She had emerged as herself, with one thrilling change: She asked Tim for a separation after she took a survey of everything that had been neglected over the summer. Herself included. He didn’t put up much of a fight and moved out to a condo in a nearby town with remarkable haste. She had just started back to work at the pediatric hospital, too.

“Candy corn Jell-O shot?”

I heard Jess’s voice come through the back door.

I walked to the kitchen, where she set down the tray of orange, white, and yellow shots she held in one hand, her portable speaker in the other. “No, thanks. Those look radioactive.”

She shrugged and lifted one, swallowing it in one gulp. She grimaced. “Awful. Never again.” She pecked at her phone and her Halloween playlist came through the speaker, starting with “Freaks Come Out at Night.”

“Boy, is that true,” I laughed.

“Trick or treat,” came a call as the front door opened. Liz and Melissa walked into the kitchen together, laughing.

“Did you see Tony’s costume?” Melissa said, perching on a stool at the island.

“It’s hysterical,” Liz said with a smile. Her face had regained its fullness, and her hair was growing back in where there had been bald patches. Her nails still weren’t back to normal, so she had glued fake nails to her fingers.

Melissa turned to me. “He’s dressed as Lucille Ball, so I guess that makes me Ricky Ricardo.”

“I thought you guys were coming over later,” I said as I pulled a bottle of wine out of the fridge.

Melissa shrugged. “Trick-or-treating ends in an hour anyway, and I got bored with sitting in my house alone. Besides . . .” She looked to Liz.

Liz pulled an expensive-looking bottle of champagne out of her bag. She held it in the air. “We wanted to toast you, Amy. To your new gig.”

I smiled and put my hands on my chest. Last week, I’d made the decision to open my own private counseling practice, specializing in women and children. If the events of the summer had taught me anything, it was the importance of community support. I was still sketching out details, but Mark and I were both excited for my next professional adventure. I’d had to go through hell to see where my opportunity was, but now it was in sight.

I pulled four fancy crystal glasses out of the cabinet, ones we’d gotten for our wedding but never used. They were warranted, on this night of all nights.

Liz popped the cork on the champagne and carefully filled the glasses. “I’m so happy for you, Amy. You deserve this, and I’m just thrilled to be a part of it.”

I smiled at her, and we each took a glass.

“How about a toast?” Liz said as she considered her glass.