After making sure that Brianna was asleep, she’d opened another letter and read it sitting up in bed. Written about six weeks after the previous one, the letter, a single page—had hit so hard that the words still burned in Allison’s memory.

My dearest Burke,

Thank you for coming home, even though you couldn’t stay long. I told you I was fine. I told you I’d recovered from the loss of our baby—that I was moving on. I wanted it to be the truth. But I lied.

Two days ago I walked out onto the end of the long pier and stood there for half an hour trying to make myself jump off into the deep water. Brianna was at Tricia’s—I knew she’d be safe. And I felt that no one else would miss me, not even you. But then Captain found me. I knew that if I jumped, he would go after me, and maybe drown himself trying to save me. In the end, I couldn’t do it. But I wanted to. I still want to. I feel utterly joyless. I cry myself to sleep every night.

Today I called the pastor at our church. He has referred me to a weekly support group. I’ll be going for the first time tonight. I can only hope that sharing with others will help me grieve.

No need to come home again. You don’t need to see me like this. Just know that you and Brianna are my life, and I am doing my best to find my way back to you.

K.

The memory of that letter raised a lump in Allison’s throat. Kate hadn’t been made of steel. She was flesh and blood, and she had suffered terribly. But somehow she’d made it through the darkness, to face the end of her short life with serenity and spirit. She was strong in a deeply human way that Allison could only admire and envy.

And Burke? Surely he’d loved her. But had he known how to show it? Had he even tried to understand her? Had he wanted to be there for her, or had he taken the easy way out, leaving her to depend on her own strength and find her own wisdom?

By lunchtime, Brianna was awake and hungry. They pulled onto an off-ramp, filled up on drive-in food, and continued on their way, this time with Brianna in the passenger seat.

“Are you going to let me see Liam?” she asked.

“Something tells me I wouldn’t be able to stop you. So I might as well say yes,” Allison said. “Have you told your father about him?”

“Yes—not that it did any good. When Dad heard that Liam dropped out of school and works as a mechanic, he threw a fit.”

“Your dad wants the best for you, that’s all.”