She could call her Libby. Not spare so many thoughts to what her mother or brother would say and put her first, as she would any other friend. She could let herself fully appreciate all she’d done while here to help with the Beth mystery. The way she’d taken so quickly to the people Mabena held most dear. She could tear down the barrier she’d kept so carefully between them.

But how to tell her so? She debated it the rest of the way to St. Mary’s. Fighting with someone was easy enough, but making up? When it required words and not just a mutual decision to ignore the row and move on, as she and Beth had always done? That was altogether different.

She still wasn’t certain how best to handle it when they were all on shore at the quay in Hugh Town, but when Oliver declared he’d better hasten to the pharmacy before they closed for the day and Casek said he’d better check at the ferry office to see if any more shipments for the school had come in, she decided there was no time like the present for making the first strides.

And so she linked her arm through Libby’s—something she’d never done before—and gave her a smile. “I’m sorry we’ll miss the race tomorrow morning. If you want to just collect Darling and go back, we can.” It wasn’t what she’d said earlier when they’d asked her. Then, she’d simply wanted to escape her parents’ good-natured fussing for a few days. But friendship required a bit of self-sacrifice now and then.

Libby softened a bit, though her returning smile was still forced. “It’s all right. Oliver doesn’t mean to participate anyway. He convinced Mr. Menna to take his seat.”

“The things I missed while I slept off a headache!” Mabena gave the slightest shake of her head—all she dared. “Mr. Menna can outrow any of them.”

“That’s what Oliver said.” Libby’s smile faded into a sigh. “Though I’ll want to go back soon. To see how Mamm-wynn’s doing.”

“Any time you like. I ought to be right as rain again by tomorrow. What?” she added at the dubious look Libby sent her. “I’ve the hardest head on the islands. Ask anybody. A little knock on it can’t keep me down for long.”

Libby shook her head with enviable generosity of movement. Let a beat of silence speak for her. Then said, so softly Mabena could scarcely hear it over the breeze, “You’re not leaving again, are you? At the end of summer, I mean.”

And how could she know that when Mabena herself had scarcely come to the conclusion an hour ago?

Because . . . they were friends. She sighed. “I can’t. This is home.”