Wendy nodded. “And neither would I…” It was a wonderful idea. Running away to Neverland with Peter. Being able to see her brothers again. Having no responsibilities. No real world to have to deal with. But it also meant giving up so much. Wendy let out a small laugh. “With my luck, we’d just kick-start this whole nightmare all over again,” she told him.

Peter laughed and bumped his shoulder into hers. “Yeah, I guess that wouldn’t be good.”

“Well, you could just stay here and grow up,” she said, heart fluttering. “With me.”

Peter’s smile was soft and sweet. Just for her.

She knew the answer before he could say it.

“I can’t. I need to go back and take care of the lost kids. I want to,” he corrected himself. “To look after them.”

Wendy nodded.

“Growing up sounds awful anyway,” Peter said casually, with a dismissive wave of his hand. He looked out over the backyard toward the woods. His eyes shone especially bright and the tip of his nose turned pink. “Though…” His head tipped and he looked at Wendy from the corner of his eye. “Maybe not so awful if it were with you.”

Wendy laughed and wiped tears from her eyes with the heel of her hand. “Will you tell John and Michael when you see them?” she asked. “That I love them and think about them all the time?”

“I will.”

With a shaky nod, Wendy threw herself against him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Peter squeezed her against him. She laid her ear against his chest. His heartbeat thrummed, fast but steady. Wendy tried to ignore the dread weighing on her.

“You have to leave now, don’t you,” she mumbled against his shoulder. It wasn’t a question. She leaned back to peer up at him.

Peter nodded. His hair tickled her forehead as he stared sadly into her eyes.

She wanted to tell him that she didn’t think she could handle saying good-bye. That the thought of never seeing him again terrified her. That she needed him, that she wanted to keep him, but she couldn’t talk past the lump in her throat.

Peter smiled. He cupped Wendy’s cheeks in his hands. Her eyes closed. His kiss was soft. His lips tasted sweet as honeysuckle.

“I will never forget you,” he whispered against her lips.

When she opened her eyes, he was gone.

Wendy wrapped her arms tightly around herself. The cool breeze drifting in from the woods tickled her skin.