Finally Jim spoke. "So Maria is definitely going?"

Amy answered, trying to give an impression of calm that she was far from feeling. "Yes.... Well, I always knew she would. There was no way she was going to stay here when Michael was leaving. She has been totally obsessed by that boy from the time he first noticed her."

Jim smiled at her. "Well, if he is half as crazy about her as I am about her mother he'll take good care of her."

"I know.... It's just...." Amy could not go on.

He went around behind her chair and leaned down to hold her gently, his cheek against her hair. "I know."

Kyle cleared his throat and rose from the table. "Well, I think I am through here. Want to come for a walk, Tess?"

Tess smiled up at him in relief. "Yes."

They picked sweaters up and left the house.

"Thanks," Tess said. "Somehow I felt like there was nothing to say."

Kyle shrugged. "There wasn't. You are all going. That's it."

Tess turned to face him. "It is incredible for ME, Kyle! This has been The Goal of my life for as long as I can remember."

"Even without being married to Max?"

"Yes." She was quiet for a minute. "I don't know why there were other options when it came to our destiny in this life. Obviously there were and one of them will turn up for me."

"Tess, stay here with us! Any way you want it. If you want to be my sister, you can be. I would marry you if you wanted me to. Having you here has been great, Tess! I'm really going to miss you if you go.... So will Dad and Amy."

She smiled and took the sides of his sweater in each hand. "So you'd really marry me, hmmm, Buddha boy? I'm flattered."

"Well... sure I would! Tess, you know how incredible I think you are! I even forget that you are one of THEM!"

She dropped her hands and turned away. Kyle realized his mistake instantly. "Tess, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. I just meant...."

Tess shook her head slightly. "No.... I know what you meant.... I guess that rules out any chance that you would want to come along?"

"WHAT?" Kyle was obviously horrified.

"Forget it. It's OK. Honest." Tess walked along with him in silence for a few minutes before continuing. "It's just that I know that Alex is trying to convince Isabel to marry him. Then he would be coming. It sounds so mean of me, but I hope he doesn't succeed."

"Why?" Kyle was curious.

She stopped, picked up a dry leaf and gave it direct attention as she shredded it. When she dropped it she looked at Kyle and said, "Because then I would be the only one to arrive alone."

"You don't have to be alone. You don't HAVE to go!"

"I do. I have wanted this my whole life…. I just thought I would be going as part of a couple."

Kyle looked down, at a loss for words. "Tess, I don't know what to say."

"Nothing." She continued to walk.

"Isabel won't marry Whitman."

"How do you know?"

He looked upward. "Hey, we Buddhists are sensitive types sometimes."

She pushed him. "No... Really!"

Kyle stopped playing and placed his hands on her shoulders. "He thinks the universe revolves around her. She thinks he's a nice guy. Anyone could see that. She may want to get married... but not enough to do that to a nice guy."

"Do what?"

"Marry him and take him away from all he knows when she doesn't love him."

"Oh."

"Don't worry, Tess. You wouldn't either."

"I wouldn't?"

"No.... We aren't in love.... But we genuinely LIKE one another. Our relationship could work in any direction here on earth. It would have to be a lot tighter, though, to work when that was all there was.... You know that. And so does Isabel."

"I really will miss you, Kyle!" She surprised him by flinging her arms around him and planting a quick passionate kiss on his mouth.