Mary squeezed John’s fingers, stepped around Via with a little pat to her shoulder and laid the bouquet of purple tulips she’d brought so that they were propped against Cora’s name. “I met a guy,” she whispered to her friend. “You’d like him. He’s rude and protective of me. Just like you.” Mary smiled, brushed at her tears. “He helped me stand up to my mom. Finally. Can you believe that? Even you and Tiff never quite got me to do that. I told my folks that they needed to respect me in order to keep me in their lives. I’m pretty much expecting a call from my dad any minute. He’s never been one to hold out on me. But my mom? I don’t know. I wouldn’t be surprised if it takes her a couple of years.” Mary traced the script of Cora’s name with one finger, hoping her friend could hear her. “But you know what? For the first time, I kind of feel like I have the years to give. Somehow, being with John, it’s kind of turned off the ticking clock for me. I’ve got time, Cora. I’ve never felt like that before.”

Mary laid her palm flat against the top of the gravestone. “Love you forever, Cora.”

She rose and walked back to John, taking his hand as the two of them left the cemetery. Mary glanced back just once to see Via still standing there, looking down at the headstone.

The train ride back to the city was a surprisingly festive one. It was almost as if everyone had shed a weight back in White Plains. Tyler and Fin were cuddled up against one another. He was laughing and shaking his head as she gave him the bad news about something she was reading on his palm. Matty, Kylie and Crabby were crammed into a bench seat together, both plugged into a movie, looking as comfortable together as siblings. John and Mary sat together facing Seb and Via, and that was where the relief was most tangible.

Mary felt that as disappointing as that conversation with her mother had gone, she’d already set it down in Connecticut. There was nothing more to do than to live her life the way she wanted to. She could only hope that her parents would come to see it her way. And if they didn’t, she was lucky enough to have Estrella.

There was some sort of giddiness emanating off of Seb and Via as well, and when Via rose to go to the snack car, Mary made sure to catch her.

“How was it today?” Mary asked. “Not too scary?”