“We are.”
Angeni turned so that she was no longer looking at Sasha but straight ahead.
They were almost back to the property, Sasha taking it slow as she turned into their long dirt driveway, when Angeni said: “I know I can trust you, Sitka.” Then: “Right?”
Sasha could feel Angeni’s eyes on her again as she parked. She turned to Angeni, knowing there was only one acceptable response.
“Of course.”
Chapter 31
Gwen
As the ferry began its journey to Bainbridge Island, Gwen started to feel sick to her stomach. June kept looking at her with this intense stare that seemed to be questioning her mother’s sanity. Gwen had to look away.
She went out to the deck, hoping the fresh air would help. She was standing at the railing, watching the water rippling beneath her, when an older woman sidled up next to her, eyes fixed on June.
“What a darling baby,” the woman said.
Gwen did not feel like engaging with other human beings, but she managed to say, “Thank you.”
“Is it your first time on The Boat?” the woman asked.
“Excuse me?”
“The ferry. We call it The Boat. Is it your first time?”
“Oh. Yes, actually,” she said. Was this woman not picking up on herplease don’t fuck with meenergy?
“You picked a good day. The mountain’s out.”
The woman jutted her chin toward their left, where Mount Rainier was on full display, something that did not happen every day.
“It gets easier,” the woman said.
Had Gwen heard her correctly? Was this really the second stranger of the day to think Gwen looked unmoored enough to need these words?
“Sorry?” Gwen said.
The woman looked at June and then at Gwen. “Motherhood. These early days are so hard. It gets easier.”
The woman gave a soft smile and then walked away, her energy as cool and eccentric as a fortune teller’s.
When the ferry docked at the island, Gwen sat in her car, waiting to drive off, while her phone dinged with messages. She scanned them, looking for Leigh’s name, but she hadn’t texted. There was a message from the day care asking if everything was okay and if June would be returning later. There was a message from the HR woman at the law firm, saying that maybe there had been a misunderstanding about her return date because they had not seen her in the office. Jeff had texted to see if she was okay.
Even if she’d wanted to respond, she couldn’t. The ferry workers in their neon vests were circling their arms, directing the cars to exit.
“Here we go,” Gwen said to June.
On the ferry ride over, Gwen had thought about her Angeni Luna vision-dreams. Maybe her subconscious had led her to the ferry for a reason. Maybe this was all supposed to happen—she was meant to talk to the real Angeni Luna, to get the validation and support she so craved. Why else would she end up on Bainbridge Island?
After they left the port, Gwen pulled into a strip mall parking lot to try to determine where she was even going. She knew Angeni Luna lived near a Christmas tree farm—she’d mentioned it in one of her holiday-time posts. There was only one Christmas tree farm on the island, as far as she could tell, so that was where she decided to go.
She half expected the female GPS voice to ask her what the hell she was doing, but the voice remained calm and neutral, making it easier for Gwen to think she wasn’tthatcrazy. Angeni Luna was a spiritual teacher, a guide. It stood to reason that many people sought out her presence. Gwen would knock on the door, introduce herself, apologize for any intrusion, and express her gratitude for Angeni. If she was lucky, Angeni would invite more conversation, and Gwen would have the opportunity to share some of her turmoil. She was sure Angeni would have the words of wisdom she needed. Maybe they would snap a photo together and she could send it to Leigh. She drafted the text message in her mind:
Look! She’s alive. Are you?
If none of that happened, if Angeni Luna was nowhere to be found, as the Reddit threads implied, or if Angeni Luna turned her away, then Gwen and June would get back on the ferry home, their little excursion a secret known only to the two of them.
