“I know. And that part was hard for me to accept. I didn’t dare trust it. Why would you risk putting yourself through even more? Why would you do that? And then I realized that you were doing it because you really did care about me. And caring for someone means sticking by them not only when things are easy, but when things are tough. It’s easy enough to lie on the beach in the sun with someone, but what about when the wind howls and the storm hits? Do you run for cover?”

“Ashley—”

“You didn’t run for cover. You did the opposite. You were right there for me, in the middle of the storm. And the fact that you were willing to do that, the fact that you cared that much...” She swallowed. “You don’t think people love you like that, Joanna? You don’t think these people care about you enough to stay by your side when the wind howls and the storm hits? You think Nate, Mel, Greg, Mary-Lou, Rosa are going to turn their backs on you because of a few photos?”

“I don’t know. I really don’t know. They shouldn’t have to—”

“It takes real courage to accept that people care, and love you. It’s easier to push them away, because then you can’t be hurt. Easier to protect yourself and not allow yourself to be vulnerable. Not allow yourself to be disappointed in people. But there’s a price to pay for that, and the price is loneliness. Is that really the life you want to live? At least give them a chance, Joanna. Let them decide whether this is too much or not. Don’t decide for them, the way I did when I walked away from here. I should have just said to you, Joanna, is this too much, but I was scared and I made the decision for both of us. Don’t do that. Deep down you know these people care. You know that.”

Did she? Did she know that?

There was a long silence.

Ashley felt a rush of anxiety. Maybe she didn’t know that. Maybe it was impossible to truly understand how it must feel to be Joanna. After all, she’d had years of this. Decades.

She put her hand on Joanna’s arm. “I’m sorry to push you. If you want to hide out here, then we can. I’ll hang out with you. We’ll—”

“No.” Joanna finally spoke. “We won’t be hiding. And everything you said is true. It does take courage to trust that people care about you. And people should make their own decisions on what they can handle, and what they can’t. I suppose that’s about to be put to the test.”

“So you’ll stay?”

“Yes.”