"We're here," Prudence said. "Me and Samantha."

"Oh, good. Do you have a light? I'm out of matches."

"Don't worry, we'll help you out of there," Samantha said.

"Samantha? You sound funny."

"Just take my hand." Samantha had Prudence stand on the bottom step while she reached out for Rebecca. "I'm right over here, by the door. Take my hand and we'll get you out of here. We have some milk for Molly."

Samantha felt a tiny hand take hers. She gently pulled on it. "Pull me in, Prudence." Prudence complied, pulling Samantha back over to the steps. From there it was easy enough to climb back up to the surface.

They sat in the rubble of Pryde's house for a few minutes while Rebecca fed Molly. As Prudence had said, Rebecca had shrunk into a toddler. Prudence had found her a pink dress that only made Rebecca look younger. She and Miss Brigham would have to grow up again, all because Samantha had been too blinded by the prospect of finding her family to see the truth.

"Samantha, what's wrong?" Rebecca asked.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm sorry for what happened. I shouldn't have trusted Uncle Hector so much. I shouldn't have believed him."

"It's not your fault. We all believed him."

"You weren't stupid enough to believe him after what happened to Miss Brigham."

"You weren't stupid."

"OK, I was naïve."

"But none of us died. That's the important thing." Rebecca ran a hand over her dress. "We've all had to grow up again. Even you."

"I suppose." Samantha stared down at the rotting floor of Pryde's house. "Now I don't have anyone. I'm all alone."

"You're never alone," Prudence said. "You still have me and Rebecca and Molly. We're your family."

"Even Helena?" Samantha said with a smile.

"Even her."

They hugged again, though not as tightly as on the beach. Samantha had to admit Prudence had a point: she had all the other children yet. They were like her sisters and brothers, especially Prudence. Even if they weren't of the same blood or even the same culture, their time here on Eternity had made them a family.

"I don't know what I'd do without you. Any of you."

Rebecca, always the more practical one, said, "What are we going to do now?"

"We'll rebuild the town. It's going to be hard, but we did it before. We can do it again. This time it'll be even better."

Samantha helped Rebecca to her feet, followed by Prudence. They walked arm-in-arm back towards the village, where a new future awaited them.

***

Mom takes Samantha's hand after they get out of the car, though Samantha insists she's old enough to walk along the beach on her own. "I'm twelve, Mom, not three," Samantha says.




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