Page 30 of Shift the Tide

Danica let out a quiet snort, shaking her head as she turned toward Pete. “You know, it's pretty rich, because Izzy called me a coward for running away in Telluride.”

Pete, who had been mid-chew, stilled. Her usual lazy grin flickered, her eyes narrowed just a fraction. “Come on,” she said, her voice quieter, gentle. “She's just protective."

Kiera glanced between them, catching the way Danica’s expression softened. "She is very protective overyou, and vice versa. Clearly. That doesn't mean she's not being slightly hypocritical," Danica said, her eyebrows raised.

Pete shook her head, popping another sour gummy into her mouth.

Danica exhaled, running a hand through her hair before offering a small, reluctant nod. “In Izzy's defense, she was right at the time,” she said, backtracking with an apologetic smile.

Pete silently snagged a piece of dried mango from Danica then nodded, like that was all she needed to say.

Kiera watched the quiet exchange, the way Pete’s fingers brushed against Danica’s wrist as she leaned back into her seat, the way Danica’s smile turned softer, her body relaxing just a little. Years of mess and uncertainty couldn't break them. They found their way back to each other, a simple, unshakable bond.

She busied herself with rifling through the trail mix to pick out more pepitas, looking away as Pete leaned in to whisper something into Danica’s ear. Whatever it was, Danica laughed, tilting her head toward Pete like magnetism alone drew her in.

Kiera had never had that. Definitely not with Alex.

She thought about the night she left him, the way she had stood in their too-large kitchen, staring at the backsplash she had picked out herself, and said,I'm leaving.I know you'rehaving an affair, and I'm done.She had expected a fight, some kind of protest, but Alex had only sighed, tired and resigned, and said,Alright.

That was it.Alright. As if anything would ever be right ever again. There were no grand declarations, no last-minute attempts to salvage their life together. Just the continued quiet unraveling of something that had already frayed beyond repair.

Then had come the custody talk, or rather, the lack of custody talk. Alex had agreed to Kiera taking full custody of the girls, with a few visits during school breaks. He’d come to see the girls around Christmas, and he planned to take them back to Omaha for a week or two in the summer, but that was it. That disconnection hurt more than any other part of the divorce, but it was no longer her job to make him into a father.

The overhead speaker crackled, and the pilot announced their descent into Denver. Pete and Danica exchanged a glance before Pete reached over and squeezed Danica’s knee, grinning as Danica rolled her eyes but didn’t move away.

Kiera exhaled, adjusting in her seat as she stared out the window at the city lights blinking below. The lingering pain of the heartbreak of divorce felt familiar as her chest ached now, thinking of Izzy landing early in San Francisco, pretending none of this ever happened.

And Kiera had no idea what to do about that.

When Kierafinally pulled up to her parents’ house, she immediately spotted the sleek silver car parked in the driveway.

Frowning, she climbed out of the Uber, exhaustion pressing down on her as she grabbed her bag and made her way inside.

The smell of her mom’s burnt sage hit her first, but it was the familiar scent of rose perfume that made her pause in the doorway.

“Aunt Jade,” Kiera realized aloud, as she stepped into the living room.

And there she was, poised effortlessly on the couch, a half-empty glass of red wine balanced between two perfectly manicured fingers. Aunt Jade was opposite to her sister in every way — modern, chic, refined, practically glowing with self-assurance. Her tailored linen pants were a stark contrast to the loose, patterned dresses Kiera’s mom favored, and the delicate gold jewelry she wore looked like it belonged in a magazine spread.

“Well, well,” Jade said, setting her glass down on the coffee table with a warm smile. “Look who finally decided to return to civilization.”

Kiera sighed, dropping her bag at her feet and giving her aunt a gentle hug, afraid she might wrinkle her carefully pressed clothing. “Hi, Aunt Jade.”

She barely had time to steady herself before a blur of strawberry-stained cheeks and tangled dark hair came barreling toward her.

“Mama!” Eliza shrieked, launching herself at Kiera with all the force of a child who had spent the past few days running free and untamed. Quinn was only a second behind, her little arms wrapping around Kiera’s waist as she squeezed in between them.

“You’re back!” Eliza beamed up at her. “Grandma and Grandpa let us name the new chickens!”

Kiera blinked, her travel-weary brain struggling to catch up. “Wait, what new chickens?”

“The new chickens, Mama!” Quinn echoed, bouncing on her heels. “Grandpa built them a house and everything!”

Kiera shot her parents a look over her daughters’ heads, but her dad just grinned, unrepentant as ever, as he casually sipped his tea.

“Of course he did,” she muttered, before turning her attention back to her girls. “Alright, hit me with the names. What’d you pick?”

Eliza, held her head high to share the news. “Mine is named Chiquitita,” she declared proudly. “Like the ABBA song!”

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