Page 57 of Home Tears

“I’ve met your brother.” Jonah’s tone was cold. “His company’s here to build where the mussels are.”

“I don’t know much about it, to be honest.” Boone nodded and shook his head. “Wow. This is all messed up. I—uh—I should get going. This isn’t the time for this.”

Jonah stepped aside as Boone moved toward the door. Just before he stepped outside, he stopped and looked at Dani. “I…” The words died in his throat.

Dani didn’t say anything. She could only watch him back.

“Nevermind.” He shouldered through the door.

It slammed shut behind him, too.

“They’re here because of the mussels?”

Jonah nodded. “It’s a lot of money in those pearls. Everything will go up in worth now.”

She couldn’t digest that, but Jonah didn’t say anything else. There was silence for a beat. Dani inhaled it in like she was starving. Her insides were trembling. The tsunami was back, it was inside of her, and she couldn’t focus for a moment. She only heard the waves, the cries, the screams, then the silence. A gasp for breath. Then nothing again.

Her heart was going crazy. She felt that it actually wanted out of her. She looked down as if to see if it was still there, still inside of her.

Jonah was sitting down. She recognized it in the background, but the sounds were distant. He was saying something. A question. She frowned, trying to concentrate more. Oh, yes—he was asking, “You want to talk about that?”

That was the last thing she wanted. “No.”

“Okay. Come on.” He nodded, then started to lead her toward the bedroom.

“I’m not tired.”

“Liar.” Jonah chastised and he turned back the blankets. Dani crawled in and looked up at him.

Jonah stood, uncertainly, as he held her gaze.

“I don’t want to have the nightmares.”

The decision was made. Jonah toed off his shoes and he slipped in beside her. Dani tucked her head in the crook of his arm and shoulder. He reached down, caught her hand and a moment later, her eyelids weighed down.

Jonah wasn’t there when she woke the next day, so she went for a run, and ended up at the end of Mrs. Bendsfield’s driveway. She wanted to go inside, see if she could find out more answers, but…it was Mrs. Bendsfield. Dani doubted she’d be as open this time around, but still. She found herself migrating there, and she went past the house, right to the milking barn this time. The cats scattered just inside the stable door, and Dani saw the owner wasn’t in her pottery studio that day.

The designs were beautiful and intricately made. Why didn’t she display her work? Why else does an artist create if not for someone else to view?

Her eye caught on one pot in particular. It was large and oval with dolphins carved around the top brim. Lilies and daisies were between each of the dolphins. They were Erica’s favorite flowers. They were her mother’s favorite flowers, and now, Dani remembered that she always saw Mrs. Bendsfield with those two flowers. They were embroidered in her shirts, pants, sweaters, or socks. She had them painted on her van. Even her sign that proclaimed her false age—it had with a border of lilies and daisies.

A memory came back to her. Her mom was hugging her at night, and she whispered, “If you find any lilies or daisies, hold on to them, Dani. They grow with love. Lots of love.”

“What are you doing here, girl?”

Dani heard the harsh voice, but she also heard a slight tremor in that voice.

She turned slowly. Mrs. Bendsfield was there with her chin raised high, a shaking hand on the milking room’s door handle. It was as if the door was for her protection—her way of escape. She wore another over-sized white shirt, stained with paint all over. Her white hair was pulled up in a messy bun.

“Why lilies?”

“Why you wanna know?”

The elderly woman’s eyes were intelligent and clear. Dani knew no hallucinations would give her answers today.

“Why lilies? Why daisies? What do they mean?”

“Just flowers. That’s all.”

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