“Wow,” Avery said. “I’m really sorry, Aunt Halcyon.”

Halcyon leaned over to hug Avery. “You’ll get through this, baby. And your mother and I will be right there to give you an arm any time you stumble. Just take your time with it. You don’t have to make decisions about your relationship with your father today. And even if you do, that decision doesn’t have to be forever. But for now, you do what is best for you and don’t worry about anyone else.”

Avery sniffed. “If it’s okay, I think I’ll go take a nap. I didn’t sleep much last night.”

“Of course,” Marina said. “And when you get up, we’ll fix some dinner.”

Avery nodded and rose from the couch, then headed silently upstairs.

“You think she’s okay?” Marina asked.

“As okay as she can get for now. But try not to worry. She’s strong. Probably stronger than either of us at that age.”

“I’m pretty sure she’s stronger than me right now.”

Halcyon slid over and gave Marina a hug. “Honey, you are the best person I know. And spending all those years taking care of your husband and Avery and your home doesn’t make you weak. It makes you the caring, loving person you are. Just think about the things that have been hurled at you the last couple days. If I’d told you last week that you could handle all of that, you’d have said I was crazy. You’ve always been strong. You just had to believe it.”

Marina sniffed. “Would I ruin your opinion of me if I told you I desperately need a glass of wine?”

“I would have worried more if you didn’t.”

Chapter Nineteen

The next morning, Marina gave Avery a hug before she climbed into her car. Dinner the night before had been a pleasant affair. They’d all agreed that no talk of anything to do with Harold or the arrest was allowed, and Avery had spent most of the night telling them about her dorm room and the other students she’d met. It was obvious to Marina that Avery was making a concerted effort to appear upbeat, but she also knew her daughter had enjoyed the simplicity and comfort of eating pizza on the living room floor while MTV played in the background.

“Are you sure you’re going to be all right in the cabin?” Avery asked.

“I’m positive,” Marina said.

“I still don’t understand why you won’t live with Aunt Halcyon. You know she’d be happy for you to.”

“There’s Snooze to consider. Your aunt is allergic to him and he’s allergic to your father.”

“Aunt Halcyon could take a pill or something.”

“I know. But more importantly, I need to be alone. There’s a lot of things I have to work out, and it’s hard to do the kind of thinking I need to do with someone trying to help me every second. If I was living with your aunt, she wouldn’t be able to keep herself from trying to fix everything for me.”