Is she hallucinating? “Til,” she said slowly, “…Sister Ruth knows. There’s no way I can stay on. It would be so uncomfortable. For both of us.”

“We could just tell her it was a misunderstanding. We could go up there now and tell her.”

At the consideration of what Tilly was asking, pressure grew in Kate’s chest. “I can’t do that, Tilly.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not an option,” Kate said sternly. “I am not about to start lying. I just want live with you like a normal couple, with our own lives and our own freedoms.”

“But we’ve been really happy here.”

“And we could be so much happier. Please don’t take the job at St. Joan’s. Please. You already have St. Matthew’s for next year.” She took Tilly’s hand in hers and squeezed it gently. “Please.”

Biting her lip, Tilly stared at the console. Kate could see that, deep down, Tilly knew what was best for herself—that staying on wasn’t the right thing to do. Suddenly, Tilly looked up, eyes glassy green. “I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t go to your mother’s. After tonight…I mean, imagine what it would look like to Sister Ruth.”

“Like we’re together?”

“No,” Tilly said firmly. “Like I’m a coward.”

Kate nodded. She was right. “I…I wasn’t expecting you to say yes. I just want you to know that you’re welcome to stay with us if you want to.”

Tilly was quiet.

In the dark underbelly of the ferry, the rocking motion crafted a dizzying spell. “What are you going to do about Sister Ruth?” Kate whispered.

“I don’t know,” Tilly said, despondent. “But I guess I’m going to have to figure it out within the next few minutes.”

“I don’t want to just leave you alone to deal with this. Do you want me to come upstairs with you?”

Tilly’s eyes widened. She shook her head. “I think maybe it’s best that you don’t.”

“Right.” She drew a deep breath. “Well, I’ll call you tonight—”

“I’ll call you, okay?”

Kate blinked. “Oh. Okay.” She twisted her hands together, nauseating worry settling in her stomach. She reached for the door handle. “So I’m going to head up…”

Silence.

In the darkness, she leaned over the console. Gently, she pressed her lips to Tilly’s cheek. “Bye, Til.” Slowly, she pulled back.

Suddenly, Tilly gasped. “Oh Christ!” she cried.

Kate’s eyes bugged. “What, baby?”

“I forgot Lily’s costume!”

Chapter Twenty-Three

“Aunty Kate, watch me climb all the way to the top!”

From her seat at the outdoor table, Kate peered through the fence of the children’s play area. Beneath the fluorescent glow of the lights, the sunburn was evident on Karlie’s little arms. They’d spent most of the day in the shade, but her niece was much fairer than the rest of their family. Tilly would have burned too, Kate thought, and quickly squashed that thought as she applauded her niece’s climbing skills. Unless you’d like to have a cry in a McDonald’s restroom, we’re not going down that road again… She returned her attention to the newspaper.