Bella had packed the clothes she would be traveling with into a small suitcase. She didn't plan on staying in Fort Worth for more than a week. Nathan said that if things went well with Kylie's brother, they would be back home in five days at most.
Meanwhile, Mariel and James would be staying in Dallas for two weeks. Mariel persuaded Bella to return to Dallas after the business in Fort Worth was over, and stay with them until James' assignment was completed. However, Bella did not want to leave Reef for long. She was now used to being home with him, and would definitely miss him. Reef himself didn't show any gloom or resentment for long after Bella came clean about her trip to Texas and her plans to join Nathan and Kylie there. For Bella, that was a progress.
