"I just don't know if I could get involved with something like that."

The faint noise of Joshy and CJ running around Emily's backyard carried through an open window to the kitchen table, where their parents sat with visible discomfort.

"I want to help Sam, but that kind of stuff is like my worst nightmare." Ashley's shoulders sagged. From beside her Chris reached over and laid his left hand over her right. She avoided eye contact with anyone at the table.

"None of us want to do it." Emily glanced to Jess beside her, who nodded in agreement. "But if this could be a problem down the line then it's something we need to investigate now. And the more backup we have if shit goes south, the better."

It was strange having nearly half the group under one roof again. Jess had never been particularly close to Chris or Ashley, but she was happy to see them. Emily noticed Ashley's ever-inquisitive eyes taking in Jess' current appearance. She surely must have been curious about the changes, but she, like Sam, did not ask. Instead Jess spent the first ten or so minutes of their meet-up fawning over Ashley's boys, marveling at how much they resembled their parents and telling them how cute they were. Joshy wore a wide smile, soaking in the flattery. CJ was shy around the stranger's attention. He hung close to his parents, but every so often he would steal a peek over a Jess.

"I'll help in any way I can." Chris fixed Emily, then Jess with a determined look. "We can't let something happen to another one of us. And Sam doesn't deserve us abandoning her. Not after all we've put her through."

Jess nodded.

Emily knew where Jess stood on the issue. Guilt weighted her every step, every day of her life. Part of the reason she'd avoided getting help the past ten years was because she felt she needed to suffer to "atone" for what she'd done. This was one small way for her to work toward alleviating that crushing guilt. Thus she was determined to help Sam, no matter the risk.

Ashley was the only person at the table who seemed to need convincing, but Em could tell her resistance was weakening. Sam had saved them all back then. Regardless of what they had gone through on their own that terrible night, they walked away with their lives because of Sam's bravery.

The least they could do was show some bravery for her in return.

Eventually Ashley made a small sound. The others glanced over at her.

"I know that if I was in her situation," she murmured, "Sam would help me in a second."

Jess nodded. "I thought of that, too."

Ash swallowed, then made eye contact with each of the others in turn. "All right. I'll help."

"So count us both in, then," Chris said.

"All right." Emily glanced over at Jess again, then resumed a stiff, professional posture. "We'll be in touch."


"Are you serious?"

"Yeah. She's pretty sure she has one inside of her, and apparently she can't talk to it by herself. She needs us to help coax it out."

Eyes wide, Matt shook his head. "Um, wow. Okay, I'll definitely help. When are you gonna do it?"

"Probably sometime next week. Jess and I want to practice a little first."

"You want me to come up there a little early? Maybe I can help you practice. I don't feel real good about this, but…it's Sam…"

Emily and Jess swapped a look. Jess shrugged.

"When would you be thinking of coming around?" Emily asked.

Matt glanced behind him at something off-screen. "I couldn't stay for too long. But maybe I could get there a day before and help out with whatever's left to do? I mean I could probably still book a hotel last minute–"

Emily smirked a little. "You know, you can admit you just want to be with us."

Matt did that stupid cute little giggle of his again. "Okay, that might be part of the reason. But I do want to help Sam."

"We all do." Jess was uncharacteristically serious, even in Matt's presence. Usually she was all smiles and flirting. It took Emily a few minutes to realize she was probably trying to show Emily that she was dedicated to their relationship. A surge of love swelled in Emily's heart, but also a pang of guilt. She didn't want to make Jess change to suit her.

Whenever she saw Matt face to face, she wished she could take Jess up on her suggestion about the three of them. She didn't tell Jess that, but it was impossible not to think about in Matt's presence.

"If you do come up early, don't bother booking a hotel," Emily said. "You can crash here for a night. Not a big deal."

Jess raised her eyebrows. Emily ignored her.

