Kit went over to the silky white curtains that covered the window in the hotel bedroom and took a peek, only for a second before she took large steps back, her three inch nude Mary Jane heels silent against the carpet.

The sun was out, shining on the city where the buildings scraped the sky. For the split second she had looked, Kit could see the Atlanta skyline.

She had woken up to the sound of Prokofiev violin concertos blaring through her headphones, at first, disoriented and removing them quickly. There had been a tray of breakfast waiting for her: an egg white frittata, hashbrowns and some kind of berry juice blend.

Remembering that school would be starting up again, Kit had skipped the fried hashbrowns, but finished the rest, then showered and brushed her teeth, preparing for another day of waiting.

She was sitting on the bed, dressed in a cotton ankle-length collared peach dress with cuffed sleeves, brushing her hair when she was startled.

"It's nice, huh?"

Kit almost jumped off the bed and was saved by two strong arms wrapping around her and setting her upright on her feet. She blinked, suddenly looking up into Emmett's bright gold eyes, his teeth just as bright as he flashed a wide grin.

"What?" Emmett teased, cocking his head to the side, "Not happy to see me, baby? I thought I'd at least get a smile."

Kit threw her arms around him, giggling when Emmett picked her up, burrowing his face in her short hair. She rewraped her arms around his neck, pulling back to look at him. Cheeks pink, she pecked him on the lips.

"I'm very happy to see you," she said, steadying herself when she was set back on her feet, "Surprised, but happy. I missed you," she stopped, eyes widening, "Wait, what happened!? Where's Bella's mom?"

Emmett soothed her, "Safe, everyone is safe. We got James, he's been taken care of. It was all a lie and a trick. Bella's mother is still in Florida."

Relief washed through Kit and she closed her eyes for a moment.

"That's wonderful," she said sincerely, eyes opening, "And the female? Victoria?"

Emmett's face fell, "…She escaped, but we're going to look for her and take care of her too. I promise, you and your family will be okay. I'll make sure of it."

Kit was still tense, but she nodded, running her fingers over the smooth skin on Emmett's cheek. She enjoyed being with him. She would admit, it was comforting and she couldn't help but feel secure.

"What are you thinking about?" Emmett asked, trailing a finger down her cheek.

"You," Kit answered, "I like...being with you."

"Great," Emmett laughed, shaking Kit's smaller frame, "How awkward would it be if my m—girlfriend hated being with me? We'd have some explaining to do."

Kit looked up at him again, surprised, "G-girlfriend?" she stuttered.

Emmett's eyes widened, "I'm sorry," he said, "I-I didn't mean—oh-

"No, no," Kit cut him off with a shake of her head, "That's fine! I didn't know if you were comfortable—mates and stuff…" she trailed off, face flushing.

"I'm comfortable," Emmett assured her, "Are you?"

"Yes," Kit said, relieved, "Very much so. Everything is great."

Emmett smiled widely, "Great," he echoed, eyes sweeping her face, "I like being with you too. Are you feeling okay?"

Kit looked away from him, recalling the conversation with Edward, "Yes. I-it was low blood sugar, but I'm fine now."

"Right," Emmett murmured, not entirely convinced.

She narrowed her eyes, still not looking at him, "I ate breakfast…"

"Uh-huh…" he pushed, following Kit's gaze to the covered tray on the bedside table. His eyes went back to her face, "What is it, Kit? Talk to me, please."

Hearing the pain in Emmett's voice, Kit closed her eyes when shame flooded her body. The feeling was a reminder of why she didn't open up, but maybe doing just that would make it go away.

'I'm not alone,' she reminded herself, 'He won't think any different of me. At least, I hope he won't.'

"I…don't like eating in front of people," she shifted her weight, eyebrows knitting, "I can't, not anymore. So, I-I haven't been…I-I guess."

'And I'm as big as a whale,' she added in her head.

With his thumbs, Emmett massaged the tension out of Kit's shoulders, "Yeah?" he murmured softly.

"Mhm," Kit hummed, reminding herself that she needed to breathe.

"Is there anything I can do?" Emmett asked carefully.

Kit shook her head, still not looking at him, "I don't know," she whispered. She inhaled deeply and covered her face with her hands, bringing them up to rake through her hair.

'I'm such a depressing person, now,' she thought, 'I don't know how anyone stands to be around me.'

"It's fine, though," she tried to backpedal, forcing an even tone, "Everything is just…peachy."

