Riley’s parents were worried sick as they racked their brains trying to figure out where she might be. “Her teacher hasn’t even seen Riley all day,” said Mom.

“I can’t believe this,” Dad said.

“What was she wearing last? Do you even remember what—” asked Mom, panicking.

Just then, Riley walked through the front door. “Riley!” shouted Mom, rushing to her.

“Riley, there you are! Thank goodness!” said Dad, relieved.

Inside Headquarters, Sadness was confidently driving. Joy pulled the yellow core memories out of the bag and handed them over to her. The memories all turned blue.

In the dining room, Riley cried as Sadness placed each memory, one at a time, into the recall unit. All the memories turned a deeper shade of blue. Sadness continued to work the console, helping Riley as she talked to her parents.

“I know you don’t want me to, but…I miss home,” Riley said through her tears. “I miss Minnesota.”

Mom and Dad listened as Riley went on.

“You need me to be happy, but I want my old friends, and my hockey team….I wanna go home. Please don’t be mad.”

Her parents hugged her. “Oh, sweetie,” said Mom.

“We’re not mad,” said Dad. “You know what? I miss Minnesota, too.”

Her parents talked about all the things they missed about Minnesota—the woods, their backyard, the lake. The three of them hugged as Riley continued to sob.

Joy gave Sadness the blue core memory. Sadness took Joy’s hand and led her to the controls, placing Joy’s hand on the console alongside her own.

The Emotions watched on the screen as Riley smiled through her tears and her parents hugged her tightly.

Joy and Sadness, standing side by side at the console, shared a smile. They were a team. A sudden DING sounded throughout Headquarters as a new core memory was made. This one was gold and blue swirled together…a first. Joy and Sadness placed it in the core memory holder and watched as a new Family Island arose, bigger and better than the last.