Driving back to Misty Meadows felt nostalgic, even though Rion had only moved away a couple years ago. It was weird. It must be a sign that he was getting used to his shared apartment with Noa.

Or maybe it was because they’d spent last week in Japan.

“They updated the sign,” Noa said, on their way in.

“It needed an update,” Rion said. “So, where to first?”

“I thought you said you wanted to stop by your place first,” Noa said.

“I mean, yes, but that could take a while,” Rion said with a fond huff. “Mom will want to talk. And she’s going to be happy to see you.”

Mom. He wasn’t quite used to saying it. Maybe he never would be. But every time the word left his lips, it made him feel warm and fuzzy and like everything was right with the world.

Sure, she wasn’t his real mom. His real mom was dead. But she loved him and his dad, and that was… It was something that Rion didn’t have words for. It made him endlessly happy.

“You think it’s not going to take a while once we stop by my aunt and uncle’s?” Noa said, rolling his eyes. “We’re going to be trapped once they find out I quit my job.”

“They’ll be happy for you,” Rion said. “I mean, you’ve pretty much got a new job. That new job is just…”

“Art commissions,” Noa said.

“And you might be working on a manga series with Shota.”

“I’m not sure if his idea is fully fleshed out. We’ll see. I don’t know all the details. I need to know more about his plans and what he wants to do, if it’s a one shot or a series. It’s…”

“It’s a lot. I know. You told me several times,” Rion said. “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.”

“Yeah. I know.”

They pulled up in front of Rion’s house and got out of the car, stretching. Rion headed up the front steps, Noa not far behind him.

“Rion, do I look okay?”

“What?” Rion said, glancing back at him. “You look fine. Why are you worried about that?”

Noa blinked at him and then glanced away, shrugging. “We’re seeing everyone today. I want to make a good impression.”

Rion had grown a couple inches taller, with Noa barely keeping up, shorter than him by half an inch. They’d both filled out, especially Noa, who was getting more active and jogging every morning. Noa had started growing a neatly trimmed beard, giving him a handsome, mature look.

“You’re fine,” Rion said with a smile. “You always look great.”

Noa rolled his eyes. “I wish you would stop saying that. I know it’s not true.”

“Trust me, if you have a giant stain somewhere or your fly’s unzipped, I’ll let you know,” Rion said.

“That’s not–”

He fell silent as Rion knocked on the door before stepping inside.

Mom came to greet them, her red hair wild.  Matt ran out behind her on tiny legs.

“Rion!” Matt cried.

Rion knelt so that he could pull his little brother into a tight hug.

“Hey, I missed you too!” he said, scooping him up in his arms and standing. “Oof… You’re getting huge! How old are you now?”

“Three!” Matt said proudly, holding up his fingers.

“Three!” Rion repeated. “You’re pretty much all grown up. I shouldn’t be carrying you around.”

“No, I like it!” Matt said, throwing his arms around him. “Carry me!”

“I hope you missed me too,” his mom spoke up, smiling at them.

“Of course,” Rion said, hugging her awkwardly with his free arm. “I always miss you.”

“Hi, Dr. Maes,” Noa said from behind him.

“Oh, Noa, just Laura is fine. Really,” she said with a big smile. “Come on in! It’s been a while. How was Japan?”

“Great!” Rion said.

“Busy,” Noa added as they stepped inside.

“Did you bring presents?” Matt asked them.

“Trust a kid to ask the important questions,” Rion said, setting Matt down. “Yeah, we got you some souvenirs. But we’ll give them to you later, okay?”

“Why?” Matt said with a pout.

“Because we need to get them out of the trunk,” Rion said.

“Let them sit down first and have a drink, okay Matt? They had a long drive,” Mom said. “Hart just put on coffee. He’s in the kitchen.”

In some ways, Rion was still adjusting to the fact that Dr. Maes – Laura – was his mom.

When he was still in therapy, his dad and Dr. Maes started talking. At first, they were just friends. Then Dr. Maes told Rion she wasn’t going to be able to see him anymore, because his dad wanted to go out with her.

It was a shock at the time.  Not a bad one, just…  It was a surprise.  But Dr. Maes helped him find a therapist first, someone who was a really good match.  And when she did start going out with his dad, neither one of them made him uncomfortable.

Somehow, it worked out. Actually, it worked out really well. Rion liked her and she brought out the best in his dad.

Then came Matt.  He was another surprise for Rion. Suddenly, he had a baby brother. It was a different kind of scary, wrapped up in awe and excitement. And it was crazy to think that the people in Rion’s life had expanded so quickly.

They were a family.

It felt right sitting in the kitchen with Noa and his parents, catching up. Matt got bored of the conversation, playing with some dinosaurs at the table while they chatted.

“Art commissions… That sounds like a lot of work,” Rion’s dad said.

