We watched as the boys took off, waving from the entryway. When Caelyn shut the door, she spun around. “Finally, all those icky boys are gone.”

“Let’s party!” Mia cried.

Caelyn wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I agreed to ice cream sundaes. She’s going to be high on sugar for days.”

I grinned. “It’ll be worth it.”

I leaned back in my Adirondack chair and took a sip of wine as I watched the flames in the fire pit dance. We’d done every sleepover activity I could imagine. Manicures, face masks, and hair braiding. Pizza, ice cream, and a movie. Now, the girls were in bed, and Caelyn and I had sunk into chairs around the fire, each with a nice glass of wine.

I twisted the stem of my glass between my fingers. “Thank you for tonight.”

“I should be thanking you for helping me wrangle those two hooligans.”

I stared down at my wine, the glow of the fire making the swirling liquid almost amber. “I never really had that. The whole slumber-party experience.”

Caelyn’s expression grew serious. “Why not?”

“Having Michael for a brother wasn’t exactly conducive to friendships. After a while, everyone just stopped inviting me anywhere.”

“I’m so sorry, Shay. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been.”

I shook my head. “That’s not why I said it; for you to feel bad. It’s just—this, tonight, it was really nice to have a taste of normal.”

Caelyn smiled. “You’re welcome here anytime. The girls love you.”

“The feeling’s mutual.” I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d soon be making a home on Anchor instead of Harbor. If things didn’t work out with Brody, I couldn’t stay. He’d offer, of course, but I couldn’t watch as he moved on while I stayed frozen in place.

“Your eyes are really sad right now. Do you want to tell me what’s going on?”

Caelyn’s tone was just like her—gentle and comforting all at once. Just the sound of it had me fighting tears. “I’m not sure Brody and I are going to make it.”

Caelyn twisted in her chair so she was facing me fully. “Why not? You guys seemed so happy the last time I saw you.”

Tears burned the backs of my eyes. “He’s used to this big, full life. Art openings and travel. Fancy restaurants and concerts. I just want to stay here. I need to.”

“He wanted you to go with him to Seattle,” she guessed.

I nodded. “But I can’t. I thought about changing my mind, forcing myself to go. But the second I thought about it, everything in me froze. I just…” I wasn’t even sure how to finish the thought.

“You’re not ready yet.”

I looked up at Caelyn. “I’m not sure I ever will be.”