She snuck a peek up at Emmett and saw him looking at her with a strange look on his face.

"What?" she asked, "Why are you staring at me like that?"

He shook his head, his face smoothing out, "Nothing. I'm sorry that you had to be trapped inside all week with nothing but your phone. You're under enough strain and you didn't need all this extra pressure. I'm sorry that this happened, Kit."

"That's okay," Kit told him, "It's not your fault and it's over now, so…" she shrugged, trailing off.

Emmett nodded slowly and gestured to the bed, "Come lay down with me?"

"Mhm," Kit agreed, going under the covers while Emmett laid on top of them.

Emmett placed one of his arms arms under the pillows so that Kit could scoot closer to him and he kissed her forehead.

"I'm worried about you," he admitted, "Would you—would you be open to speaking with Carlisle?"

Kit's eyes widened and she tried to sit up, but Emmett's arm around her kept her from doing so.

"About what?" she asked, fearing the answer.

Emmett touched her face. Her face that should have been a very warm ivory color instead of the pale shade that it was.

"Everything," he said. A little defensiveness leaked into his voice, "I didn't know what to do. I had to talk to someone about this and Carlisle's a doctor," he tried to assure her, "He can help! He wants to help."

Help.

Kit tried to sit up again and this time, Emmett moved his arm from around her, copying her motion.

"Help with what?" Kit frowned, "I'm not…I'm not..." she trailed off again. What exactly had Emmett told Carlisle? Had Carlisle been in contact with her parents? The principal?

Emmett was surprised at Kit's reaction and he nodded, placing his hand on her thigh.

"Hey, it's okay," he said softly, "You've been really stressed and Carlisle just wants to make sure you're not getting sick. Especially after the low blood sugar incident. That's all."

"Oh," Kit bit her lip and her shoulders slumped. She felt extremely foolish, "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Emmett promised, he laid back down and pulled Kit down to join him, "Will you do it? Talk to him?"

"I don't know if I can," Kit said. She exhaled that overwhelming exhausting sound. She closed her eyes, shook her head, and burrowed her face in her hands, "No, no, I can't…"

"Kit-

"Emmett, it's the same thing every time!" she interrupted, "I'm tired of it! I don't want this consuming my life-

"It already is!" Emmett said hotly, "It's at school, on your phone, on your computer," he ticked off on his fingers, "Kit, you're in a whole other state—over one thousand miles and it still followed you!"

Kit only stared at him, unsure of what to say.

"This is being blown out of proportion," she muttered, looking down at her lap.

"Do you honestly not see how terribly this is affecting you?" Emmett made his voice soft, "Because it's breaking my heart-

"Please, don't," Kit begged, shaking her head, "Em, I can't."

"You don't even have to say anything," Emmett continued, "Carlisle isn't going to yell at you. You just have to listen and let him check you out. It's really not as torturous as it sounds."

'Breathe, Kit,' she thought, trying to quell her shaking hands, 'Don't panic!'

After a long moment, Kit spoke, "I can't talk about this anymore," she said, barely above a whisper, "I'm sorry, I can't. I'll think about it…"

She took a deep breath. She had almost snapped at Emmett that it wasn't his business. That she was handling it and wanted to be left alone, but she wasn't going to talk to him like that. He didn't deserve to be snapped at just because she was turning into a giant mess who apparently fell apart at the drop of a hat.

"I know," Emmett said suddenly, understanding, "You want to rip my head off."

"No," Kit said, turning to face him, "I'm not that upset. Maybe a foot…or your arm…"

A small, sad smile graced Emmett's youthful face and he placed his hand atop Kit's.

"I'm sorry," he told her, "I should've asked before speaking with Carlisle."

"…I would have done the same thing," Kit admitted, "I would have told my parents if the roles were reversed. I get it."

"But…?" Emmett drawled out.

"But I just want it left alone," she said quietly, "I hate talking about it and…" she sighed that overwhelming exhausting sound again, "I'm sorry."

Emmett nodded slowly, "That's okay…"

Kit eyed him, "Is it?"

"Yeah," he lied, "It will be."

"I hope so," Kit muttered, "Um...thank you. For, you know, being there for me. I know it's not fair to you and it's frustrating and you're trying to help…it's a lot to deal with."

Emmett shrugged, "People say stuff about my family all the time. Bad stuff, too. You know, like we're all siblings, but we're dating each other. Some of it gets pretty creative."