“It can be,” Noa said. “It was paying several times more than my job at the bar. And that’s including the tips. I was starting to feel like I was losing money when I was working my day job. And I dropped out of university, so…”

“There’s a lot of options online too,” Rion added. “Noa got himself a great computer and this whole drawing tablet thing. Some people will pay him hundreds for a single drawing. And he’s building a name for himself.”

“So you’re doing digital art?” Mom asked.

“I prefer physical mediums,” Noa said. “I like pencils and paint. I’ve dabbled with a bit of everything, even sculpting. But most of my commissions are digital since it’s easier to send online.”

“We have enough space in our apartment that he’s got his art room, and I’ve got my gaming room,” Rion said. “Noa’s dad found us a great place to rent. I can’t stop thanking him.”

“I was going to ask you about that gaming stuff,” his dad said. “You’ve been doing all those YouTube videos. How’s it going?”

“It’s, uh… It’s going,” Rion said, his face heating up. “That, uh… It’s really taking off.”

He didn’t really want to talk about why it was taking off, though.

He’d started his YouTube channel mostly because he’d seen game walkthroughs and let’s-players uploading their stuff. He’d spent at least six years with games as his only companions, so he was confident he knew what he was doing. At first, he’d had a small audience. It grew slowly over time.

That changed when he’d started doing face-cam. He’d seen a huge boost in views. His numbers were growing, and he’d even gotten some requests to collab. And then he did a silly thing where he cross-dressed on April Fool’s, and…

He still hadn’t heard the end of it. People kept demanding that he come back in a maid dress. The numbers, requests, and attention were a little scary. He wasn’t used to it.

“It’s because you’re pretty,” Noa had told him, as if that explained everything.

It didn’t.

He was taking a break from posting this week. Rion still had his university classes. He hadn’t dropped out like Noa, and was still considering what he wanted to do for a real career.

“Rion’s popular online,” Noa said.

“I wouldn’t say popular,” Rion quickly added.

“His videos are good,” Noa added. “Have you seen any?”

“A few., yeah,” his dad said. “But I don’t know much about games. It’s a little lost on me. It looks like you’re having fun though, Rion.”

“Yeah. Yeah, for sure,” Rion said.

They chatted for a while before going to the car to grab their souvenirs. They handed them out before heading to the Murphys.

“I’m jealous,” Noa said on the way.

“What?” Rion said. “Jealous?”

Noa gave him one of his rare smiles. “You have the best mom.”

Rion snorted. “Yeah, okay. She’s pretty great.”

Arriving at the Murphys, they were greeted with the warmest of welcomes.

“Rion! Noa!” Mrs. Murphy said, hugging one and then the other. “It’s so good to see you!”

“Peter!” Mr. Murphy called. “Noa and Rion are here!”

Peter came running. He nearly breezed past Rion to get to Noa.

“Noa!” he said. “Noa, we’re done with the alpha! The game’s in beta now!”

“That’s great,” Noa said. “Are you working on something new?”

“That’s a secret,” Peter said. “But if we were, would you help with the art again? Glass Angel is stunning, and I would kill to have your talent for another project.”

“I’d be happy to,” Noa said. “You don’t even need to pay me. Last time was fun.”

“I’ll pay you,” Peter promised.

“Give him some breathing room,” Mrs. Murphy said with a small laugh.

“Did you want coffee?” Mr. Murphy added.

“No, we already stopped by my parents’,” Rion said. “It’s all good. But thanks.”

“Oh! Rion! I love your channel by the way,” Peter said, jumping on him next. “Our whole team subscribed. You think when Glass Angel releases, you could play the game? It would really help advertise.”

“Peter, I’m already sold,” Rion said. “It looks great, and I’ve seen all the work Noa put into it. I’m going to play it as soon as I can.”

“Awesome! Perfect!” he said.

“You sound like you’re running on ten energy drinks,” Noa said.

“Two cans of pop,” Peter corrected him. “I should get an energy drink. I pulled an all-nighter sending emails last night.”

“Geez,” Rion said with a weak laugh. “On today of all days?”

Peter had the grace to look sheepish. “I’m dealing with a lot. I always have ten million things to do. But I’m happy! Things are going well! It’s going to calm down soon. I’m going to have a mini vacation.”

“That’s good,” Noa said. “I’m going to get mad at you if you overwork yourself.”

They lingered for a few hours, catching up. Eventually they decided it was time to head to the graveyard and meet up with everyone. The Murphys hung back, wanting to pick up flowers, so Rion and Noa went ahead.

The drive was short, but Jesse had beaten them there. His roses were already on Amber’s grave. Sarina was there too, dressed in a pale pink suit jacket and dress pants.

“Hi,” Noa called out waving.

“Noa!” Sarina said enthusiastically, waving with both arms. “Hiii!”

“What is with that outfit?” Rion said as they all caught up.

