“Good morning, Sweetheart.”

My eyes opened a crack. The room was bright and I immediately closed them again. “Ugh . . . morning . . .” I muttered in response.

“Um, Jay, you might want to get up before your dad comes out here,” my mom said.

I opened my eyes again and took in my surroundings. I was on the living room couch, laying with Isaac’s arms around me. I smiled up at my mom. “Probably a good idea,” I agreed.

“ ‘Probably a good idea’,” she mimicked, smirking. She then shook Isaac’s shoulder.

He let out a small groan. “No . . . It’s still early . . .” he mumbled.

Mom shook him again. “Could you kindly get off my daughter?” she asked.

Isaac’s brown eyes snapped open. “What?” He looked down at me and smiled. “Oh, yeah,” he remembered. He pushed himself into a sitting position. I sat up, too.

“Sleep well?” Mom asked us.

I nodded. “Quite, thank you.”

My mom smirked again. “I don’t even want to know what you two did when we were in Texas . . .”

“Mom!” I cried, tossing a throw pillow in her direction.

“Oh, my little girl is growing up,” Mom said in a mock-sob, dodging the pillow.

“Ma, you’re demented,” I insisted.

She smiled. “Thank you, daughter.” With that, my mother smiled and left the living room.

I turned to Isaac. “She’s on drugs, I swear it,” I said solemnly.

He laughed. “That’s endearing,” he joked. “What would your mom say if she heard you talking like that?”

“Laugh,” I said, shrugging.

He smiled. “Well, maybe you’re right,” he agreed.

I grinned. “Yeah. That’s just how my ma is,” I told him.

Just then, my father walked into the room. I looked up at him and smiled. “G’morning, Daddy,” I greeted.

“G’morning, Princess,” he said, smiling as well. “Your mom and I are going to go pick the van up now . . . You, your sister, and Evie might want to get packed up. We’re leaving as soon as we get back.”

I nodded. “Okay.”

“All packed,” Evie announced half an hour later. “I’m ready to rock ‘n’ roll!”

Lynnie smiled. “Yeah, me too,” she agreed. “I can’t wait to get back home and sleep in my own bed . . .”

I sighed inwardly. How could they want to leave so badly? Why were they so happy? I couldn’t figure it out. It seemed almost as if the two of them didn’t care that we were leaving.

There was a soft knock at the door. “You guys,” said Diana quietly. “The van just pulled up into the driveway.”

Evie and Lynn looked at each other, smiling wide. “Let’s go!” Lynnie said, darting out the door. Evie followed at her heels.

I shook my head. There was nothing I could do now. I had do leave; go back to Michigan. I sighed, staring at the door. So many loose ends.

“It was really great of you to help us out like this,” Colleen Morgan said to Walker and Diana.

“Yeah,” her husband agreed. “We never could’ve sold this house without you.”

Walker gave a modest smile. “It was no problem,” he assured them.

“Your girls are so sweet,” Diana added.

Just then, Evie and Lynn came into the living room. Both of them wore identical smiles. “Is it time to go yet?” Evie asked eagerly.

Colleen laughed. “Don’t you want to say goodbye to everyone?” she asked.

“Oh, yeah,” Eve said obviously, as if she had forgotten something important. She walked over to where Zac, Taylor, and Isaac had lined themselves up. Lynnie followed.

“Well, bye, Zac,” Evie said. She reached out and slid her arms beneath his, hugging him.

Zac patted her back unsurely. “Um . . . Bye,” he agreed.

Eve released him and then moved to Taylor. She smiled at him and he smiled back. “Bye,” she said, putting her arms around him in the same manner she had to Zac.

Tay returned the embrace. “It’s been fun,” he told her. “And next time, we’ll have a dirtbike race, okay?”

She grinned, releasing him and stepping back. “Yeah. Sounds like a plan,” she said, giving a thumbs-up. Taylor laughed.

Finally, Evie stepped over to Isaac. “I’m sorry about everything,” she said. “I guess I was a real brat.”

Isaac shrugged. “I’ve dealt with worse,” he assured her, grinning. Taylor whacked him on the arm playfully. Isaac hit him back before turning to Eve and adding, “Really, though. It’s okay.”

Evie smiled. “Thanks,” she said. Then, almost unsurely, she gave him a quick hug. That done, she walked over to the front door.

Lynn stepped up to Zac. “Goodbye,” she said to him. They shared a clumsy hug. Lynnie then stepped up to Taylor, and then Isaac, both times repeating the awkward embrace. She then joined Evie at the door.

“Well,” Mr. Morgan said. “I guess this is it.”

“Yeah,” Colleen agreed. “Time to go.” She and her husband started for the door.

“Wait.”

continue
The Index
The Window Seat