Page 44 of The Convict Gets His Girl

Joe's two-story townhouse stood before her, warm light spilling from kitchen windows. Her mouth already watered for something savory—hoping for Liz's famous chicken enchiladas. She sipped her water to cut through her exhaustion, reminding herself this wasn't just another destination, but family.

"Finally made it," she muttered, more to herself than to the empty passenger seat.

Her daughter's backpack still sat where Destini had tossed it weeks ago, astronomy stickers peeling at the edges, a NASA patch barely clinging to the worn canvas. She'd left it there for a daily reminder of why she got up and went to work every day.

The front door flew open before she could fully exit the truck. Joe's lanky frame filled the doorway, a dishtowel slung over one shoulder.

"About time," he called out, a grin splitting his weathered face. "Thought you might've gotten lost somewhere between Crimson Creek and here."

Jewel managed a tired smile. "GPS is pretty reliable these days."

Cameron, Joe's freshman daughter, appeared behind Joe. "Mom says dinner's almost ready. Want to wash up?"

The mundane invitation felt like a lifeline—a moment of normalcy in their increasingly complicated world.

Destini pushed past them through the door, a whirlwind of teenage energy. "Mom, you made it! Finally, I have so much to tell you."

Jewel shut her door, tears pricking her eyes as she opened her arms. Destini slammed into her in a tight hug that knocked out her breath.

"Oh my, have you gotten taller in the past few weeks?" Jewel asked, making Destini laugh and pull back, beaming.

"Probably. I wish you were here for the beginning of school. You won't believe the classes I got this semester—AP Biology, and we're going to do this incredible unit on marine ecosystems?—"

The words tumbled out, rapid-fire and excited, but Jewel could barely hear past the guilt thundering in her ears. Three days. She'd missed her daughter's first days of tenth grade. Her chest tightened, a physical ache of maternal failure.

If Destini had her way, she'd miss this entire semester, if not more. Before Destini could take another breath, Jewel pulled her into a crushing hug. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there?—"

"Mom," Destini's voice was part exasperation, part affection. "I'm in tenth grade. It's not like I'm in kindergarten and want my mommy to throw a party on the first day of school. I took pictures for you and had a great day. That's all that matters."

The dismissal stung, but Jewel recognized her false bravado. Destini had always been more resilient than she let on, but she'd also embodied the fake it 'til you make it motto since she'd hit puberty.

She followed Destini inside as she continued to talk about her teachers.

Inside, the kitchen buzzed with familiar chaos. Liz stirred something on the stove, Joe leaned against the counter, and the two little kids ran around the counter and past them into the hall.

Jewel hugged Liz as she greeted her and tried to catch up on family gossip, but Destini remained a constant presence at her side, fingers flying across her phone's screen, periodically bumping against Jewel's hip—a silent declaration of proximity.

Jewel slid her hand around Destini's waist, realizing that she was now too tall to comfortably put her arm around her shoulders.

"So," Liz said, sliding a plate of enchiladas onto the table, "tell us about the move."

Jewel caught Destini's sideways glance, saw the tension brewing beneath her daughter's carefully composed expression. Jewel smiled at Liz and told them all about working with her dad, Joe's uncle, and Gemma, focusing on the good, funny stories of working at a smaller but thriving small town practice.

"Have you found a place to live yet?" Liz asked.

Jewel winced and swallowed her water before she shook her head. "No, not yet. We might end up in an apartment instead of a townhome like before or even a house."

"Huh," Joe said with a frown. "I figured there would be more houses available outside of the metroplex."

Jewel sighed. "There are, just not in my price range."

"The internship application is still pending," Destini blurted out, her fork stabbing at a piece of enchilada. "I haven't heard anything back yet."

Jewel nodded, recognizing her daughter's attempt to redirect the conversation. "I got an email confirming it was processed, so for now we'll just keep waiting. We could wait just as easily in Crimson Creek, if you're missing your mama and are ready to join me."

She'd tried to keep her voice hopeful and encouraging, but Destini scowled, her fork clattering to the plate.

"I don't see why we have to leave. Can't you just get a job at a new practice here? There are tons of veterinarian offices."

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