“Work clothes,” Sarina said with a roll of her eyes. “I drove here right after I got off. Urgh. I hate it.”

“Where do you work?” Noa said. “That’s…uh…”

“I’m a clerk for the city,” she said. “People come to me to pay for parking tickets and all that trash. It’s the worst. Everyone’s an asshole. But the pay is pretty good.”

“Pink doesn’t suit you,” Rion told her.

“And I suppose you’re the fashion expert, huh?” she said with a roll of her eyes.

“No, but I have eyes,” he told her.

Things weren’t perfect between Rion and Sarina, but she’d kept her word.

Some part of him still didn’t trust her. His memories of how she’d treated him still lingered. But Sarina had made a lot of new memories.

She’d stuck up for him that last year in school. She even got smacked in the face by Eric once and really did charge him with assault. The whole thing had been crazy and started up about a million rumours.

Sarina wasn’t perfect, but she wasn’t the same girl she used to be. She was at least tolerable now, even if they weren’t friends.

“I have to agree with Rion,” Jesse spoke up. “That shade of pink doesn’t do you any favours, Sarina. It’s a bit…”

“Whatever,” she said, waving a hand. “I don’t care. If I blind the people at work, then good.”

“It’s great to see you both,” Jesse added, turning to Noa and Rion. “How are things?”

“Okay,” Rion said, a little more reserved.

Things were still a little awkward with Jesse.

None of them forgot what happened. Rion would always remember being carried down from the hospital roof by Jesse and Jesse would always remember carrying him. For better or worse, it left a permanent mark on their relationship. Coupled with what happened to Amber…

But, in a weird way, it was nice. They understood each other. And Rion had grown to appreciate the fact that Jesse had saved his life. He was grateful.

“Things are good,” Noa said. “How’s the new job? You’re a teacher now?”

“Yeah. Finally. Middle school,” Jesse said. “It’s good so far. A lot of work, a lot of planning.”

“A lot of holidays,” Sarina said to him.

“Yeah. There’s holidays,” he said with a small smile. “I’m looking forward to next summer.”

“Hey, guys!”

Danny had arrived with Monique.

“Danny! Hey!” Sarina said.

When Danny came bounding over, Sarina pulled him into a hug. Monique walked over and stuck a hand between them, waving in Sarina’s face.

“Be careful with my fiancé, Sarina,” she said.

“He’s my best friend. No need to be territorial,” Sarina said.

“Don’t be boring,” Monique huffed.

“It’s fine,” Danny laughed. “Wow! It’s so great to see everyone! Hugs, hugs, hugs!”

He lunged for Jesse next and then made sure to hug Noa and Rion. Monique shook her head behind him with a small, amused huff.

Rion, however, was attracted to the T-shirt she was wearing. It didn’t quite match with her ripped shorts, fishnets, and combat boots.

“The Very Noisy Bears?” he read aloud, studying the cartoonish image of several bears that looked like they were…in a ska band?

“Oh! Yeah! My band!” Danny said as Monique smoothed out the shirt for everyone to get a good look. “We really took off last year! We’re kind of niche-popular and do opening acts for stuff, but it’s great!”

“Danny is amazing,” Monique said. “Him and his friends are working really hard.”

“Aw, Moni. Thanks!” Danny said. “But yeah, we’ve been really busy.”

“Do you guys perform in the city?” Noa asked.

“Yeah, of course,” Danny said.

“Maybe we’ll come to one of your shows,” Rion said, already knowing where Noa’s thoughts were going. “I’d like to see you live.”

“Oh! Yeah! For sure!” Danny said. “That would be so awesome! I’ll let you know when and where our next show is! I’ll fire you guys a text or something.”

As Danny began to go on excitedly about the band, Travis and Celeste arrived. They took a bit to come over, since they had…

“My little baby nephew!” Sarina said, hurrying over to meet them. “Steve!”

“His name is Stéphane. Don’t call him Steve,” Travis said in annoyance.

“But he’s my nephew,” Sarina said. “And I’m his cool aunt. It’s my job to give him a cool nickname.”

Travis rolled his eyes while Celeste laughed, cradling the baby in her arms.

“It’s fine, Travis. She’s teasing,” Celeste said.

“Hey,” Jesse said, coming over. “How’s it going?”

“Great,” Travis said. “Been busy with work and stuff, but you know how it is.”

“How are you?” Celeste added.

“Not bad,” Jesse said, smiling down at Stéphane. “Hi, there.”

“Do you want to hold him?” Celeste asked.

While Jesse gently accepted the baby, cradling him in his arms with Celeste hovering nearby, Travis turned to Noa and Rion. He’d really cleaned up and no longer smelled of lingering incense and weed. Hard to tell if he had changed for Celeste or if she had changed him. Maybe a bit of both.

“Hi, Rion. Noa,” he greeted them.

“Hey,” Rion said.

