She holds a hand up to silence me. “But maybe you missed all of the worst parts of me too.” She pushes a piece of hair away from her face. “And you’re not done needing a mom. You’ll need one for a long time. So … I want to try. I want to try to be that person. I know I’m not that person yet, Sarah’s still that person. But … someday.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.” She pulls a stack of folders out of the box and sets them on the desk. “Get out of here. Don’t you have a boyfriend to give some good news to, or something?”

I’m fighting the urge to sprint out of this office and all the way to River Depot. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.”

Epilogue

AIDEN

8 months later …

The sun is bright in my eyes as the ball flies toward me. I dip my hands and catch the pop-up at my waist, squeezing it gently. I missed the way this feels; the once-soft leather, roughened from pelting the ground. The laces raising up under my fingers. I throw the ball back to Zander, and he gives me a solemn nod.

Next to me, Olivia wraps an arm around my waist. We’re not going to stay long, but I wanted to be here to cheer everyone on. It’s been a long year trying to gain back my friends and teammates. A lot of the conversations I was dreading: explaining why I wouldn’t come back despite the fact that my vision is close to normal again, why I needed time away from everyone—away from baseball—to figure out who I was without it.

I’ve been working with Callahan, the new starting pitcher, since school started. It’s nice to be involved, even if it’s off the field.

Olivia tugs my hand. “I want gum before we leave,” she says, turning for the concession stand. I follow behind her, taking her hand back in mine. At the metal counter she plunges her hand into the clear plastic tub and eyes me with a mischievous smile. “Let’s play a game,” she says, mixing her hand around. “If I pick a yellow, we go make out in your car…” She winks.

“Oh no.” I grab the plastic jar from her and set it in front of me. “Fate doesn’t get to decide anymore. We are totally making out in my car.”

She opens her hand slowly, revealing the yellow candy in her hand.

“Okay, fate’s obviously still on our side,” I say, pulling a quarter out of my pocket. “Heads?”

She smiles. “Of course.”

“Your choice?” I say, thinking about that night at the ruins.

“My choice,” Olivia says. She stretches up and presses her lips quickly to mine. “And I choose you.”

Acknowledgments