Two weeks passed. Things in the trailer park had died down now that the excitement of everyone coming back after being gone so long had tapered out. We’d all been making up for lost time.

Mom and Dad were still glued to the hip. I’d forgotten how in love they were. It was sad how one negative thought could taint so many good ones. It was proof of how good of an imagination I had. I’d somehow created an unrealistic image of my mother over the years. One that portrayed her as a monster and nothing at all like the loving, kind woman she was.

Now that she was home, it was easy to see how far-fetched my memories of her were.

“Don’t forget this,” Mom said. She held out a ratty blanket that had been crumbled up in the back my bedroom closet. “It was your favorite when you were little. I actually had to take it from you and hide it in here because you wouldn’t go anywhere without it.”

“I remember that!” I took the tattered blanket from her. The familiarity of the soft fabric against my fingertips brought a smile to my face. “I looked for this thing for weeks. Not once did I look back there, though.”

“Well, to be honest there’s probably a lot back there you don’t know about,” Mom said. She reached into what I was now viewing as the black hole. “Oh. Like this dress.”

She held out the most awful looking Christmas dress. My eyes grew wide as I remembered exactly where it had come from and why I’d shoved in the back.

“Shhh, you didn’t see that thing. Put it back before Gracie is forced to wear it this Christmas,” I whispered.

Mom laughed. It was a light tinkling sound, and I was happy to hear again. “What’s it from?”

“Gran made it one year. She forced me to wear it. I think I burned all the pictures of me in it, but I’m not one hundred percent sure.”

Mom held it out in front of her. Her eyes took in the pom-poms and bells glued here and there. “I’ve missed a lot, haven’t I? I’m so sorry. I wish I’d never gone to the lake that night. It was so close to the full moon. If I’d waited three more days, I would’ve been able to run with the pack and been safe. I wouldn’t have missed anything.” Tears glistened in her eyes. I forced myself to look away, knowing if I didn’t, I’d cry too. “I can’t take it back. I can’t change what happened. All I can do is be grateful I’m here now. I get to witness you moving out of the trailer, and in with the man you’ve imprinted with. Eli is a lucky guy.”

“Thanks, Mom.” I reached out and pulled her into a hug. “I’m glad you’re here for this too.”

She wiped her eyes, and when we released each other she shoved the Christmas dress back into the closet again. “Okay, I’ve taken up enough of your time. Eli’s probably wondering where you are.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind, and I’m sure he doesn’t either.”

“I know,” she said as she patted my arm. “I want you to promise me you’ll at least come by for dinner once a week or invite us over sometime. Now that I’m back, I don’t want to be cut out of your life, but I don’t want you to feel like you have to involve me in every waking moment either.”

“Mom, I’m moving to the other side of the trailer park, not the other side of the world.”

She laughed. “I know, I know. I’m being dramatic.”

I placed my tattered baby blanket on one of the boxes on my bed. Winston sniffed it and sneezed.

“Bless you,” I said to the little guy. Even though I wouldn’t admit it to anyone, I was going to miss him. He’d grown on me.

“Isn’t Eli supposed to come by to help you carry this stuff over?” Mom asked.

“Already here,” Eli said from the doorway. “Aw, would you look at that. I think Mina is going to miss you, Winston.”

I rolled my eyes. “Nope. Not nearly enough to make up for him chewing my favorite flip-flops to tiny shreds.”

Eli cupped the back of my neck and gently squeezed. “I don’t know. I can see it in your eyes. You’re already missing him, aren’t you?”

I shoved him playfully. “Oh, shut it and grab that box.”

“You know, you could always get a dog of your own,” Mom insisted.

“Yeah, I don’t think so.” I quickly shot her idea down.

“We could,” Eli agreed as he stacked two boxes on top of each other and hoisted them into the air as though they weighed nothing. “We can name it something cool like Moonshine.” Eli wiggled his eyebrows at me.

I picked my duffel bag up off the floor and then scooped the smaller box Eli had left behind on the bed up. “Moonshine? Seriously?”

“It’s unique,” Mom said, trying to be nice.

“It’s stupid,” I said as we started down the hall.

“It’s not stupid. It’s cool,” Eli insisted.

Gracie opened the front door for us before we reached it. Her eyes trailed over the boxes we carried as though inspecting their contents.

“I didn’t take any of your stuff,” I said.

“You better not.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “I know where you live. I’ll come get it.”

I reached out and pulled her into a one-armed hug. “You better. Seriously, though. Come visit anytime, okay?”

“Okay.” She squeezed me back.

“Bring Winston with you, too. I think your sister’s going to miss him an awful lot.” Eli winked at her as he started out the door.

