the sand. It’s so warm that it seems to heat my bones. I thought the sand in my magical ocean playground felt real and warm, but it’s never felt like this. It warmed only the surface of my skin. It never sank into me. How did I imagine that felt real?

This is real. I’m sitting on the beach with a family. I’m sitting on the beach with people that seem to want me to be part of their family. They want me enough to train me to fight for it. This is what I really want—not killing vampires. I thought I had to do that to find peace, but it didn’t give me any. This, sitting here with people who always have each other’s back no matter what, that’s what I really want.

I lean back on my elbows, close my eyes, and let the sun compete with the cool breeze over the temperature of my skin. Xander asks me if I want to get my feet wet, but I shake my head. I don’t want anything to steal this warmth from me.

Eventually, the twins run up to us, wet and covered in sand, wilder and more unkept than I’ve ever seen them.

“We want to ride the rides,” they sing in unison.

“We’ll take you.” Xander looks to me for confirmation. I nod, matching my smile to the twins’ like we’re triplets.

We take them on spinning swings, a roller coaster with twirling seats that leaves me jelly-legged and stumbling, the famous Giant Dipper, which slams me into Xander with enough force to bruise, and the giant pirate boat that looked innocent at first glance but still lifts my stomach to my throat. Xander lets out whoops and yells while the twins stay silent with the same frozen smile on every ride. I smile too.

When the sun begins to drop, Reina finds us and takes the twins for corn dogs, giving us a wink before turning serious. “Don’t be late.”

“Late for what?” I ask.

Xander cups my face. My stomach flops, but not from the thrill of a ride. “You’ll see.”

“I don’t really like surprises.”