If you knew how lonely my life has been
And how long I’ve been so alone
If you knew how I wanted someone to come along
And change my life the way you’ve done
It feels like home to me
It feels like home to me
It feels like I’m all the way back where
I come from
– Feels Like Home, Chantal Kreviazuk

---

March 2011

Crichton-Clark Institute: Victor’s Office

Victor had rarely seen his sister-in-law so giddy as she had been when she swept into his office, her eyes blazing with that glint of evil he’d come to expect from her. “Darling, have you killed a small child today?” he asked, idly as he leaned back.

“On the contrary, I am going to save a small child today.” She sat in a chair, smiling smugly at him. “Do you remember Katherine Bell?”

“Of course. Hard to forget the woman who sauntered into my nephew’s murder trial. She was a patient here for a time, was she not?”

“Yes. And I thank you for all the support you’ve given me over the years. My newest patient should be arriving at the lab on the island as we speak. I used the same methods I did back when I retrieved Ms. Bell.” Helena rose and went over to the window to look out over the extensive grounds. “Little Jake Webber will be the first patient in our program.”

“Jake Webber,” Victor repeated. “You were looking for a way to destroy her through Jason Morgan. This is his son?”

“Yes.” Helena smiled again. “It’s lovely when an opportunity just slides into your lap. My man at the hospital informed me that Jake Webber was in an accident and organ donation is being considered. All it took was the exchange of some funds, a few calls to some old friends—”

“Organ donation? This seems risky—”

Helena waved that away. “I’ve taken care of that. Jasper Jacks will owe me a very large favor one day. Fortunately for both us of, he already had investigated the black market. I’ve merely agreed to help facilitate the transplant. Everyone would believe Jake Webber is dead.”

“And once you’ve accomplished that?”

Helena tapped her chin. “I really hadn’t thought that far ahead. I’ll think of a use for him later. For now, I just want Elizabeth Webber to suffer.”

Friday, November 3, 2017

Greystone Manor: Living Room

Carly paced the room, biting at her nails, glaring at Sonny. “Why can’t anyone find him? Why can’t you make him answer his phone—”

“Because he doesn’t answer to me,” Sonny said with a sigh as he looked at his phone again. At the list of missed calls. “Carly—”

“I didn’t mean for him to find out that way—”

“I asked you,” came a new voice from the doorway, “to just give him a few weeks.”

Carly and Sonny both turned to find Michael standing in the doorway, his face strained. Sonny got to his feet, sliding his phone into his pocket. “Michael—”

“I asked you,” Michael repeated, “not to start in on Jason about Ava. I told you that it would bring up ancient history that none of us wanted to drag out right now. Jason—” He paused. “He came to see me, and I wasn’t ready for it. I didn’t have answers for him. And I made it worse.”

“I’m sure that’s not true,” Sonny began, but Michael looked at him. Sonny stepped back, startled to see that the expression in his son’s eyes looked so much like that terrible night three years earlier when Michael had learned the truth and pointed a gun at him.  “Michael—”

“If Jason had been here, he would have helped you get away with murdering my father,” Michael said flatly. “Which is not something I wanted to say to him.”

“No, no—” Carly shook her head. “He wouldn’t—”

“I just wanted to forget it,” Michael said, squeezing his eyes shut. “I can most of the time, but you never stop, Mom. You always have to be right. You always have to make sure you come out on top—”

“Michael—” Carly reached for her son’s arm, but Michael wrenched it away. “You forgave me. You forgave your father—”

“Is that what I did?” Michael bit out. “Because it doesn’t feel like it right now. I tried to take your side, Mom. I tried to tell Jason that it’s been a bad year, but damn it, Mom, you aren’t the only one who lost Morgan!”

Stricken, Carly shook her head. “I know that, but—”

“And you aren’t the only one who’s ever lost someone he loved,” Michael snapped at Sonny. “The two of you walk around like you’re the only ones who matter. What Ava did was terrible. Awful. But she didn’t kill Morgan.”

“Yes, she did—”

“No. Olivia Jerome did. Ava made things worse, but hey, you know all about that, don’t you? You’ve been doing that since you got to Port Charles—”

“Michael—” Sonny as Carly fell back, tears sliding down her cheeks. “Don’t—”

“I forgave you,” Michael said to Sonny. “And you,” he said to his mother. “But don’t ever think that means I forgot what you did to my father. You stole years from him. Years!” he burst out, startling them. “And Jason helped you!”

