"Okay, let's not let any doubts creep in before you even get started," Kamala encouraged, her voice filled with certainty. "He stayed for you. You know how much his world means to him, and after months of being away, he still stayed. That's huge for him. And I know there were a lot of promises before you came to the island, but I think what you really needed was to find your own family."

Kamala pulled out her phone, scrolling through sketches she'd been working on since Parents Weekend. One showed her in her superhero uniform, punching out Grimm and Duke; another, Marc and Watts adjusting the room while Steven watched from a mirror's reflection. There was also Illyana going feral at Grimm with Remy backing her up. Her parents doting over Arden as she slept. Friends who visited her while she recovered on the roof. And finally there was the sketch Cal, on his knees, cradling Arden in his arms. His face was etched in a blend of fear, sorrow, and love that seemed to weigh heavily on him as he bent over her.

"And I think you found that family with Midnight and all your friends at school."