“Love you,” I say, and he disconnects, and I toss my phone on the empty side of the bed. I throw the white cover off me and walk to Dylan’s bedroom. One thing that Justin did when he signed the contract with New York was get Zoe to get us a house. I was thinking maybe a nice two-story house, but when he brought me to see it, and we drove through the front gates, my mouth dropped to the ground.

Then he opened the front door, and the sweeping staircase made me fall in love. I didn’t even know what to say. There was no way that I could help pay for this house. When he showed us the backyard, I cried. He held me in his arms while Dylan jumped into the pool fully dressed. I’m not even going to go into how much everything in the house cost. He sent me with Zara and Zoe and his credit card, and when I saw the price of the furniture, I felt sick and went back home with no furniture. But of course Zara and Zoe told him everything that I did like, and just like that, it was delivered without me even having a say.

I walk down the long-carpeted hallway to Dylan’s room and peek my head in. He sleeps like a starfish in his king-size bed. His room is decked out in New York colors. I walk in and turn off the television and then go back downstairs to the kitchen. I make sure all the doors are locked and set the alarm. Walking back upstairs, I pass all the framed pictures on the wall. A picture of the three of us in the middle and then small pictures all around from everyone in the family. Turning off the lights I slide into our custom-made king-size bed, then put my phone on the bedside table next to a picture of us and then Dylan’s school picture.

I close my eyes and think about how far Dylan’s come. He’s in a private school now, he’s excelling at hockey to the level that his coaches are over the moon. Plus, he’s started to grow like a weed, and he’s going to be able to go up two levels, which people are saying is unheard of. He laughs all the time and eats more food than he’s ever eaten. He’s also just blended into the Stone family as if he was born a Stone. It takes me a couple of minutes to fall asleep.

“Sweetheart.” I hear him whisper, and at first, I think I’m dreaming, but then he buries his face in my neck.

“You’re home,” I say, opening my eyes and seeing him. My hand comes out to touch his face. “I missed you.”