“He—” Carly pressed a fist to her mouth. “It didn’t start like that—”

“No, it never does with you—” Disgusted, Michael turned away from both of them. “You couldn’t let Jason have a week of being grateful to Ava after she risked her life to get him out of the clinic. You couldn’t stand it. So you went after her. Because who the hell cares about Jason and what he’s been through, huh? And Grandma—you never gave a damn about what you put her son through! All you care about is you!”

“No!”

“Just so you know—I’m still Michael Quartermaine,” Michael told them as Sonny took a deep breath. “I never changed my name back. I never will. Because I owe that much to my father.”

He stormed out, and shattered, Carly turned her tear-stained face to Sonny. “Go after him—”

“Why?” Sonny said dully as he sat down. “I told you. He told you. Let Jason have the space. Leave Ava alone. But you couldn’t do that. And now it’s all starting again.” He exhaled slowly, staring into space. “When is it going to be enough, Carly? When are you gonna stop acting like you’re the only one that matters?”

Carly lifted her chin, folded her arms. “I am not the one who pulled the trigger,” she sneered. “You murdered AJ, not me! And then you screwed the woman who actually killed Connie on his grave! All I did was try to help you and protect Michael—”

“Well, maybe it’s time you stop.” Sonny got to his feet. “I’m going upstairs. Stop calling Jason. He’ll get in touch when he’s ready.”

“Sonny!”

“Stay out of it for once.”

Vista Point: Observation Deck

Jason let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding as he followed Elizabeth to the railing. He stared out over the harbor where the lights of Wyndemere were visible across the water.

“I think I was expecting this place to be gone, too,” he admitted, sliding his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “What happened to Jake’s—the Floating Rib, I mean?”

“Oh, Coleman sold it to Mac,” Elizabeth said with a wrinkle of her nose. “And Mac turned it into a normal bar. I never go there anymore. If you want the dive experience, you should try Joe’s. It’s three blocks over.”

“Thanks.” Jason leaned against the railing, turning away from the view. He hadn’t even realized how much he’d needed the bike until he’d straddled it and switched on the engine. When Elizabeth had climbed on behind him, sliding her arms around his waist, something had just slipped quietly into place in his brain. It felt right.

And when he’d turned onto the cliff road that wound up to Vista Point, when he’d pushed the gas, and the wind had rushed past his face, and he could hear Elizabeth’s squeals of laughter behind him —

He’d felt like he was home.

“Why was your day bad?” Jason asked. “You said you needed the ride.”

“Oh.” Elizabeth pursed her lips. “I don’t know. You remember when you came home that second time? You know when I spent my entire life complaining about Lucky until you probably wanted to heave me into the harbor?”

“Vaguely,” Jason said dryly. He followed her over to the bench and sat down next to her. “Did you hear from him or something?”

“No. I just remember being sick of my own voice back then.” Elizabeth met his eyes. “Sometimes I think about the choices I’ve made, the people I’ve trusted, and I get really angry with myself for being stupid. Today was a day when I couldn’t get away from those choices. That’s all.”

Jason narrowed his eyes. “You’re not having issues with Franco, are you?” Because he could really get into making that asshole disappear for good this time.

“No.” She paused. “No,” Elizabeth repeated more firmly. “And don’t look at me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you don’t believe me.” She narrowed her eyes. “I can handle myself.”

“I know you can.” Jason paused. “You shouldn’t have to.” Then he squinted. “Can you explain how…that happened?” he asked. “Because I don’t get it. I know Carly dated him, too—almost married him—and I just—”

“I didn’t buy the tumor thing at first either,” Elizabeth admitted, “and I was angry at Carly for getting him released. I think—well, at the time, she still thought he was your brother. And I don’t know, maybe she thought that she could find a connection to you. I can’t really explain Carly. I stopped trying a long time ago.” Elizabeth looked away, straight ahead towards the parking lot. “I was going through a bad time. I’d lied about Jake Doe’s identity, and everyone knew it. Everyone knew I’d tried to keep Jason away—sorry—” She said with a wince. “But—”

“But it’s how you understood the situation,” Jason said a nod.