She picked at her nails, "How do you deal with it?"

Emmett grimaced, "Ah, probably a bad example. We just ignore it."

"And it never bothers you?" Kit asked, "Ever?"

"It gets annoying," Emmett shrugged again, "I guess it depends which one of us you ask. I think it's hilarious! But if you ask Esme or Carlisle, they may think differently, since we're their children...or Jasper, since he feels their emotions."

"Oh," Kit muttered, "I talked to Jasper, already."

Emmett looked at her, perplexed, "You did?"

She nodded, "Yes, it was quite helpful, it meant a lot..." she felt her throat tighten and shook her head, "Anyway," she stood up and went to fetch her bag, "Now that Bella's mother is safe, are we able to return home?"

"In a bit," Emmett said with a sigh, "There's something you have to do first."

"Me?" Kit pointed to herself, "What do I have to do?"

"Relax," Emmett said, "Besides, you could use some cheering up."

"Okay…" she mumbled, unsure of where her boyfriend (a boyfriend, she couldn't believe it!) was going with this.

"A spa day," Emmett declared cheerfully.

Kit quirked an eyebrow, "A spa day?" she queried.

"Yeah," Emmett nodded, "You do remember that's where you're supposed to be, right? You can't go back home looking like you do now!"

Kit frowned, eyes going to the side, then back to Emmett's face. Another one of her awkward habits.

"I'm trying to figure out if I should agree with you or take offense to that," she admitted. She narrowed her eyes a little, "I'm leaning towards the second one."

"I'm sorry, that's not what I meant," Emmett said. He picked up her hand, showing off her jagged and bitten nails with ruined cuticles, "I was talking about manicures and stuff. You know, facials or whatever you're supposed to do. Alice always blathers about it. Girl stuff."

"Oh," Kit perked up a little, much more at ease, "That makes sense."

"That's why I said it," Emmett grinned at her, "There's a spa here at the hotel. You and Bella are going to spend the day there. We gotta make our alibi believable."

"I guess…" Kit somewhat agreed, "But isn't that expensive?"

"Not at all," Emmett waved it off, "Don't worry about it, just enjoy yourself."

Kit nodded slowly. A spa day sounded nice and it did comfort her that Bella would be going with her.

She smiled, "That sounds really nice."

Kit felt a little vain as she stared at herself in the mirror, moving a hand to touch her waxed face. She had desperately needed to wax her upper lip, her eyebrows and the rest of her face. She had been planning to do so when she returned home, but the spa had taken care of that.

Not only had she gotten her entire face waxed, but her skin was soft and glowing thanks to the face mask and body scrub that left a faint scent of citrus and honeysuckle.

"Your skin looks great," Bella came to stand beside her, donning the soft spa robes.

Kit smiled, "Yours does too," she giggled a little shyly, "It's silky smooth. Can I see your nails?"

Bella looked reluctant, but held out her hand, "I don't like color on my nails."

"We match," Kit held out her own hand, showing Bella the French manicure, "But I got color on my toes."

"Yellow?" Bella guessed.

Kit smiled, "Light pink."

"Dark blue," Bella looked down at her toes, "Edward likes the color on me."

"It looks good with your skin," Kit agreed, looking up from the matching manis when she heard heels clicking against the shiny floors.

"Do you like it?" the woman asked.

"Yes, it's lovely," Kit said, "And lunch was delicious. Thank you so much."

The woman dipped her head, "It was our pleasure. Your clothes are in the room where you left them. You can get dressed."

"Thank you," Bella told her, "C'mon, Kit."

Kit followed Bella into the dimly lit room in the back, finding her clothes folded neatly on the counter, her shoes right below them.

She faced away from Bella as she changed and adjusted her clothes, turning down the collar of her dress.

"I feel pretty great," Bella said sheepishly, "But I'm ready to go home. I never thought I would say this, but I miss Forks."

"Me too," Kit's eyebrows drew together, "Hey, were you able to call your mom?"

"Yeah!" Bella gasped happily, "Yeah, we talked for awhile. She'll be going back to Phoenix soon. I'm so relieved."

Kit nodded, "I bet you are. I'm glad she's safe."

"Thanks," Bella said, "I'm glad that everyone is safe."

Kit hummed in agreement and the two teenagers called out another thank you to the salon workers, grateful smiles on their faces. No surprise, as soon as they left the salon, their significant others were there to greet them.

