Page 23 of Before the Storm

“Wow. I don’t think I’ve spoken that much in a long while.” Johan laughed. “I hope you aren’t bored by me.”

“You said like eight sentences,” Josie said, waving her hand.

“Don’t worry about it for a second!” Tara said.

“But what about you two?” Johan asked. “What’s been going on the past decade and a half?”

“To be honest with you, Johan, you and I are on a similar timeline,” Josie said. “I just got back to Nantucket today!”

“You’re kidding me!” Johan cried.

“That’s right. I’ve been in Manhattan.”

“And you’re staying?” Johan asked.

“Tara invited me to stay for a little while,” Josie said. “I’m going to try Nantucket on for size again. But who knows how long it will stick?”

“Maybe we can help each other figure out this new phase,” Johan said.

Tara felt her heart shift in her chest. Was she jealous of Johan giving Josie an extra dose of attention? She filled her mouth with hot wine and closed her eyes at the flavors of cardamom and cinnamon. When they were girls, Cindy made alcohol-free mulled wine with these same flavors for them.

Johan snapped his fingers and pulled out a Swedish Christmas dessert from his backpack. “I nearly forgot!” It was circular and colored in cream and called something neither Tara nor Josie could pronounce. Apparently, Johan had made it himself.

As they ate, they talked about how much things had changed since 2001. It was hard to believe that it was the year of September 11th, that history had shifted so incredibly when they were so young. But they didn’t linger on sorrows and hardshipsfor long. Johan told them plenty of funny stories about his time in California, including an era when he worked as a sailing instructor for wealthy children who liked to boss him around.

When they quieted again, Tara admitted she couldn’t get enough of the dessert. “It’s divine.”

“Did you do all the cooking in your marriage?” Josie asked.

“We split all the household tasks, I think,” Johan said. “But she was certainly better at many things than me.”

“Like what?” Josie giggled.

“She was better at laundry,” he admitted. “She could get out any stain.”

“That’s a true talent,” Josie said. “She should teach a class.”

Johan chuckled, and his shoulders shook. Tara set down her spoon and tried not to look at him too much or too long. But something about his face was so open and sunny and warm. She fought a strange instinct not to fold her arms around him and weep on his chest.

She wanted to tell him why Josie was really there. She wanted to ask him to knock some sense into Josie, to remind her there was so much to live for, to tell her they could build a better reality together if only she decided to fight.

But suddenly, the doorbell rang again. Tara was on her feet and stricken. She wasn’t sure she could take much more in the way of surprises.

“It’s the takeout!” Josie reminded her.

Johan raised his eyebrows. “You girls ate dessert before dinner? You’re my kind of people.”

Josie and Tara laughed. Tara hurried into the foyer to pay the delivery driver and tip him far more than she would have normally, if only because she was in a good mood. When she returned to the kitchen, Johan was sliding his coat back on after finishing the last of his mulled wine. She felt a little deflated. But Johan promised he’d come by soon.

“Old friends are my favorite kind of friends,” he said. “It’s so nice to be back on this cold, dark island.”

Josie chuckled and reached out for his hand. It was clear to Tara that she was too exhausted to hug him goodbye. But again, Johan didn’t mention a thing. “It’s wonderful to see you again.”

“Welcome back to Nantucket yourself,” Johan said.

Tara walked Johan to the door and gave him an awkward side hug, making her heart explode.

“I hope you’ll let me know if you need anything,” Johan said, giving her a look that could have meant anything. Maybe he could sense how sick Josie was.

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