“Not long, but you must listen carefully—” Her mother stooped her head and lowered her voice. “From here on out, you need to be extra vigilant—no talking to anyone. I’ll do what I can to help from here, but there’s little chance of you standing up to the scrutiny of someone’s gaze, not with the information you now know, so it’s very important you try not to let anyone see you outside this lighthouse.”

“But the ranch is miles away. How am I supposed to get there?”

“Take your father’s car. You’ll find it waiting for you on the same street, parked near the hotel.”

“It’s still here?”

“Yes.”

“But keys . . . I need keys.”

“They’re in your room.”

“No, all Dad’s stuff is gone.”

“You’ll find the keys if you look for them. Trust me.”

“They’re just going to magically appear?”

“Remember, none of this is real. It may be Ryan’s illusion, but you’re a part of it too, and you have more control in here than you think.” She stood and helped Amy up. “Now, come on, you need to start moving.”

Amy swallowed and stared at the ground. She wanted to stay and find out exactly what her mother meant, but it was clear from the urgency in her voice that they couldn’t linger in the lighthouse any longer. She followed her mother’s gaze and glanced at the stairwell, trying to rally her thoughts.

“I’m worried, Mom. What if I mess this up? What if I somehow make everything worse?”

“Amy, what you don’t realize is that you’re the reason he has this chance in the first place. The connection forged between the two of you changed everything. You’ve awoken his heart. You helped him open up about his father and free him from the guilt he’s been carrying all these years. You’ve given him a glimpse of the world beyond Seabrook, a glimpse of a future that he didn’t even know existed. Because of you, he’s been empowered to fight, and now all you need to do is be by his side and help him take that very last step. Go to him, Amy. Go help him shatter this snow globe into a thousand pieces.”

Amy nodded and took a deep breath. She turned her attention to what lay ahead, to the prospect of venturing outside and making her way back to the ranch. She was visualizing the two previous journeys, reminding herself of where she needed to go, the roads she needed to take, when a new problem presented itself: Wasn’t helping Ryan break free going to create a dilemma for her and her mother? ­Without this town and the protection of its lighthouse, where were the two of them supposed to go?

“Mom, wait—once I’ve seen Ryan, how will I be able to find you?”