This is such a beautifully satisfying conclusion to the whole comic! The previous volume ended with both leads in a very dark place, apart and at the height of a misunderstanding; it was so relatable, so well-written, and so, so hard to read. In turn, this last volume creates a smooth transition from that peak of drama back to the story's slice-of-life promise. As Janek and Chepi spend time apart, they each get to reflect on themselves, and on what happened, and on what has gone wrong, and they each make use of their support networks to go through it—and then they come back together, and it's just. So beautiful. I'm a sucker for hurt/comfort, and this is hurt/comfort at its finest, and I'm not ready to let these two go, but I'm so happy that they got their happy ending.

At the moment, Chepi's arc just might be at the very top of my favorite examples of mental health representation. I'm so proud of how far he's come working with his anxiety, and also recognizing that while he's not at fault for the thing that happened to him and for the way his brain is reacting to the trauma, in many ways he has made his journey harder all on his own. Being in trouble doesn't excuse making trouble for others; people with mental illness can and should be accountable for their actions, too, and at the same time it should be recognized that mental illness, like anxiety or PTSD or depression or absolutely anything else, does make interacting with others so much harder, and these difficulties should be taken into account by others. These things aren't mutually exclusive, and the comic does such a good job of showing it.

Janek remains such a wonderful, kind character throughout, despite all the hardships life throws his way. I love his ability to stay deeply connected with other people and ingrained in his community, even though he's been let down by other people many times. (By the way, still not a fan of his mom! Even though her intentions are now clearer, the way she went about acting on them is just ugh.) It was great to see him stand up for himself, and communicate his needs, and I adore him with Chepi—all the care he shows, how careful he is with personal borders, everything.

I enjoyed getting to know all the side characters better, especially now that they're all shown through the eyes of Janek who's happier and less overworked, and Chepi who is actually giving everybody a chance instead of freezing everyone out because he's too stuck in his own head. The inclusivity and the diversity in this setting is truly wonderful: there's fat representation, demi representation, trans representation, existence of ethical non-monogamy as a valid option, and so much more. Hari Conner created a wonderful story and a wonderful place that truly feels like finding home. <3 

Also! The art??? STUNNING. The use of color and paneling throughout the comic is top-notch, but I feel like in this last volume especially the creator has outdone themself. Every page in this book is incredible, I swear.