“That should do it,” I said as I loaded the last suitcase in the back of the rental car. “Is that everything?” Meredith said as she walked back out to the car. “Yeah, I think that’s it. I only had the two suitcases,” I replied. “Sounds good, why don’t you go say your goodbyes before we head out?” she said. As I walked back toward the front door, I was greeted by Molly and the girls. “We’re going to miss you, Olivia!” she said. She then turned to me and whispered in my ear, “Take good care of your mom for me, she’s a really wonderful woman.” I chuckled. “I’ll try my best,” I replied. While Molly went to say goodbye to Meredith, I turned to the girls to say my goodbyes. “You girls have been the best friends I could ever have. I’m really gonna miss you!” I said, as each girl took their turn giving me a hug. I turned to Allie, who was smiling at me, but I could tell she was struggling to hold back the tears. “Allie….I’m really going to miss you,” I said as I embraced her endearingly. She draped her head on my shoulder and whispered in my ear, “I’m missing you already…” At this point, both of us were tearing up. I stroked my hands through her hair as I kissed her on the forehead. “Take care of the girls for me. And…. take good care of Molly, too,” I said as I started to walk to the car. “I will,” she replied. As I started to get into the car, Allie hollered at me. “Hey Olivia!” I turned back and looked at Allie, “Yeah?” “Call me tonight!” she called out to me. “You know I will!” I hollered back. At that moment, Meredith pulled out of the driveway and off we went. At that moment, I felt a lump in my throat. This was the moment I was hoping for. Finally on my way back home. The feeling was very bittersweet, as the realization hit that these four, who grew to be very important to me over the past couple of weeks, would not be part of my day-to-day life anymore. I wondered if I was ever going to see them again. Meredith looked over at me in the passenger seat and gave me a very sympathetic gaze. “It’s tough…. isn’t it?” she said to me. I nodded yes. “You know what, Mom? When I found out that I was going to be put in a foster home, I was filled with dread. I didn’t even know if I wanted to live anymore, because it looked like my life was going to be a living hell. It’s funny, because I ended up making some of the best friends I have ever met. And really, I was grieving you. I wasn’t sure I was ever going to see you again. But I had really good friends that provided me a very big distraction from those feelings of grief,” I said. “Yeah, it’s tough…” Meredith said. “But I’m so glad that I’m finally bringing you home. I was beginning to feel that, like you, I would never see you again, either” she continued. I smiled. “Mom, wherever you are, that’s exactly where I need to be,” I said. “Olivia…. stop…you’re going to make me cry!” she said jokingly. I laughed in response, as we pulled up to the car rental place. “I’m going to go drop off the keys, why don’t you unload your suitcases, and we’ll wait for the airport shuttle,” Meredith said. At that moment, the shuttle van pulled up in the parking stall next to our rental car just as I was unloading my suitcases from the trunk. The passenger side window of the shuttle van opened, and a man bellowed from inside, “Are you Olivia?” I nodded yes. “My mom’s in there dropping off the keys,” I said, pointing at the rental car office. “She’ll be out soon,” I continued. “Great,” the man said, getting out of the van. “Let me help you with your luggage,” he said as he walked around to put my luggage in the back of the van. After he loaded the luggage and shut the back door, he turned to me and started to make small talk as we waited for Meredith to come back out to the van. “So, where are you two off to tod—Hey, I remember you! I drove you and your mom to the airport last month!” he exclaimed. At that point I remembered him as well, and the awkward exchange we had on the last trip to the airport. “Listen, I’m sorry if I…” he began apologetically. I continued as he trailed off, “No need to worry about it,” I replied. He perked up, apparently relieved. “Anyway, as I was saying, where’s home for you two?” he asked. “We’re heading home to Chicago,” I replied. “Chicago? You must love the hot Florida summers down here, seeing as it’s your second trip here in the past month!” he exclaimed. I laughed. “Yeah, I guess we do, it’s a lot warmer than back home, that’s for sure,” I replied. “You get used to it eventually. It’s not so warm where I’m from either,” he said. “Where are you from?” I asked. “Michigan, Saginaw area,” he replied. “Michigan….that’s where I was born!” I said, remembering my supposed place of birth on my birth certificate. “Oh, really? What part?” he replied. “Grand Rapids,” I replied. “Although I…..we…..moved to Chicago when I was very young, so I don’t remember living there,” I said, trying to manifest some memories of a past that didn’t exist. “Grand Rapids? I’ve got a sister that lives there,” he said as Meredith walked out of the building and to the shuttle. “Hey, you were the guy who drove us last time!” she said as she approached the driver. “Yep, that was me! Your daughter was telling me about how much she loves the hot Daytona sun!” he exclaimed. Meredith and I both laughed as she got in the back of the van next to me. As the man started to drive, Meredith leaned into my ear and whispered, “This guy’s kind of a weird one, isn’t he?” I smiled and whispered back to Meredith, “Yeah he is, but he seems like a nice guy.” “True, he seems genuinely friendly, but you’ve got to keep an eye out on some of these guys. This guy may seem nice, but there are some real creeps out there,” she whispered back to me. I hadn’t given it much thought over the past few weeks since I had become Olivia, but it’s a matter of which I would have to keep my guard up, especially as a teenage girl. It was a certain vulnerability that I was not used to. The rest of the car ride was pretty silent, as both Meredith and I were staring out the window at the passing palm trees. I was taking in some of the last eyefuls of the Florida scenery before we approached the airport. I wasn’t sure when we would be back here next, but I was starting to get used to it here. I had built some fond memories here, most of which I certainly didn’t have in mind when we first arrived the last month. There was a part of me that didn’t want to leave, but I knew that I wanted to come back here sometime soon. “All right, here’s where you get off,” the man said as he parked the car and got out to unload my suitcases. “Thank you, sir,” Meredith said as she handed him a $20 tip. “Oh, you’re much too kind, ma’am. You two have a safe trip home!” he said warmly. “Thanks! It was nice talking to you!” I said to him in the distance as Meredith and I walked through the sliding doors into the airport terminal. Meredith and I dropped off the luggage and proceeded to our gate. As we approached the gate, anxiety began to set in. As I heard the familiar chatter and sounds of the airport, my heart began to race. I stopped in my tracks. Meredith stopped along with me and leaned down to comfort me. “I know exactly what you’re feeling right now,” she said compassionately. “But it will be okay this time. This time, we have everything we need!” she said. I looked at her and smiled. “Let’s go home,” I said to her confidently. “Let’s,” she said with a smile. As we approached the attendant at the gate, Meredith beamed confidently. “Hello,” the attendant greeted us. “Do you have your boarding passes ready?” she continued. “I have them right here,” Meredith said, handing her our boarding passes. “And I also have her birth certificate here as well,” she continued. “Oh, that’s okay ma’am, we don’t need to see that,” the attendant replied. Meredith leaned into my ear and muttered, “Sure, now they don’t need to see it…” I laughed awkwardly in response. “Okay, you guys are all set, proceed down the hall, and have a nice flight!” the attendant said kindly. We made our way onto the plane as we both quickly settled into our seats. Meredith and I both looked at each other as we both let out a sigh of relief in unison. I felt light as air at that moment. At last, I was finally going home.