His grandfather told Nick to pound the surface with his oar, to make the biggest ruckus he could. They drove the lobster boat around and around the spot where they'd last seen the whale dive, where air bubbles came to the surface from her breath. His grandfather stared, driving the boat and following the whale, while Nick made noise—until they saw the whale make a wide turn, her shape a submarine-like shadow under the icy waves, and head back out to sea.

Nick remembered that now. He waved goodbye to Lafarge, then pushed the throttle open and drove across the open water to his fishing boat. Even though he made his living on salt water, hooking and netting and slicing open fish all day long, he'd never felt sicker about a catch. And the whale wasn't even caught yet. He imagined his grandfather looking down, ashamed of him.

He couldn't imagine her surviving the trip north. His stomach upset and churning, in a way he couldn't understand and couldn't quite believe, Nick Olson wheeled back to the ship, leaving Mar IV in his wake.

The day had seemed endless, waiting for the concert to begin. Jessica stared at the computer screen, knowing that she wanted to write to Rose, but not knowing what to say. What Patrick said had scared her a lot, as she thought of Ted in Rose's life. Jessica thought about Nanny, because it was easier than thinking about Ted. She knew how it felt to be so worried about an animal. Jessica had felt that way last year, when she'd watched Tally so hurt, lying on her mother's lap.

Petting Flora, Jessica looked into the Lab's dark, deep eyes. She felt the smooth fur under her hand, warm and soft. Flora dipped her head, edging closer to Jessica. Somehow it seemed as if the dog knew how much Jessica missed her puppy; or maybe it was Patrick who knew that. For some reason he had let Flora sleep here last night, instead of with him at the inn. Jessica knew it was partly because he had gone out with her mother—but she knew it was also because Patrick seemed to understand that Jessica needed Flora.

Walking into the living room, she found her aunt standing in front of the mirror, fixing her makeup. Jessica stood still, watching for a few seconds. Her heart skipped a beat—and she suddenly felt so happy, her heart almost hurt. She hadn't felt this way in a long time, since before Ted had come into their lives.