Page 157 of All the way home

“But,” he continues, more steadily than Rena thinks she would be able to manage, all things considered, “I’m learning that people can really surprise you. And . . . ”

Kieran trails off.

For once, he seems at a loss for words, uncertain.

“I don’t think these kinds of conversations are easy,” Rena starts for him. “Actually, I think they’re really hard.”

It’s enough for him to find steady ground. Nodding, Kieran says, “But we have to have them. Otherwise I’m just going to be wondering what you really think and doing anything to avoid finding out whether I’m right to be afraid.”

“We’re not going to solve anything in one day,” Rena says hurriedly, at the stricken, reluctant look on Dad’s face as he looks up from where he’s been staring pointedly at the ground. “But at some point, we have to just start.”

Mum’s eyes are red-rimmed, glassy with unshed tears as she looks between her children. “Okay,” she says, wiping at her eyes as she turns to Dad, who gives her a nod. She squares her shoulders, visibly steeling herself. “Okay, then. You’re right. We love you, and you’re right. It’s time.”

Rena and Kieran exchange a glance. At once, she feels the warmth of their shared history, the solidity of his arm against hers.

Next to her, Kieran takes a deep breath, and begins.

Epilogue

January 11

It’s snowing again when Zach shoves his dorm room open.

Not the way that had caused all those fortuitous delays, but the peculiar Calgary blend of blazing sunbeams and aimless flurries.

Yanking his suitcase inside, heaving a sigh, Zach sits down hard on his bed.

Back at school.

It’s all just as he’d left it. It’s odd, actually—Zach himself isn’t different since he left this space, but . . . Is he ever going to be the same again?

Tipping back onto the bed, he pulls his obsidian out of his pocket and reaches over his head to place it on his desk. Then he props himself up on his elbow, pulls out his phone—the crack has lengthened half an inch—and opens his text thread with Kieran.

There are too many messages for him to be able to scroll back up to the top, but that’s hardly an issue, since Zach knows them all pretty much by heart from the first message received the morning after (You’re still real?) to the one from ten minutes ago (Okay! See you soon :)).

He snorts at the most recent of the messages, from earlier today.

you were right

it’s super weird being back in an airport by myself

It’s BORING. Right???

almost tempted to find a cute stranger to flirt with

Pls

As if Anyone could compare

there’s a wing under construction . . .

;)

i’m scouting for someone to explore it with

:(

just kidding i’m boarding