No one was saying anything. Ellie wondered if maybe she'd gone deaf. Maybe this was another side effect of where ever she'd been and back again.

"Well, say something?" Ellie winced, knowing they'd both think she was a brat for what she'd said.

"Its just we thought you were, kidnapped. We thought we'd never hear from you again," her mother was crying as she put her arms around Ellie. It felt awkward at first, but then it was a comfort to be in her mother's arms.

"Oh, I knew where you were," Kate flung her dark hair behind her back and kept her arms crossed. "I knew you were with him. Who else could it be?" She looked over at Evan as if she'd kill him if given half the chance.

"I'm OK." Really, mentioning the whole gang thing at the moment would just make things worse. Possibly, that was over with now. Wasn't it?

"You were on the news," her mother told her.

"I was?"

"Its like a miracle." Her mother nodded as if she looked on the wall she might find the figure of Mother Mary looking down on Ellie.

"Mom, really, its not like that. Its complicated," Ellie told her.

"Aren't you always?" Kate looked at Evan, again. "He isn't worth it, Ellie, you deserve so much better."

"Hey, I'm right here," Evan winced. Kate paid him no mind. She touched Ellie's arm then.

"When can we take you home, sis?" Kate kept her eye on Ellie.

"I guess-" Ellie looked over at Evan then.

"We can all go home today." Evan smiled. Kate just gave him a groan.