I swallowed hard but the tears came anyway. The three of us cried together and hugged. I couldn't believe we would soon be parting ways.
"We've come a long way together," I said. "We've been through a lot."
"I know you guys are going to leave and go do whatever it is you have planned. But I hope you all find time to come back and see us." Ruby hugged me again, her tears in two strong streams down her cheeks.
"Does that mean you're staying with her?" I asked Nicolette. "I'm sure she could use the help."
"Are you kidding, she needs me!" Nicolette laughed and wiped her final tears. "We knew this day was a possibility. We've talked about what would happen next and decided what our course of action would be." She looked to Ruby for permission to continue. "While Ruby is Queen, I will be st