The Murphys arrived then, with lilies for Amber. And then Rion’s family showed up. It was a pretty big crowd, everyone chatting and catching up.

It felt kind of like a family gathering. Except everyone had gathered for Amber.

Rion wished she could have been there to see it.

Eventually it got late. One at a time, they left. Rion and Noa got an invitation from just about everyone to come for coffee or supper or, in both of their family’s cases, to spend the night. They politely declined but made plans for later.

Danny, Monique, and Jesse were among the last to leave.

“Hey,” Danny said to Rion as Monique got into their car. “You still hang out with Russ, right?”

“Oh. Yeah,” Rion said. “We keep in touch.”

Rion had a moment a while back where he told some of the people he trusted that he was gay.

His parents, of course, accepted it without question. And Laura already knew from when he’d told her back when they still had sessions together.

Noa barely even reacted. He’d said, “okay” and been completely unbothered. The fact that he’d still wanted to be Rion’s roommate later despite that was still a little unreal to him. When Rion pestered him about it, worried that Noa might be secretly uncomfortable, Noa told him, “Why are you worried? If you’re gay, you’re gay. It doesn’t change anything.”

They were best friends. Noa treated him like a normal person. And Rion really valued that.

Danny was one of the other people Rion told, and Danny had been surprisingly cool about it. His older brother, Russell, was gay. The whole family knew, and Rion was surprised because…well…they were normal about it too. He’d never thought people would be okay with it and he wasn’t sure why.

Maybe he’d just been paranoid. Maybe it was the small-town atmosphere, gossip and rumours, and strong media impressions. Maybe he was afraid of being hurt. Maybe he would have been hurt if he told the wrong person.

Either way, he was happy that it worked out the way it did.

Danny had reintroduced Rion to Russell. Russell had become a good friend, someone who was happy to help introduce Rion to the community and a bunch of resources. It helped him feel normal.

Rion was eternally grateful to Danny for that.

“I think Russ was talking about doing stuff for Pride or whatever next year,” Danny said. “Did he talk to you about that?”

“Yeah, he mentioned it,” Rion said.

“Are you gonna get involved?”

“I don’t know. Maybe,” Rion told him with a shrug. “I’m not super open about it. I mean… I don’t want to wear my sexuality on my sleeve. It’s part of me, but it’s not my whole identity. You know?”

“Oh, I totally get it,” Danny said. “I was just curious. Monique and I were thinking of lending a hand, and I was wondering if you were going to be involved. It’s cool either way. Oh, Russ also owes me, like, fifty bucks. So, when you see him next, can you remind him?”

“Yeah,” Rion said with a laugh. “I’ll remind him.”

“No boyfriend yet?” Danny added.

“Some dates… Nothing’s really worked out,” Rion said. “I’m not trying that hard, so…”

“Well, I hope you find someone,” Danny said. “I really lucked out with Monique, you know? She’s amazing. You deserve someone like that in your life too.”

“Yeah. Maybe. It would be nice,” Rion said. “But it’s whatever.”

“Okay,” Danny said. “Take care, man. I’ll see you around.”

He left with Monique and then it was just Rion, Noa, and Jesse.

“I should get going,” Jesse said. “Lots to do.”

“Yeah. That’s the sad part of being a responsible adult,” Rion said.

“And the fact that I have school to deal with, even as an adult,” Jesse said with a lopsided smile. “You two take care.”

“Thanks, Jesse,” Noa said. “You too.”

Jesse took one final look at Amber’s grave. Rion had the impression that he was saying his own silent goodbye.

Then he was gone too. It was just Noa and Rion by themselves in the graveyard.

“We should think about leaving too,” Rion said. “We’ve got that drive back to the city. We should do it before dark.”

“Yeah,” Noa agreed.

And then they were both silent as they stood there, staring at Amber’s grave. It was piled up with flowers: lilies and yellow roses.

Rion picked at his friendship bracelet. It had taken him a long time to start wearing it again. Danny had kept it all this time, and when he was ready, he gave it back to him.

It was a reminder, just like the long, thin scar that marked his forearm.

It was strange to think of everything that happened, strange to think of how everything had changed. Rion couldn’t really wrap his head around it.

He still wished things were different. He still wished that they could go back and change the past. But they couldn’t, and the days kept passing, one by one. They kept living their lives day by day. And somehow, it worked out.

It wasn’t perfect. But it was…something.

“Goodbye, Amber,” Noa finally said.

“Goodbye,” Rion added. “See you next year.”

Still, neither one of them moved. Not yet.

Rion reached out. His knuckles brushed Noa’s. He readjusted, taking Noa’s hand in his. Noa gave him a squeeze. Rion squeezed back.

“Come on,” Rion said, turning to him. “It’s time to go.”

“Yeah,” Noa said, turning back to him, smiling faintly. “Let’s go home.”