I meander through the full-size kitchen of the small house I’m looking at, marveling at the amount of space. The house is in a much nicer neighborhood than where I currently live and has two bedrooms and two bathrooms–way more than I need.

Tiny footsteps run through the house, and a smile tugs at my mouth as the sound gets louder and louder.

“Jade!” Chris shouts, crashing into my legs. “Is this gonna be your new house?”

I look around the kitchen, taking in the dishwasher and full-size refrigerator, something I haven’t had in a long time.

I run my hand through Chris’s hair. “I think it is.”

“Can I have my own room when we stay here?” he asks, looking up at me with bright, chocolate brown eyes.

“Chris, this isn’t our house,” Hudson says, strolling in the kitchen, shaking his head.

I wink at Chris. “It’ll be your room anytime you’re here.”

I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll fill the room with toys and chess boards if his face lights up the way it is now.

“Ha,” he says to Hudson.

Hudson rolls his eyes as my realtor, Cori, walks in the kitchen.

“What do you think?” Cori asks.

“I’ll take it,” I say, smiling, knowing Mom would be proud of me.

“Oh, wonderful. I’m going to step outside and wait for you guys.” She walks away and opens the front door. “Take as long as you need,” she adds before she slips out, closing the door behind her.

“Which room is gonna be mine? Can I have the bigger one?” Chris asks, grabbing my hand.

“Jade gets the bigger one. This is her house, Chris.” Hudson leans against the refrigerator, his hands in his pockets.

Chris sticks his tongue out at his dad, and I laugh as I take both of Chris’s hands in mine.

I move him around the empty kitchen and through the living room before he asks, “What are we doing?”

“Dancing,” I say, twirling around each empty room.

He giggles as Hudson joins us, grabbing each one of our hands, and all three of us dance through the empty house, smiling and laughing the whole time.

“You’re leaving me here with Monica?” Kristy shouts, banging her hand against the bar top.

My eyes to shift in Monica’s direction, praying she didn’t hear Kristy’s outburst.

I slam my hand over her mouth, keeping her quiet. “No, I’m just going to school. Don’t be so dramatic. I’ll still be here just not six days a week, more like four.” I remove my hand, dropping it at my waist.

“Two days with her is a lot,” she complains.

“You’ll be fine.”

She pouts, jutting out her lower lip. “Will I though?”

Oh, good grief. “Just get back to work before Monica scares everyone away.” I point to where Monica is cleaning up the beer she knocked over, half of it landing in a customer’s lap.

Kristy smirks. “I rest my case. I won’t survive without you.” She turns on her heel and stalks over to Monica, profusely apologizing to the guy with a wet lap.

I chuckle under my breath as I pop the cap of a beer. I place it at the end of the bar, knowing one of them will come back to replace the now empty bottle.

“My wife is hot,” Jason comments as he takes a seat across from me, ogling Kristy’s ass as she bends over the table. “I’m a lucky man.” He turns back to me with a dopey smile on his face as I place a beer in front of him. “I admire you, ya know?”

My eyes snap to his, confused. “What? Why?” How could anyone ever admire me?

“You’re strong. You’ve gone through a lot.” He fiddles with his blue Mohawk before taking a pull of his beer. “You’re destined for greatness, Jade Hart. Anyone who can still stand after what you’ve been through is a special person.”

“Thanks,” I say, not sure what to do with his compliment.

I’ve never been good at accepting praise, and I think that’s one thing that will never change.

Kristy takes a seat next to Jason, downing half of his beer.

“Have you gotten your man back yet?” he asks.

The front door opens, and I grin. “Yep.”

They both turn their heads in the direction of my gaze. Kristy looks back at me, wagging her eyebrows. “You’re a goner.”

“I am,” I whisper, barely loud enough for her to hear.

Hudson sits next to Jason and pats him on the back. “Congrats, guys.”

Kristy leans forward to look at Hudson. “Where’s my gift?”

I belt out a laugh as Jason wraps an arm around her. “Ignore her,” he says. “I’m working on reining her in.”

At that, I laugh even hard, a tear slipping from my eye as I cover my mouth with my hand.

Kristy watches me laughing like a hyena, shaking her head as she smiles at me. “No gift necessary.” She skirts her gaze to Hudson. “This is more than I could ask for.”

Hudson leans over the bar, pulling the back of my head until his mouth collides with mine, cutting off my laughter.

He draws away from my lips, moving his mouth to my ear. “You’re beautiful when you’re laughing.”

He sits back on his stool, looking at me like I’m the reason he’s breathing. But he’s wrong because he’s the one who dragged me to shore when I was struggling to swim.

“Can I get a water?” he asks, winking at me.

I’d give him all the water in the world just to see him this way–relaxed, content, blissful.

“That’ll be $5,” I say, the side of my mouth tugging up.

“See, I know this girl, and she always gives me free water,” he says, crossing his arms on the bar.

I bite my lip, lusting at the veins in his arms. I hope I never get tired of staring at the man across from me or tire of the butterflies that dance in my stomach when he’s around.

“I know that look,” Kristy says, reminding me she’s sitting at the bar. “That’s Jade’s ‘Hudson is so hot’ face.”

I gasp and throw my wet rag in her face. Her mouth falls open as she gawks at me.

“Do all girls get that look? Because you have the same one when you look at me,” Jason adds.

“Oh, shit,” I say, stomping my foot on the ground as I chuckle.

Kristy reaches over the counter, grabbing the hose next to me and sprays water on me. I shriek, throwing my hands up as a shield. She stops spraying me but moves on to Jason, soaking him from head to toe.

She puts the hose back in place and wipes her hands together. “Next time you two will think twice before mocking me.”

Jason’s gaze shifts to me then the hose, and I take the hint, picking it up and spraying Kristy.

“What the hell!” she shouts.

“Payback.” I see Hudson out of the corner of my eye, watching us with an amused smile.

I don’t want him to feel left out, so I shift the hose to him and spray him with water, too.

All four of us have water running down our faces, our clothes soaked through, as I put the hose back. We look at each other and break out in a fit of laughter all at once.

And I realize that I have turned into someone else.

I’m not Jade Hart, the girl with a chip on her shoulder.

I’m Jade Hart, the girl who can make it through anything–a girl who finally has a family.