Finally, Val says, “I think this move will be great for you. You’ll be closer to family, and it’ll still be a relatively fresh start, since you haven’t lived in the area for, what, more than ten years? You would be getting your own place, though, right? Not that there’s anything wrong with living with the parents.”

I nod. “Oh, definitely. Maybe not right away, since I’ll need to save some money first. But this job comes with a pay bump, so I’ll eventually be able to move out and get a small studio for myself.”

Kiara squeezes my shoulder. “That’d be so amazing, Gemma. Okay, yeah, I approve. Let’s manifest this move for you!”

I gratefully squeeze Kiara’s hand.

“Besides, Orange County isn’t that far,” Val says. “You’ll come visit us, right?”

“Yup, it’s not bad at all. I’ll still be in California. And of course! We have a wedding to plan! If I do move, you two should also visit me in SoCal. We have Disneyland, Joshua Tree, LA, San Diego… oh, and we’re closer to Vegas and Mexico!”

Val rubs her hands. “Oh, man, yeah, we’ll be visiting all the time after the wedding, then. You’re going to get so sick of us.”

I laugh. “Never! You guys will always be welcome at my place, no matter where I live.”

I apply and interview for the position. A few weeks pass without any news, and I’d assumed I didn’t get the position when I get a call.

“Gemma?” It’s Evelyn.

Since we communicate primarily via email, I know something must be up. I hold my breath as she continues speaking.

“Congratulations,” she says. “You got the job.”

My move to Orange County is as smooth as it can be. Thanks to the onrush of newly minted college graduates looking for jobs in the summer, I manage to find someone to replace me at Ms. Chang’s fairly quickly. Of course, I didn’t have to, but after all the kindness she and her husband showed me while I lived with them, I didn’t want to leave without finding them a replacement.

Like I told my friends I would, I move back in with my parents, who love having me around again. Mom and Dad fuss over me like I never left for college. And, unlike when I was younger, I let them, thinking back to how nervous Ms. Chang and her husband were about sending their daughter off to school. Of course, now that my parents are older, I fuss over them, too, helping out around the house whenever I can and making sure they’re taking care of themselves.