The day before we were scheduled to fly home Alana called me. When I answered she was crying.
"Alana?"
"I wanna come home, Remi! I don't want to be here anymore!" The pain in her voice made my heart ache. I wanted nothing more than to give her a hug and yet I couldn't. I didn't know what to say. She kept crying and I tried to find something comforting to say. Nothing seemed right.
"I miss you."
"I miss you too, Ali."

———

I was still on the phone with her when Sebastian came back.
"Remington? Are you okay?" I held up a finger indicating I needed a minute. Alana and I talked for a few more minutes until she said she had to go for supper.
"I love you, Remi."
"I love you too, Ali." She ended the call and I dropped my phone onto the couch beside me. I didn't realize I'd been crying until I ran my hands over my face.
"Remington?" I looked up at Sebastian and wiped my face on my sleeves.
"I was on the phone with Alana." He nodded.
"Is she okay?"
"Technically. But she hates it there and fuck. Sebastian if you heard the things she just told me." I shook my head and ran my hands over my face again. "Fuck!" I took in a shaky breath, "No one told me being a foster parent would be so hard. Or that it would hurt so much."
"It's hard. And it hurts." Sebastian said, "there someone told you." He slapped my shoulder and walked down toward the bathroom.
"Why are you such an asshole?" He shrugged. I shook my head.
"Deedee!" I looked up at Cherry and couldn't help but smile. She was walking towards me wearing a pair of my shoes.
"What are you doing, Stargazer?" She laughed and almost fell over.
"I's wearin' you soos!" She laughed again and fell forward. She couldn't get back on her feet with my shoes on though so she kicked them off. Then she stood and put them back on.
"You weirdo." I laughed.
"No you!"
"Me?" She giggled.
"Yeah!" I stood and scooped her up. She giggled and I blew a raspberry on her belly. She laughed harder and tried to push my head away from her. "No! No!" She shrieked and laughed. I laughed and kissed her forehead.
"I love you, Stargazer."
"'Ove you Deedee!" She threw her arms around my neck and placed a sloppy kiss on my cheek.

———

That night after the concert Cherry and I laid in our bunk and watched Phineas and Ferb until she fell asleep. She was curled up against my chest, one hand holding tight to my shirt and the other was holding her lion. I held her and kissed her forehead and sighed. I couldn't stop thinking about Alana. I was worried about her. Not to mention we had to fly the next morning and I as anxious too. I didn't sleep well.

———

I guess it was just the culmination of everything that was happening at the time, but that was quite possibly the worst flight of my life. I was anxious and nauseous and my head hurt and I was tired, but I couldn't sleep. Nothing distracted me from the fact that we were flying. Cherry was tired and grumpy and kept complaining about her ears hurting. We watched a movie together and she eventually fell asleep, but I couldn't. I sat with my eyes closed trying to think of anything to keep mind off the fact that we were flying. Unfortunately that led to thinking about Alana which just made me more anxious. I didn't even realize I was on the brink of a panic attack until Emerson, who was sitting by the window, grabbed my hand. I looked at him.
"Deep breath. It's okay. You've done this a hundred times before. We'll be fine." I nodded and took a deep breath. I knew we would be fine, but that didn't make it any easier.

                                                                                            ——— 

About a week after we got home Sebastian was at our place. Not an uncommon occurrence. And we didn't mind him being there. He'd been messing around on the piano while I played go fish with Cherry.
"Do you have a red circle?" I asked her.
"What a cicle?" I showed her the card.
"This is a circle."
"Go fithy!" I drew another card. "You haff a lellow tiangle?"
"I do." I handed her the card.
"Yay!" She laid down the pair of triangles.
"Do you have a green heart?"
"Yes!" She threw the card at me.
"Hey. What did I say about throwing the cards?"
"Sowwy!" She giggled and I smiled.
"I'm home!" Monica announces as she walked in the door.
"Mommy!" Cherry dropped her cards and ran over to Monica. Since we'd gotten back she'd grown very attached to Mon. It was cute.
"Hey, baby." Monica picked her up and gave her a kiss.
"Deedee and I's payin' go fithy!"
"Yeah?" Cherry nodded. "That sounds exciting. Hey, Sebastian." Sebastian looked up from the piano.
"Hey. Now that you're both here I need a favor."
"Sure."
"I need you to convince Larisa to throw me a surprise party for my birthday."
"Doesn't is sort of defeat the purpose of it being a surprise if you know?" I asked. Sebastian looked very down with my bullshit, but it was a valid question.
"She's not going to know that I know and that's the point. I want to propose to her. I'm going to surprise her with the proposal at what she'll think is my surprise birthday party."
"Ah! That's so sweet! Yes! We'll help you!" Monica said. He smiled.
"Great. Here's my plan." Sebastian's plan was stupid so we used Monica's plan instead. 

                                                                                        ———

The day before Sebastian's birthday we were all set for his surprise birthday party that he knew about. We were at an Airbnb in Topanga County. It was beautiful and perfect. Sebastian's surprised face was actually pretty decent. We ate and had some wine. And then we gave Sebastian his gifts. The last one was a fake gift. An empty box. 

"We got a gift for Mishka." Monica said, holding out the box. "You should open it Larisa." Larisa took the box and sat it in her lap. She opened it and looked up at Sebastian who just looked at her with a stupid smile on his face. 

"I don't understand." She said. After a long few minutes where Sebastian laughed awkwardly and finally pulled the ring out of his pocket. Larisa seemed to realize what was happening. Will was taking pictures and Monica was taking a video for them. I was holding Cherry who was very confused by the entire thing. It took too long in my opinion, but eventually he got around to asking her and she said yes and we cheered. Both of them were in tears and I legitimately couldn't think of a time when I'd seen him so happy. I was happy for them. 

                                                                                        ———

That night when we were at home and Cherry was in bed Mon and I were lying in bed watching Friends and discussing our wedding. 

"I'm thinking navy for the bridesmaid's dresses and yours and the groomsmen's ties. And then we'll carry yellow and white tulips. And we'll put yellow tulips in your lapels. How's that sound?"

"Perfect."

"We have a cake tasting on Friday by the way and I was hoping you might do music for me so I can focus on finding a caterer. And I have a dress fitting on Tuesday and I was thinking I'd take Cherry with me so we can pick her dress and get her fitted and-why are you looking at me like that?"

"Have I told you much I absolutely fucking adore you?" She blushed and smiled.

"Not recently." I leaned over, an arm on either side of her, and kissed her hard. 

"I cannot wait to call you my wife and introduce you to people as my wife and Cherry's mom and holy fuck my life is awesome." She laughed and I smiled before kissing her again. "You know I don't like to use my last name. But I don't mind using it if I'm sharing it with you. I love you soon to be Mrs. Kropp."

"I love you too, Mr. Kropp."