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“Can you handle the party without me for a while?” I asked.

“Oh yeah, that fucking party—” Juniper started, but I cut her off this time.

“Get it started. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Elsie, what are you doing?” Ren asked, worried.

“Text me her sibling’s address. I’m going to go get our girl.”

***

I knocked on the door of Danny’s hard. There was nowhere else she could have gone; it would make sense for her to go to the people who had known and hadn’t said anything.

It would also make sense for her to be pissed off at them, but so was I.

“What is wrong with you?” I started as Danny opened the door, not even bothering with a hello. “You knew this was happening and let us all go on believing we didn’t know each other when she meant everything to us? How could you do that to your sister? I?—”

“Elsie, baby,” Vi’s sweet voice said as she came up behind Danny. All my anger dissolved as I looked at her, eyes red-rimmed from crying. “It’s okay.”

“What do you mean it’s okay?”

“We talked, and they explained. It was just hard for them to see me that way and… I agreed with Cherie. I told her she could do it.”

Hurt panged in my chest. “You wanted to forget us? Forgetme?”

“No,” she replied. “I just wanted to stop being so… frightened of you. I remember it all so well now. Any time anyone tried to touch me, I felt like I was going to faint. I panicked. I was terrified. Cherie just wanted me to have a normal life, and I wanted that too, at least for a little while.”

I moved inside so Danny could close the door and saw Kaylee on the couch.

“But we could have lost?—”

“I recall that before Cherie did it, there was one thing I kept telling myself. And I held on to that.”

I swallowed. “What?”

“What we all had, it was forever. No matter what happened, I knew one day we would all find each other again. I was sure of it. And we did. I just wish this wasn’t how it happened.”

A tear fell from my eyes, one I was sure matched hers. I pulled her against me, and she came easily. We stood there like that for a while, just embracing each other, basking in the knowledge that she was right—we did find each other again. Even if it came with a loss.

“I love you, Vi,” I said when I pulled back.“Eyes all puffy and all.”

“Well, pot, meet kettle. Is this because you have to match me in everything? I remember that now too,” Vi said with a smirk.

“You are such a jerk.”

“Maybe… but I love you too.”

My heart filled in that moment. It had felt like there was something missing from me, a hole in my heart that was now complete with her return to us.

I wiped her tears away, and she sighed.

“I just wish I’d had the same opportunity to say goodbye to Cherie. Or even just to grieve her.”

“I’m so sorry you didn’t, but we can mourn her now, together, the right way. Right after this stupid party. I have to get back. You don’t have to come right now if you’re not ready, but I know everyone wants to see you and talk this through?—”

“What party? You mean Garrett got his way?”

“Well, yeah, I mean… He informed us on his way out the door. Dana didn’t really have a choice.”