Relief surges through me. It’s undercut by a fresh tide of guilt when I think about my mother’s reaction to this information. I stare at my shoes again, thinking dark thoughts.
“She won’t blame you,” Pa says, reading my mind. “Your mother loves you very much.”
“I know she does. I just hate the idea of hurting her.”
“Mmm. Not just her, I think. How much does Josephine know about all this?”
“Nothing. Not with any certainty.” I rub the back of my neck, a nervous habit. “Though I’m sure she has her suspicions.”
“In that case, I’m sure she’s furious at you for keeping her in the dark.”
“Furious is an understatement.”
“Then tell her. Make things right.”
I look over at him. “I don’t know how. I’ve been terrible to her, Pa. The things I’ve done… the way I’ve treated her… I don’t deserve her forgiveness.”
“There you go again, making decisions for other people.”
“I’m not—”
“You are. But you don’t need to. Josephine is a smart girl. She is quite capable of making up her own mind about things. Whether she wants to forgive you or hold a grudge until her dying breath… that’s for her to decide. But you’ll never know for sure unless you give her the chance.”
My heart is thudding fast inside my veins. I curl my hands into tight fists, feeling like I’m about to fly apart into a million pieces. “I love her,” I whisper. “I love her so much, it terrifies me.”
“Then go get her.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“She’s already on her way to the senior prom.”
“Last I checked, you are also a senior.”
“Yeah, but another guy is her date.”
“And you’re the love of her life.” He laughs. “Go after her, son. If you really want her… prove it to her. Earn her.”
My pulse skips a beat. My mind is churning ten different directions. And every one of them leads to one destination.
Jo.
I leap to my feet, suddenly frantic. “What time is it?”
He checks his watch. “6:50.”
My stomach drops to my feet like a stone. “I’ll never make it in time. The boat leaves at seven sharp,” I say, crestfallen. “I’m too late. She’s already gone.”
Pa is silent for a moment. When he looks at me, there’s an almost giddy gleam in his eyes. “That’s not necessarily true…”
Chapter Twenty-Three
JOSEPHINE
Just as Iimagined long ago, I float down the front steps of Cormorant House in my perfect dress, my eyes locked on my perfect date waiting at the bottom. He stands there, dashing in his dark blue suit. His smile is a mile wide. His auburn hair catches the rays of early evening light, turning to a copper halo around his head.
“Josie,” he murmurs, offering his arm. “You look beautiful.”