Donna’s face was warm, but her breathing was shallow. And she seemed to take a long time between breaths.

“Mom?” Annie repeated, louder.

Donna stirred, opened her eyes, and looked at Annie. But she held Annie’s gaze for only a second, then seemed to pass out again.

Annie reached under the comforter and grabbed Donna’s wrist. She barely felt a pulse.

“Earl!” Annie shouted. “Call 911! And hurry!”

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Earl fast-walked up to the Inn to get Kevin to make the call, because he’d left his phone in his truck and figured that getting to Kevin would be faster. Annie couldn’t rebuke him for not using her phone, which sat on her laptop that she’d set down on the front steps when she’d helped him haul in the crate. Earl simply wasn’t yet totally tuned in to using a cell phone—he was more comfortable doing things the old way, his way.

In less than a minute or two, they were all in the cottage. Waiting. Earl wandered around the living room, Kevin paced the bedroom, and Annie sat next to Donna, smoothing her hair and trying to soothe her. Then, without warning, Donna’s dark tresses moved, sliding back on her head, revealing a pink scalp that was completely bald. Annie stifled a gasp; she quickly pulled the wig back into place before Kevin could notice.

She hadn’t known that Donna had lost her hair, only that it was shorter. What else had her mother failed to mention?

The screech of tires on clamshells halted Annie’s thoughts. She knew it was probably Taylor’s truck. As an EMT, a first responder right there on Chappy, she usually arrived before the rest, then instantly connected to the on-call team in Edgartown.

“In the bedroom,” Annie heard Earl say.

Taylor blew straight into the bedroom, her auburn hair flowing behind her, her emergency bag in hand. “What happened?” she barked. She wasted no time taking Donna’s vitals.

Kevin started to talk, but his words sputtered out, scattered and indiscernible.

Annie took over. She explained what little she knew about Donna’s cancer, including that she’d finished chemo a few weeks ago. She didn’t remember how much of that Taylor already knew.

“How long has she been out?”

“She opened her eyes once. Then passed out again. Or fell asleep. Whatever she’s doing. We saw her earlier. She said she was really tired.” Annie wrung her hands. “She’s been tired since she got here. I thought it was a normal consequence of chemo.” Had that been less than a week ago? So much had been happening . . . so fast.