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Just before it closed, Mila could’ve sworn she saw a hint of green slither back under the bed. Danzig was playing with fire!

Mila faced her parents. She deliberately didn’t invite them in. “I’m not going back to South Dakota. I’m not leaving Gio and Carter.”

She expected an argument.

Instead, her parents exchanged a look before Barb started speaking. “We’re here to ask for your forgiveness.”

Mila’s jaw dropped. “What?”

“We were idiots,” James said. He looked ashamed, and his voice was quiet as if he was afraid to say anything too loud. “We couldn't see how good this move was for you, all we…all I…saw was how inconvenienced I was without you. You did everything and never complained. I’m horrified by how we treated you.”

“What?” Mila repeated. She had to be dreaming, this couldn’t be real. Her parents never admitted to being wrong.

Realizing that no one was being attacked, Babette made a grumpy sound and left. Apparently, it had been a stressful few days. While they’d been at the hospital, Titan had come by to care for Babette and reported that the anxious dog refused to calm down. By the time they’d gotten home, Babette was as exhausted as they were!

No one spared the little dog a second glance as she tippy-tapped her way back upstairs.

“Is that all so unbelievable?” Barb asked, looking sadly amused. “After everything we witnessed in that hangar?”

Mila didn’t pull punches anymore. “Yes, it is. I almost figured out Gio was a vampire after living here for a little while. But I would never place a bet on either of you saying these things.”

“I’m sorry for that,” Barb said. “You turned out amazing, despite us, not because of us. I’m ashamed to look back and think of all the times we leaned on you, even while you were a child yourself. It became a habit, and we never stopped depending on you.”

They were saying all the things she’d longed to hear and it was hard for Mila to process. “You don’t want me back?”

“We’d love for you to come back,” James said fervently. “But only if you wanted to.”

“We held you back,” Barb said. “When you decided against college, we didn’t push. When you never moved out, we thought it was because you didn’t want to go. But that’s not true. We made it impossible for you to leave. I never understood the power of guilt and obligation until…”

Her words trailed off, and Mila could tell she was thinking about shooting Brad. She’d killed a man to keep her husband and child safe. Not only had she taken a life, but the entire situation had happened because she and James decided to take drastic action against Mila.

There was no going back to the way things were.

“I can’t keep thinking of you in the same way,” Barb continued after James wrapped a comforting arm around her shoulders. “I realize now you’re probably the bravest and strongest person I know. You left everything familiar and traveled thousands of miles, all on your own.”

“I did it for a dumb reason,” Mila admitted. “I only told you guys that Brad and I broke up. I didn't tell you it was all a scam. He stole all the money I had, maxed out all my credit cards, and was keeping the money I gave him instead of handing it over to the rental agency. Until I met Carter and Gio, I was homeless and jobless.”

James huffed. “Even with all that, you didn’t ask us for a ticket home. You stuck it out. That’s a level of stubbornness I can admire.”

Mila felt tears gather in her eyes. After all these years, she couldn’t believe her parents were saying all this. Of course it took some extreme circumstances to get to this point, but a win was a win!

“Does that mean you’ll be attending the Alighting Ceremony?" Gio asked. She looked over her shoulder to see Gio and Carter standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her love for them swelled.

Gio winced and squinted his eyes. “We love you also,bellezza.”

Her aura must’ve gotten super bright.

She grinned at them and held out a hand. They both walked up, taking a place on either side of her and pressing close. This would never get old.

James’s question returned her attention to her parents. “What’s an Alighting Ceremony? Is that when you turn Mila into a vampire?” James looked scared but determined to face Mila’s new life head on.

“No, I’d never turn Mila,” Gio said with a shake of his head. “She’ll remain human but bound to us.”

“It’s your version of a wedding?” Barb asked, nodding her head rapidly. She kept talking before Gio could answer her. “It doesn’t matter. Yes, we’ll come back for the wedding, uh, Alighting Ceremony. Thank you!”

“The whole family will want to come down for it,” James said. “And probably a good percentage of Tea and Sioux Falls.”

Gio chuckled. “I’ll see about renting a large space.”