"I'm still in once piece, Em," Kit joked, laughing when Emmett hugged her.

A few people looked on in concern as they passed, Kit looking like a twig next to Emmett's massive frame.

"I know, but it's been hours," Emmett moaned dramatically, "Can I see your nails?"

Kit showed him the clear polish with white tips, "It's some kind of special polish that doesn't chip. I might stop biting my nails."

Emmett took Kit's hand, running his thumb over the shellac polish.

"Pretty," he complimented.

"And I got pink on my toes," she smiled up at him, "It was really nice. I feel all relaxed."

"Good," Emmett said sincerely, cupping Kit's face with his hands. Her skin was soft and glowing from the treatment, "Are you ready to go home?"

Kit nodded eagerly, lowering Emmett's hands from her face when she started to get too cold. She missed her family greatly, but was dreading the return to school and still nervous about the possible talk she might have with Carlisle.

"Let's go get your things, then," Emmett suggested, wrapping his arm around Kit's waist, "We'll be flying back."

"Okay," Kit agreed easily, letting Emmett lead her back to the hotel room. She didn't see Edward or Bella and assumed that they had gone back up.

"Have you ever been here before?" Emmett asked, pressing the up button on the elevator.

"No," Kit shook her head, "Born and raised in New Hampshire, then I came to Forks," she laughed lightly, "That's it. The end."

"The end," Emmett mocked with an eye roll, "Don't you miss New Hampshire?"

"Yes, very much," she held onto Emmett when the elevator jostled her a little, "We still own the house there, it was my grandma's. I do miss the school there, a little bit because of the classes and I miss the chur…" she trailed off and shrugged, "I'm sure we'll go back during the summer or on another break. Ooh, maybe-" she stopped, peeking up at Emmett, "Oops, I was rambling again, wasn't I? I'm sorry, I'm such a chatterbox."

"No, keep going!" Emmett encouraged, "I like it."

Kit eyed him hesitantly, scrunching her nose when Emmett pecked her on the cheek.

"I was just going to say," she continued, "That maybe my family and I would be able to go for Christmas. I was more thinking aloud than actually talking," she flushed.

Emmett watched the color pool in Kit's cheeks, the scent of her blood intensifying in the stuffy elevator. His throat burned, but he swallowed back the venom, his eyes darkening.

"Emmett, hey, hey," Kit placed her hand on Emmett's cheek, having to stand on her tiptoes to do so, "Hey, look at me," she stroked his cheek, nervous as she tried to soothe him, "It's okay. I need you to look at me."

Green locked on dark and she couldn't help but tense when one of Emmett's large hands came to wrap around her wrist. She could see him struggling with himself and for a quick second, she broke eye contact to glance at the screen that showed what floor they were on before going back to Emmett. They would be stopping soon.

"It's okay, Emmett," she whispered, biting her lip, "It's me…it's Kit."

Emmett sighed heavily, his eyes closing as he nuzzled into Kit's hand. His grip loosened at the same time his eyes opened.

"Are you okay?" he rasped, the 'ding' of the elevator startling him a bit.

"Are you?" Kit countered. She slowly led Emmett out of the elevator, a well-dressed couple openly staring.

"I'm sorry," was all Emmett managed, his voice dropping.

"It's okay, Em," she repeated, still using that quiet, soothing tone, "You came back."

When they approached the door to the hotel suite, he jammed the room key card into the slot, cursing when it broke, half of it falling to break into more pieces once it hit Emmett's foot.

Still, the door opened and Emmett shoved it open, walking ahead of Kit and into the bedroom with a speed she couldn't keep up with.

Perplexed, Kit trailed after him, shocked at the reaction. She had never seen him look so…that. When the mood was tense or dire, he would usually crack a joke. She could only recall one time when he hadn't done so.

She went into the bedroom and shut the door, staring at Emmett who was sitting on the bed, elbows on knees and face in his hands. She didn't approach him, but stayed where she was.

"I could've killed you," he said.

"You could have," Kit agreed, "It's always a possibility."

Emmett lifted his head, looking straight at the wall. He was lost in thought and a small crease appeared on his brow.

"I've done it before," he told her, "Killed people."

"…Edward had his hands full with me at first. I had some trouble with the rules…"

The rules he had said. Such as abstaining from human blood as the Cullens so prided themselves on. She remembered: all human life was precious.

"Okay…" she drawled out nervously.

