I have greatly enjoyed my time here and am grateful for the experience and relationships I’ve built. I will ensure a smooth transition of my current cases and responsibilities.

She stared at the word “family” for a long moment. It wasn’t technically true yet, but it felt true in her heart. Bette and Carson had bonded so naturally, so completely. And despite everything that had happened between them, despite Bette’s walls and fears, Tina knew there was still love there. She had felt it in the way Bette had looked at her during their week together, in the gentle way she had defended Tina to Carson, in the reluctance she’d shown when saying goodbye.

Her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. Jaylyn’s name appeared on the screen.

“I heard,” Jaylyn said without preamble. “Lauren called me. How are you feeling?”

“Free,” Tina said immediately. “For the first time in ten years, I feel completely free.”

“And terrified?”

“And terrified,” Tina admitted. “What if this is a huge mistake? What if Bette doesn’t want us there? What if she’s moved on?”

“Then you’ll deal with it. But Tina, you’ll never know unless you try.  I am sure Bette loves you and after everything you’ve been through, don’t you think you deserve to try?”

“Carson deserves a mother who’s brave enough to fight for what she wants.”

“Yes, he does. And he’s got one.”

After hanging up with Jaylyn, Tina wandered into Carson’s room to check on him. He was fast asleep, clutching the stuffed dinosaur Bette had bought him during their week together. Even in sleep, he held onto that connection to her.

Tina gently smoothed his hair back from his forehead. “We’re going to be brave, baby,” she whispered. “For the first time in my life, we’re going to be really brave.”

The next morning, she submitted her resignation letter and called the New York State Board of Nursing to begin the license transfer process. Each phone call, each form filled out, each step taken felt like another chain breaking away from the life she’d built on lies.

By lunch time, she had contacted three real estate agents in Manhattan and scheduled virtual apartment tours for the weekend. Carson sat beside her as they looked at listings online, his excitement infectious.