Annie laughed. “We always hurt the ones we love. Never mind, those were lyrics from an old song that you’ve probably never heard. Come home, Jonas. Your mother loves you. And so do we.” The last line had popped out unexpectedly, but she realized it was how she felt about a lonely young man, with a solitary life, reeling from having been abandoned—again—that time by his girlfriend, seeking an answer where there simply was none.

But the best response was yet to come when Jonas simply said, “Okay.”

In less than thirty minutes, Annie had gone from tired-but-happy to depressed to angry to peaceful. Her next call was to Taylor, because she deserved to know. Then she would call Kevin, because she was relieved for him, too.

* * *

John came to Chappy straight from the boat. Annie was asleep. “I wanted to return your text in person,” he whispered as he crawled into bed beside her. “In case you were wondering, I love you. Very much.”

* * *

In the morning, Earl didn’t seem surprised to find them having coffee, sharing a cinnamon roll that he’d often said he thought she made only for him. He helped himself to coffee, took another roll—the last—out of the freezer, and stuck it in the microwave as if they were at his house instead of hers. Annie promised that she’d make more before Donna came home. Home. Yes, the cottage now was Donna’s home, as well as Annie’s.

She and John had talked most of the night; or rather, Annie had talked and he had listened. He’d held her close when she’d cried about Donna’s situation; Annie had finally fallen asleep in his arms. It did not surprise her that she felt better now.

“What time is Kevin picking Donna up?” Earl asked.

“Around noon.”

He nodded. “They must want her out of there before they have to serve her another meal. It’s all about the insurance company’s bottom line.”

John laughed and stood up. “I’d better get home to my daughter.”

“You tell her you had an emergency last night?”

John’s face turned a little pink, the way Earl’s had when Annie had walked into the hospital room and seen Earl holding Donna’s hand. “She tell you that?”

Earl nodded. “She did. She also figured out it was not a police emergency. I’m only telling you that so you don’t think your daughter’s stupid.”

“Believe me, I know full well that Lucy is anything but.” John kissed Annie’s cheek, fist-bumped his father, and went out the door.

“So,” Earl said, “Kevin gave me the good news about your skull.”

“It’s not my skull,” she corrected him for the thousandth time. “But, yes, as John said when I told him, ‘at least it’s one less hurdle.’ The only obstacle left is the most important one.”

“Yep. I also heard a rumor from my granddaughter that Jonas is coming back.”

Annie wasn’t surprised that Jonas had called Lucy. “Yes. I’m happy for Taylor.”