Page 6 of Against the Current

Now, fifteen years after that fateful day—a day that had changed everything in numerous ways—Ryan considered what Grandma Dana had said. Somehow, had she foreseen Ryan and Trisha’s future? Did she know that they would be unhappy?

There’s no way, Ryan told himself. She was just a bitter woman. She loved me, but she never understood my love for Trisha.

But when he got up to recycle his can of beer and consider the five remaining in the fridge, he thought back to the first few years of his and Trisha’s marriage and how difficult they’d been. They hadn’t fought, not at first. But getting pregnant hadn’t been in the cards at first. And his family’s disdain for Trisha’s family had felt like a permanent perfume, tainting everything in the air around them.

It was necessary that they move to Chicago. It was necessary that they cut ties—especially after everything else that happened.

But now, so far away from his Nantucket home, Ryan felt like they’d been living on a deserted island for many years. Theywere running low on supplies. And when it came to him and Trisha, he wasn’t even sure if much love was left.

Chapter Three

January 2025 - Nantucket Island

Never in her wildest dreams would Jackie have guessed at the happily ever after of Victor and Esme Sutton. But so many years after Joel’s death, Victor’s affair, and Esme’s second marriage, Victor and Esme were at Jackie and Josh’s dining room table, laughing together like the old days.

“You’ve outdone yourself, Jackie,” Esme said of the chicken a la orange. “You have to give me the recipe.”

“But Rebecca cooks everything for us these days,” Victor joked, tapping his napkin across his mouth, his mannerisms similar to Dana Sutton’s from so long ago. “We’re spoiled by our personal chef.”

Rebecca, of course, was their eldest daughter—a daughter who’d spent most of her adult life in Maine not talking to either of them. But Rebecca had lost her husband last year and subsequently followed Victor to Nantucket. Esme had lost her husband, too. She needed them, or so Victor thought.

He’d been right. For the first time in his life.

Now, Jackie considered telling her brother that he resembled their mother, that it was as though her ghost had momentarily inhabited him, but she decided against it. Dana hadn’t been entirely kind to Victor during the latter years of her life. She didn’t come up much. Neither did Dad although Jackie guessed that was for different reasons. Victor hadn’t had a chance to say goodbye to their father. It was an ache that would never go away.

Josh raised a glass to the two of them. His eyes glinted with good humor. “It’s such a pleasure to host the two of you. What are the chances?” He laughed.

Jackie blushed, surprised that Josh had been so forthright.

“We’re just as surprised as you are,” Esme said, grinning.

“It was a road trip of a lifetime,” Victor affirmed.

“Maybe we should go on one of those,” Josh said, side-eyeing Jackie. “I’ve always wanted to see the country like that. What do you say, honey? You want to see the biggest ball of twine?”

Jackie, Victor, and Esme burst into giggles.

But internally, Jackie cursed Josh’s silly idea. He knew better than anyone that Jackie couldn’t just “get away.” She couldn’t leave the real estate office. They were struggling as it was.

This wasn’t anything she would ever share with Victor or Esme. It was private, something better left covered up until it healed. Maybe if she fixed the problem at hand, she could talk about it in a few years and mention it to Victor over Christmas.The agency struggled for a few years there, but we picked ourselves up by the bootstraps and kept it going. Of course, by then, she imagined herself very wealthy and retired. It seemed about as likely as going to the moon.

Josh mentioned to Victor that he’d picked up his most recent book and read it. (This, Jackie knew, was mostly a lie; Josh had read about a quarter of it and abandoned it for a sports memoir.)

“That’s a bunch of garbage.” Victor waved his fork.

“It’s not garbage, Victor,” Esme said. “You worked very hard on your books.”

“The next one is going to be a thousand times better,” Victor declared. “Valerie and I are writing it together. She’s putting me in my place.”

Valerie was Victor and Esme’s youngest daughter—an event planner who’d spent the better part of her adult life out in San Francisco and had even gotten married without telling them.

At least I attended my son’s wedding, Jackie thought, then cursed herself for thinking it.

“But book writing is no good these days. Neither is psychiatry,” Victor said. “I really should have gotten into real estate when I had the chance. Tell me, sis. How’s selling houses to the rich and famous going?”

Jackie filled her mouth with wine, telling herself this was a perfectly reasonable conversation. In fact, it was nice that her brother was taking an interest in her work! But the reality was, she wanted to stand and scream at the top of her lungs,It’s awful! Help!

“Things are going really well,” she said with a slight shrug. “People always want houses in Nantucket.”

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