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“There’s my sister.”

The words nearly undid me all over again.

Willow reached up and wiped a tear from my cheek before it could fall any farther. “So, yeah, when folks, people we grew up with, people you used to hang with started texting me excited because they heard you were back home, asking if you were going to be there, saying they hadn’t seen you in years.” She paused. “And I started thinking maybe whatever crazy shit made me send those invitations had accidentally forced me to do something I probably should’ve done on purpose.”

I shook my head, but there was no real anger behind it anymore. “So now the mysterious force is doing God’s work?”

“I ain’t said all that,” she replied quickly. “We still need to establish whether this spirit has good intentions and acceptable credit.”

A watery laugh slipped from me.

Willow smiled before becoming serious again. “So when you ask who this party is really for, it’s for you. I just want to see you happy again… not fake happy, not smiling because Kaidence did something cute or because Granny’s lungs sounded clear today, not relieved because everybody else is okay.” Her voice softened, completely stripped of her usual sarcasm. “I want you to be okay because something made you happy.”

I stared down at our joined hands, fighting the tears threatening to spill over.

“Even if it’s just for one night,” Willow continued gently. “Get dressed up in something that makes you feel bad as hell. Have a couple of drinks. Dance to some loud music. Talk to strangers. Laugh at somebody wearing a stupid-ass costume. Flirt if you want to. Don’t flirt if you don’t. Just be Lakelyn for a few hours without somebody needing something from you.”

“You’re the one who’s probably going to be wearing the stupid costume,” I sniffled.

“Absolutely not. I’m coming looking like a whole tax bracket.”

I laughed wetly.

She paused, her thumb moving over my knuckles.

“You’re allowed to miss Caspian and still laugh, sis. You’re allowed to love him and still have a good night. Having fun doesn’t mean you forgot him. Living your life doesn’t mean what y’all had mattered any less.” Her eyes grew glossy now too. “And I really need you to understand that, because sometimes I think you’ve been punishing yourself for surviving something you never asked to happen. I’m not trying to replace anything, sis. I’m not trying to make you forget Caspian or pretend that night never happened. I just don’t want you to keep living like your life ended the exact same night he disappeared.”

Those last words felt like a punch to the gut because deep down, I knew she was right.

Some days, it really did feel like my life had stopped on that cold October night six years ago… not completely. I had Kaidence, I had my family, I had my nursing career, and I had endless blessings to thank God for. But the carefree, fearless version of Lakelyn who loved life without carrying a mountain of guilt on her shoulders? I wasn’t sure when I had last seen her.

For a long moment, neither one of us spoke. The only sound in the kitchen was the quiet hum of the massive refrigerator.

Finally, I let out a long, defeated sigh. “You can keep your party.”

She sat straight up on her stool. “Seriously?”

“Yes.”

“Lakelyn!” she squealed.

“But!” I cut in loudly, pointing a stern finger at her. “Even if you’re telling the truth and you didn’t send those invitations, you still neglected to inform me that people were apparently being invited to an event in this house.”

Willow lifted both hands. “You’re completely right about that last part.”

“Exactly. So moving forward, anything involving parties, events, guests, decorations, invitations—anything happening under this roof—gets cleared through me first.”

She nodded eagerly. “Agreed. One hundred percent.”

“Good.”

“But just so we’re clear, I still didn’t send them.”

“Sure, Willow. But I will say this, if one single person breaks anything in this house, I am taking the repair money directly out of your account.”

Willow threw her head back and laughed. “Fair enough!”

I shook my head, fighting back my own smile.