Do we have everything?” I ask as the nurse rolls the wheelchair into the room.

Taking one last look around, it seems that we do. Everything is bare, the way it was a year ago, when Joey first took in this room up as his home away from home. Joey wrinkles his nose at the wheelchair. “No, thanks,” he says, jumping out of bed.

He’s been running around this room all morning. I grab his hand before he can run away from me. “No. Remember what Dr. Ayers said about taking it easy? You’re going in the wheelchair.”

Pouting, he jumps into it, and Cara ruffles his curls as she starts to push him outside. “I can’t believe you’re coming home,” she says. “We have presents for you there.”

Joey grins from ear to ear. He hasn’t been outdoors in nearly a year. Even just getting out into the fresh air will be a present. Just having these days with us, a clean bill of health, is a present. The eight of us, being together and able to bring Joey home is a present. There are so many presents in our lives, and I make sure to be thankful for every one.

On a day like this, I can have no complaints. Life is pretty damn good.

Cara and Joey lead the parade, as the nurses and doctors gather on both sides of the hallway and wish us well. Calvin walks with Maisie on his shoulders, followed closely by the boys, and then me. “Thank you all,” I say to them, tears falling down my cheeks. As much as I don’t want to ever come back here again, I’m going to miss them. I hug a few of the ones who were closest to Joey as they clap and cheer for him. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate everything you’ve done.”

We go outside, to where my minivan is parked. I’d purchased it, and a small condo, with the money that had mysteriously been deposited into my bank account, a few weeks after I last saw Max. It was put in there with the memo, you deserve this.

And I guess I do. He’s at the helm of that company he wanted to run, and that was the deal. It’s been four months since I last saw Max. I’ve read things, not in the society pages, though. It’s mostly about the business. It turns out that he and his brother are partners, running the company together, and whatever they’re doing must be working, because they keep making headlines and the company stock keeps going up.

But I couldn’t help feeling that the funds were guilt money. Our last night together, I think he actually thought he could go through with it, and be in a real relationship with me. When he kissed, held, and made love to me, those emotions were real. But he made his choice. He chose the company. And I suppose that’s all there is to it.

On the sidewalk, it’s absolute chaos, trying to get everyone into their seats. Calvin, the new driver, takes the keys from me and says, “I got this.”

“Are you sure?” I ask, biting my lip. “Driving in the city isn’t like—“

“Totally. I’m a pro,” he says.

I shrug as Cara and her boyfriend, Eddie, who is actually a very sweet guy, helps load the kids into the van. He’s practically a fixture in our house, now, and was a big help when we were moving into our new place. Plus, despite all the hickeys, he’s very much a gentleman, though he can’t seem to manage to cut it off with calling me “ma’am.”

“We all in?” I ask when there are no more kids on the street.

Cara calls from the middle bench, “Except you!”

I give the nurses there one last hug, and then I turn around to jump in the passenger-side seat.

Before I can, though, I see him, walking down the street toward me. I’m surprised I recognize him, because he’s wearing something entirely different than I’m used to—jeans, and a plain white t-shirt that’s stretched perfectly over those amazing pectorals of his. He’s carrying a Mickey Mouse doll and smiling at me.

I can only gape at him as he stops in front of me. “Hey,” he says.

Then he leans into the window and smiles at Joey. He hands it over to him. “Hey, guy,” he says to him. “There are eight tickets to Disney World in there, for you and your family. Make sure she takes you this summer, okay?”

I stare at him, as he looks back at me. “What are you doing?” I ask him softly.

He shrugs. “He told me he wanted to . . . And I . . .”

I take him by the sleeve and lead him away from the van, out of earshot. “I want to thank you for everything you did for Joey. But like you said, it’s over.”

“I was wrong,” he says softly.

“What?”

He shrugs. “I was wrong.” He looks up and down the street. “I know, I never say that. But you were right. My father was right. There is more to life than just business. And I guess I realized that, too late.”

I swallow. “So, what? Do you think giving us all these presents is going to erase the guilt?”

“No, I behaved like an asshole and I know I don’t deserve to be forgiven,” he says, scratching his unshaven jaw. “But if you would let me, I have one more present to give you.”

He reaches into the pocket of his jeans and pulls out a small diamond solitaire.

And then he kneels in front of me.

Speechless, I look back at the van, where eight sets of eyes are staring at me, wide. When I look back at him, he’s staring up at me, earnest and . . . the old Max that I’d fallen for. The one that I know I’m in love with.

“I know,” he says. “We only knew each other a short time, but the time we spent together was a whirlwind that made me a different man. You showed me the person I want to be, and I can’t be that person without you.”

I clasp a hand over my mouth, stifling a sob. I look away, at the eight other people who are struggling to get out of their seatbelts and join me on the sidewalk. They break free, rushing forward, surrounding us.

He looks at them all. “I’m glad you’re all here, because I’m asking this of all of you. You’re an incredible family and I have no right to ask to be part of it, but I want to be. I love you, Lily. Marry me?”

The tears are falling freely now, and I they are truly tears of joy. “I love you, too.” The words escape my mouth as a strangled whisper, I’m crying so hard.

I look down at Maisie, who squeezes between us, takes the ring from his hand, and slides it onto my finger, and says, “She says yes.”

We all burst out laughing, and I nod along with her. “Yes. Definitely yes.”

And my family starts to applaud. He lifts Maisie into his arms, kissing her on the forehead. And then he wraps his other arm around me, and kisses me. “You made me the happiest man in this whole city,” he says.

I grin at him. “I hope you realize that part of this deal means you’re living in Lodi, New Jersey.”

He widens his eyes, surprised. “What made you such a good negotiator?”

I laugh. “I guess you could say I learned from the best.”