We escort the group down to the boat, and the reunion is joyous. The other children bring clothes to the sisters, and they change right then and there.
Ant stands to the side, watching the scene as tears fall fast and hard down his cheeks. I open my arm to him and he pins himself against my body, burying his face in my chest.
“Look at what you did, baby. You changed their lives.”
He shakes his head. “You did.”
Tolly approaches us with a kind smile. “Hey now, I want my credit.”
Ant laughs through his tears and turns, giving Tolly a big hug before returning to my side. “Thank you so much. You’ve got everything set up at your place?”
He nods. “Erik’s friends are already in place, and one set of parents is already on their way from Japan. We’ve got everyone. You’re welcome to join us. I have privileges at the local private airfield if you want to take a day or two to relax and recover.”
“That’s up to Ant,” I say, squeezing him.
He sniffs and shakes his head. “I would love to visit you one of these days, but, uh, I think I might need my family.” Tilting his face to mine, he asks, “Can we do that?”
“Found or blood, baby?”
He thinks for a moment. “Blood. I’d like to see my grandparents.”
I bend and place a soft kiss on his lips. “Of course. We may have to stop in Cancun tonight, but we’ll be in Guanajuato by tomorrow.”
Tolly taps my shoulder. “Go to Isla Mujeres. There’s a private airport there. They’ll take excellent care of you, and I’ve got a small condo on the beach. Please. I insist.”
I check in with Ant, who sniffles and nods in agreement, even as tears continue to spill. I stand quietly with him until he’s calm enough to say goodbye.
The children seem to know exactly what he needs and overwhelm him in the best way with hugs and teasing. For whatever reason, they all start calling him whatever their local version of Pippi Longstocking is. I mean…it could be my fault.
While Ant is whispering reassurances, I notice José and Maura holding hands and the Ronalds taking particular care of Ronnie, the young man they saved from the pool.
He’s got on drawstring pants that are noticeably large on him and he’s still wearing the shirt he was given. Ronald in the tank top has brought him a small plate of food and a bottle of water while red-bearded Ronald fusses over his scraped knee.
Tolly follows my line of sight and whispers out the side of his mouth, “The Ronalds share more than a name, if you know what I mean. If the young man is amenable, they’ll ensure he forgets every bad thing that’s ever happened to him.”
Ant chuckles as he walks up to us and sneaks a glance at me. “Kinda like someone else I know.”
I cup the back of his head and kiss his temple. “Time to go.”
Tolly brings us both in for a generous hug. “I’ll call ahead for you. Everything will be ready, and if you decide to stay a few extra days, you are more than welcome to.”
“Thanks, Tolly,” Ant says, wiping away a few last tears.
After waving goodbye, we go back up the path and over to the plane, the place now eerily quiet. Ant sets out explosives along the runway as I run my final check.
Take-off goes smoothly, and we circle the island until Tolly’s freedom yacht is clear.
“We’re about to start the show,” I warn over the comms.
“Excellent,” Tolly says. “We’ve got the kids at a perfect vantage point to see it, and I don’t know who is more excited, them or me. Of course, the Ronalds seem to have gone missing with a certain young man…”
Ant cackles and pulls up the detonation app.
Ryder’s voice comes on the line. “Wimberley’s got the relevant satellites looking the other way. Go when you’re ready.”
Ant looks down at the island one last time, and I angle the plane so he can have a better view. He closes his eyes for a moment, then touches his finger to the app.
A crescent of fire flares up from the tiny island, the biggest fireball coming from the runway. The kids can be heard over the comms celebrating. Laughing, I turn to Ant. His smile is all wrong, and seconds later, his face crumples as sobs rack his body.
