Page 155 of In the Air Tonight

They come in through the mudroom off the kitchen, a flurry of girlish voices and bags dropping as their father tells them to take off their shoes.

The girls have blonde curly hair and cherubic faces. They rush into their mother’s arms and then seem to notice me. “This is my friend Blaise from high school. Blaise, this is Audra and Heidi, my son, James, and my husband, Tony.”

“It’s so nice to meet you all.”

The little boy is shy and hides behind his dad. The girls are super polite as they shake hands with me and tell me it’s nice to meet me, too. A pang of yearning hits me out of nowhere. What would it be like to have a little girl of my own someday? I’ve never had a yearning for children, but now anything seems possible. “I won’t take up any more of your time. I’m so glad we got to talk.”

“Me, too,” Ramona says as she walks me to the door. “Let’s keep in touch, okay?”

“I’d love that.”

We hug and say our goodbyes. As I drive away from her home, I marvel at how two people who barely knew each other in high school have become central players in this made-for-TV drama. It’s crazy dark as I make my way to the bridge. I recall mymother hating this time of year when the New England winter sets in with cold, dreary darkness that lasts for months.

I’m on the bridge, thinking I need to call my mom to check in with her, when bright headlights blind me from behind. I adjust the mirror, but that doesn’t help to reduce the glare. As I crest the top of the bridge, I get hit from behind. The impact sends me into oncoming traffic. I slam on my brakes and spin in a circle as I scream at the thought of plunging into the black, frigid water below.

That’s my last thought before everything goes dark.

Chapter 30

Jack

NOW

I have a ton of work to do, but I can’t concentrate on anything. It’s amazing to me how quickly Blaise has become the center of my life. If you’d asked me before she showed up if I was happy, I would’ve said yes. I love my work, and I’ve adjusted to life without my parents, settled their estate and gotten through the first few years of birthdays and holidays without them. But now I realize there’s a huge difference between content and truly happy.

Blaise has made me happier than I’ve ever been.

She texted to say she was on her way from Bristol, so I take Fenway outside to play until she gets home.

When we step into the yard, the new floodlights are activated by the movement.

Fenway is taken aback for a second by the light, but she quickly recovers when she sees me holding her favorite ball.

We play for half an hour, until she’s so tired she lays down in front of me, a sign the game is over.

I’m reaching for the ball when a police SUV rolls into the yard with the lights on.

My stomach drops to my feet as everything in me goes cold with fear.

Houston jumps out of the car. “Jack… Blaise has been in an accident.”

I can’t move or think or breathe or do anything other than absorb the wave of dread that comes over me. Please no. Not her, too. I knew I should’ve gone with her.

“Jack? Come with me. I’ll take you to her.”

“Wh-where is she?”

“They were transporting her to Charlton.”

Fenway barks, as if to ask what’s going on. I wish I could tell her.

“I have to bring Fenway. I can’t leave her here alone.” Not with people torching my property.

“Put her in the backseat. I’ll keep her with me while you’re with Blaise.”

I know I’m supposed to move, to walk, to function, but the fear of losing Blaise so soon after I found her has me rooted to the spot where Houston found me.

“She needs you, Jack.”

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