Aricka smiles as she packs for college. Most of her bigger items were going to be sent to her later, so she just packed the smaller things. She pauses, and remembers her first stuffie, Blue-Y. I wonder if Brianna gave him up, or if she decided to keep him? she wonders.

Logan knocks, leaning against her doorway. "May I be of assistance?" he asks. She turns, and nods.

"Can you fold my jeans for me?" he nods, and moves to the box marked, "Jeans," and begins methodically folding.

Patton was next. "Hey kiddo," he says, his voice weak and raspy, like he'd been crying. "Can I help with anything?" Aricka looks at him, swiftly crosses the room, and hugs him.

"Momma, are you okay?" she asks. Patton shakes his head no.

"I-what am I going to do without you?" he asks. "Who's going to bake cookies and sing in the kitchen with me?" she smiles, and stands back, looking her favorite moral trait in the eye.

"Mom, you have Roman, Logan, Virgil, Remy, Pranks, and Missy. And I'll be home for breaks, and I'll come see you on weekends if I can. I'm not leaving forever."

"And we can call, Skype, write, text, et cetera," Logan adds. Patton nods, and dries his eyes.

"To answer your question , mom, you can fold my shirts," she also adds. He nods, and grabs a shirt, folding them quickly and easily.

Virgil and Roman wander in next. "Can we-"

"I need my lamp bubble-wrapped, my makeup put in a box, and my smaller stuffed animals need to go in a box too," she interrupts. Roman and Virgil nod, and each tackle a specific project-Virgil takes care of the lamp and the makeup, while Roman, the stuffed animals.

Lastly, Thomas came in, and he made sure all the items on herlist were in my boxes. Then she was all packed up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, Aricka decided to sleep in Virgil's room, since the next day she'd be at college. Normally, Virgil slept with Roman in his room, but Virgil didn't want to miss this moment. "Verge?" she whispers.

"Yeah, angel?" he whispers.

"If I gave you Jackabear, would you watch over him?" he froze. Jackabear was SUPER important to Aricka.

"Are you sure?" he whispers.

"I wouldn't ask you if I wasn't. Please? I can't-it hurt too much to have the bear there at college." Virgil realizes what she can't say-If he's there, I won't be able to function; I'll get stuck in the past again.

"Then, yes, I'll keep him here, in my room."

"Do you still have Aricka-your Build-A-Bear?" she whispers.

"Yes; I'll never get rid of her."

"I still have Roman," she whispers. "I need a Virgil stuffie."

"We can sneak into the Imagination in the morning and make a special Virgil build-a-bear," he says. "Go to sleep."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

(meet Virgil the kitty!)

Aricka put Virgil-her new stuffie-in the front seat while she drove to college. Roman, Remy, Virgil, and Pranks were in one car. Logan, Patton, Missy, and Thomas were in the other. And she was in her baby-her '67 Chevy Impala.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When she gets there-and after she said good-bye to her family- a girl ran into her. "Oof! I'm so sorry, I'm late to my class!" the girl apologizes. Aricka smiles.

"It's okay-I'm Aricka."

"Amaya Holmes," the girl answers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When Aricka walks into her dorm, she had to gasp; it was beautiful!

One side already was decorated-the bed on the left-so she started decorating the side on her right.