Though I made it back from Sheelin, I’m rather well done as far as steaks go. You can’t walk away from transitioning unscathed. My skin is leather. I can’t move a muscle, but when Brody’s lips touch mine, I breathe a sigh of relief. Not an actual breath. I don’t need to do that now. I probably will, anyway. Kind of creeps me out not having to, if we’re being honest.

He peppers kisses across my face, and everywhere he kisses, my skin rights itself. Except, it isn’t his kisses curing me. It’s his tears finishing the healing process. Prodigal water baby for the win. He works his magic down my neck and arms. Before too long, I’m whole again. I knew he was part of me. I knew he helped me become who I am, but I hadn’t considered how literal the connection was. My fire flows through him, along with my humanity. That humanity isn’t just his now any more than it was just mine at the start. It’s ours. We’re one. United, we can’t run out of fuel. We’ll share it, pass it back and forth, truly completing each other. We’ve achieved absolute synergy.

He rests his cheek against mine. “I didn’t think I’d ever see you again.”

“I had to come back. I never got my cake.”

He chuckles. “Still on about that cake?”

“I’d settle for hotcakes,” I state resolutely.

“You are that,” he agrees.

I press my lips to his one more time. They’re warm, inviting, and, most of all, familiar. “My knight in shining armor.”

He rolls his eyes. “Are you tired?”

“No, I don’t sleep anymore, remember?”

“How will you spend all your free time?”

“Doing anything we want,” I claim happily.

“How about what you want?” He brushes my hair from my face so he can gaze directly into my eyes.

“Oh, I’ll do that when you’re sleeping.”

He chucks fresh pants at me. Not my favorite pair, though. Burned those bad boys right up. Saddest flame-induced misfortune ever.

“Are we going somewhere?” I bat my lashes. Flecks of ash fall to my cheeks.

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He grins that mega-watt grin I adore. “Where do you think we’re going? Their incessant chatter is rattling my eardrums. You don’t hear them?”

“Only you, Brody. I can only hear you.”

“Lucky you.”

“I really and truly am.” I nod emphatically. More ash falls. I should have a wash. Meh, maybe later.

“I’m sorry I missed Mom and Dad’s reunion.”

He cringes.

“Why the face? Where are they?”

“Just outside.” He frowns. “The reunion was short, Sheyla. He sort of freaked out when she told him about you.”

“Where are they?” I repeat, my anxiety rising.

Dad barges through the door, nearly knocking me over in the process of wrapping himself around me like a boa constrictor.

“Hey, you.” I pat him firmly on the back. Soft circles won’t cut it. “I’m cool. Brody saved me.”

He lets out a shuddering breath, sobbing into my ruined hair. Mom joins him. What a dirty, gross, amazing hugfest. He reaches behind us, hauling Brody in. He oomphs but gleefully gets aboard the joy train. This right here, Folks. I have everything I could ever want. Almost.

Downstairs, the gang’s all here, and they look to be celebrating.

“Am I interrupting my goodbye party?”

“No,” Barry contends. “It’s your homecoming party.”

“You couldn’t have known I was coming back,” I reason.

They all laugh.

“We knew,” Tally admonishes, grimacing as she picks out tephra from my curls.

“Well, that was the plan,” I remind her. “There was a pretty majestic explosion. To be precise, it was Fire Supreme…and he kind of imploded, not exploded.”

“Faith,” Ryan declares. “You need to get some of that.”

Declan and Kiley are sitting in a chair, proofing pictures she’s taken with her new camera. “How many are of the landscape, and how many are of you?” I tease.

“Half and half,” Declan replies cheerfully. “Balance is important. Are you coming to our gig tonight?”

I lift a brow. “Your gig? Already?”

Kiley beams. “It’s a college town! There are so many bars to play in.”

I position myself on Brody’s lap, leaning back against his chest. It started like this for us, with me waking up and wanting to extricate myself from his steely grip. I honestly wouldn’t mind it ending here. He whispers in my ear, “You know, we could sneak upstairs. Dinner won’t be ready for a little while, and you don’t technically need to eat.”

As tempting as it is, we have all the time in the world, and our time with our friends is precious. Fleeting. We’re as complete as we can ever be, and we did it together, from the beginning to the end. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn’t outrun the fire within me. I never needed to. Seriously, I don’t want to. It’s part of me, part of everything I have ever and will ever accomplish.

Loud and off-key singing knocks into my reinforced steel thought train, bringing me back to the now. Brody’s chest is rumbling at my back as they present me with the greatest gift in the history of all time.

A cake.

For me.

If I could cry, tears would be streaming down my face. Happy tears. Obviously.

I scrunch up my nose. “Can I eat it? Do I…digest food?”

Tally’s derisive snort isn’t giving me any answers.

“Your gut will burn it out. You can put whatever you want in there. It’s all empty calories,” Brody murmurs.

“Let the cake eating commence!” I announce enthusiastically.

Finally. Eating cake. Surrounded by all the people I love. Hot damn, my life is delicious.