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No…

Tara.

It was my daughter’s handwriting. A few words were scribbled onto a scrap of lined notebook paper. Words that stole my breath.

I see it too, Dad.

That was all it said.

But it was more than I could hope for. More than I ever thought possible.

It was an olive branch.

A first step.

A stand-down.

A little white flag fluttering with forgiveness.

I cupped a hand over my jaw and reread her words over and over, until I slumped to the floor, years of stress, hardship, and bone-deep heartache evaporating like mist under the warm sun.

It was enough.

CHAPTER 40

The moon hung from the night sky, surrounded by jewels. A shiver rolled through me as the ocean lapped at my ankles, the mid-fifties chill of late November causing my skin to pucker. I folded my arms. There was a sadness tucked inside of me, cradled by the melody of soft-cresting waves.

I often came here when I needed peace.

A place to let my mind wander.

When I was younger, I’d venture off to the lake and stand just like this, imagining a life beyond the ripples and swells. A bright, vivid future, miles away from the horrors of my unforgiving cell at home. So many secrets dwelled beneath the surface. We’d compare notes, the water and me, and it had always allowed me to feel less alone.

Tonight, the last thing I expected was an ally.

“Are you lost?”

I whirled around, water sloshing at my legs and disbelief pounding between my ribs.

What?

It couldn’t be.

I was imagining him.

Blinking rapidly, I pressed a hand to my chest, squeezing reality back into my heart. I gaped, jaw-dropped and legs-wobbling. “Reed.”

He stood on the shore, his hands hidden in the pockets of his dark-wash jeans. He’d be too far away for me to make out the color of his eyes, but I’d already memorized the precise shade of pale-verdant green.

We gazed at each other across the barren beach.

When he took a small step forward, I swallowed hard, in a daze. “Do I look lost?”

“A little.”

“What are you doing here?”

Reed tilted his head to the side, studying me through the night shadows. “Scotty told me you were here. That you go to the ocean alone every Friday night.”