"The world is my stage and I have played diligently so far. I hope to display a noble and fierce expression of reign in the years to come."

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𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒈𝒂𝒏

Goodbye snowy mountain slopes, hello water sports! It's officially summertime in Colorado and that means the ski towns have transformed from their winter wonderlands, including Penshaw.

New York is cute, but I missed the west.

We've just landed and hopped in Jasmine and Jabari's rental truck.

"I cannot wait for tonight! What are we doing first?" Izzy exclaims, making herself present in my ear.

"I don't know and I don't care!" I giggle with the girls.

Jabari, being the hater he is, sucks his teeth at us. "Whatever, y'all can have your little girl's night. That's why we're gonna do something, too. Right, fellas?"

"That's right." Lee agrees from the third row.

"Chris?" Jabari waits for his best friend's response.

When Chris doesn't say anything, JB turns his body in the seat and slap's Chris's knee.

"Huh?" Chris hollers under the hoodie he's using as a blanket and face cover.

"What's up with you?" Jabari asks him.

"I'm tired," Chris says. "I finally got a day off, I just want to rest."

"I'm just hype you got the day off." Lee comments, making me swallow hard with a serious side-eye from Izzy who knows how I got Chris the day off.

"Yeah, I don't know why. Beck just told me not to worry about coming in." Chris shares with us, putting his head on my shoulder.

I feel guilt. I'm the reason why Chris has the day off, I was going to tell him, but he was drunk so the timing was off. The day after that, he stood me up and didn't come home until I was sleep at night. Then, it just slipped. Two weeks later, I can't just suddenly tell him.

"I don't think you should worry about why." Lee laughs at Chris.

"Yeah, if anything, you need to be thanking him." Jasmine comes to my aid unknowingly.

"I'm not thanking shit, I hate him." Chris grumbles.

"Anyway, this is supposed to be about me!" I squeak with a hair flip, changing the tone of the conversation.

The car fills with laughter and "happy birthday" wishes even though it's not until tomorrow.

"Can you guys please tell me if you're throwing me a party tomorrow?!" I beg for the umpteenth time for their secret plans to be revealed.

"No!" They all yell at me.

~

Jasmine is the world's worst driver, it took us far too long to arrive, but finally, we have.

Lee stretches in the driveway and I make sure Izzy is doing okay with the little baby inside of her.

"Ah, the fresh air!" I take it all in, spinning happily over the rocks.

"You mean the bugs?" Jasmine complains, swatting at a fly.

I laugh at the city-slicker behavior and assure her I have some bug-spray in one of my bags.

"Here, Annie." Chris presents me with my tote bag and a backpack.

"Thank you!" I beam brightly, standing on my tiptoes to kiss his warm cheek.

"Annie?" Lee makes fun, playfully nudging me along the way.

I pop my shoulders boastfully and smile. "It's cute when he says it."

Once the truck is unloaded with our respective bags, the lot of us travel along the pavement and head to the front door.

"Memories." I coo at Chris.

He smiles wide and squeezes my hand as we walk together.

The door is closed for a change but I open it and step inside first to the refreshing air conditioning.

There's bells above our heads that chime once we enter, that's new. A girl in a uniform tee and pleated skirt comes running to the wooden check-in stand.

"Hi," she smiles, "welcome to Red Sage Bed-and-Breakfast! Do you have a reservation with us?"

Chris and I look at each other because this girl is sadly oblivious.

Behind her, a large framed candid picture of Chris and I surrounded by group ones of Mary, Carter, Chris, and myself, as well. We took those shortly before moving to Port Ember. Oh, how I miss those times. . .

I walk away while Chris checks in, trying not to sound like an asshole, though he's getting more and more impatient.

On the walls, photographic proof that The Porters — Wilma and Donald— once were here, and hardly ever left. If I planned this right, like I'm sure that I have, then they'll be arriving this weekend for their annual stay.

To my right, along the staircase, photos of Callie and Quinn - a memorial. Huh. Mary must've added that after I left.

I feel tears coming on but a lively voice rings through the foyer that makes me gasp instead.

"Mary!" I exclaim, running into her hug.

"Oh!" She squeezes me tight and rubs down my back.

"How are you, my sweet girl? Ugh, I missed you so much!" She cries, palming my face.

"Not more than I missed you! You look amazing!" I compliment my boyfriend's sweet mother.

She does a twirl in her dress for me, showing me the weight she's lost so far.

"And you look... so thin. Is my son not feeding you?" She worries, looking me over.

I kind of frown because Izzy and Jasmine said the same thing, as did Lee and Jabari. My weight's never been a problem before, but for the past couple of months, I haven't had much of an appetite. I talked to Doctor Hassan about it and she thinks it's stress. I don't let Mary know that, though, she doesn't need anything else to fret over.

"Can I get some love, too?" Chris complains, making his mother crack a smile.

"Come here!" She brings him into an embrace and breaks his back in it.

"Why haven't you called me?" She nags him, stepping away.

Chris makes a face that she can't stay mad at and all is forgiven.

"Wait," the hostess says, "this is the son you were talking about? Oh my God, I feel so stupid! Sorry you guys, I'm new."

I laugh at her embarrassment and say it's okay.

Mary steps in to do the hostess's job and gives each couple a room key.

"I have you two in the master suite. Morgan, I hope that's not a problem?" Mary winces, anticipating my response.

The primary (master) suite, where Callie and Quinn called home.
I knew that coming back would be a trip down memory lane, and not all of those memories are good ones.

"No, yeah, it's fine," I swallow the lump in my throat.

She rests the key gently in the palm of my hand and smiles warmly.

"We've completely redecorated, you won't even recognize it." Mary let's me know, pushing my body towards the exit from which we came.

Our friends let us know that they're going to get settled and probably rest since it's still early, so we allow Mary to show us to where we'll be staying.

It's a brief walk from the lobby but we're around the corner at the main suite. Over the door, there's engraved lettering that reads:

Quinntessential suite

I appreciate the play on words and ode to my late niece. Clearly, here, I won't be escaping that. Instead of mourning, I embrace it.

Mary rubs down my arms and brings a smile out of me.

Chris takes the key from my hands and unlocks the door. He's so tired, he's irritable.

The sound of the door opening is just as satisfying as the new layout.

"Wow." I puff, dropping my bags to the hardwood floor. "This is completely different - in a good way."

"You guys like it?" she asks us gently, picking up my bags from the floor to place on the couch.

"It's so much smaller." Chris notes, gandering at the furniture.

"Yes," Mary stops dusting to take a breath. "we didn't want anyone else to be able to live here. So, no more living room and full kitchen."

I kind of respect that. Seems they've done a lot for my dead sister and her daughter. A lot more than I have. I just wish I could have been here for it all, probably would've helped me heal faster - more healthy.

Chris gets comfortable, face down on the bed and groans into the pillow he's just fluffed. He kicks his shoes off as his feet hang off the bed, then tells us to be quiet already so he can sleep.

"Excuse me, then. Mary sasses, hands on her hips. "Morgan, sweetie, I'll see you later for girl's night?"

"Bring lots of ones, we're going to a strip club." I joke only to get a rise out of Chris. She isn't really coming with us, she's old, but he doesn't know that.

"I'll even wear my fishnets!" Mary adds, snickering.

"Good one." Chris's muffled laughter is sarcastic.

Mary hugs me one more time before seeing her way out, promising that Carter should be back from fishing with Dale later to welcome us home.