"Seriously? Heh, um, okay." Matt rubbed the back of his neck. "So just let me know a couple days in advance. I'll definitely be there. For Sam…and for you girls."

Emily smiled. "Thanks, Matt."

In the background of Matt's end of the video call they heard a muffled car door slam. "Shit," he mumbled, "I gotta go."

"Later." Emily nodded at him.

"Bye, Matt." Jess gave him a small finger-wave.

"Bye." He looked at them both for a moment. Then he ended the call.

"Okay. So Matt's in." Emily exhaled as Jess closed her laptop and pushed it toward the center of the kitchen table. "That's…almost everyone from the old group."

Jess bit her lip and nodded.

"Do you think…we should…" Emily gestured to her phone, but didn't elaborate on what she meant. She didn't have to.

"I don't want to see him," Jess said quietly, "but this isn't about what I want or don't want. It's about what's best for Sam. And he dealt with the monsters a lot that night. He would probably be helpful if shit went down."

Both women's shoulders sagged with obvious reluctance as they tried to convince themselves to call the man who had once torn their relationship apart.


He didn't answer.

"Maybe it's a sign," Emily murmured as she set the phone down. Did they really need Mike anyway?

"We'll probably be fine without him. I mean, we have you, me, Ashley, Chris, and Matt. That's plenty of–"

Em's phone started buzzing. Incoming call – Mike.

She sighed and looked to Jess. Jess shrugged.

"Hello," she said upon finally answering.

"Hey Em!" Mike practically shouted. Emily could hear a commotion in the background, a chorus of voices and movement. It sounded like some sort of public event. "Sorry, I thought I heard my phone go off but I wasn't sure. What's goin' on?"

"Do you have a minute?"

"Um, yeah, a minute. But just so you know if you want me to come over tonight, I really won't be able to make it, I'm at the–"

"I'm not asking you to come over. I need to explain something to you."

Mike hesitated. "Oh God, you're not…"

It took Emily a minute to realize what he left unsaid. "I'm not fucking pregnant, if that's what you're wondering."

Mike exhaled. "Oh good. Good. Okay, what were you gonna say? I have a couple minutes before I need to go. I'm speaking at this dinner and it's pretty important."

"This is important, too." Emily fought the urge to call him an idiot. "Sam needs our help."

"What's the matter with her?" His words held a note of genuine concern. Emily was almost a little surprised by that.

"Do you want the short answer or the long answer?"

"Short I guess?"

"She thinks she's possessed by a wendigo spirit and wants us to hold a séance so we can try to communicate with it."

From Mike's end of the line there came nothing but background noise for several long seconds.

"So I'll count you in, then?" Em said.

Mike made a noncommittal noise. "…Okay? When are you doing it?"

"Probably in about a week or so. We'll give you notice in advance once we set a date."

He stumbled in his responses. "Who else is gonna – who else will be there? Or is it just me, you, and Sam?"

"Everyone will be there," she answered vaguely. She and Jess exchanged a brief look.

"All right. I – I'll try to make it. Maybe sometime between now and then you can give me a full explanation, too, because I'd like to know what the hell is going to go down before I walk into it."

"Yeah. Okay. I will."

"Okay. I have to go now, but, uh, I'll keep in touch."

"Good. Talk to you later."

"Yeah, talk to you–"

Emily disconnected.

Jess stared down at the table. Emily wasn't certain how to reach out to her after the conversation, so she opted to do so physically. Her hand settled on Jess'. Finally Jess picked her gaze up and met Emily's eyes.

"I love you," Jess said.

Emily hesitated, a bit thrown off by the emotional response. "…I love you, too."

"We'll get through this," Jess added. "We're strong. We've gotten through so much already. Right?"

"Right." Emily nodded. "This is nothing."

Truthfully Emily was, of course, afraid, but not as much as she would have been on her own. And Jess seemed to feel the same way. Nothing was quite so terrifying when they were with their lifetime partner in crime.