“I’m happy for you guys,” I say. “Seriously. At least I know all your bickering will have happy endings.”

“Speaking of happy endings,” Nate says. “Are you bringing Ezra to dinner this weekend?”

“I am.”

“Are we allowed to grill him?”

“You are not.”

He makes a face. “You’re no fun.”

“I know.” I check the time on my watch. “I need to go. Ezra’s making me and his mom dinner.”

“So domestic,” Nate sighs.

Vera slaps his arm. “Leave her alone.” She smiles at me. “We’re happy for you too, you know.”

I nod. “I know.”

“Call me later, yeah?”

“Sure thing.”

I watch them go, already sniping at each other about something, and I have a feeling that will never change. Not that I can really judge, considering I’m going over to my idiot boyfriend’s place and will no doubt be rolling my eyes at him at least a dozen times before he coaxes me into bed.

It’s amazing how much the thought makes me smile.

•   •   •

Ezra’s mother answers the door when I knock, ushering me inside.

“Ezra had to run to the store,” she says. “Apparently he simply can’t make curry without fresh garlic.”

I chuckle as I step inside, following her to the counter. “Of course not.”

“How was your day? Are they going to promote you?”

I’ve talked to Jackie many times in the last couple of weeks, and she’s a far cry from the withdrawn, sad-eyed woman I first met in Alexander’s house. Almost like being outside those walls has finally given her room to breathe, to find parts of herself she’d lost. She’s hard not to love, I’ve quickly learned.

“Nothing official,” I tell her. “But it looks that way.”

“Wonderful,” she says, looking genuinely proud. “You deserve it. Ezra told me all about how you helped Bianca. I’ve only met her a few times, but she always seemed very strong. I envied her.”

“She is.” I reach to place my hand over Jackie’s. “But you are too. Look at all you’ve survived.”

“I think you’re giving me too much credit,” she says gently. “But I’m trying to be.”

“We’ll be here for you every step of the way,” I promise her.

“I know.” She smiles at me. “Ezra is lucky to have you.”

I shake my head. “Honestly, it’s the other way around.”

“He also told me that you’re the reason we even have a case for transferring my conservatorship.”

“I wish you didn’t need one at all.”

“Someday,” she says with confidence. “But not yet. For now, I trust my son to take care of me.”

“So do I.”

“Anyway, I wanted to officially thank you. For everything you did for us.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” I protest. “No one should be in the situation you were in.”

“Still.” She pats my cheek. “I’m grateful.”

My chest tightens with emotion, and I manage a heavy nod. “I was happy to do it.”

The door swings open behind us, Ezra stepping inside with a grocery bag in his hand. He grins when he spots us at the counter, and he shakes the bag. “Sorry. I tried to hurry.”

“You’re fine,” his mother says. “We were just chatting.”

“Jackie was telling me all your embarrassing stories,” I tease.

“Did she tell you about the time I took my clothes off at the aquarium?”

I bark out a laugh. “Do I want to know how old you were?”

“Oh, this was just last year,” he teases.

Jackie snorts. “He was three.”

“Honestly,” I scoff, “it wouldn’t have taken much to make me believe he was a fully grown adult.”

“He has always been a bit precocious,” Jackie chuckles.

“Are my ladies hungry?” Ezra sweeps into the kitchen, pulling pans from under the cabinet. “One of these days, someone is going to have to cook for me for a change.”

“But you’re so good at it,” I coo. “I’d hate to rob you of the joy of that.”

He rolls his eyes. “So giving.”

“I try.”

“Did you talk to Bianca today?”

“I did,” I answer. “They’re moving forward with pressing charges.”

“I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that trial.”

“Oh, I fully intend to be sitting in the back row for it.”

“Vindictive children,” Jackie tuts, humor in her tone. “The both of you.”

“Absolutely,” Ezra laughs.

“Less talking, more cooking,” I urge.

He shoots me a look over his shoulder, one I feel right down to my toes. He starts chopping things after, chatting with his mother about her day, and the ease of the moment, the absolute simplicity of sitting in this room with the pair of them and being surrounded by the love between them…it’s mesmerizing. It gives me a sense of clarity.

“I’ll be right back,” I tell them both, excusing myself.

Ezra’s brow furrows. “You okay?”

“Yeah. Just need to make a call.”

They go back to chatting as I step out onto the balcony attached to Ezra’s living room, sinking down into the patio chair and pulling my phone out to make a much-needed phone call. It only rings twice before she answers, and her voice is a balm. It always has been, I realize.

“Dani?”

“Hey, Mom.”

“Hi, sweetheart. How was today? Good news?”

“It looks that way,” I tell her.

“Wonderful!” Her voice is brimming with pride. “So we’re still grabbing dinner this weekend? I expect to meet this man of yours. Can’t believe you kept him a secret for so long.”

“Technically, you met him.”

“And you didn’t say a thing! Can’t say I blame you for snatching him up though, such a handsome man, that Ezra.”

“Mom,” I groan.

“Sorry, sorry,” she laughs. “I’ll be good, I promise.”

“I highly doubt that.”

The silence stretches, and as always, my mother seems to have a better sense of my emotions than even I do.

“Are you okay, Dani? You seem down.”

“I…Mom, I…I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been…angry. At you…at Dad…I blamed you, I let myself believe that you stole my childhood from me by lying to me for so long, but I…I’ve realized lately that you gave it to me. That you both sacrificed your own lives so that I could have one for myself. I’ve never thanked you for that.”

“Honey,” she says thickly. “You don’t owe us a thing. We love you. We did what we did because we love you. It was never a hardship for us. We didn’t sacrifice a thing.”

“I just…” I have to choke down my emotions. “I’ve always felt like I stole part of your lives. That you could have found happiness so much sooner if it hadn’t been for me.”

“Oh, sweetheart.” She doesn’t bother hiding the teary quality of her voice. “You listen to me. You are the sweetest gift your father and I were ever given. Bringing you into this world is our greatest joy. You have never stolen a single minute from us. Do you hear me? You gave us life. You didn’t take it away.”

I can’t stifle the sob in my throat now, sniffling into the phone. “Mom.”

“I wish you’d told me this sooner, but I’m happy you’re telling me now. I don’t want you feeling like this for even one more day. You’re a gift, Dani. Understand? I need you to know that.”

I’m nodding knowing full well she can’t see it, unable to form actual words.

“Dani?”

“Yeah,” I say shakily. “I love you, Mom. Dad too.”

“We love you too, Dani. So much. There’s nothing we love more.”

“I’ll see you this weekend, all right?”

“We’ll see you then, honey.”

I hang up the phone as a tear tracks down my cheek, but despite the way I can’t seem to keep them in, I feel…happy. For the first time in a long time, I feel like everything is ahead of me. Like there’s nothing holding me back.

The patio door opens, Ezra peeking out at me, his face immediately filled with concern when he notices me crying. “Hey.” He rushes over to crouch in front of me, wiping a tear away with his thumb. “You okay?”

I give him a watery smile, gently running my fingers through his golden hair, trailing them down his cheek and over his jaw after, wondering how I got so lucky.