Next is Andi, another person I only know from her photos. She has all three of her kids in tow. The twins seem around three, and they immediately spot the Christmas tree and make a beeline for it. The little boy, who’s about two, chases after them with the kind of determination only little brothers have.
“Don’t touch the ornaments!” Andi calls after them, then sighs. “They’re absolutely going to touch the ornaments.”
“I’ll watch them,” Steel says, appearing out of nowhere like the world’s most tattooed babysitter. He’s the club’s prospect—young, eager, and apparently everyone’s favorite person. “Come on, gremlins. Let’s see if we can find Santa.”
“It’s too hot for Santa,” one of the twins says.
“You sure about that?” Steel says very seriously. “Cause I thought I saw him hanging around outside.”
The twins look skeptical but follow him anyway, Adam wandering behind. Steel shoots me a grin before herding the kids away.
“That man is a saint,” Andi says, collapsing into the chair next to me. “Also, hello, I’m Andi, Hawk’s old lady. And you look amazing for someone who just had surgery.”
“I look like I haven’t slept in days and I’m high on painkillers.”
“Like I said. Amazing.” Andi reaches over to tickle Rose’s foot. “How are you feeling? Really?”
I glance up at Bones, who’s been standing behind my chair this whole time like a guard dog. He meets my eyes and I see the question there—should I give you space?
I shake my head slightly.Stay.
“Honestly?” I say, looking back at Andi. “I’m terrified. The doctor says I might never dance again. And even though I’d already decided to retire, I never wanted to quit altogether. I don’t remember life before dancing.”
The words come out easier than I expected. Maybe because Andi’s a stranger—she didn’t know me as Emma the ballerina. She’s just meeting Emma, whoever that turns out to be.
Andi nods, her expression much softer than her tattoos and biceps would suggest.
“You probably don’t. But even if—” She shrugs. “People find new things to be. Sometimes it’s even weirder and better than you expect.” She glances over to where her kids are harassing Steel and yelling something about fairy floss. “When my sister dumped her kids on me, I honestly thought my life was over. But then I met Hawk and we became our own little family. And now I can’t imagine my life any other way.” She glances back to where Rose is wriggling on my lap. “Point is, I had all of these dreams, this life I imagined for myself. And when everything flipped on its head, I found new dreams. You will too.”
Andi’s words stick in my head, wedge themselves between my ribs. I don’t know whether the ache is hope or despair. Maybe both.
“Thanks, Andi. That helps.”
She gives me a soft smile. “Not that you wanted to hear all that tonight. Tonight you get to be sad and eat all the weird cookies Mercy decorated. Tomorrow—or even six weeks’ time—is for new plans.”
“Oh god. Don’t remind me how long I’m stuck in this thing,” I groan, pointing at my boot.
Poppy raises a mock toast with her own bottle of water. “To weird cookies and doing nothing.”
“To weird cookies,” I echo, and Rose slams a chubby palm into my bottle, as if in solidarity.
“Wait. What are we toasting to?” Kya asks, appearing with a mug in her hand. “Because I want to toast too. Today is about celebrating you being home. And also Christmas. But mostly you.”
Poppy takes Rose so Kya can hand me the mug, and it’s filled with hot cocoa—complete with marshmallows and whipped cream—and I take a sip. It’s perfect, warm and sweet, and suddenly I’m fighting tears.
“Are you crying?” Kya asks, alarmed.
“No. Maybe. I don’t know.” I wipe at my eyes. “I just—you guys did all this for me?”
“Obviously,” Mercy says, joining our little cluster. “You’re family.”
“But I’ve been gone for years?—”
“Doesn’t matter,” Ginger says firmly. “You’re Stone’s daughter. Bones’s girl. That makes you ours.”
I look around at all of them, at these women who’ve built lives here, who’ve found their place in this world that I ran away from. Who are welcoming me back like I never left.
“Thank you,” I manage. “Really. Thank you.”
