Page 53 of Until We Break

“Yeah. You’ll see me around.”

“You sure you’re okay, man?”

I nodded at my friend. “I’m good.”

Once he was gone, I grabbed my keys. Not even the remnants of a tropical storm were going to get in the way of what I needed to do this morning.

There was no standing water on the island roads. That was a good sign. At least I didn’t have to worry that Margot waded through water on her way home. I looked down when my phone started to buzz. I had no choice. I had to answer.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Caleb. Are you okay? Any damage on that side?”

“No. It looks good from where I am, but my patrol shift is later this afternoon,” I explained. “I can tell you more later.”

I was already at Reel Time for the biscuits. I pulled into an open space. Nan assured me she made extra batches today and she would save some for me in case she came close to running out.

“Well, your dad said he’s going to take a boat out and see if anyone needs help.”

I inhaled. “Right. Well, tell Dad there are plenty of crews doing that. He doesn’t need to be out on the water right now.”

“I can’t tell him anything, especially on a day like today.” I heard the irritation in her voice. I imagined they had already argued this morning about whether he would take his own boat to search for damage.

“You want me to talk to him?” I volunteered.

“No. He already left for the marina.”

There wasn’t a chance in hell I’d be able to convince him to do anything differently.

“Everyone else okay?” It was rhetorical. If they hadn’t been, it would have been the first thing she would have told me. “How is the bookshop?”

“The bookshop is fine. I went by this morning. I think Janice had a little flooding in the yard. And you know the whole east side of the island lost power for a few hours.”

I didn’t tell her I hadn’t heard about the power outages. I had been preoccupied and the last thing I worried about during the night was the electricity. I had one and only one focus.

“Mom, I’ve got to go. I’ll check back later. Glad you’re all right and the store didn’t have any damage. Good luck with Dad.”

“Okay. Be careful today, Caleb.”

“Always am.” It’s what I told her whenever she began to worry. She had been through it as a wife and a mother of twoCoastguardsmen. Her voice was strong and clear. She knew what was expected of me.

“I know. I know. I’m still going to say it. Bye, hon.” She hung up and I headed inside the store to get biscuits for Margot.

I wasn’t the only one on the island craving Nan’s homemade biscuits. There was a line all the way to the back of the bait and tackle aisle. By the time I placed my order for the hot biscuits, I was hungrier than I could remember being.

I grabbed the bag and took off. I drove as if the biscuits would cool off with every second it took to deliver them to Margot. And cold biscuits weren’t a gift. They were a punishment I didn’t want to bestow upon her. The whole point was to do something nice for her.

I didn’t know what I expected to find when I showed up at the Blue Heron cottage, but it wasn’t a dark house, closed and shut as if it was still empty.

I knocked. I waited another minute before I knocked a second time. “Margot? I’ve got breakfast for you. Hey, Margot?” I rapped harder on the door.

I peered in through the tiny square of glass. Was she home? Had she gone for a walk? Her car was parked out front. I left the biscuits on one of the wooden tables and walked around to the side of the cottage. Keeping them hot wasn’t a top priority anymore.

When I rounded the corner I stopped. My knees locked.

“Margot?”

She was on her knees in the yard. She looked up at me. “They’re completely ruined.”

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