Page 14 of Before the Storm

“She overheated,” the woman at the parlor explained, furrowing her brow. “I told her she needs to go home.”

“The parade starts in twenty minutes!” Tara said.

“The parade will run itself,” Josie insisted. “You’ve done everything you can.”And you’ve pushed yourself way too far, she did not say.

“This festival isn’t like the Christmas Festival,” Tara said. “It’s a mess. Nobody knows where to go or what to do. If I leave, the whole thing will explode.”

“I hope it won’t explode.” Josie chuckled. “Not till the fireworks, anyway.”

Tara glared at her.

Josie tried to smile.

“I just need three minutes to rest,” Tara said. “And then we’ll go back out there and make sure the parade gets off on the right foot.”

But suddenly, there was the sound of a car crash. A couple of people ran past the window, and Tara was on her feet.

“If that was one of the parade floats, I’m going to scream!” she cried.

Unfortunately for everyone, the accident involved the cherry orchard’s float and a farmer’s tractor. One person was injured—a broken ankle from falling off the float during the crash—and Tara’s face was so swollen and sweaty that Josie wanted to call off the entire parade.

“Remember, we have insurance!” Josie kept reminding Tara.

Already, the woman who’d broken her ankle had her arms around her husband’s neck, and he was carrying her away and shaking his head angrily. “This is supposed to be a safe, family-friendly event!” he called back.

Tara leaned against the broken float with her hands on her stomach. She was listening to the orchard float’s driver, who was screaming about why the tractor’s driver was at fault for the accident. Suddenly, Johan, the Swedish immigrant, was there, just as he’d been when Tara had fainted during the Christmas Festival.

“I can fix that,” he said of the orchard’s float. “I have a few tools in my truck. It shouldn’t be a problem.”

Tara looked at him as though he were an angel who’d just flown in from heaven. “Are you sure? We don’t have much time.”

Johan waved his hand. “It’s simple. Don’t worry about it.”

But suddenly, Tara’s face crumpled, and she hissed and leaned forward. Everyone went quiet and gaped at her. Even thetractor driver stopped yelling. And then she cried out, “Josie! My water broke!”

It was happening, just as Josie had prayed it wouldn’t.

Josie knew it was up to her to maintain sanity and calm. On the inside, she was screaming and freaking out, but on the outside, she said to Tara, “Remember your breathing, honey. Come on. Let’s walk slowly, slowly. I’m parked just over here.”

“I need to stay!” Tara said. Fat tears rolled down her cheeks. “What if…?” But she trembled with pain and clung to Josie’s hand so hard that Josie winced. And then she muttered, “My career. What about my career?” Her legs shook so much that her knees knocked together.

Josie turned to look at Johan. His eyes were so soft, so beautiful, so kind. “Tell me what to do,” he insisted. “I’ll handle it.”

As Tara breathed and rasped and panicked, she managed to translate everything over to Johan—who he needed to talk to, where everybody needed to go, and at what time everything needed to happen. Tara managed to hand over this information in just seven or so minutes. But at the end, she said, “You didn’t write anything down! I’m worried you’ll forget!”

“I have a perfect memory, Tara,” Johan said in that Swedish accent. He winked.

“Come on, Tara,” Josie urged. Sweat billowed on her upper lip, and people were eyeing them nervously as though they were frightened Tara would give birth right here next to the tractor.

Tara melted into Josie. “Okay. We need to go to the hospital. Now.” And then she remembered, “But where’s Donnie?”

“Somebody find Donnie and tell him we’re going to the hospital!” Josie called.

Ironically, the tractor driver sped off to find Donnie. He’d forgotten his anger. In the face of a new life, everyone remembered what was really important.

Josie wasn’t sure how she and Tara managed to get to Josie’s car. But soon enough, they sped off to the hospital, putting the Fourth of July Festival in the rearview. Tara huffed and puffed and panicked. But Josie continued to remind her, “Johan is going to handle everything. You prepared for the festival. It’s a machine rolling along now, and everything is in place. Right now, you have to focus on you and your body and your baby!”

“Oh my gosh! I’m going to have a baby!” Tara’s eyes were buggy. And then she blurted, “Where are Mom and Dad?”

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