Eli wandered downstairs the following Friday morning, stretching to wake himself up. Somewhere between yawning and rubbing his eyes, he thought he caught a glimpse of Dawn in the foyer.

“Hey, Dawn,” he murmured sleepily, “you think we’re gonna go to the bar again tonight…?”

He trailed off. Dawn stood at the front door, a suitcase at her feet. She no longer wore her own flannel—salmon pink, what Sherry had dug up for her—but a flowing top and skirt. Her fingers gripped the handle of the suitcase tightly.

Eli stopped on the last step, his stomach dropping to the floor.

“You…you leaving me?”

It meant to come out as half a joke—but the words cracked, and he forgot to smile as he said it. Dawn’s own smile was weak as she let go of the suitcase.

“Grim was able to get my parents to rendezvous at a rest stop just north of here,” she said quietly. “I’ll be talking to them, then…” She glanced at the door. “It’s best that I head out after that. Find a place to live, apply for the spring semester...”

Eli descended the last step, swallowing hard against a lump in his throat. “You decide on that place you liked? Santa Barbara?”

Dawn wiped a tear from her cheek. “Yeah. Figured I beat you out there, find all the best bars before you join me and get us kicked out of them.”

The lump grew tighter. “You’re always five steps ahead of me, Kerighin.”

He hardly had to reach out his arms before she leapt forward to hug him. His throat hurt from the effort it took not to cry, and the force of it surprised him.

Then again, she was the last familiar face he had left from his old life, and she was about to fly across the country.

“You can’t go.” He hiccuped into her hair. “Who’s gonna laugh at all my stupid agency jokes?”

Dawn let out a sob against his shoulder. “They were pity laughs, Valenz.”

“I knew it.” He gave her shoulders a squeeze and pulled away. “Santa Barbara looks nice. Suits you, I think.”

She squeezed his arm. “You’re still following me out there, right?”

He nodded, wiping at his cheek with the heel of his palm. “I’ll see you soon. I just need to…I need to figure some things out first.”

The rest of the cabin gradually filtered into the foyer, offering their own hugs and goodbyes.

“You promise you’ll log on and play with me once you have a console?” Banneker gave a cracked smile and waved his phone. “I’ve already got you on the group chat, I ping it whenever I’m on…”

Dawn pulled him into a hug. “Banneker, you’re always on. Yes, I promise I’ll play.”

Sherry and Ambrose were next. Sherry stuffed snack bags into her suitcase, while Ambrose waited more patiently at the door.

“You’ll tell us when you’ve applied?” he asked, and gave one of his small smiles when she nodded. “Good. Don’t worry about applying to scholarships.”

Dawn rolled her eyes and grabbed her suitcase. “Yeah, like my fake life history is gonna warrant me a full ride—“

“No full ride necessary.” Ambrose opened the door. “The money will be in your account when you need it.”

Both Dawn and Eli froze and looked at him. There was no hint of a smile of his face.

“Ambrose…” Dawn started. He shook his head and gestured to the car in the driveway.

“It’s the least I can do. Now, your parents should be arriving at the rest stop in twenty minutes.”

Dawn continued staring at him for a moment, then gave him a hug. His eyebrows rose, but he returned it.

“Thank you,” she half-whispered, then dragged her suitcase onto the porch and across the gravel. As Ambrose and Eli remained at the doorway to watch her go, Grim slid past them, then paused.

“I’ll be able to set up a meeting with you and your sister in three days,” they muttered to Eli. “You sure you don’t want to head out right after that?”

Eli shook his head. More tears sprang into his eyes at the mention of his sister. “No, I…I need a little more time.”

Grim nodded, then headed out to the car. Ambrose and Eli stood in silence as the car backed out of the driveway, then disappeared through the trees.

“Full ride, huh?” Eli mumbled once the tightness in his throat had eased. “That’s not nothing, Ames.”

“This entire situation is my fault,” Ambrose said softly. His voice sounded as strained as Eli’s. “Like I said, it’s the least I can do.” He turned to Eli. “Applies to you as well. Once you decide what you want.”

“Anything I want?”

“Anything.”

There was something in his eyes that Eli couldn’t look at for too long. He glanced at the floor, forcing a smile to his lips. “What if I wanna open up a seaside bar and surf for the rest of my life?”

Ambrose paused, then let a grin break on his face. “You want me to pay for surf lessons and a liquor license?”

Eli shrugged. “Cheaper than an engineering degree.”

Ambrose set his hands in his pockets and leaned against the doorway. “I suppose. But only if you’ll let me visit now and then.”

“Will I have to pretend not to know you?”

“Only if you want.” His voice went quiet. “But I hope you don’t.”