"How are you feeling?" Isabel said to me. "Via told us you got sick…"

I can't say why I was so happy to see August again after so long, or how good it felt when he hugged me.

"I wasn't up to it," I said. "But Via was great, don't you think?"

He nodded. Two seconds later Isabel found us.

"You're the one who disappeared," Auggie answered back.

"Miranda!" she said happily, giving me a kiss on the cheek. And then to August: "Don't ever disappear like that again."

"I can't believe how big you've gotten," I said to him.

"Much better," I answered.

"I thought you were going to be in the play!" he said.

"No, she had work stuff, so it's actually not a big deal for me," I said truthfully. "We have two more shows anyway, though I don't think I'll be as good an Emily as Via was tonight."

"Is your mom here?" said Isabel.

Nate came over and we had basically the same exact conversation. Then Isabel said: "Look, we're going to have a late-night dinner to celebrate the show. Are you feeling up to joining us? We'd love to have you!"

"Pleeease?" said Auggie.

"We insist," said Nate.

"Oh, no…," I started to say.

By now Via and Justin had come over with Justin's mom, and Via put her arm around me.

"You're definitely coming," she said, smiling her old smile at me. They started leading me out of the crowd, and I have to admit, for the first time in a very, very long time, I felt absolutely happy.

"I should go home," I said.