“Just a few weeks,” I said. “There’s still months to go.”
“Are you going to stay here with the clan?” she asked.
“We haven’t thought about it yet,” I admitted, exchanging a glance with Lorenzo. “Even if we do go somewhere else, it’s not like I’m going to run off and never see you again, though. You’ll definitely get to meet the baby.”
“Good. We better,” my mother said with a bittersweet smile.
After another round of tea, we left my parents with a weight lifted off our shoulders. I exhaled a huge sigh of relief.
“That went so much better than I expected,” I said. “Anyway, what are we doing now? We’ve got time to kill while waiting for this baby.”
“It’s completely up to you, but I have a suggestion. Would you like to visit my home?” Lorenzo asked. “I’d love for you to see where I live and meet my family.”
I perked up, a thrill jolting my blood. A chance to finally explore the world outside the village? Outside of the island? I realized with buzzing excitement that this was the entire reason I’d gone through this whole ordeal in the first place, and I hadn’t yet explored any of the possibilities.
I threw my arms around Lorenzo and cried, “Hell yes!”
