I felt my voice trail off at the sight of a familiar car zipping into the parking lot, bouncing over one of the speed bumps as it parked haphazardly in the closest spot to the clinic.

“. . . know them?” Liz said, pointing toward the car.

“Actually, I do.”

It was Nina leaping out of the driver’s seat, waving enthusiastically over the roof of the car, and then—

“Beau?!”

COME HERE! my boyfriend was signing at me, and I think my smile was just as loony as his was.

I took off running across the parking lot without a second thought and threw my arms around Beau once I reached him.

Maybe a little too dramatic of a reunion, but I hadn’t seen Beau since Christmas a few months ago. I had been under the impression he wasn’t coming home for spring break. Beau was currently neck deep in Yale’s esteemed literature program—much to his dad’s annoyance, but Dr. Watson was steadily coming around.

I was just as busy with my classes at Cartwright and now my internship here at the clinic, so opportunities to FaceTime with Beau were not as frequent as I would’ve liked. Anytime I got to see him in person was reason enough to celebrate.

Nina was a little easier to keep in touch with and visit often, since she was going to CU Boulder, only a little over an hour away.

“What are you doing here?” I blurted out once Beau finally let me go, keeping one arm wrapped around my waist.

Beau started talking, something about wanting to surprise me, but I wasn’t really processing what he was saying standing so close to him. I signed, KISS, instead, because that was pretty much all I needed.

I would’ve been quite happy to keep standing there in that parking lot kissing Beau, but only a few seconds of his lips against mine passed before there was rapid tapping on my shoulder. I pulled away from Beau with a start and my jaw dropped.

Standing in front of me, looking exasperated and amused, was Melissa. Melissa, who I hadn’t seen in over a year and a half since we moved to Colorado. The only difference in her appearance was that she had bright blue highlights in her black hair.

I think I started sputtering like a fool, stuck between using my voice and signing at her. The only thing I managed to get out that actually made sense was to sign, WHY?

SURPRISE! Melissa signed back, and she pulled me in for a hug even more bone crushing than Beau’s had been.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Melissa signed when she let me go.

BIRTHDAY TWO MONTHS PAST, I pointed out, and Melissa just shrugged and waved an airy hand.

“We know . . . birthday . . . few months, but . . . mom . . .” Nina was saying as she came around to join our little huddle. “. . . wanted to . . .”