With her hand firmly in Faith’s, Liz rose to greet her parents. For a moment she just looked at them, trying to see them as a stranger would. Her father was tall and still slim, though his hairline was creeping back. He was grinning at her the way he had whenever she’d done something particularly pleasing to him. Her mother stood beside him, lovely in her tidy way. She looked now, as she’d always looked to Liz, like a woman who’d never had to handle a crisis more stressful than a burned roast. Yet she’d been as solid and as sturdy as a rock. There were tears in her eyes. Liz wondered abruptly if the beginning of the summer left her mother as empty as the end of the summer left her.

“Momma.” Liz reached out and was surrounded. “Oh, I’ve missed you. I’ve missed you all so much.” I want to go home. The thought surged up inside her and nearly poured out. She needed to go home.

“Mom.” Faith tugged on the pocket of her jeans. “Mom.”

Giddy, Liz turned and scooped her up. “Yes.” She covered her face with kisses until Faith giggled. “Yes, yes, yes!”

Faith snuggled in. “You have to say hello to Jonas.”

“What?”

“He came with us. You have to say hi.”

“I don’t—” Then she saw him, leaning against the window, watching—waiting patiently. The blood rushed out of her head to her heart until she was certain something would burst. Holding onto Faith, Liz stood where she was. Jonas walked to her, took her face in both hands and kissed her hard.

“Nice to see you,” he murmured, then bent down to pick up the bags Liz had dropped. “I imagine these are for you,” he said as he handed Liz’s mother the flowers.

“Yes.” Liz tried to gather the thoughts stumbling through her mind. “I forgot.”

“They’re lovely.” She sent her daughter a smile. “Jonas is going to drive us to the hotel. I invited him to dinner tonight. I hope you don’t mind. You always make enough.”

“No, I… Of course.”

“We’ll see you then.” She gave Liz another brief kiss. “I know you want to get Faith home and have some time together. We’ll see you tonight.”

“But I—”

“Our bags are here. We’re going to deal with customs.”

Before Liz could say another word, she was alone with her daughter.

“Can we stop by and see Señor Pessado?”

“Yes,” Liz said absently.

“Can I have some candy?”

Liz glanced down to the chocolate stain on Faith’s blouse. “You’ve already had some.”

Faith just smiled. She knew she could depend on Señor Pessado. “Let’s go home now.”

* * *

Liz waited until Faith was unpacked, until the crystal bird Faith had bought her was hanging in the window and her daughter had consumed two tacos and a pint of milk.