“I’d tried to keep him away from his family. From Sonny and Carly, from Sam and Danny.” Elizabeth sighed, stared at her hands. “And it was so stupid. So insanely stupid to try to get married and think I’d get away with it. I just—I was so tired of losing. Of never getting the happy ending. And I thought—well, Sonny and Carly have stolen theirs a dozen or so times. So has everyone else.” She met his eyes. “I just—I wanted it to be my turn. But literally, everyone in town was angry with me. All I had were my boys and Gram.”

She rubbed her arms. “And Jake was struggling being home. He was struggling with Jason—with Drew—” she corrected, “being gone. He wanted him to come home. Especially since he thought it was his father. And Cameron was going through a rough time because Drew was going to adopt him before it blew up. I took a torch to everything, including my boys. Patrick had moved away, then Sabrina died — I felt like I was alone. And then Franco—” She sighed. “He just seemed to understand. And it was like he was a different person. Like maybe the tumor being gone had changed things.”

Restless, Elizabeth shoved herself to her feet. “It was never right,” she admitted. “People started to forgive me, and I wasn’t so isolated. And, well, Tom Baker got out of jail,” she added, “and that was a whole thing that just seemed like a nightmare.”

“Tom Baker?” Jason repeated. “What? The man—”

“He’s dead now. His brother killed him,” Elizabeth continued. “But for a long time, I just felt like I was struggling to keep my head above water. I couldn’t breathe. Then my grandmother died a few months ago, and the lies started all over again—” Elizabeth turned back to him. “I can’t explain it, Jason. Because I look at him now, and I don’t even see the man I thought he was. It feels like all the mistakes I made with Lucky again. Making excuses. Twisting myself inside and out. And it was just—” She made a face. “I feel stupid even thinking about it.”

“Don’t,” Jason said. “I get it.”

Elizabeth raised her brows. “Do you really?” she asked skeptically. “Because I don’t—”

“I married Sam,” he said, plainly, and she looked away. “After everything she did to hurt you, putting Jake and Cameron in danger. I let her back into my life, didn’t I?”

“I don’t think Franco and Sam are the same,” Elizabeth said.

“No, they’re not. But that doesn’t mean I don’t understand how you can change your mind about someone and hope they’re someone you can trust even after they’ve hurt people you love.”

“Thanks,” she said. She sat back down. “My bad day was just Franco trying to make me forgive him, and me being angry at myself all over again that I put myself and the boys in that situation. What about you?”

“What about me?” Jason repeated dubiously.

“Well,” she said. “How about we start with this? Michael came to the hospital, upset, looking for you. He told me what happened.” She tipped her head to the side. “Your turn.”

Kelly’s: Parking Lot

Drew would have passed by the woman who was pulling her purse out of her back seat without a second thought — except she turned to face him and gasped, the purse falling to the ground.

“Drew,” she murmured, her dark eyes wide and her face pale, even under the faint light of the lights in the parking lot.

He turned to her, shook his head. “I’m sorry. I don’t know—”

“No, no—” She held up a hand. “No, you don’t know me. And I don’t—” The woman forced a smile. “I don’t know you. Not like this. I just—I saw your picture in the paper this morning. And—” She huffed. “I’m Kim. Kim Nero. I used to be married to you.” She made a face. “I might still be. I don’t really know how any of this works.”

“Kim Nero,” Drew repeated. “Okay. Your face—I think we met once at Sonny and Carly’s. With Joss and—” He stopped. Oscar. He’d seen the boy who was supposed to his son. He’d looked at him. Shaken his hand. And hadn’t felt a thing.

Oh, God.

“With Oscar,” Kim said. “He’s—he’s handling this okay, you know. It helps,” she continued, “that he knows Joss and Cam. So he gets this has been hard for you. Impossible, really. And he also knows you don’t remember him.” She hesitated. “I don’t know if he really gets what that means. But maybe it’ll help that you don’t look like you used to.”

“Maybe,” Drew said faintly. “I—I don’t know what to do,” he admitted. “I know—the tests came back. I know who I’m supposed to be. I just don’t feel like that man.”

“I can’t even imagine,” Kim murmured. She rubbed a finger against her lips. “You were such a good dad. I’m sure you still are. You and Oscar—you were a team when we met. You’d been alone with him for almost four years, but even before that—you adored him. It’s going to be hard for him to have you back in his life and not have that connection.”

Drew nodded, his throat tight. “I know. I’m sorry—”

“But he knows it wasn’t your choice. He always knew it wasn’t. When the Navy tried to tell us you were AWOL—” Kim’s voice roughened. “He lost it. He said you were a hero, and you’d never walk away from your base. From the men. He always knew you wouldn’t leave him. Even if you don’t.”

