She pulls away from me and holds my face in her hands. “But would you be okay if we booked your next flight back right now?”

“Absolutely! Yes! Let’s do that!”

Mom takes my hand as we walk into the living room. As mother and daughter.

“When’s your graduation?” Mom has her calendar out. We already have three visits planned through the end of summer.

“More importantly, how cold is it going to be there in June?” Sarah asks.

“It’s really not that bad.”

“Uh-huh,” both Mom and Sarah reply.

“Speaking of amazing weather, I’m thinking an excursion to Key West for spring break,” Mom says. Seeing her plan all these trips is the happiest I’ve seen her since I arrived. Come to think of it, it’s the happiest I’ve been, too.

“We should get a house for the week, invite the whole family,” Grandma Amanda offers.

“Randy?” Craig asks with a laugh.

Grandma Amanda shakes her head. “Or better yet, let’s have it just be us.”

The doorbell rings, and butterflies start circling my stomach.

This is it. This is really happening.

“Oh, your ride is here! I’ll get it!” Sarah says with an excited clap.

The door opens, and Baxter runs in and jumps on me. Mom backs away for a few seconds, before holding her hand out for Baxter to sniff.

“Ah, hey, Ally. Ally’s mom,” Neil says as he shoves his hands in his pocket.

“Neil.” Mom gets up and gives him a hug. “Please promise me that you’ll take good care of my girl.”

“I will.”

Neil approaches me cautiously, while an excited Baxter keeps running around the couch. “Everything okay here?”

“Everything’s great.” I give Mom’s hand a squeeze.

“It really is.” She brushes her hand on my cheek. “I wish you two didn’t have to leave so soon. We could have a barbecue. But, I know, you need to get on the road to make it to Atlanta before dinner. Please send everybody my best.”

In between booking flights and Mom discussing my new living arrangement with Marian’s mom, I finally talked to my dad’s mom and sister. For the first time since everything came crumbling around me, I’m not afraid of change. It can be a good thing. I’m still the same me, but now I have this web of people with whom I belong.

“Let me take a gander at the traffic,” Craig says as he starts typing on his phone.

Grandma Amanda approaches Neil. “And I believe you’re the young man my granddaughter’s been talking about.”

Neil’s face lights up. “Oh, so she’s been talking about me, huh? I hope only good things.”

Grandma Amanda pats his shoulder. “Only the best things, which is exactly what she deserves.”

“Yes, she does.”