Tobias and Leandro had done their best to clean up the Black Rock before Silvia came back home. And the outcome made her smile, because the house was squeaky-clean and smelling of flowers. They were surprised to see Mika there too, but Silvia's look kept them from asking any questions.

Knowing the siblings needed time alone for their reunion, Leandro left for Beltane, to have dinner with Claudia. At the Black Rock, Mika went to the supermarket, to restock the fridge with something that wasn't trash food and make dinner for the three of them.

The moment she walked out, Tobias asked Silvia what had happened to their sister to make her lower that proud head of hers, admit her fail and come back home. It was just natural he would take mortal offense when he learned why Mika was actually back. But Silvia would have none of it.

"I'm telling you the same I told your sister," she said. "You don't want me to keep treating you guys like children? Then prove me wrong. Prove me you don't need supervision twenty-four/seven to keep a job and don't drop out of college. Act like a grownup, so I can be with the man I love and your sister can go back to Buenos Aires and live the life she truly wants. It's up to you two. Wanna keep me away? Then don't give me any reasons to come back."

Tobias snorted, shook his head, grunted under his breath. Silvia smiled and decided to piss him off even further, so she hugged him tight.

Mika came back soon, and not alone. As soon as Claudia knew the sisters were back in town, she texted their friends. Everybody was in for a homecoming barbeque. She and Leandro brought the itinerant grill she and Silvia shared, and Miyen didn't take long to park outside the fence, the trunk of his car full of firewood. Karim was on the way with a couple more friends and gallons of beer. Even Paola—who had a romantic dinner with her boyfriend planned—was coming.

Silvia could only breathe deep as her house got crowded. After all, she wasn't that tired, and it was an excellent chance to officially announce her plan of moving to Los Angeles for three months. She was surprised when nobody looked surprised. Her friends said it was only logical, toasted to it and started planning her farewell party right away.

Her boss wasn't surprised either, and when she mentioned Mika was looking for a job, he took a minute to think about it.

"You're gonna train whoever takes your post," he said. "If you think your sister can do it, I trust you."

So Mika got a job that would allow her to take morning classes and earn more than enough to make ends meet, considering Tobias was doing well at his own job, so he didn't need her to provide for him, and he could pay half the house bills.

Jim was coming out of a radio interview when he got her text, and he replied giggling under his breath.

December brought a nice weather that promised one of those gorgeous Patagonian summers, and Silvia went back to her routines like nothing special was going on. Everything looked like two years earlier, with both her siblings at home and the usual get-togethers with her friends. Tobias had already finished his classes for the year, so she would stay up a while longer, gaming with him as usual. Against all odds, Mika liked her new job and was a quick learner. Every day when they took a break at the office, she told Silvia about her year in Buenos Aires.

Jim told her he wouldn't throw his usual birthday party that year, because he wanted to wait for her, so they could celebrate both their birthdays together. And since she'd stated crystal clear she wasn't moving in with him, he volunteered to find her a home.

He started sending her pictures of the houses and apartments he liked for her every two or three days, and Silvia's friends wouldn't miss them for the world, because they always meant a good laugh.

Silvia needed some insisting to make him understand she didn't want a mansion at Hollywood Hills, and that she didn't need a condo with a swimming pool in the balcony, a dance floor in the attic and a sauna in the basement.

Once he got it, she suggested he should keep lowering the bar for size and luxury, while her friends laughed their hearts off at every new picture Jim sent.

"The whole Black Rock fits in that bathroom!" Paola said, as they grabbed their bellies, laughing.

So she would reply:

Everybody waited for his next picture the next day.

"He's getting closer," Karim said, always diplomatic. "Look, your house is no longer smaller than the bathroom. It's about the size of the bedroom."

"Sure! The size of the smallest of the four bedrooms!" cried Miyen, and there they went again, laughing until tears rolled down their cheeks.

"You need to be clear," Leandro said when he was able to breathe again. "Don't leave it up to him. Tell him exactly what you want."

Silvia admitted her cousin had a point and followed his advice to text Jim:

The pause before his reply told her he'd given up.

Silvia and Jim had naturally resumed their habit of staying in touch over the internet. They went back to the Hey, Jay! to upload things to share, be it pictures, songs, writings, enjoying each other's posts and comments.

Just like back when he was touring Asia, he felt she was by his side every day. And she didn't only follow his steps. This time she was also taking him along through her last days at home, with her friends, in that place she loved so much.

Meanwhile, No Return was working at full steam on new songs for their fifth album. Not knowing how available Jim would make himself after Silvia arrived in Los Angeles, Deborah filled their December schedule with venues and filming for a short behind-the-scenes documentary they wanted to release by February. Their songs were on every chart and the band was going through the best moment of the last five years.

And each at their own end of the world, twenty thousand miles away and never minding the GPS, Silvia and Jim lived the last days of the year together in their own fashion. Once more, she was the first to congratulate him on his becoming as old as her. Christmas went by with a family dinner in the south and parties with friends in the north. Jim called Silvia on her birthday.

She was getting slowly ready to leave the Black Rock, her siblings, her friends, her town, and she couldn't help a sad jerk in her guts whenever she saw a particularly beautiful sunset on her way back from work, with Mika chattering by her side on the bus.

The last day of December was her last day at work. She finished packing the few things she wasn't leaving to Mika and dropped by Paola's place for some mates. On her way back home, looking out at the late summer sunset over the lake, she couldn't help wondering if this was the last New Year's Eve she would spend away from Jim.

At the same time, at the other side of the world, Jo served lunch on Jim's deck for her and the Robinsons.

"Don't you miss her on these special dates?" she asked, sitting down by Sean.

Jim shook his head with a little smile. "Nah, 'cause I know this is our last New Year's Eve apart."

"Meaning they're gonna kill each other before the next one," Sean translated.

"Fuck you."

Jo leaned back in her chair, right in time to dodge the splash of fruit juice when Jim emptied his glass on his brother's face. She started her lunch, smiling as she watched the Robinsons wrestle all over the deck, to end up in the swimming pool. Good thing it was a cold lunch, so they could take as long as they wanted with their fight before coming back to the table, soaking wet just out of the pool, and sitting down to eat, panting and laughing.

Time zones turned out to bean issue to share New Year, so Jim and Silvia saluted each other twice like the year before. First when the Old Year fled Patagonia to the west, and then again when Jim kicked it out of Los Angeles, five hours later.