CAN I START BY SAYING oh my word I'm so freaking sorry. I kinda abandoned Wattpad in general... I'm so sorry it's been way too long to leave you hanging. Well, so without further ado....

We get cleaned up a little and all the sudden, we're off.

Odette stares out the window and cries for all she's worth for most of the trip back to Montana. I shed my fair share of tears to, trying to comprehend what the heck just happened.

It's the last stretch of the trip. This plane will land in the airport in Bozeman at the all too lovely hour of three in the morning. Oh what the heck. My sleep schedule is screwed up anyway.

All the adults are sleeping right now actually.

I'm sitting next to Odette and she's gazing out the window again. Her and Jillian aren't playfully teasing, heck Odette is saying a word and it's only twisting and shattering my heart the more.

But then finally, finally, Odette says something to me.

"Hey, I... Sorry... I'm just sorry," she whispers.

My automatic response would've been to say 'It's ok.' But is it ok? I become self conscious of the stub that's left of my arm. I remember the slave camp, how there's still people there. I think of Ayana's mom.

I think if Ayana, left without a family.

No, none of that is ok, except maybe the arm thing.

So instead, I just her forehead gently before saying, "It's not your fault."

She lays her head on my shoulder. That at least gets Jillian to smile from across the aisle.

"I've never sat so still or thought so deeply all my life," Odette thinks aloud.

I grab her hand with mine and squeeze. "You're a strong girl. You're gonna be ok."

"Will Ayana be fine though, Chris?"

I pause. "Yeah... She's strong too."

"Chris, she's a freaking child though!" Odette exclaims.

Another pause... Longer this time. And all my stupid brain can come up with is, "I know..."

She can't stop the tears and I let her cry on my shoulder.

"What have you been thinking about?" I ask gently.

She takes in a series of shaky breaths.

"I.... A lot. I... Ugh. Just..." She groans and buries her head in her hands.

"It's ok! Odette..." I say, feeling horrible for asking.

The sobs start shaking her shoulders, though she does a good job of going unnoticed by anyone but me.

"Sssh, it's ok, listen I'm here Odette. I'm right here so-"

"What if you weren't???" she fiercely whispers, jerking her head up and staring fiercely at me.

"Um... Would you guys like any beverages?"

I turn my head to see a rather flustered flight attendant, right in the face as she stares at my stub and Odette's tear stained face, somehow at the same time.

"No thanks," I mutter.

She nods, and quickly moves on to the next row.

I turn back to Odette.

"What?"

"What if you weren't here?" she repeats, the pain more evident in her voice this time.

"What if I lost you trying to be some
hero for Ayana?"

"You are her hero, Odette."

She smirks a little at that and calls me a cheesy weirdo which gives me at least a moment of joy.

"Besides," I continue, "I am here. No need to get hurt over what might have happened."

She leans into me again and I kiss her head.

"Don't ever stop believing you're a hero," I whisper in her ear.

I watch her smile as she sarcastically replies, "Why didn't you get hired to act in some cliché chick flick movie?"

I smile too because I know her sarcastic reply is proof that she took those words to heart.

<><><><><><>

Back at home it was hard to explain to the boys what happened to my arm. But all they need to understand is that I'm still me, and I'm going to be ok. They're good kids and in easiest hugged me.

Right after the hug, Patrick challenged me to a wrestling match.

Ha. Go figure.

I told him to bring it on!

Side note; I won.

Anyway in other news, it does take a few days for Odette to get back to being herself. For once in her life she told me she just needed alone time. I respected that, but it also scared me.

A week after we get home, though, the doorbell rings.

The screaming and pounding of the trio of trouble raising to get to the door first enters my ears as I look up from the solitaire game I'm playing.

"It's Odette, Chris!!!" Patrick yells.

Almost immediately I stand up, nearly toppling right back down again, and rush to the front door.

And there she is! I wrap my arm around her and she returns the hug as she greets me with a cheerful, "Hey Loser!"

"Awwwww," Patrick coons teasingly.

Did I "accidentally" forget to mention to the boys that we were dating to the boys?

Oops. I must have.

"So hey, you, me, going to the movies and shoving popcorn in each other's faces, yeah?" Odette says to me.

I'm grinning from ear to ear! My word, I'm so glad to see her happy again; I just start nodding.

Patrick giggles and goes, "Like... A date?"

Then Odette grabs my wrist, looks at Patrick, says, "Yes, actually," and starts dragging me to her car.

Patrick's jaw drops and Isaiah starts howling with laughter. Eric just looks wide eyed from his hysterical brothers to me and Odette, not a clue what just happened.

I quickly tell over my shoulder, "Patrick tell Mom I'm at the movies!!!"

Then I get in the passenger seat of Odette's car. She goes around, gets in and starts the car.

"So, what movie?" I ask.

"I don't know. Just thought we'd decide when we get there," she answers as we turn out onto the street.

"In the mood for a romantic comedy?" I tease.

She glares at me.

"Shut up idiot."

I start laughing. Then she glares at me again, trying to hold in her laughter but failing.

And I don't think I'll EVER stop laughing! Because that was the moment I knew for sure that Odette was going to be ok.

We're both going to be ok.