“Sit.” Kara eased me into a chair before quickly running for a glass of water, setting it in front of me. She rubbed a hand up and down my back. “That’s it. Just let it all out. You’ve been holding too much inside.”

I hiccupped as I nodded, the tears still coming. Kara was so different from my mother, not telling me to stuff things away, but instead encouraging me to let every last thing I was feeling out into the open. She’d always been this way, gently probing, asking questions that led me to honestly think about what I was feeling. Without her, I didn’t think I would’ve handled Vi’s death at all. I simply would’ve detonated at some point.

I wasn’t sure how much time had passed while we sat at the worn kitchen table, Kara rubbing my back and me letting the tears fall freely, but eventually my crying slowed and then stopped. I pulled another tissue from the box on the table. “I’m sorry.”

Kara made a tsking noise. “You know we don’t apologize for feelings in this house.”

I gave her a wobbly smile. “I love that about your house.”

Kara patted my hand and pushed my glass of water closer. “Drink some of this, and then we are going to talk this through. Feelings aren’t as scary when we know why we’re experiencing them.” I nodded and took a drink. “Is this about the man who’s been harassing you and Ford?”

She hid her worry well, but I could hear it sneaking into her tone. “I think that’s part of it.”

“But not the biggest part.”

I shook my head.

“Ford,” she whispered. It wasn’t a question. It was a statement. She knew me way too well.

“He said he wants to stay, but I just can’t keep myself from doubting it’s even possible. I love him so much, but he hasn’t said those words back. I’m worried he’s confusing care and concern with something more.” The words spilled out in a speedy jumble, the thoughts that had been tangling in my head all night bursting free. I’d twisted Ford’s every word and action forwards, backwards, upside down, and inside out. I’d twisted them to the point that I was driving myself just a little bit insane.

“Oh, honey.” Kara grabbed my hand. “I wish I could give us both a guarantee that he’ll stay. I wish I could give you a promise that everything will work out perfectly, but I can’t. I do know that my boy loves you. He might not be saying it with his words, but he’s showing it with his actions. He never would’ve even considered coming back to Anchor permanently before you.”