I stood at the edge of the pool that had spat us out from centuries earlier in the earth's history. I looked around and took a headcount. Becky, Aunt Jenny, Uncle Garth, Josh, a new girl I had learned was named Hameara, Mary, Harry, my dad, Sabrina, baby Gid, Kerra, Brock, Gidgidonihah, Jessie, Megan, and Apolus. I shed tears of joy that everyone survived the journey. We were all finally at the same moment in time. I stared at the water. As happy as I was to know everyone was home, I couldn't help shedding additional tears for the loss of Pegag.
Why was I crying? He wasn't dead. For all I knew he would live out the rest of his life with his family, probably marry some nice Jaredite woman and live happily ever after.
I sat on a boulder and stared at the mountain. The odds were to slim of landing in the right century.
Weeks passed. Once we told the police department to cancel our missing persons reports, life almost felt like it was going back to normal. School was starting the next month, and I had found a job as a secretary for a gym in Provo.
One Sunday, I had gone to my parents house for Carter's birthday dinner. Since it was a Hawkins family tradition since the dawn of time for the birthday boy or girl to determine his or her birthday menu, everyone was dishing up piles of homemade macaroni and cheese.
"What is it you call this meal?" Hameara asked.
"Mack and cheese!" Carter sang from honorary seat at the head of the table.
Pill put his front two paws on my foot and begged for a bite.
I scraped a piece of macaroni onto the floor and the tiny dog devoured all of the evidence.
There was a knock at the door and Sabrina stood to answer.
"How is the house hunt?" Marcos asked.
"We're putting that decision on hold while I go through blind school," Megan said.
Their wedding had been a month after we got home. They moved into my parents' basement so Sabrina could be Megan's eyes while Apolus went to work at the same company as Marcos.
Sabrina returned to the dinner table.
"Stephanie," she beckoned me to follow her.
I stood and walked with my stepmother to the hall. There, I saw a face I thought I would never see again. He was still dressed in Jaredite clothing. His eyes sparkled when he spoke my name.
I began to cry and Pegag wrapped his arms around me.
"How did you find me?" I looked into his crystal blue eyes that were also wet with tears.
"I searched every cave in the land until I found the room of crystals. It's a good thing your kin write their names on boxes outside of their houses."
"What about your family?"
"I've spoken to my father, and everything has been arranged."
"You would give up being a ruler for me?"
"If you would keep me"
"I think that could be arranged," I said.