After dinner, we said our goodbyes outside.

I gave Frankie a hug and whispered in her ear, “Can I come pick you up after I walk my mom home?”

She melted into me. “Please.”

I stared as she walked the short block back to Mattie and Giles’s house, not looking away until I saw her turn onto their street.

“She’s great,” my mom said.

“She is.”

“Different than you,” she added, no doubt thinking about how often Frankie had mentioned her new job over dinner. “But that isn’t a bad thing.”

I let out a sound of disbelief as we waited at a crosswalk. “Not a bad thing? You just went over recounting the tales of how disastrous you and Dad were. How I should never let anyone change me.”

“Does she want to change you?”

My mouth snapped shut at that. Thoughts scurried through my brain. Frankie had tried to help me make plans, to get me to talk about my feelings and my past. It was all to help me, not to change me. In fact, I hadn’t felt so seen and accepted by someone in…in I didn’t know how long. No one had ever made me feel the way that she did.

“No,” I finally said. “She doesn’t want me to change.”

“That right there is special.”

“But I don’t want her to change either,” I said hollowly.

We turned down the street the lodge was located on. When we got to the front entrance, I gave my mom a hug good night.

She pulled away and squeezed my arms. “Oliver, I love you.”

“Love you too.”

“And I want to see you happy,” she continued.

“Ma,” I groaned, dragging a hand over my face. All I wanted to do was rush back to collect Frankie in my arms. I wasn’t ready for any more talks tonight.

“Listen.” She pointed a finger at my chest, eyes determined. When I didn’t interrupt again, she continued. “I guess maybe moving on to the next thing will be what brings you happiness. But I can’t help feeling that if you’re always searching—always on the move—you might miss out on what truly matters. In the end, you could find yourself disappointed. Don’t let your need to live a full life make you miss out on what could be the most fulfilling adventure yet.”

THIRTY-ONE

Frankie

The day after tomorrow.

That was the end of my sentence here in Key Ridge.

I could hardly believe it. As much as I wanted to pretend it wasn’t happening, my ticket was booked and I was already packed. Maybe packing days ahead of my departure was a bit excessive, but hey, I hadn’t changed that much during my time here.

In less than forty-eight hours, I would be on a plane to Atlanta. I’d stop by my condo to get anything I’d need. Then it was off to New York to start my new career—or life, really. Funny, it didn’t feel like much of a life. But it would be, right? It had to be.