He woke when his brother walked into the room dressed for his run. He had a restless night, but his body clock was messed up over the change in time zones.

"Hey." His whisper and told him that Katie was still asleep. "I'll be back."

"Have fun."

For years, Tom had Skyped him after his run. Jon would usually be on his break for lunch, but when Tom was in Hawaii, it was later at night. Bored, he took out his phone. A part of him hoped she heard he had left and emailed him. He could have told her he was leaving, but he didn't feel obliged to do so. He had an email from Ted with more details, including the rental agreement. He trusted Ted and would sign it and send it back. Everything was falling into place, but he felt restless. It was a long time since he lived with so many unknowns.

Tom returned but had to go to work. "We'll go for wings later."

Katie insisted on taking him shopping. The mall overwhelmed him. He wasn't used to being around people. He also wasn't a fan of shopping, but he got some things. He'd have to do more shopping when he got home. His parents would expect him to socialize, but Jon would prefer to live like a hermit. Feeling antisocial was new to him. At the mission, he was friends with everyone.

"I feel like I'm in a strange country."

Katie stopped. "I used to feel that way after Paco. The world kept moving, living, and I felt like I was frozen in place. It took time and Tom's patience."

"He would have waited for you forever."

She blushed. "The change of scenery saved me."

"Hopefully, my trip home will be as right as your time in Hawaii."

She was good company, but shopping exhausted both of them and they each rested until Tom came home ready to go out. Feeling reluctant, he smiled and followed them to the car.

Wings meant a no frills bar. "It's an army bar." Katie explained. "Most everyone is serving or has served."

"Katie used to work behind the bar."

He looked around the place and found it hard to imagine his new sister-in-law pulling pints. She was so much more interesting than the society girls they had known in Boston. After a few beers and wings, they went to the dart board where Tom thought it was funny his pregnant wife kicked both of their butts.

"Does she have a sister?" Not that Jon was looking for a woman. He hadn't recovered from the last one.

Tom shook his head. "She's one in a million. Perfect."

Two days with the perfect couple and he was happy and eager to go back home. He didn't have a plan except to find his apartment and surprise his parents. The list of things he needed to do was long, including buy a car and renew his driver's license, which had expired. Returning home was harder than he expected.

Saying goodbye was easy, knowing his brother planned to come home too. Katie had an important job to do first. He thought they were a little naïve to plan to travel with a newborn, but Tom wasn't concerned. He wondered what his brother even knew about kids, but trusted Katie wouldn't be a novice since she was a nurse.

The flight to Boston connected through New York. The crowded terminal made him feel like a fish out of water. He had changed in the years he spent in remote villages. Even when his parents visited, they stayed at a safari hotel nearby, so he didn't have to travel to meet them.

How had Alana adjusted so easily? He was sure the answer was Nigel. He didn't want to think about them together. The humiliation caused his gut to sour again.

He went into the restroom and looked in the mirror. Maybe he should have listened to Tom and shaved. A part of him wanted to make an impact with his return. Maybe it was because he was returning alone. His homecoming would be overshadowed by Tom returning with a wife and a baby. He had a broken heart, no job, and a face full of hair. Maybe he was the reason he was having trouble adjusting. People were staring at him. The view in the mirror deserved to be stared at.

He grabbed a cab at Logan. He had to look into the alternatives to cabs Tom mentioned. Things had changed in the world and he needed to catch up. He pulled up Ted's email and told the driver the address. Just as Ted had instructed, he informed him to pull through the driveway into the back. It surprised him when the cab pulled up to a beautiful Victorian. He wasn't sure what he expected, but it wasn't old architecture.

"I'm not getting stuck in a driveway. You can walk if you want around back."

Jon sighed and considered screwing the guy on a tip, but his mother hadn't raised him to be ungrateful.

He grabbed his old duffle and started around the house. Thanks to his shopping trip with Katie, he had some decent clothes. She insisted on throwing his old clothes away. He kept his one comfortable pair of jeans, which he wore along with a new plain black t-shirt. He liked his New Balance shoes he bought to replace his old, smelly, holey ones.

He approached the door when he heard a voice. "Stop! Don't move. I have mace and I'm not afraid to use it."

Jon froze. He didn't want pepper spray in his face. "I'm renting this apartment from Ted Calhoun."

"My brother would have told me if he rented it to a homeless man. How do you know his name?"

Jon smiled. He hadn't expected to run into his brother's first love so soon.

"Victoria, if I turn around, will you promise not to spray me?"

"How do you know my name!"

He slowly turned and her jaw dropped open. "Oh my God! Jonathan?"

"In the flesh."

"What? When?"

He laughed. She was stunned, but also as stunning as he remembered. "I figured it was time for me to come home. Only Ted knows so far. I want to surprise everyone else."

"Looking like a homeless man. Vanessa is going to be shocked."

He laughed. "Some think I look like Jesus." He didn't say Tom. He really wanted to avoid discussing his brother, especially with Victoria.

He continued unlocking the door, and she followed him into the apartment.

"It's amazing, isn't it? Ted did most of the restoration himself." He nodded as he looked around. "There are three bedrooms but one's small."

The furniture on the first floor amounted to two bar stools and a recliner. He'd need to shop before his guests arrived.

"If you didn't know I was coming, why are you here?"

She laughed. "Because we're neighbors. I live next door."

Jon forced a smile but knew things were going to get awkward when Tom showed up with his wife and baby.