Page 65 of Shift the Tide

Kiera hesitated, pressing the spatula against one of the pancakes. The warmth of her connection with Izzy from the previous night lingered; she recalled Izzy's shy smile that morning in the guest bathroom as they brushed their teeth. Izzy had crashed on the couch after insisting that Kiera take the guest bedroom. Kiera finally said, “Just trying not to think of how many chickens the girls are going to con my parents into buying while I’m gone.”

“Oh, you think they’re hatching a plan?” Danica said with an amused tone.

“Of course they are — Wait a second, I just got that.” Kiera laughed.

“Took you a moment. I thought it was pretty egg-cellent.”

“Did my parents give you this script?” Kiera teased.

Danica let out an even louder laugh. “You’re right, I should text your mom to remind her how funny I am.”

“She’d love it,” Kiera assured her.

“Chicken puns aside, how are you doing there?” Danica pressed.

“I’m doing fine,” Kiera finally said.

“If you say so.” Danica made a small sound that told Kiera she wasn’t convinced, but thankfully, she didn’t push. “Just let me know if anything changes. And tell Maggie we love her, okay?”

“Of course.” Kiera slid the last of the pancakes onto a plate, then balanced it on her arm as she turned back toward the table. “Gotta go, I’m on breakfast duty.”

She hung up just as Arlo perked up. “Is it ready now?”

“Patience, my tiny minions.” Kiera set the plate of golden pancakes in the center of the table, ruffling his hair and suddenly feeling homesick to see Eliza and Quinn. She’d called them early this morning, and they’d sounded sweet and sleepy. She hoped she’d get to call them again that afternoon. “But yes. It’s ready now.”

Jude gasped dramatically. “Butter! We need butter!”

Kiera told them to take a deep breath, setting down a bowl of softened butter and a jar of syrup. The kids dug in immediately, all sticky fingers and happy chatter. She let herself take a beat, absorbing the normalcy of the moment, the illusion that, for a little while, everything was okay.

As she turned to grab her cup of coffee from the counter, she caught sight of Gwen finally stirring from her seat, rubbing at her temple before standing. It was the first time Kiera had seen her look anything other than frozen since she arrived.

“Gwen, do you want something to eat?” Kiera asked, keeping her voice light.

Gwen blinked, as if only just realizing she was being spoken to. “Oh. Uh, sure. Thanks.” She hesitated, then sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “Sorry. I’m still — jet lag, I guess.”

“This is a lot. You’re allowed to feel exhausted about it.” Kiera tilted her head. “You flew in from Lisbon, right?”

Gwen nodded, pressing her lips together before finally sitting back down. “Yeah. I was at a conference for work when Maggie called. I caught the first flight I could, but…” She exhaled slowly, shaking her head.

Kiera handed her a plate, watching Gwen poke at the pancakes absently. “Was it an architecture thing?”

“Yeah. I was supposed to present on sustainable urban development. Spent months preparing, but…” She trailed off,jaw tightening as she set her fork down. “None of it feels important now.”

Kiera hesitated before sitting across from her. “That seriously sucks. I’m so sorry. Do you think you’ll be able to reuse your presentation at another conference?”

Gwen looked at her for a long moment, then nodded. “I hope so.”

Before Kiera could say anything else, Izzy appeared beside her, close enough that Kiera could feel the brush of her arm. Izzy reached for a spoon, stirring her own coffee absently.

Kiera glanced at her, catching the faint dark circles under Izzy’s eyes, the tension in her shoulders as she slid into a seat beside her. The past two days had taken a toll on all of them.

Izzy exhaled, then, without a word, reached under the table and gave Kiera’s hand a quick, firm squeeze.

A secret moment just for them. Kiera stifled a smile that would have revealed exactly how much just a simple hand squeeze could make her feel giddy.

The spell was broken when Jude shouted, “Aunt Izzy, I need more syrup!”

Izzy pulled back, clearing her throat. “On it, kiddo,” she called back, reaching for the syrup bottle and handing it over.

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