"I don't feel guilty about it," he said, "Not anymore, but two people in particular—they were girls. Not much older than you…possibly…most likely. I don't know, they smelled too good. Their deaths were quick if that makes it easier…" he shrugged, uncertain of how to continue.

It didn't make it easier and Kit wasn't sure what to say or what to do. Unsure if she was supposed to soothe him, get mad at him…forgive him?

"W-what do you want me to say?" she asked.

Emmett shook his head, "You don't have to say anything," he said casually, "But I wanted you to know—wanted you to understand that yes I value human life. I always have, but there were times—a lot of times, when I gave into my thirst and I killed. I was a murderer. Can you accept that?"

Kit thought for a very long moment, looking off to the side. Could she?

She recalled more of the conversation she and Emmett had that day near the river. Trouble with the rules. While he hadn't said it at the time, it had been implied.

Kit had to remind herself, constantly, that Emmett was a vampire. It was just so bewildering and the things he could do still caught her by surprise. He was a vampire—a different species—someone, who's kind main and only substantial diet consisted of blood and it was usually human blood.

And was that their fault? No. it was who they were and when Emmett, in the past, had fist encountered a human, Kit could only image how painful and difficult it had to be when your mind said one thing and your body literally rebelled, painfully telling you to do something else.

Only, there was a part of Kit—the judgmental part that she hated to admit existed, that was extremely bothered by Emmett's confession.

Then, there was a third part that judged the part of Kit that accepted what Emmett had done. Did it make her a bad person for trying to justify Emmett's actions? He had killed people for crying out loud!

'Stop it,' she thought to herself, 'That's an awful thing to think! Get off your soapbox and don't make him feel bad about it. What kind of person are you?'

Finally, she told all her thought process parts to shut up and actually let her think, focusing more on the first part. It did bother her, she could admit that, but she wasn't going to judge him and yes, she could accept it. That life was behind him, he wasn't that person anymore and even if he was—well, they would cross that bridge if somehow they ever came to it. Together.

She went forward, the silence so thick that her heels made noise against the carpet. She stopped in front of Emmett, but he still didn't look at her.

"I can accept it," she said.

Finally, he looked at her, "Can you really? It doesn't bother you?"

"It bothers me," she said honestly, "I'm not going to lie about that, but it doesn't change how I feel about you. What happened back then, that doesn't change who you are now. I can accept your past, Emmett…" she trailed off, "I accept you."

He nodded slowly, "Were you scared in the elevator?"

Kit bit her lip, eyebrows creasing.

"You can tell me…" he prompted.

"Yes," she whispered, "A little bit. I think I was more scared when you grabbed my wrist. It didn't hurt," she added quickly when panic flitted over his face, "I just wasn't expecting it."

"If I ever hurt you-

"Oh, I would tell you," Kit interrupted firmly, frown turning into a glare, "Trust me, I would."

That would be another hard bridge to cross. She didn't think Emmett would ever hurt her, but she couldn't rule it out the possibility of it never happening. He had specifically told her—warned her of his strength and while he very carefully minded his actions, there were times when she worried about him. Was it uncomfortable having to be so careful all the time or was he used to it?

Then again, she was always worrying. About everyone and everything. Mostly her family.

"They're waiting," she answered her own thoughts aloud.

"Who's waiting?" Emmett asked, thrown off by the subject change.

"My family," Kit sat on Emmett's lap and ran her thumb over his cheekbone. His skin didn't give like hers did.

"Hopefully, Edward's checked us out," Emmett pecked Kit's lips, "Up an at 'em."

"I don't know…" Kit wrapped her arms around his neck, "I'm pretty comfortable."

"Do you ever take anything seriously?" Emmett mocked with a sly grin.

Kit chuckled and kissed him once more before she bit her lip, a faint flush dusting her cheeks as she stood up. She offered a shy smile and began to pack her things.

"We make quite the pair, don't we?" she asked, "And we're okay?"

"Of course!" Emmett folded a shirt, helping Kit pack at human speed, "Never better."

They both looked up when there was a knock at the door.

"Yeah, Eddie?" Emmett called, though it wasn't necessary.

"Stop calling me that!" Edward growled, opening the door, Bella under his arm, "Are you two ready?"

"Achoo!" Kit sneezed into the crook of her arm.

"Bless you," Emmett chimed. He looked at his brother, "Yeah, we're ready."

Keeping one hand on the wheel, Emmett used his other to press Kit's bouncing leg down.

