Page 34 of Max Bannon

Dad nodded. “She’s grounded. Calmer. Like she’s finally breathing again.”

Then he added, “That boy’s good for her.”

Max didn’t hear it.

But I did.

And I couldn’t stop the smile that curled on my lips.

Because maybe, for the first time in a long time, I wasn’t trying to prove anything.

I was just living.

And I was happy.

17

Max

The hike to the waterfalls wasn’t long, but the trail had just enough twists and roots to keep it interesting. The late morning sun filtered through the trees, dappling the ground in golden patches, and birds chirped somewhere above us like we were walking straight into a postcard.

Tessa walked ahead with her dad, pointing out little things along the trail—the crooked tree she liked to sit under when she needed to think, the patch of wildflowers that only bloomed after rain.

Jake stuck beside me, mostly quiet, occasionally glancing my way like he wasn’t quite sure whether to trust me or shake my hand again just for something to do.

But he was here. And that meant something.

“She’s doing good,” Jake finally said, kicking a rock down the trail.

“Yeah,” I said, watching her laugh with her dad just up ahead. “She really is.”

“You got anything to do with that?”

I shrugged. “Maybe. She’s got everything to do with whyI’mdoing better.”

He didn’t answer, but after a few seconds, he nodded.

We reached the clearing just before the falls, the sound of rushing water growing louder with each step. When we finally broke through the trees, Tessa let out a quiet, breathless “Wow,” like she hadn’t already been here a dozen times before.

The waterfall poured over smooth rock into a deep blue pool below, mist curling into the air like something from a dream.

Her dad pulled out his phone and started snapping pictures. “Well, damn. No one said this place looked likethis.”

Tessa beamed. “I told you.”

Jake grinned too, already kicking off his boots to dip his feet in the water.

I hung back for a moment, letting it all soak in—Tessa laughing as her dad tried to skip rocks and failed miserably, Jake letting himself relax for the first time since he arrived.

And me?

I wasn’t just watching.

I was part of it.

A quiet warmth settled in my chest. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed this, family. Not just the one you’re born with, but the kind that finds you when you least expect it.

Tessa walked over to me, her cheeks flushed from the hike, hair wind-tousled and perfect. “You okay?”

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