Page 38 of Before the Storm

Tara grimaced. “Her final wish is that we contact our parents.”

“Oh. Wow.” Johan looked grave. “After what they did?”

“It’s hard for me to accept that,” Tara admitted. “I never understood why they left. And I’m past the point of needing to know.”

“But Josie still wants to know.”

“I don’t know. My theory is that she wants to know I have a family when she’s gone.”

“That makes sense.” Johan nodded.

Tara groaned. “They live in Seattle now. We’re talking about booking flights soon, but I’m panicking. I’m just thinking about it. Maybe I’ll back out.”

Johan reached across the table and put his massive hand over hers. Tara immediately felt calmer than she had been all week.

“Life is all about pain and joy and beauty and adventure,” Johan said. “Going to Seattle to meet your parents again is opening yourself up to all of that. It can only be good.”

Tara sniffed. “I don’t know about that. I think it sounds pretty stupid.”

“I think it sounds courageous.”

Tara smiled. She didn’t want to move her hand away from his.

But soon after, the server returned with their platters of food, and their conversation found other, happier topics. Johan told her more about his life in California, along with his belief that he wouldn’t have been a good father anyway.

“I don’t believe that for a second,” Tara said, thinking of Donnie, the worst of all fathers.

“I guess I’ll never know,” Johan said.

But he didn’t sound sad about it. To Tara, it seemed he’d welcomed all the variables of his life without question. He was ready for whatever was next.

It seemed he’d decided Tara was his next adventure.

Later that night, Johan drove her home, walked her to the front door, and kissed her goodbye. Tara could have floated into the inky sky.

Chapter Twelve

January 2025

Nantucket Island

Josie couldn’t wait a couple of weeks to decide whether they were going to Seattle or not. Not with her current life expectancy. Just a few minutes before Tara returned from her date, Josie had her phone to her ear, and she was calling her mother’s number for the first time in decades. What would she say?It’s time to make amends, Mom. We’ve taken this too far!A shiver went down her spine. The phone rang and rang and rang. Nobody answered. Feeling frantic, Josie decided to try again. On the fourth ring, a very tired and sorrowful older woman answered.

“Hello?” It was Cindy’s voice, but the personality behind it was all wrong. “Hello, who is this?”

Josie’s heart thudded with panic. What could she say? How could she bridge this divide? She licked her lips and sought something, anything to say.It’s your daughter. The one youdon’t like. I need you to talk to Tara again. I need you to love her again. She doesn’t have any other family. She needs you.

But Cindy was already upset at the silence on the other end. “You should be ashamed of yourself for playing a prank like this. I’m old; I’m too old for this. Don’t you know what I’ve been through? Don’t you know where I am?”

She hung up before Josie could respond.

Josie’s heart shattered. The woman on the other end sounded perpetually on the brink of tears.Don’t you know what I’ve been through?But what did that mean? What had she been through? Where was she?

Cindy was a stranger.

Cindy was a stranger, but it was very clear she needed their help.

Josie was suddenly in front of her laptop with her credit card. Before she knew what she’d done, she’d booked two tickets from Boston to Seattle. The flights were two days from now.

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