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Penny

“WOW,” SOMEONE WHISPERS.

Penny doesn’t open her eyes. All she can see is the Shadow reaching out for her mom, wrapping its claws around her—

“Look at me, sweet pea.”

This is Penny’s imagination—Anita’s voice and her touch and the feeling of the bed shifting. A cold hand presses against her cheek. “Penny.”

She opens her eyes.

Anita is leaning on her elbow, watching her. Warm color has returned to her cheeks.

“Am I dreaming?” Penny asks, her voice a painful rasp.

“No, baby.” She runs a hand over Penny’s rain-damp hair. “My Penny.”

This is real. This is absolutely, undeniably real.

“Mom,” Penny says, and then they are in each other’s arms.

There’s a gasp and a crack as an expensive tablet falls to the floor. “Dear god,” says a nurse.

It’s like a bomb goes off. There’s a flurry of nurses around them, and then doctors, too, including Dr. Nussbaum, who tries to calm everyone down but is clearly just as shocked and confused as they are. The entire time, Penny cries into her mother’s shoulder as Anita rubs her back, whispering, “I know, I know.”

“Make way, make way! Big man coming through!” comes Ron’s voice. His face is red and puffy, and when he sees Anita, he gets redder and puffier. “Anita, you crazy bitch! They told me you were dead!”

Anita throws her head back and laughs.

The group from the football game is there: Naomi, Milton, Dylan, Corey, Alonso. James is shell-shocked, staring at Anita like she’s grown an extra head, while Helen shakes with silent tears.

“Ms. Barrion?” Penny says.

Helen steps forward, her lips parted, looking exactly the way Penny feels. Penny makes room, and Helen reaches out and takes Anita’s hand.

That’s when Penny finally sees Alonso.

His skin is luminous, his eyes bright and fixed on her. Something about him is different. He’s even more beautiful.

She throws her arms around him.

“Penny,” he whispers into her hair. “I did it. I didn’t think it was possible.”

Penny doesn’t get it. She’s about to tell him as much when it clicks.

She wasn’t imagining it after all. Her mom really was dead.

“Did you cross the Veil?” Penny asks.

A smile spreads over Alonso’s face, and Penny grabs his shoulders. “You said it was too dangerous.”

“But I’m fine,” Alonso says. “I feel strong. Like I could do it again.”

“But…” She looks him up and down, searching for signs of injury.

Alonso leans his forehead against hers. “Penny, I’m okay.”

As another sob escapes Penny’s throat, Alonso wraps his arms around her waist and buries his face in her hair.

Around them, the room is full of cheers and happy cries. Naomi is full-out sobbing, and Dylan dabs at a single tear as she shoves a packet of tissues at her. James grabs Corey’s shoulder, and something private passes between them. Ron is hugging Penny’s mom and Helen, snot running down his face. Alonso joins the group and lets Naomi cry into his shirt, and Penny kneels next to her mom, surveying the strange, beautiful scene.

That’s when Penny notices Milton. He’s staring at Alonso with a strange expression on his face. But when he sees Penny watching, his face softens into a smile.

Thank you , Penny mouths.

Then the room goes quiet.

Corey is tapping Alonso on the shoulder. Alonso turns away from Naomi, and when he sees Corey, his face falls.

“What?” Alonso says.

Then Corey pulls him into a hug.