I woke the next morning in Bear’s bed. Otter slept next to us. And I made him promise. Told him that if anything had happened to him, I’d die. Just like he tells me now.

“Yeah,” I say, my eyes burning. “I remember.”

“I promised you.” He’s shaking.

“I know.”

“I meant it.”

“I know.”

“Now, you promise me.”

I don’t hesitate. For him, I never will. “You and me, Bear.”

“Always?”

“Always.”

He takes a deep breath. I do the same. We let it out.

“Is it over?” he asks me.

I don’t know if it ever will be, but I don’t know what he means specifically. “What?”

“With her.”

There’s only one “her” he could mean. “Yeah,” I say. “It’s over.”

“She hurt you?” That fire returns to his eyes. That steel in his voice.

“No,” I tell him. “I wouldn’t let her. I….” I only hurt myself. I only allowed myself to feel that way. Nothing more. “She’s lost, Bear. And I don’t think she’s ever going to be found. Nothing’s changed. But….”

“What?”

“I met Izzie.”

His eyes widen. “Isabelle?”

I nod. “Bear, she’s… amazing. She’s like me. Smarter, even. I don’t know if I have words to even describe her.” I shake my head. “No, I take that back. She’s like us. She’s you and me.”

“We can’t….” He’s upset.

“I know. There’s nothing… bad happening. I don’t think. She wasn’t bruised. But Julie was never like that.”

“There’s more than one type of abuse,” Bear mutters, and I can’t help but smile.

“I told her the same thing. Julie.”

“Will she listen?”

“I don’t know. Bear, we can’t forget about her.”

“There’s not much more we can do, Ty. Julie would never let us see her.”

“She said as much. But there has to be some way, right?”

Bear shrugs. “We can ask Erica Sharp, but I don’t know how many rights siblings have when the parent is still involved. Even one with a history like Julie McKenna.”

“I promised Izzie too. Just like you.”

“What?”

“That I wouldn’t forget about her.”

“We won’t,” he says. “I just… I don’t know what we can do.”

We’re quiet then, each lost in his own thoughts, and even though I know it’s going to be tough, and it’s going to be met with resistance, I know my next step. I know what I have to do to make sure I can stand on my own.

Man, are they going to hate this. I already do.

“I love him,” I say. “Dominic.”

“I know you do,” he says quietly.

“Like you love Otter. It’s the same.”

He looks doubtful, but doesn’t say anything.

“There’s something there for me. It’s inevitable.”

“But he’s got Ben. Stacey.”

“Ben will always come first. I know that.”

“Do you?” Bear asks. “Kid, he’s a parent. A father. He was married.”

“And you were with Anna before Otter. The only thing that’s different is they had a son.”

“He’s special needs, Ty,” Bear says softly. “I love him, and he’s wonderful, but the amount of work that goes into that….”