Morning came faster than any of them wanted. By nine o'clock, the house occupants were already awake.
The helper walked in and out through the front door carrying luggage while the sound of car doors opening and shutting echoed through the driveway.
Elizabeth stood beside the SUV with her cardigan wrapped tightly around herself as one of the helpers lifted another suitcase into the trunk.
"Is that the last one?" she asked.
Amy stepped out of the house carrying a tote bag against her side.
"Yes," she answered. "That should be everything."
"Good," Elizabeth sighed. "Because the amount of things you two travel with is genuinely concerning."
Amy laughed softly.
"It was just a little bit before you gave me every other thing," she admitted.
"Obviously," Jace muttered as he walked out behind her with another small bag in his hand. "My mom wouldn't stop buying things for you, so it's basically her fault"
Amy turned immediately feigning annoyance. "Excuse me? Don't talk to my mother in law that way, you bought 4 jackets here and didn't end up wearing any."
"I needed it" Jace pointed out.
"They weren't necessary."
"Yes, they were"
"They weren't."
Elizabeth smiled to herself quietly as they bickered.
The front door opened again and Rebecca walked outside with Nick behind her, one hand holding onto his arm dramatically while the other held a half-eaten cinnamon roll.
"I still think this is some sort of abuse," Rebecca announced immediately. "You people are abandoning me."
Nick sighed. "Baby, they're going back home."
"And I'm pregnant," Rebecca shot back like that explained everything.
"Sweetie, you know, saying that you're pregnant does not apply to every argument."
"It absolutely does."
Amy burst into laughter while Jace shook his head.
Rebecca walked closer to them carefully.
"I'm serious though," she said softer this time. "I'm gonna miss you guys."
Amy's expression warmed instantly. "We'll see each other soon."
Rebecca perked up again immediately.
"Exactly. Especially because we have a wedding to plan."
Nick groaned quietly behind her already knowing where this was going.
Rebecca ignored him.
"I've decided I want a destination wedding."
"Its their wedding Becca, not yours," Nick corrected.
"And?" Rebecca shrugged proudly. "Its a wedding and I'm planning it."
Jace crossed his arms. "That's terrifying."
Rebecca glared at him playfully. "Anyway, I'm thinking Greece."
Amy blinked. "Greece?"
"Yes," Rebecca said dreamily. "Santorini specifically."
Nick laughed under his breath. "Yesterday you said a vineyard wedding would be great."
"Nick," Rebecca said patiently, "a woman is allowed to evolve."
Everyone laughed.
Amy smiled. "Honestly? Santorini sounds beautiful."
"Thank you!" Rebecca exclaimed. "See? Amy understands me."
"She's only trying to be nice," Jace muttered.
Rebecca ignored him again.
"I can already picture it," she continued dramatically moving her hand in the air like a vision board there. "The ocean, the cliffs, the sunset pictures....."
"The cliff??," Nick asked surprised.
Rebecca gasped. "You're ruining the vision."
Nick kissed the side of her head dramatically. "I'm keeping us safe darling."
Elizabeth shook her head, smiling fondly.
"Well," Amy said warmly, "wherever it is, it'll be beautiful."
Rebecca immediately grabbed Amy's hand.
"And you'll love everything."
Amy asked trying to fake a smile. "Everything?"
"Yes. Dresses. Flowers. Decorations. Everything."
Nick looked at Jace sympathetically. "We lost her."
"We absolutely did," Jace agreed.
Rebecca narrowed her eyes at both men. "You two are being negative during my wedding planning era."
That earned another round of laughter.
Just then the front door opened, it wasn't the housekeeper this time around, it was James Prescott.
And almost instantly, the atmosphere shifted.
"Alright, that's it, goodbye guys"She said hugging them quickly so as to avoid any sort of impending drama since James is walking towards them.
James walked toward them calmly, hands tucked into the pockets of his coat.
Elizabeth looked between him and Jace carefully.
Rebecca went suspiciously quiet.
Nick suddenly became very interested in the luggage.
Amy stared at nothing on the floor.
Jace stood near the car, still and unreadable.
James stopped a few feet away.
"Flight's still for ten-thirty?" he asked.
Jace nodded once. "Yeah. We should leave soon if we want to beat traffic."
James nodded back softly. Then there was an awkward silence.
Everybody felt it.
Rebecca looked like she was mentally preparing herself to intervene if necessary.
Then unexpectedly, Jace stepped forward first.
And hugged his father.
Nobody moved.
Nobody even breathed for a second.
James looked genuinely caught off guard before his arms slowly wrapped around Jace too.
It wasn't dramatic.
Wasn't overly emotional.
