“We’re planning to have cows too,” Micah said, as they walked away. “Fresh milk, maybe cream and butter. Have you ever tasted the fresh stuff?” He shook his head. “So good.”

When Micah turned and began walking toward the house, Karina voiced a question she’d been holding on to for some time. “August said you saved his life. What did he mean by that?”

Micah watched the ground as he walked, his hands tucked into his back pockets. “We all have demons, Karina. Every one of us. We all have something that haunts us, that prevents us from reaching our true potential. I just helped August untie himself from those demons. He might be grateful, but I only showed him the way. He did all the hard work. Any of us can have that.” He stopped and turned to her. “You too, Karina. You can do extraordinary things with your life, if you choose.”

Karina nodded as he spoke, intrigued by a future where she could be free of her own demons, the shame she carried for wrecking her family and her body. What might she achieve if she could leave behind all the terrible misjudgments that led to Prem’s death, James’s betrayal, the incident with Henry? She allowed herself to imagine this as she and Micah walked in silence back to the house.

* * *

There were eighteen of them for Thanksgiving: twelve people who lived in the house and six others, including Karina, who didn’t. Some of the guests, she learned, were surfers from a beach that Micah and August patronized. A couple of others had a fresh juice stand at the farmers’ market nearby. The atmosphere in the house was joyful and relaxed, and the buffet was abundant, with at least two dozen dishes: Thanksgiving favorites like stuffing, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, as well as less traditional options. Chef Guy had baked a tarte tatin instead of a traditional apple pie, Zoe had made Cajun-style red beans and rice, and everyone cheered when Ericka pulled a pan of Korean short ribs from the oven, still sizzling. As Karina made her way through the buffet line, she noticed a bowl of cumin-spiced roasted cauliflower, which reminded her of one of her mother’s Indian dishes.

Micah stood in the archway between the dining and living rooms, where they all sat, and spoke about how deeply moved he felt to be building a new type of community that reflected their values. He said a few words of appreciation about each person present, then held up his glass toward Karina. “And I want to thank Karina for joining our family today. She is incredibly knowledgeable and isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. But, most of all, she has a beautiful energy that’s wonderful to be around.”

Karina felt tears well in her eyes as Micah expressed gratitude for healthy food cooked with love, the fresh air outside, and spending a special day with people to whom he felt a deep connection. She was emotional because she felt it too. As she looked around the room at the mash-up of skin tones and cultures, for once she didn’t feel like an anomaly. She dared to believe that they saw something in her: a better version of herself that she could nurture into the light. Karina knew then, for the first time in as long as she could remember, perhaps the first time in her life, she was where she belonged.