Victor nodded. “I know you are.” A smile softened his eyes as he tucked a stray hair behind my ear.

The car was flooded with harsh light when he cracked open his door, and again when he opened the passenger door for me. Victor bent, helping me out of the car as if I couldn’t stand on my own. He supported me as we walked up the steps to the front door, which flung open seconds before his fingers reached the doorknob.

“Leath,” my mother cried, pulling me away from Victor. She clung to me as if I were the only lifejacket on a sinking ship. Mom alternated between holding me so tight I could barely breathe and stepping back to admonish me for the “very foolish and immature way,” I’d behaved. I gauged the intervals between the two, feeling as if I wouldn’t be in so much trouble when I noticed the hugging part lasted much longer than the micro lectures.

“Is she home?” a worried voice piped in. A tall man lumbered into the hallway, his bloodshot eyes partially hidden under unkempt blond hair. He rushed to my mother, then wrapped his arms around us both, holding us to him as if we were his entire world.

After a few moments, my mother broke away long enough to give Victor a tight embrace. “Thank you so much,” she said. She hugged him again before returning her death grip to me.

Desmond turned toward Victor with his hand outstretched. “Thank you, son. We’re so glad to have you in our family.”

“No problem.” He shook Desmond’s hand before turning to me. “I’ll call you tomorrow.”

I wanted to hold Victor, to take away the sadness that lurked behind his eyes. But he was probably right. A little distance might be a good thing. I didn’t know Victor’s reasons for suggesting it, but it was obvious on my side. I wouldn’t be here much longer. It would be cruel to keep up the pretense that we were a couple. We’d tried this dating thing twice now—in two different realities—and it was a disaster both times. It would be best if we could come to an amicable break, one that would give him time to heal before I left again. Because this time, I knew I wouldn’t be coming back.

As the door closed behind Victor, I was suddenly too exhausted to move. I managed answering nods to questions I hadn’t heard asked before allowing my mother to lead me upstairs to my room.

“We can talk about all of this in the morning,” she said, helping me undress. I listened to the hum of Victor’s car as he drove down our street, unsure if he would, in fact, call me tomorrow. If he did, I wasn’t sure if I’d answer.