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Noah grins. “Okay, Mommy.”

I watch as Vicki takes Noah’s hand, my heart swelling at the sight. Despite her bravado, Vicki is an attentive and gentle big sister.

“Come on, Noah,” Vicki says. “We get a whole weekend with our family.”

I catch Addy’s expression and smile. Listening to our children erases any shred of doubt I’ve carried about pursuing this move.

“We’ll see you in a bit,” Addison promises.

“Emma?” Christie calls to me.

I turn and offer my friends a smile.

“Are you sure you and Addy want to leave here?” Christie asks.

“I’m sure I want to be closer to both of you—if we can make it happen,” I reply.

“Your family is here,” Christie says.

Sandra smiles at me knowingly.

“Only part of our family,” I say. “No matter where we go, we’ll miss someone, and someone will miss us. It isn’t only me and Addy who miss you.”

“No kidding,” Sandra says. “Brody has loads of friends, but he never stops talking about Vicki.”

I take a deep breath. “You know,” I begin. “When Addy and I met, I considered walking away from acting completely.”

Christie doesn’t look surprised, but Sandra appears shocked.

“It’s true,” I say. “Before Addy and I admitted how we felt, I knew I loved her. I was here in Kansas when I learnedFoundwas canceled. She’d given me the draft of the pilot forOff Screen.Itwas brilliant. I kept reading it, and I couldn’t deny it any longer—how much I loved her. But I thought it would be selfish of me to bring her into my world. I worried about the attention she’d get because of me, and I feared the blowback from our relationship might hurt her chances of launching a project. After talking to my mom, I decided to fly back to LA and tell Addy I loved her and would give anything to be with her. I’d give up my career if she asked. And I was prepared to walk away from it.”

My mind wanders back to the first time I told Addy I loved her—the first time we made love.

“But the moment I saw her, the moment she looked at me, I knew I would never need to walk away from acting. She was right. Everyone deserves a life out of the spotlight. It wasn’t easy—in fact, sometimes, it still isn’t. I wish I could claim hearing nasty things people say about her or our family doesn’t hurt. It does. But it doesn’t cling to us.” I sigh. “I love being here—we both do, but I think I also wanted to believe I could separate Emma from Emmie—that somehow keeping my family here would erase the unkindness fame can invite. Even if I quit—never returned to a stage or a set, there would be chatter—old or new. I don’t know if we’ll ever strike a perfect balance,” I confess. “But I know we’ve missed you. And God help me, I don’t want to walk away from my career. I don’t need the spotlight, but I also know it’s likely to shine on all of us again.”

Christie’s known me the longest of any of our friends—almost as long as Addy has known Tam.

“Well,” Christie says, “There isn’t anyone I’d rather share the stage, screen, or spotlight with than the two of you.”

“Same,” Sandra agrees.

I smile. “What do you say we seal it with some wine?”

“Lead on,” Christie says.

“Um, Em?” Sandra asks.

“Yeah?”

“You don’t really think they might bring back a snake, do you?” Sandra asks.

Christie and I look at each other and laugh, knowing they’ll come back with something creepy, crawly, or slimy.

“Em?” Sandra asks again.

“Don’t worry,” Christie says. “Tam talks a good game. Anything slipperier than a frog, and she’ll run with Addy for the hills.”

I laugh. “And that’s alongrun,” I say.