order to get her phone out of her bag. With Pete, Bre, and Shawn all here, Sadie wondered who was texting.
Pete continued his story, and Sadie unlocked her phone so she could see the message. She was surprised to see that the text was from Maggie.
Do you have a minute?
“It’s Maggie,” Sadie said to her companions as she stood up from the table. She caught a flash of Shawn’s unhappy expression before moving away. “I’ll be right back,” she said.
The overhanging roof of the gift shop provided some protection from the rain away from the tables and tourists; Sadie hurried to an empty section while calling Maggie’s number.
“Hi,” she said when Maggie answered. There was no heater under the eaves, and she wrapped her free arm around her stomach to try to retain some body heat.
“Hi,” Maggie said back. She sounded nervous.
“Is everything okay?”
“Um, I don’t know,” she said, then let out a breath. “They’re taking Lorraina to Anchorage in about an hour.”
“Oh, dear! Did something happen?”
“No, she’s about the same. She’s actually breathing a little better and her vital signs have been stable, but the doctors think another hospital can do more for her than Juneau can.”
“I see. Are you going to Anchorage with her?”
Maggie paused. “That’s what I wanted to talk about. I talked to my dad and told him how you suggested I stay on the cruise. He thought it was a good idea.”
“He did?” Sadie said, blinking in surprise.
“Yeah, I mean, I had such little time to get to know Lorraina, and he felt that since I’d come all this way, and paid for the cruise and everything, that maybe I should stay and see if Shawn and I can come to understand each other a little better or something. Maybe I can learn more about Lorraina, too. I can’t really do anything for her in Anchorage, and I don’t have the money to fly there without a good reason, but...I don’t know. I’m just trying to figure out what to do, and since you offered...”
“I agree with your dad. Staying on the ship would give you and Shawn a chance to get comfortable with each other. And I think Shawn has questions, too. Together you might be able to help each other find the answers and prepare for what to do next depending on what happens with Lorraina.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind? I realize this was a family vacation and everything. I don’t want to intrude.”
Maggie intruding was not going to ruin this vacation—much bigger things had already taken the trip off the rails. But that didn’t mean that good couldn’t come of this. “We’d love to have you. Truly.”
Maggie was quiet for a minute. “Do you think Shawn will be okay with it? I’m not trying to force him to accept me or anything, but I want to learn more about Lorraina, and he knows her better than I do.”
“I think Shawn will be okay.” She’d seen his interest spark when she told him about the gift tag, and she knew he had questions he hadn’t yet posed for answers. Sadie was a big believer that information was power, and she felt it was in Shawn’s best interest to connect with Maggie, even if he might need time to adjust to the idea.
They made plans to meet when they all returned to the ship. Maggie didn’t want to leave the hospital while Lorraina was still there, and she needed to talk to the captain about staying longer since the staff had anticipated her leaving the cruise all together. Sadie agreed to text Maggie when they were back at the pier, which she assumed would be in an hour or so.
They said their good-byes, and Sadie returned to the table. “Shawn, can I talk to you for a minute?” It wasn’t that what she had to say was secret, but the moment just seemed to belong to him.
He looked hesitant, but then put down his silverware and stood from the table. She led him back to the gift shop. He folded his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrows expectantly.
“Lorraina’s being transferred to
Pete continued his story, and Sadie unlocked her phone so she could see the message. She was surprised to see that the text was from Maggie.
Do you have a minute?
“It’s Maggie,” Sadie said to her companions as she stood up from the table. She caught a flash of Shawn’s unhappy expression before moving away. “I’ll be right back,” she said.
The overhanging roof of the gift shop provided some protection from the rain away from the tables and tourists; Sadie hurried to an empty section while calling Maggie’s number.
“Hi,” she said when Maggie answered. There was no heater under the eaves, and she wrapped her free arm around her stomach to try to retain some body heat.
“Hi,” Maggie said back. She sounded nervous.
“Is everything okay?”
“Um, I don’t know,” she said, then let out a breath. “They’re taking Lorraina to Anchorage in about an hour.”
“Oh, dear! Did something happen?”
“No, she’s about the same. She’s actually breathing a little better and her vital signs have been stable, but the doctors think another hospital can do more for her than Juneau can.”
“I see. Are you going to Anchorage with her?”
Maggie paused. “That’s what I wanted to talk about. I talked to my dad and told him how you suggested I stay on the cruise. He thought it was a good idea.”
“He did?” Sadie said, blinking in surprise.
“Yeah, I mean, I had such little time to get to know Lorraina, and he felt that since I’d come all this way, and paid for the cruise and everything, that maybe I should stay and see if Shawn and I can come to understand each other a little better or something. Maybe I can learn more about Lorraina, too. I can’t really do anything for her in Anchorage, and I don’t have the money to fly there without a good reason, but...I don’t know. I’m just trying to figure out what to do, and since you offered...”
“I agree with your dad. Staying on the ship would give you and Shawn a chance to get comfortable with each other. And I think Shawn has questions, too. Together you might be able to help each other find the answers and prepare for what to do next depending on what happens with Lorraina.”
“You’re sure you don’t mind? I realize this was a family vacation and everything. I don’t want to intrude.”
Maggie intruding was not going to ruin this vacation—much bigger things had already taken the trip off the rails. But that didn’t mean that good couldn’t come of this. “We’d love to have you. Truly.”
Maggie was quiet for a minute. “Do you think Shawn will be okay with it? I’m not trying to force him to accept me or anything, but I want to learn more about Lorraina, and he knows her better than I do.”
“I think Shawn will be okay.” She’d seen his interest spark when she told him about the gift tag, and she knew he had questions he hadn’t yet posed for answers. Sadie was a big believer that information was power, and she felt it was in Shawn’s best interest to connect with Maggie, even if he might need time to adjust to the idea.
They made plans to meet when they all returned to the ship. Maggie didn’t want to leave the hospital while Lorraina was still there, and she needed to talk to the captain about staying longer since the staff had anticipated her leaving the cruise all together. Sadie agreed to text Maggie when they were back at the pier, which she assumed would be in an hour or so.
They said their good-byes, and Sadie returned to the table. “Shawn, can I talk to you for a minute?” It wasn’t that what she had to say was secret, but the moment just seemed to belong to him.
He looked hesitant, but then put down his silverware and stood from the table. She led him back to the gift shop. He folded his arms across his chest and raised his eyebrows expectantly.
“Lorraina’s being transferred to
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