“Only if Jess has support in the bay,” Karen said. “Libby, you need to talk to her.”

“No.”

“Jess is dying.”

And death trumps everything. The thought tasted bitter in her mouth and she chose her words carefully.

“And I’m truly sorry she’s dying, but it doesn’t change the fact she lied to me, betrayed me, used Nick and not once has she ever apologized or even hinted at any remorse. Life isn’t a movie script, Mom. This isn’t the tear-jerking moment where I conveniently forget everything that’s happened and forgive her.”

“What if she wants to apologize and ask your forgiveness?”

Libby turned around slowly and faced her mother. “Did she tell you that?”

“No.” Karen sighed. “But I think you should forgive her.”

“When hell freezes over.”

Karen glared. “Libby, my father was a cruel and bitter man. I hated him. His need to control everything and everyone around him damaged the people he professed to love. He’s the reason I brought you up to put others first and to care. I thought if you didn’t know about him or ever meet him, he could never leech into you. But this anger you’re holding onto has changed you. You’ve become as hard and intractable as him. It’s terrifying.”

Libby hated the unwelcome words. “For thirty-four years you kept your father a secret from us and now, when it’s convenient, he’s a lesson?”

“Unless you deal with your rage, Libby, it will become a permanent part of you and you’ll lose everyone you love.”

“I’m only angry with Jess!”

“You’re not. You’re angry with everyone who doesn’t agree with you. You’re angry with Leo too, but he isn’t Jess. He’s blameless of the sins of his mother. He needs you. It’s time to step up.”

Nick gently squeezed Libby’s shoulder. “Think about it, tesoro mio.”

She shrugged away his touch, furious with them both. “Why can’t you see my side? If I go and talk to her, she wins.”

Karen’s body sagged into the chair. “Oh, Libby. It’s not a competition.”

Nick stared as if he didn’t recognize her. “For God’s sake! Didn’t you hear a thing Karen just said? Jess was your best friend and now she’s dying. Think about it. She’s not going to see Leo grow up.”

But we will. In death, Jess was inserting herself into the heart of Libby’s family, just like she’d done for years, and had been trying to do for months. In the process, she was ripping away any choice Libby had about involving Leo in her life.

“How can you have forgiven her?” Libby heard herself yelling. “She almost destroyed us. And now, just as we’re back on our feet, she’s firing a final salvo and getting exactly what she wants.”