He cleared his throat, tried to gather himself. “I want to know him,” he found himself saying. “I just don’t want to hurt him.”

“We’ll figure this out,” Kim promised. “One step at a time, you know?” She flashed him a hesitant smile. “But maybe we should start with lawyers. In case we’re still married. You don’t—you don’t want to be married to someone you don’t remember, do you?”

“I—” Drew slowly shook his head. “No. But I—I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. You’re alive. That’s—” She turned, a tear on her cheek glinting in the dim lighting. “That’s all I ever wanted.”

Webber Home: Living Room

“Your mom isn’t home yet?” Oscar asked, dropping his backpack on the floor and hanging his coat up. He sat on the edge of the sofa and took the video game controller that Aiden offered him. The youngest Webber slid off the couch and crawled over to lay on his stomach in front of the television so he could watch Oscar and Cameron play.

“Nah, she called and said she’d be late. Something came up.” Cameron wrinkled his nose. “But then Joss texted—”

“Yeah, I got the WW3 message about her family. Said she could hear Michael screaming at her mom and stepdad from upstairs.” Oscar hesitated. “About Michael’s dad.”

“Oh, damn,” Cameron said. He glanced over his shoulder at Jake, doing his homework at the table and eating brownies since his mother wasn’t at home to stop him. “Aiden—”

“I’m not listening,” his little brother promised. “Especially if you pay me a dollar. I’ll even leave the room for five.”

Cameron scowled but tossed a crumpled bill at Aiden, who flashed a grin and disappeared into the kitchen to snag one of Jake’s brownies. Satisfied, Cameron focused on Oscar again. “I called Joss. Mrs. C got into it with Ava at the Metro Court in front of Jason — and then my grandmother let Carly have it about Michael’s dad. Jason went to talk to Michael. Joss doesn’t know what happened, but it was bad, and Jason stopped returning everyone’s phone calls, and Michael went over to flip out on his parents.”

“That’s…a lot…”

“Yeah, well, I think that’s why my mom is late,” Cameron said, leaning back. “I think she went to talk to Jason or something. Anyway—”

Oscar shook his head at the drama of it all, then frowned as a group message came over his phone.

Trina: yo so your dad ran into your stepmom in the parking lot dunno what happened i saw it out the window and coudnt hear

Joss: well my dad is in australia and I dont have a stepmom unless dad has some explaining to do

Oscar: obvs she meant me did they look upset?

Trina: dont think so but stepmama came in after and looked like her eyes were red but not sad just wanted to keep you in the loop

Cam: any sighting at the manor of my mom?

Joss: no and man your mom needs to stay away from my mom because mom n sonny are frosty rn and you know how my mom loves to blame your mom for literally all the things

Trina: wonder who that reminds me of

Cam: dont start.

Joss: hey sometimes all the things are your fault robinson

Trina: and sometimes theyre yours

Oscar: can we just stop?

He tossed his phone aside without waiting to hear back from Trina or Joss. Cameron typed a goodbye to the both of them. “Sorry, Joss and Trina don’t mean anything by it—and I shouldn’t have asked Joss about my mom—”

“No, it’s fine,” Oscar said. He stared blindly at the paused video game. “It’s just—I was thinking about how I saw my dad already. Remember? When he was still Jason. I met him. And I didn’t know he was my dad.”

“Well, why would you?” Cameron asked. “No one could have—”

“It’s just—” Oscar paused, tried to gather his thoughts. ” I always thought my dad would know me even though I’m older. And I didn’t think about maybe I wouldn’t know him.” He looked at Cameron. “It was only one time, though, and maybe now that we do know—when I see him again—”

“Maybe it’ll be different?” Cameron suggested, and Oscar nodded. “Don’t get yourself caught up in thinking that, man. If it is, great. But maybe it won’t be. It sucks to get psyched up for something you think will happen and then it doesn’t. Just, I dunno, let it happen.”

“You don’t get it,” Oscar insisted. “Your dad is dead. You never had a chance to meet him—” Then he made a face as Cameron looked away. “I’m sorry. I didn’t—”

“No, you’re right. I don’t know anything about dads,” Cameron said. He picked up his controller.

“Cam, I’m sorry—”

“It’s cool, let’s just play.”

