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I nod. Understanding what he means. I felt that need. But I killed Doctore. Not something I’m proud of, but something that needed to be done. Something I needed to do.

“Just promise me you won’t do it alone, okay?”

Mina seconds my question, saying, “I’ll have to hunt you down if you go out there by yourself.”

“Alright, alright. I’ll ask for volunteers.” Jonah puts his hands up in mock defeat, then casually places one over the back of Mina’s chair, making her smile brightly up at him.

“You won’t have to ask,” Olivia says, pulling up a chair to sit in between Jonah and Amos. “I have a team ready and willing to go with you. Me included. If that’s all right with our general.”

Olivia looks to Amos, who shrugs. “I’ll look the team over and help you prepare them for what’s out there. And Lori and I can join later on when Norman finishes the cure.”

“So now you have a team, Jonah. But you better make it back because you have a family here,” Cal says.

Cal really knows how to gut a person with love. The table falls silent with sniffles as Amos says, “Cal’s right. We all understand that you need to make things right. But you belong here with us. Promise you plan to come back.”

Jonah’s skin flushes in embarrassment at all the attention. “I will. I promise.”

“And together, we will all rebuild the world so that when we have children, they have all the same worries and fears we had when we were kids. Like getting homework done on time, or staying healthy so you don’t miss the most important swim meet of your life,” I say, smiling like it’s an addiction I can’t stop.

“That was oddly specific,” Cal says.

“Well, I got a scholarship for swimming, a full ride to Rutgers. I had thought maybe I’d be an Olympian one day. Different life, different dreams.”

“What are your dreams now?” Amos asks, his golden eyes glinting with all the hope for the life ahead of us.

“I think you know that answer.” I lean into him, resting my head on his shoulder, soaking in this feeling of pure happiness. Knowing that life is full of possibilities now. All I need to do is keep on living.