Monica sighed. She couldn't remember the last time Marvin had told her she was beautiful, or if he ever had at all. She finally shrugged. "He's...reliable," she said, trying to think of his best quality.

Avery laughed, and his mother couldn't help joining in. Monica was getting more and more comfortable being squeezed into that tight space next to her son. She knew how much she was going to miss him all year, so the feeling of being so close felt good and she was determined to enjoy it as much as she could between today and tomorrow. But between Avery's leg rubbing against hers and the way his eyes...