Oscar sighed and picked up his controller, too, but Cameron’s shoulders were still tight, and Oscar felt terrible about what he’d said. Sometimes he was really dumb.

Penthouse: Living Room

Sam stepped back to let her sister in. “Why are you here?” she asked Kristina darkly, closing the door.

Kristina shrugged and perched on the edge of the sofa. “Because I felt bad that I was mean the last time we talked.”

“Do you feel bad about what you said?” Sam demanded.

“No, but I could have been nicer about it—”

“Is there a nicer way to tell me I’m a loser who’s obsessed with Jason?”

Kristina pursed her lips, appearing to think it over. “Probably not, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t try to find it.” She looked around. “Where are the munchkins? Where’s, uh, whats-his-name—Drew?”

“Drew is out picking up dinner,” Sam said, stalking past her sister to lay out the plates on the table. “Scout is taking a nap, and Danny is with Mom. Have you been home yet?”

“Ugh. No. I try to stay away from the house when Mom is there. So not in the mood to hear all the ways I’m ruining my life.” Kristina shrugged, letting herself fall back on the sofa, her legs dangling over the edge. “So, like, you’re definitely sticking with the new guy?”

“Yes,” Sam retorted. “But he’s not the new guy. He’s my husband. He’s the father of my daughter. I am happy with the way things are now. I am not blowing up my life. Not again. I have everything I want.”

“Uh huh.” Kristina propped herself up on her elbows to peer at her sister with some skepticism. “What about Danny? I mean, I talked to Joss, and she said Jason’s spending a lot of time with Jake. Don’t you think that he’s gonna want to get to know his other son?”

“He can do whatever he wants with Elizabeth’s kid,” Sam bit out. “That’s her problem. Jake’s used to a thousand father figures—”

“Oh, because Danny hasn’t had his own parade?” Kristina asked, raising her brows. “John, Silas, Patrick—”

“John was barely in the picture and neither was Silas.” Sam paused. “And Danny knew Patrick wasn’t his father—And anyway,” she continued when Kristina smirked at her. “Jason never wanted Danny. And he’s got Jake. He doesn’t need him.”

Kristina squinted. “Uh, is that how that works? Because I’m pretty sure it’s not.”

“Krissy—” Sam began, heatedly, but Kristina shrugged.

“Whatever.” She got to her feet. “I think making Jason give up his own son five seconds after he found out about him and came back from being kidnapped for five years is pretty cold, but what do I know?”

“Nothing,” Sam snapped. She tugged the door open. “Jason will do what I want when it comes to Danny. Just like he did with Elizabeth and Jake.”

“I don’t get you sometimes,” Kristina said softly as she paused on the threshold. “Sometimes you are the most amazing older sister who would die for me and Molly, for Danny and Scout. But you can also be really cruel. And I just don’t understand which one is the real Sam.”

“Why can’t it be both?” Sam demanded. “This is me, Krissy. Take it or leave it.”

“You know, Jason’s looked out for me my whole life,” her sister murmured. “Saved me from myself a few times. He deserves better than this, Sam. I get you’re happy with Drew, and that’s great. But Jason didn’t do anything wrong.”

Sam stared at her sister, tears stinging the back of her throat. How could her sister say Jason hadn’t done anything wrong? Had she forgotten— “That’s not fair—”

“I mean, was he a giant asshole before he went off the pier?” Krissy asked and Sam fell silent. “Yeah. He was. But all he did was come home. So, like, are you punishing him for blowing up your perfect life or what he did before?”

“Krissy—”

“Are you sure this is what you want?”

Sam closed her eyes. “Yes.”

“If Drew asks you that, you should do a better job of making it sound real,” Kristina advised before she disappeared around the corner towards the elevator. Sam glared at her, then closed the door.  She pressed her forehead against the door, took a deep breath.

She was sure this was what she wanted—that Drew and their kids was the life she wanted. And damn it, she was going to do whatever she could to protect it.

No matter who she had to hurt.

Vista Point: Observation Deck

Elizabeth wasn’t sure that Jason would actually respond and tell her what had happened with Michael, but after a long moment of silence, he met her eyes. “You know what happened.”

“I know what Michael told me, yes. But that doesn’t mean I know everything.” She leaned over, nudging his shoulder with hers. “Tell me.”

“You were right about Ava,” Jason said, finally. “And I guess Carly couldn’t stand me being nice to her. Not even for a few days.” He paused. “Michael thinks I would have helped Sonny and Carly cover up what happened to AJ. That’s why he says he was glad I was dead when he found out.”