“Oh my God, will you just shut up!” I rolled my eyes as I followed behind him.

“I will when you admit how much you care for the little guy,” Eli said.

I let out of breath of air, refusing to answer him as we started toward our trailer.

“You know you want a puppy,” Eli teased.

“I think it’s more like you want a puppy,” I countered.

A shit-eating grin plastered itself on Eli’s face. “I don’t want a puppy. I already have one.”

My feet faltered. “What?”

“I didn’t stutter. You heard me.” He chuckled. “I said, I don’t want a puppy. I already have one.”

My gaze snapped to our trailer. A cardboard box sat next to the stairs.

“You didn’t.”

“Why don’t you go see what’s in the box,” he said with a nod of his head.

My stomach twisted as I started toward it. Tiny claws scratching at the cardboard floated to my ears along with the cutest whimper. Once I reached the box, I peeked inside. Nestled in a nest of pink blankets was the cutest puppy I’d ever seen. She looked exactly like Winston except for the small white circle on the top of her head.

“Her name is Moonshine,” Eli whispered. I hadn’t realized he was so close. He set the boxes he’d been carrying down and reached in the box to pick her up. “I named her that because of the white dot on her head. It looks like the moon, don’t you think?”

“Yeah,” I said as I reached out to pet her soft fur. “Why name her Moonshine, though? Why not Luna?”

“We can change it to Luna if you want, but I named her Moonshine because it makes me think of you. Moonshine has brought good things into my life. Heck, it brought me you.”

I laughed. “No, it didn’t.”

“Oh really? So, you’re telling me you would’ve come to my trailer the first night I moved in even if I hadn’t offered you some moonshine?”

My teeth sank into my bottom lip. “It’s possible.”

“Not really.” Eli chuckled. He knew I was lying.

“Fine. Moonshine it is.” I sighed.

“Here, why don’t you hold her? Let’s head inside and get the two of you settled in.”

I took Moonshine from Eli and tucked her flush against my chest. She didn’t wiggle to get free like I thought she would. She just curled up against me as though she’d been waiting for me to hold her. I headed up the wooden steps of Eli’s trailer and felt a sense of contentment settle over me.

I was home.

“Do we have any actual moonshine?” I asked as I set the box I’d been carrying on the kitchen counter and let the duffel bag slip off my shoulder. Moonshine stayed close to my chest, her warmth seeping into me.

“Of course,” Eli said. He’d placed the boxes he was holding on the couch. “It’s in the same cabinet as always.”

I stepped into the kitchen and reached up to pull a bottle down. It was apple pie. My favorite.

“Pop it open,” Eli insisted as he stepped to where I was. He took the puppy from me. “Let’s celebrate.”

“Yes!” I twisted the lid off and thought of everything I had to celebrate.

Moving in with Eli. Getting Moonshine. My mom coming home. My dad being sober. My pack being safe. Regina being taken out. The Mirror Lake woods being a safe place again.

My list was long, and for that, I was thankful.

“Bottoms up,” Eli teased as he nodded toward the open mason jar in my hand.

I tipped it back and allowed the liquid lava to shoot down the back of my throat.

“That’s my girl.” Eli grinned as he took the bottle from me.

“Always,” I managed to say through a fit of coughs.

Eli winked. “Damn straight.”

“So,” I said as I placed a hand on my hip and glanced around the trailer once the sensation of liquid fire scorching my throat had died down. “You never did answer me when I asked how you felt about the color purple.”

A wide grin sprang onto Eli’s face as he took a swig from the jar of moonshine. “You’re serious?”

“I am. I did win after all.”

“That you did and a bet is a bet.”

“Yeah.” I dragged the word out.

“Then I guess it doesn’t matter what I like, does it?”

“Not really,” I grinned because it was the truth.

“Come here,” Eli said after he sat the puppy down and reached for me. His strong arms circled my waist as he pulled me in. Warmth bloomed through me. There was no place I’d rather be than in his arms. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” I whispered before his lips brushed against mine. I intertwined my fingers behind his neck and pulled him closer.

“Purple is good. I’m okay with purple,” Eli said in between kisses as his hands began to roam over my body.

“I’m glad because you’re going to wake up seeing it every day. I’m painting the bedroom purple.”

He made a noise of disapproval, and I nipped his bottom lip.

“Ouch,” he said as he pulled back. “That hurt.”

“But you liked it.”

His green eyes flashed with mischief. “I did.”

Eli’s lips were back on mine and any thought of paint or wall colors disappeared from both our minds. All I could think about was how his lips had never tasted sweeter.