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“Maybe silly is the wrong word. Seeing you on the floor with your brother and sister. Hearing them talk to you… it’s a dream come true.” Her voice catches, but she shakes herself. “They’ve always known about you. That one day you might come home, and they would get to meet you.”

I stare at her, not sure what to make of her statement. I picked up on Lois’s comment earlier, but this is different.

“Why?” I ask, unable to keep the surprise from my tone.

Sarah’s eyes fill with more tears. “Because it’s always been my dream. To have my baby back.” The sob she lets out breaks something inside me, and I take the woman who gave birth to me into my arms and rock her while the years of despair come flooding out. I’m not sure when we’re joined by the others, but I find myself enveloped in a group hug. Lois and Nick hugging our legs.

“It’s okay, Mummy,” Lois says. “April’s home now.”

I bend down and take her face in my hands. “I am,” I say, looking up at my mother and knowing the words are true. I’ve come home, and I will try my hardest to create a future where they are.

Tim and Caleb are standing by the door. Tim’s expression does little to hide the emotion he’s feeling, and Caleb looks at me, his eyes glowing with—love.

The rest of the day flies by. I teach Nick a dance, and Lois shows her dance. By the end of the day, everyone is exhausted.

“Do you really have to go?” Lois says, clinging onto me, tears streaming down her cheeks. “We’ve only just found you.”

I pull her into my arms. “I promise I’ll be back to see you soon,” I say, stroking her hair back and wiping her tears, only to have Nick throw himself at me too, nearly knocking me off my feet. He buries his head in my shoulder, and I scoop him up, standing with him wrapped in my arms.

“Don’t go,” he howls, following his sister’s lead.

“Hey guys, April has to work. She’s a big sister. So, like Mummy and Daddy, she must go out to earn money,” Tim says, stepping forward.

I give Nick one last squeeze before handing him to his dad.

“I will be back, or maybe once I move into my new apartment, you could come and visit me. Maybe you could come to one of my dance classes.”

Both children’s heads fly up, their eyes going to their parents. “Can we?” they both chime, making me laugh.

“We can discuss it,” Sarah says firmly. “April needs to have time to settle into her new apartment.”

“Awww, but that will be ages,” they chime, making me laugh. Looking at them both, I don’t think this is something they’ll let drop.

“Or you can stay at mine. I have plenty of room and a pool,” Caleb says, all eyes spinning to him. My mouth drops open.

“What?” he says, smirking at me as if my surprise is unfounded.

“You only let the boys stay,” I say in my defence.

“I’m a boy, so is Daddy,” Nick chirps up.

“That you are,” Caleb says, ruffling his hair.

“I want to be a boy,” Lois says, her bottom lip wobbling as if she’s afraid she’s going to be excluded.

“I also let my sisters stay sometimes,” Caleb says, smiling down at her. She returns his smile with a watery one of her own. “And I let your sister stay, so I think I can stretch to letting you and your mummy stay.”

Lois steps forward, only to have Caleb swing her up and into his arms. “How does that sound?”

“Perfect,” Lois says, wrapping her arms around his neck and planting a kiss on his cheek.

“That’s sorted then. We just need to arrange a date.”

Sarah steps in. “We’ll let you get home, and we can put our diaries together,” she says, allowing everyone a breather, an out.

I step forward and take her hands in mine.

“I want that,” I say, letting her know I want to see them again. “Thank you for a wonderful weekend. It’s been more —” My voice catches.