And after ten years of silence between them, that somehow felt bigger than any speech.
When they pulled away, Rebecca blinked rapidly.
"Okay…" she said slowly. "Either pregnancy is making me hallucinate or my brother just hugged my Dad."
Nick burst into laughter immediately.
Jace actually smiled a little.
Amy looked like she'll cry.
"Yes, Rebecca," he answered. "I hugged Dad."
Rebecca looked dumbfounded. "Oh my God, you called him dad too."
Elizabeth's hand flew straight to her mouth.
Her eyes filled so quickly with tears that she had to look away for a second.
James looked emotional too, though he tried hiding it.
Rebecca pointed dramatically between both men.
"What happened?!"
Jace shoved his hands lightly into his pockets.
For a second, he looked down at the driveway before answering.
"I haven't forgotten what happened," he said honestly.
"But…" He exhaled slowly. "I'm tired of carrying it around all the time."
James stayed silent.
Jace glanced briefly toward his father before continuing.
"Losing Emma destroyed all of us." His voice softened. "And I think we all dealt with it badly in different ways."
Elizabeth wiped quickly beneath her eyes.
Jace swallowed slightly.
"I'm not pretending everything's magically fixed now," he admitted. "But I don't want this family falling apart anymore either."
James lowered his eyes briefly at that.
"Forgiveness doesn't happen all at once," Jace added quietly. "Maybe it starts with trying."
Nobody spoke for a second after that.
Then Rebecca suddenly started crying.
"Oh no," she groaned dramatically. "Now I'm emotional."
Nick chuckled. "You cried because a waiter smiled at you two days ago."
"She was kind to me!"
Amy was laughing so hard now she had tears in her own eyes.
Elizabeth walked straight toward Jace and hugged him tightly.
''I love you darling," she whispered shakily.
Jace hugged her back immediately.
Then Elizabeth turned to Amy and pulled her into a warm hug too.
"And you," she said softly.
Rebecca groaned emotionally behind them. "Stop. I'm literally going to cry again."
Nick rubbed her shoulder. "Again?"
"Yes again, Nicholas!"
Everyone laughed softly even James Prescott.
Elizabeth squeezed Amy's hands gently.
"And whenever you want to start wedding shopping," she said warmly, "you let me know. We'll make a day out of it."
Amy smiled. "I'd love that."
Rebecca immediately pointed at herself.
"I'm coming too."
Jace looked horrified. "That sounds exhausting."
"It will be exhausting," Nick corrected. "For us."
Rebecca ignored both men.
The helper finally shut the trunk.
"All set, sir."
Jace nodded once.
And suddenly the moment became real again.
It was time to leave.
Rebecca hugged Amy first, holding onto her tightly.
"You better call me."
"I will."
"No, like actually call me. Don't disappear into your little Manhattan bubble."
Amy laughed. "Okay, okay."
Then Rebecca hugged Jace carefully around the shoulders.
Nick pulled him into a quick hug next.
"Drive safe."
"Try surviving fatherhood first."
Nick looked exhausted already. "Pray for me."
Amy laughed again.
After another round of hugs, Amy finally climbed into the passenger seat while Jace moved toward the driver's side.
But before he could open the door,
"Jace."
He turned.
James stood a few feet away now.
The others quietly gave them space without making it obvious.
James glanced briefly toward Amy sitting inside the car before looking back at his son.
"She's good for you," he said simply.
Jace looked toward Amy through the windshield unconsciously.
She was fixing her seatbelt, completely unaware they were talking about her.
A small smile tugged at his mouth.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "She is."
James nodded once.
"Don't let life distract you from that," he murmured. "Some things matter more than work.."
The words landed softly between them.
Jace understood exactly what his father meant.
After a second, Jace nodded.
"I know."
James hesitated briefly before pulling him into another short hug.
This one easier than before. "I'm really happy that we're okay now" James said.
"Me too" Jace replied.
"Call me when you land."
"I will."
Then finally, Jace got into the car.
James quickly walked to the passenger seat where Amy was.
"Thank you" He said and he meant it.
She nodded and smiled at him understanding what he meant.
Jace reached over intertwining her fingers with his as the engine started.
Outside, Elizabeth waved warmly while Rebecca used both hands dramatically like they were leaving for war.
Nick laughed beside her as he waved too.
And James stood quietly near the porch, hands tucked into his coat as he watched them go with a smile on his face.
Jace looked at them one last time before pulling out of the driveway.
Home slowly disappeared behind them.
But for the first time in years, It no longer felt like something he was leaving behind forever. He knew he'd always come back because he had a family that loved him as much as he loved them.