Our last day in Destiny goes by way too fast. Between getting breakfast into Evan and Melissa, figuring out lunch as Matt drives the girl to some neighbor friends to play and giving Evan his painkillers, the morning flies by.

Matt returns much later with more bags of bird and turtle food and Melissa who’s sad because she’s going back to St. Louis today with Evan’s sister. That makes lunch a somber affair. She’s sad. Evan is quiet and picking at his food. Matt looks thoughtful, brows drawn together, deep lines in his forehead.

“I talked to John today,” Matt says after the silence has stretched thin. “John Elba, the cop who was on Jeff Adams’s case. Remember him?”

How could I ever forget anything about the events of those days? “What about?”

Matt puts his fork down. “Ross.” His dark gaze meets mine, sharp like a blade. “Listen to me, Tay. Ross hasn’t changed. We should forget about tomorrow, leave him—”

“No.” I push away from the table and stand, not sure where to go or what to do. “I’m not giving up before even starting. I have to talk to him.”

He’s on his feet, too, casting a big shadow over the table. “I’m worried. He’s not a good man. He could hurt you.”

“He won’t. And you’ll be there.” My chest feels too tight. “Give him a chance, Matt. Please?”

He shakes his head, but sits back down. “That’s more or less what John said, too.”

“He did?” I sink back down, my knees weak.

“He said you never know what’s in someone’s heart.”

My turn to shake my head.

“You took a chance on me,” he goes on. “I do trust you, Tay. Look, that’s not what I went to the station for. I wanted to talk to someone about Jasper. I found John, and we got to talking, that’s all. I want to do what’s best for you.”

“You are. Believe me.” Relief is making my hands shake. “I’m not asking you to adopt Ross. Just to see him, see he’s okay, put that nightmare to rest.”

“Then we will,” Matt says, determination hardening his voice. “If that’s what you need.”

It is. I know it in my gut I won’t rest until I’ve seen for myself that Ross is all right.

* * *

Deanna who comes to pick Melissa up has a headful of bouncy curls and wide brown eyes. She looks nothing like Evan, and she doesn’t seem to be able to sit still for more than two seconds. “Meli, you ready? You packed your things? Don’t forget your dolls, we’re not coming back for them. Evan did you take your meds? Have you eaten? Oh God, I have to work late tonight. Meli, are you ready?”

Holy crap. She’s driving me crazy, and she’s only been here ten minutes. Though the way she grabs Melissa in her arms as the girl passes by and hugs her is sweet. It’s clear she loves her.

But Melissa heads straight for Evan.

“Come with us.” She throws her arms around his legs. “Please, Uncle Evan. So I can see you more often.”

“I can’t,” he says, misery in his eyes. “We talked about this.”

But why not? “You should totally move to St. Louis,” I tell him. “Get a job there. It’s our city, we’ll be around, we’ll help.”

“That’s true,” Matt says. “Why not look into St. Louis? You’d be close to Melissa, close to us, and far away from Jasper Jones. Sounds good to me.”

Evan looks taken aback. He glances from Matt to me and back to Melissa. “You think I should? I keep forgetting I quit… that I can go wherever I want now.”

“Yes! Come to us!” Melissa squeals. “Please.”

“Easy.” He pats her arm. “I’ll have to find a job.”

“Yeah, you should.” Matt’s gaze goes distant. I wonder what just went through his mind. “We’ll figure it out.”

“You really quit your job?” Deanna shoots Evan a narrow look. “You always said you couldn’t give up that salary.”

“Well, I did. I’ll tell you all about it another time.”

His sister’s face does a weird thing, passing from incredulity to worry and then relief. “Good. Melissa isn’t the only one who misses you, you know. It’d be great to have you around, at last, to have you stop beating yourself over for what happened with Abby.”

“Who’s Abby?” Melissa asks, and she’s quickly bundled up in a huge parka and walked to the porch. “Who’s Abby, Evan?”

“We’ll talk about that, too, perhaps,” he says, standing beside her on the porch. “Another time.”

I stare at them, Evan’s tall figure, Melissa’s small one beside him, her hand in his hand, and a bittersweet joy fills me at the thought that they can fix this, find each other, be together.

Matt comes behind me, puts his arms around me. “So you’ve decided to fix everyone’s lives, cure all sadness in the world?”

“Maybe?” I laugh a little, but he’s right. That’s what I want, how I feel. “I wish for them to be happy. Is that a bad thing?”

“Never.” No hesitation. “And I think I’ve figured out a solution.”

“For what?”

“For Evan.”

I try to turn around and see his face, but he won’t let me. He tucks me under his chin. “Tell me,” I whisper.

“I’ll tell you when we’re back in St. Louis. There’s a thing or two I need to clarify first.”

“Spoilsport.”

“But you love me anyway.”

I smile and lean back into him. “With all my heart.”

* * *

“Will you be all right after we’re gone?” I ask Evan.

“I’ll be fine.”

“You only asked him ten times in the past hour,” Matt mutters.

“What? I’m just making sure he has everything he needs.”

“You took care of Melissa and bought everything I’ll need for at least a week. I’m all set.” Evan sends me a tired smile. “I’m getting used to the cast, and moving about on my own, and besides… I need to decide what to do. My lease on this house is ending, too. Feels like fate is pushing me to move.”

“Yeah, we’ll talk about that. I’ll call you,” Matt says, all cryptic and mysterious, and I shoot him a look.

He doesn’t take the bait. He takes another swig of his beer and switches the TV channel to a rerun of Friends.

“You guys are the best friends ever,” Evan says, so low I barely hear him, his gaze fixed on a spot beyond the TV. “I’ll never forget what you did for me.”

“We’re not done with you yet,” Matt mutters, and I give up on trying to figure it out, leaning against his side, and promptly falling asleep.

These days that is all I seem to be good at.

That, and trying to save the world, as if I ever could.