"If anything's bothering you, if you feel wronged in any way, just tell us. We're your rock. We're your family."
I murmured a couple of agreeable sounds and offered a few polite words before hanging up.
Not long after, the three of them grumbled outside the door for a minute, then left together.
The moment they were gone, I grabbed Caroline and rushed straight to my parents' house without stopping.
It wasn't until I stood at their front door that the knot in my chest finally loosened.
My mom opened the door and saw me. She was so overwhelmed she couldn't speak.
My eyes burned. I threw my arms around her.
"Mom, we're home."
In my last life, I'd owed my parents more than I could ever repay. I'd spent every waking moment looking after Kay, never daring to slack off, never daring to leave her side for a second. Decades had passed without a single visit home.
Now I could finally make it up to them.
Caroline copied me, toddling over and wrapping her little arms around us both.
"Grandma! We're home!"
My parents couldn't get enough of us.
At dinner, my dad kept piling food onto my plate like a man possessed.
"How long has it been? You're skin and bones!"
"Eat more! These are all your favorites."