“Jason…” She reached over for his hand, took it between both of hers. “He didn’t mean it. He loves you, and you should call him. Let him apologize.”

“I will. I just—” Jason hesitated. “I don’t think I ever understood what AJ was going through with Michael, not really. Not until—” Their eyes held briefly before he looked away. “Until Jake.”

Elizabeth’s mouth tightened, but she took the well-deserved hit. “I never should have lied to you. Or asked you to give him up.”

“At least it was my choice,” Jason murmured. “It was the wrong choice. For both of us. For Jake, but I can say I walked out of Jake’s life on my own. AJ can’t.” He sighed. “I wouldn’t make the same choices I did back then. It was just—it wasn’t that long after the accident, and I hated the Quartermaines. They looked down on me, you know? And I knew they’d swallow Michael whole. They’d never love him for himself.”

She said nothing, let the silence float around them. “I helped Carly keep Michael away from AJ because I told myself he was a drunk who’d hurt him. He didn’t deserve to be a father. That wasn’t—” Jason shook his head. “That wasn’t my choice, my decision to make. And I kept telling myself that Carly was his mother, she should get to choose—”

“Was that why you agreed to my insane demands?” Elizabeth asked. “Because you were trying to live up to some stupid principle you’d decided all those years earlier?”

“Yeah,” Jason admitted. “I just—I’m not mad at Michael for thinking I would have helped Sonny and Carly get away with it. I don’t know if I would have—”

“You never, in a million years, would have let Sonny and Carly lie to Michael like that,” Elizabeth said with a swift shake of her head. “Or hurt Monica.”

“You sound pretty sure.”

“I am,” Elizabeth said firmly. “Look, it was one thing to play games with Michael’s paternity when he was a kid and keep him away from AJ.  But you told me once you just wanted Michael to belong to himself. To make his own choices. He was doing that. And AJ was trying. He—he just was never strong enough. But he loved Michael. He was a good father, Jason. And Michael loved him, too.”

“I’m glad,” Jason said, “they got that chance.” He sighed. “I never thought I’d have to explain my choices back then. I did the best I could after the accident, but I made a lot of mistakes. I hurt Monica, and I pushed away the Quartermaines—”

“They weren’t that innocent,” Elizabeth said. “I remember when they tried to take Michael from you, even when they thought he was yours. Don’t give them too much credit because you feel bad now. Alan and Edward really were controlling bastards sometimes.”

“Yeah, they were, but I think I almost understand it now,” Jason admitted. “Who I was before the accident—that son never came back again. He died. And the man wearing his face—” He paused. “I think about losing Jake—how hard that was—and I don’t know if I could have done much better than Alan or Monica.”

“And that’s part of getting older,” Elizabeth told him. “The choices we made a lifetime ago—they can only haunt us if we don’t find a way to make peace with them.” She tilted her head to the side. “Call Michael.”

Jason paused, then pulled out his phone. After a moment, he pressed a button, and Michael answered almost before it had a chance to ring. Jason put him on speakerphone. “Hey.”

“Jason. I am so sorry. You have to believe me—”

“Hey, don’t—it’s okay—”

“It’s not. You’ve never done anything but take care of me—you went to prison for me—”

“Michael,” Jason said, interrupting his nephew’s frantic, upset apology. “I love you. And I’m proud of you. I’m glad you got to know your father. That he had a chance to know you.”

Michael’s end of the line was silent. “Do you mean that?”

“Yes. I do.”

“Thank you. I—I’m so glad you’re home. That you’re okay. And that you get to be with your son. I love you, Jason.”

“I love you, too,” Jason repeated. He slid the phone back into his pocket, looked at Elizabeth. “You were right.”

“Miracles happen every day.” She stood and tugged him to his feet. “Michael’s an amazing kid. And you’re a large part of why. Don’t ever forget that.”

“Come on. We better get home before your kids sent out a search party,” Jason said as they went back towards the parking lot.

“Hey, since we’re talking about the old days—”

“Absolutely not.”

Elizabeth pouted as they reached the bike, and he handed her the helmet. “You don’t even know what I was going to say.” Jason just raised his brows, and she rolled her eyes. “Ugh. You’re never going to let me forget about closing my eyes the last time you let me drive, are you?”

“Not a chance.”

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