"You're giving me motion sickness," he joked.

"Ahahaha," Kit said sarcastically, glancing out the window.

"Soon," he promised, patting her leg, "Seriously, like, five minutes."

She nodded and forced herself to relax. She had been a nervous wreck both on the way to the airport and on the plane, sleep failing to claim her as it usually did.

She knew that her family was fine and safe, but that didn't quell her nerves. She wanted to see them and give them hugs and kisses and possibly never ever let them go. Leaving them was hard enough, but seeing them after this whole ordeal had the potential to be harder.

"What happens if I completely lose it?" she looked at Emmett, "Because I'm not going to lie, I might just burst into hysterics…or have a panic attack. Maybe both."

"You might freak them out," Emmett said, "And it will be hard to explain. So, it would be easier if you held your composure, but it's understandable if you can't."

"I suppose we'll see," she murmured, heart speeding up as Emmett pulled into their driveway.

Emmett unbuckled Kit's seat belt for her, partly worried that she would rip it off.

"Go ahead," he unlocked the doors, "I'll get your-

Kit was already running to the front door as soon as Emmett had started with 'go' and she fumbled with her house key, twisting it in the lock with shaking fingers, struggling even more to remove it.

"Mom?" she shouted as soon as she stepped inside, "Daddy? Indigo?"

"Kitty!" Indigo cried, emerging from the kitchen.

Kit rushed to her sister, scooping Indigo high into her arms before she crushed her to her chest.

"Hi, sweetheart," Kit choked out, throat tightening, "Hi, honey. Hi, hello, I missed you so much."

She buried her face in Indigo's shoulder, rocking her back and forth.

"I missed you too," Indigo gasped out, "Um…can you p-put me down?"

"Not yet," Kit mumbled, pressing multiple kisses to her sister's temple, "A little longer…"

"Kit!" Everly descended the stairs with Blake behind her, "You're back!"

Her parents now in sight, Indigo squirmed in Kit's hold, kicking her legs.

"She's suffocating me!" she screeched.

"Kit, put your sister down," Blake chuckled, "She's turning blue."

Kit kissed Indigo one last time, placed her down, then went forward, hugging her father tightly and reaching for her mother.

"I missed you," her voice cracked.

"We missed you too," Blake stroked Kit's back, eyes going to the door when he saw movement, "Hello, Emmett."

"Hello," Emmett smiled, "Babe, I'm leaving your bag here," he placed it by the door.

"Mmm," Kit hummed, barely acknowledging him.

"Hi, Emmett!" Indigo greeted, beaming.

"Hey, kiddo," Emmett smiled down at her, "How was your Spring Break?"

"Good!" Indigo said, "How was yours?"

"…Very entertaining," Emmett supplied, "It's nice to be home."

Everly, who was still in Kit's crushing embrace, shifted.

"Ah, Kit Kat?" she asked, sounding off, "Are you okay? We'd love to hear about you spa trip."

"And I think you've cut off my circulation," Blake added.

Reluctantly, Kit let go, blinking furiously to rid them of the tears.

"Look at how pale you are!" Everly fretted. She touched Kit's forehead, "As a side note: your eyebrows look fantastic."

"Thank you," Kit said, biting her lip. She studied her parents' faces, then Indigo's.

"Sure you're all right?" Blake asked, cocking his head.

"Mhm, yes," Kit nodded, "Tired and I really missed you. Um…" she shifted her gaze over to Emmett, "I'll see you at school on Monday?"

"I need the car, Monday," Everly interjected quietly.

Emmett nodded, "Then, I'll pick you up?"

"That would be nice," Kit skipped over to give him a hug, "Thank you."

"Of course," he tilted her face up, kissing her forehead, "I love you."

Kit's face flushed when she heard the small gasp behind her, but she did her best to ignore it.

"I love you too," she told him, "Bye."

"Bye," he ran his hand down her cheek, then left the house.

However, Kit continued to stand there, all blood rushing to her face. She was sure she rivaled the ripest of tomatoes.

"Forget your trip, when did that happen!?" Everly demanded, sounding very excited. She bounced forward and dragged Kit to the kitchen, "Ice cream or tea?"

"Tea!" Blake called, sounding a bit angry as he followed the women into the kitchen, "I want to hear this!"

"Me too, me too!" Indigo chanted, breaking out into a run.

Kit laughed softly, missing words as her mother chattered her ear off. This was going to be a long, long conversation.