Countless stars formed constellations and her thoughts turned to her first husband. Brett could name them, she thought. They used to lie next to each other on the beach and he’d stretch his arm toward the sky and point out the constellations: “There’s Hydra, Leo, Cancer.”

Cara brought her hand to her forehead, frowning. Why did her former husband come to mind while she was worrying about her current one? Crossing her arms tightly around herself, she sighed deeply, awash in memories. She’d never forget Brett. Never wanted to. He was the love of her life. The one man who had taken hold of her heart and dragged her, kicking and screaming, away from her life of determined isolation and loneliness and into love. She’d come home to Isle of Palms for her mother. She’d stayed for him.

There were nights, like tonight, she could hear his voice so clearly. His presence was palpable.

Cara wiped away the moisture welling in her eyes. Scents assailed her—salt, honeysuckle, rain—punctuating the memories that were coming on strong.

Damn fate, she cursed. How much more death did she have to face? She’d lost Brett. Her mother, Lovie. Last year she’d nearly lost Hope. Not again, she vowed. She would not sit idly by and let illness strike her family again.

Cara was not one to sit in a corner and wait. Her mind began clicking off possible solutions. The threat of coronavirus was real—she accepted that. But she needed to know more. At first light, she’d research how to effectively handle quarantines and, if necessary, how to minimize the contagion and prevent it from spreading. The Centers for Disease Control website advised everyone to wash their hands and practice social distancing. But she had more to learn, and she had to learn it fast. If David was sick…

Her gaze traveled across the pool to her master bedroom on the other wing of the house. The doors were open there too. She could see the big four-poster bed through the screen. Her heart thumped with love for her David. It felt so odd, so wrong not to be lying beside him. She hoped David was sleeping well, and that all that ailed him was exhaustion. He needed all his strength to fight off any virus. She wouldn’t let him down. She would dig deep to find the strength. Wasn’t that what women did? She’d nursed her mother. She could take care of him too.

She turned to look back at the guest room she’d moved into. Just across the hall was Hope’s room. Maternal resolve fluttered in her heart. Hope was the one she had to worry about most. Her bout with the measles the previous summer had taken its toll, leaving Hope immunocompromised. Cara would never forget how close she’d come to losing her, and the months of watching her little girl valiantly fight to regain strength. Hope was healthy again, but if she caught the coronavirus, she’d be highly vulnerable. Of course she had to keep Hope away from David. But was that good enough? Could Hope stay here in this house? With David?