Cate glanced at me. “What are you going to do with this information? You know Nancy would never survive prison.”

I scrutinized them, noting Cate’s protective stance. This was a chance for Mrs. Long to start over. Get away from this town that held nothing but sadness for her. I glanced down at the envelope in my hand. If it was what I thought it was, it was a chance for a new beginning for all of us.

“I’m going to do nothing,” I said, looking at them carefully to make sure they understood. “I came home after the restaurant reopening and the two of you were already gone. Waiting for me on the table was this envelope and nothing else because you hate goodbyes. By then, the two of you were long gone from Shady Palms and had left no trace of your whereabouts. Do you understand me?”

They looked at each other and nodded. “Understood. And, Lila, thank you.”

“Don’t thank me. I’m just doing what I think is right. Justice isn’t always so clear-cut,” I added.

I put the envelope on the table and gathered my things to join my aunt and grandmother at the restaurant. Mrs. Long gave me a big hug.

“Do great things. You hear me? Live the life Derek never could. The life I was always too afraid to live.” And with one last squeeze of my hand, she and Cate were gone.

* * *

? ? ?

It worked out exactly as I’d predicted. Tita Rosie, Lola Flor, and I all came home to find the envelope on the table. Adeena and Elena were there, too, because I’d asked them to sleep over, saying we had a lot to discuss about the future.

Inside was the deed to Tita Rosie’s Kitchen, which I had expected. What I hadn’t expected was the addition of the deed to Java Jo’s. She’d signed over full ownership to me and I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I looked over at Adeena and Elena, who were screaming over this revelation. “Well, ladies, what do you think? With my baked goods, Adeena’s drinks, and Elena’s herbal remedies and beauty products, I think we’d have one magical shop.”

Elena clapped her hands. “Yes! And I have the perfect name for us. The Brew-ha Cafe!”

Adeena looked confused, so I explained, “Bruha means ‘witch’ in Tagalog and Spanish. It’s a pun.”

Adeena groaned. “That’s not how you say ‘witch’ in Urdu, and you know how I feel about puns, but I’ll let it go. All I really want to know is, does this mean you’re staying? Are you staying here with us in Shady Palms?”

I looked around the room. At my family, who’d been watching us silently, at my best friend and her new girlfriend, and I knew this was where I belonged. Forever? Maybe not. But for right now . . .

“Yes, Adeena. You’re all here, which means Shady Palms is my home. And there’s nowhere I’d rather be.”