“The way the rocks felt under the soles of my boots reminded me that I was okay. It was familiar. Everything was so unfamiliar lately, but not this. Not home.”

This quote comes shortly after Emmy’s return to Meadowlark when she steps into the parking lot of The Devil’s Boot. Emmy is shocked that Meadowlark feels like home to her after she ran away from it years ago, but as everything in her life is so chaotic, it is comforting to be somewhere she knows so well. This sentence establishes Meadowlark’s attachment to Emmy’s character development.

“After I spent so much time plotting my escape from Meadowlark, I didn’t know how I would feel coming back. I came back for holidays, birthdays, and some weekends, but this felt more permanent. I thought I would feel trapped, like I did years ago. But I didn’t. I felt blissfully normal.”

Emmy is surprised by Feeling at Home in Meadowlark. Yet this quote also shows how big a shift she is facing in her life as this return is more permanent. Emmy being comfortable with being normal here also contrasts how she felt in Denver when she was extraordinary at her career but unhappy.

“She was laser-focused, and I could tell she was madder than a hornet. There was something in her eyes I hadn’t realized was missing when I’d looked at her before: fire. I started walking toward her, unable to help myself, ready to get burned.”

Luke thinks this when he teases Emmy moments after she steps into his bar. Though Luke had always teased Emmy growing up, he begins to realize that he likes it because he sees it lights a fire in her. This moment is also where Luke starts to recognize that something is wrong with Emmy, highlighting their deep connection despite their initial relationship.