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Connor nods. “Absolutely.”

Farrah returns, holding a vase filled with the flowers Luke picked up on the way in. She places the vase on the table and then looks at Connor, her skin practically glowing with her joy.

“No Rafe?” she asks, and I can hear the hope in her voice that maybe he’ll be coming in later.

Connor shakes his head and squeezes my hand. “He has a project due Monday,” he lies, and I can feel the toll it takes on him to do it. As an angel, his mom knows the truth, and he knows it, but it’s easier to taste the lie than to hear the truth.

Deep sorrow flashes across her face. The longing for her son dims her light, but she covers it quickly. Only her eyes let her down, still dark with hurt. Uriel walks over to her and rubs her back in silent support. He doesn’t have the same hurt as Farrah. It’s obvious he didn’t expect Rafe to attend. “We’re glad you came. We were worried when Jimmy called us.”

I frown. “He called?”

Uriel nods. “He wanted to tell us before the authorities did.”

Connor pulls me tighter against his side. “It’s not been easy.”

I wrap my arms around his waist, hugging him. A flash of pride warms me at how far I’ve come. I was beating myself up about how awkward I was with Uriel and Farrah, but with Connor, the need to comfort him when he needs it is almost instinctual.

Uriel tucks Farrah against his side. “I’m happy you both made time to come home for a few days.”

I smile and relax into Connor, his body more at ease now than it has been since before it happened. “Me, too. It’s so good to see you both.”

Farrah perks up a little and reaches out to cup my cheeks. “Me, too. We have lots to do!”

I glance at Connor and then back at Farrah. “We do?”

She nods and tugs me away from Connor, leading me through the house to the back door. “We have a binder to look at.”

“Mom, we just got here. Don’t scare her away already,” Connor groans.

Farrah looks a little affronted, but then Zach and Zane burst out of the kitchen. “Mooooooooooom,” Zach whines, dragging out the word like a kid would. “Can we please eat now?”

Farrah chuckles and nods. “Fine. Breakfast, then binder.”

43

Summer

Breakfast is as incredible as the dinner Farrah made when she visited Avalon. I am completely awestruck at the way she seems to maneuver effortlessly among her sons and husband, a smile never far from her lips. Warmth radiates from her, yet every so often, I catch her glancing at the door and then at the full plate of lemon bars still sitting on the table. A flash of grief would shadow her eyes, and every single time, Uriel would tighten his arm around her or kiss her on the head in a silent act of support. Not a glance went unnoticed, and finally, he deliberately picked up a lemon bar and ate it.

When we’re all finished eating, Connor stands and takes my hand, leading me to the front door.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Farrah asks, her tone more serious than I’ve ever heard it. I freeze on instinct.

Connor sighs, his shoulders slumping in defeat. He turns back to face her. “I was going to show Summer around Silver City.”

Farrah crosses her arms. “I promised Summer I would show her the binder.”

“But, Mom…” Connor groans.

Uriel laughs and pats Connor on the shoulder. “Come on, Son. Let them be. You knew this was going to happen when you came. She’s barely slept since she heard you were coming.”

Connor glances at me, and I nod, reassuring him I’m not going to get freaked out and flee the realm. Farrah holds out her hand, and when I take it, she leads me through the house back to the garden. Off in the distance, I can see where the cloud drops off, their level ending. Even Eden has limits, I guess.

She pulls me to where she has the binder open and two glasses of iced tea set out. A white wooden pergola shades three loveseats, circling a small white table made from the same wood as the structure. Like everything else here, they look plush and comfortable. The blush pink and cream cushions are expertly scattered across the small sofas, and dusky rose-colored teddy bear blankets are draped over the back.

Farrah curls up on the loveseat and pats the space beside her, smiling expectantly at me. I sit down and take a minute to view the garden from this angle. When we first left the house, it seemed perfect and pristine, but there are so many signs that this was home to five rambunctious boys. There are multiple flower beds, all well-preened and cared for. The closest of which is sprouting the most incredible peonies I’ve ever seen. But the more you look, the easier it is to see that this is just a small part of the grounds. To the back, nestled in a tree, I can see a treehouse. Nailed to the trunk is a sign that says,No Girls Allowed. Beneath that one is another sign that says,Except Mommy. My lips twitch. The way theshas been written the wrong way is absolutely adorable.

Deeper into the garden is a large area that seems to be a vegetable patch. It is neatly sectioned, each of the boys having their own little plot. Their names are written on little signs in their messy script, and they have all chosen something differentto grow. Farrah must be seeing to them while the boys are at Avalon. But it’s easy to imagine her there, teaching her sons to tend to their patch and nurture life.