“Sara: "You are so brave," I tell her, and then I smile. "When I grow up, I want to be just like you."To my surprise, Kate shakes her head hard. Her voice is a feather, a thread. "No Mommy," she says. "You'd be sick.”

“You can still tell Mommy that you love her and that you’ll miss her, and she’ll hear everything you say.”I looked at Mommy but quickly shook my head. “I don’t want to miss her.”

“I looked at Mommy but quickly shook my head. "I don't want to miss her."Becky put her soft, warm hand on my shoulder, just like Mommy used to when I was upset. "Your mom wants to be here with you. She wants that very much. But Jesus wants her with him right now."I frowned. "I need her more than Jesus does.”

“You starting to feel hope yet?" Viola asks, her voice curious."No," I say, fuddling my noise. "You?"Her eyebrows are up but she shakes her head. "No, No.""But we're going anyway.""Oh, yeah," Viola says. "Hell or high water.""It'll probably be both," I say.”

“I want to be a Huntress when I grow up!" shouted a voice from the throng.Kyna rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You can't be a Huntress, Liam. You're not a centaur and you're not a female.”

“I don’t know if I can do this anymore,” Jack’s husky voice muttered sounding defeated. It was such a strange sound coming out of him. “I know what you mean."“I’m not sure I want to break up with Kate though."That snapped her right out of her own pity party. Break up with Kate! Holy shit! “Uh, Jack?”He tilted his head to look at her under his thick dark lashes. “Yes, my dear?”“You’ve been thinking of breaking up with Kate?” She couldn’t keep the disbelief out of her voice.He nodded choking on his own words. “Ever since I saw you like a vision on the beach the first day you got here.”“Wh…Why would you do that?” She knew the answer. But she wanted to hear him say it.“I thought that was quite obvious…for you.”