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“What do you want to do now, Jenna?” asked Kari. “Your attackers are gone, and you can now do whatever you like. There’s a place for you here if you want to stay with us.”

“Thank you,” she nodded weakly. “I’m not sure what I want to do, to be honest with you.”

“That’s understandable,” said Bree. “If you had the opportunity after high school, what did you want to do?”

“Well, I wanted to be a teacher, and I did get my teaching degree. I was teaching at the convent’s school when – when the attack happened. Maybe I could do that again one day.”

“I can see where you’d make a wonderful teacher,” smiled Kat. “You’ve been a joy to work with here. You’re a special woman, Jenna.”

“Thank you. All of you have changed my life in so many ways.”

“What about Nash?” asked Kari carefully. She didn’t want to put any pressure on the woman, but they could all see that Nash was desperately in love with the woman he’d desired since ninth grade.

“Nash,” she whispered. “He’s such a good man. I want him to find happiness. He deserves that, but there can’t possibly be a woman good enough for him out there.”

The women all stared at one another and then looked back at Jenna. She had no clue that he still had feelings for her.

“Jenna, Nash cares for you. Deeply,” said Georgie. “Maybe you could continue to heal here and perhaps rekindle that friendship with Nash.”

“Maybe,” she said quietly. “I’ve been thinking lately that maybe it’s time I went home for a while.”

“Isn’t all your family gone?” frowned Bree.

“Y-yes. I meant, go back to Arizona and find some closure. I left the day after I graduated from high school. I never returned. I went home when my family all died, but it was brief, and I came right back. Maybe going home will allow me to feel again. Feel something good.”

“It could be difficult, Jenna,” said Bree.

“I’m all for you going back to your childhood home but remember that this will bring up painful memories for you as well.

You’ll be seeing your old home if it’s still there.

Your old schools. Maybe even run into old friends. Are you sure you’re ready to do that?”

“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I’m not sure of anything, to be honest with you. I just know that I can’t sit here and do nothing for much longer, or I’m going to lose my mind.”

“You’re not doing nothing,” said Georgie. “You’re healing. That’s all you should be doing.”

Jenna nodded, then looked at the group of women in front of her.

“Were you all raised here?” she asked.

“I was raised in New Orleans,” said Kari. “I met Pierre when he was sent to guard me before a trial.” She nodded and looked at Georgie.

“My father was part of the original security group, REAPER,” she said. “I was born in Virginia and then moved here.” She looked at Katrina.

“Oh, my father, Miguel, knew the team when they were in Virginia. They rescued me when my uncle kidnapped me. I’ve been around them my entire life, obviously falling in love with Nathan,” she smiled.

“I met the team when Steel Patriots was based in northern Virginia,” said Bree. “I was counseling Grace, and that’s when I met Doc.”

“Have you traveled?” she asked the group.

“We have,” nodded Kari. “We’ve been to several countries and, of course, sometimes travel for work.”

“What are you getting at?” asked Bree.

“I’ve never been anywhere other than my parents’ home and the convent. Now, here. That’s it. I’d bet you all dated, had other boyfriends, partners, that kind of thing. You had girlfriends, sleepovers, and parties. I haven’t had any of that.”

“We could do that here, Jenna,” whispered Bree, reaching for her hand.

“I know,” she nodded. “I’d like to see if there are any of the people that I knew from high school still in Arizona.

Where have their lives taken them? Did they have children?

Are they even alive? I’ve been cut off from everything and everyone or lost them.

I just feel as though I need to connect again. ”

“You’re sure?” asked Kari.

“I think so,” she nodded.

“You need to let us send someone with you,” said Kat. “We’d all feel much better.”

“No. I don’t think…” Her voice trailed off as she looked out the window, seeing Nash standing in the grove.

“Ask him to go with you,” said Bree. “He’d go.”

“I’ll think about it,” she said, smiling at them as she stood. “No matter what, I’ll never forget what you all did for me. I haven’t had a lot of exposure to female friends, but this is what I dreamed it would be like. I’ll write to you all.”

Jenna turned and left the conference room, leaving the women to sit quietly for a long moment.

“I’m scared to death for her,” said Katrina.

“Same,” said Kari. “I wish there was a way to keep her here. I’m not sure she’s ready to be out there alone.”

“Did you all know that she’s been at that same convent her entire adult life and never even drove to a major city? She only flew home for the funerals of her family members and flew back. That woman is about as green as you can get,” said Bree.

They watched as she walked toward Nash, stopping more than arm’s length away from him. She gave him a shaky smile, unable to actually look him in the face. He tried to smile at her, lowered himself to hopefully get her to look up at him, but no luck. She just stared down, speaking to him.

“I’ve never prayed so hard for a love match to happen since my own,” whispered Georgie. The other women nodded.

“Amen.”