Page 61 of Shift the Tide

Kiera was right beside her, matching her frantic pace. “Okay, I get it, especially with Gwen overseas. I’ll drive you home, help you pack?—”

“I’m… I think I’m just going to go straight to the airport.” Izzy was already looking at flight options while she walked, looking for the soonest possible departure. She blinked back tears as her hands shook.

Kiera stopped them both in their tracks, reaching out, her hands gripping Izzy’s shoulders. “Izzy.Breathe.”

Izzy sucked in a sharp breath, trying to keep it together, but her whole body was vibrating with worry, with grief that wasn’t evenhersbut felt like it might swallow her whole. She looked up at Kiera, who reached to wrap her in a tight hug. Izzy let herself be held tightly, taking slow, deep breaths against Kiera’s soft T-shirt.

“Hey, I’m here to help however I can,” Kiera said in a hushed, gentle tone.

When Izzy was ready, she leaned back and looked up to Kiera, who was watching her with a steady gaze. “Can you drive?”

Kiera nodded, no hint of uncertainty. “Okay. I’ll drive you to the airport, and then I’ll drive your car to my parent’s place.”

Izzy wrapped her arms around Kiera and gave her another tight hug. “Thank you.”

It waslate by the time Izzy pulled up in front of Maggie’s house. The porch light was on, casting long shadows across the lawn, but the house was oppressively still and dark — like it was holding its breath.

Izzy sat for a moment in the silence of her car, hands gripping the steering wheel until her knuckles ached. She had barely slept on the flight. Couldn’t eat. Every part of her body was heavy with exhaustion, but her mind wouldn’t stop racing, grasping at the edges of every memory she had of Maggie’s mom — her easy laugh, the way she always made Izzy feel welcome, like she was family.

The weight of it hit her all over again.Maggie’s mom is gone.

Izzy swallowed hard and climbed out of the car. Her feet carried her to the front door on instinct, and she punched in thesecurity code — still the same as it had been the last time she was here, when Maggie needed her after the pregnancy loss. That moment had felt like the end of the world. This felt worse.

She didn’t bother knocking. The lock clicked open, and she stepped inside.

The house was dark except for a single lamp glowing dimly in the living room, casting long shadows against the walls. It smelled faintly of lavender and something burnt — maybe an untouched meal left too long in the oven.

Maggie sat curled up on the couch, wrapped in a blanket. Her eyes were swollen and red, her face blotchy with the evidence of hours of crying. And clutched tightly in her hands was a photo frame. Izzy didn’t need to see the picture to know it was of her mom.

Maggie crumpled like paper folding in on itself as soon as she looked up at Izzy. Her breath hitched and then came the sound Izzy had been dreading — the kind of sob that shattered everything in its wake.

Izzy didn’t think. She just moved.

She crossed the room in seconds, dropping to her knees in front of Maggie and pulling her in close. Maggie collapsed into her arms, shaking so hard it seemed like she might break apart. The photo frame clattered to the floor, as she clung to Izzy with every ounce of strength she had left.

“Fuck,” Maggie choked out, her voice raw and barely audible. “She’s gone. She’s really gone.”

“I’m so sorry,” Izzy whispered, running her hand gently over Maggie’s hair, pressing her cheek against the top of her head. “I’m here. You’re not alone. I’m not going anywhere.”

Maggie’s sobs came harder, wrenching through her like something primal — like grief was clawing its way out of her. Every breath was ragged, every cry a reminder of what had been lost.

Izzy held her tighter, whispering soft, useless comforts. “You’re not alone. I promise. I’m right here.”

There were no words that could make this better. No comfort deep enough to patch the hole left behind by losing someone who had been integral in Maggie’s world. This wasn’t the kind of pain that could be fixed — it could only be endured.

So Izzy stayed there, on the floor of the dim living room, holding her friend as she broke apart. And when the sobs slowed, tapering into soft, hiccupping breaths, Izzy didn’t let go.

CHAPTER 19

Kiera

Kiera sat stifflyat the kitchen table the next morning, staring at her phone beside a cooling cup of herbal tea that her mom had placed in front of her with gentle insistence. She’d texted Maggie an hour ago, just a quietI’m here if you need me,and hadn’t expected a reply. The scent of sage lingered in the air — a residue of the cleansing and calming ritual her parents had performed earlier that morning in the house after Kiera had told them about Maggie’s mom passing. Her dad had finished pacing through the rooms, murmuring affirmations under his breath, ringing a small brass bell meant to bring peace and clarity.

Instead of clarity, Kiera felt a tension throughout her body, like a rope tightening inside her chest, pulling tighter with every breath.

Rationally, she knew that Maggie’s mom dying shouldn’t affect her so much, but it brought so many intense thoughts to the surface. She worried about her own parent’s dying, her friend’s grief, Izzy’s panic. The way Izzy’s hands shook as she booked her flight to get to Maggie.

She sent Izzy a good morning text, then asked how Maggie was feeling.

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