I’m definitely crying.
Scratch that—I’m sobbing. So is Willow, which both surprises me and makes me hug her even tighter. Her little arms are a steel band around my neck and I don’t care if I suffocate to death in her embrace. It’s enough to just be here, with her, holding her in my embrace.
I cry because I’m so relieved. To see her, to hold her, to know that she’s been so well-cared for. Even now, as I glance over her shoulder, I can see Mako and Bambi watching from a respectful distance. They both seem relieved and yet cautious.
It was me he was talking about—I realize that now. Mako had the presence of mind to assure me that if I couldn’t handle this, if such a reunion was too much too soon, he and Bambi would step in to usher Willow away and give me space.
The thought of them doing
