Page 115 of Between Hello and Goodbye

With trembling fingers, I grabbed my cell while Asher paced the room like a caged animal. As the phone rang, I went to the kitchen to pour some water—the shock had made me utterly dehydrated; I could hardly imagine how Asher must feel.

Turned inside out…

“Hey, you,” Silas answered brightly. “It’s too early for award results. I hope you’re calling to tell me—”

“Silas, I need your help.” I pressed the phone to my ear and poured a glass from the Britta. “It’s an emergency.”

The smile fell out of his voice at my tone. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

My voice quavered, tears threatening to burst. “There’s been a…tragedy. A terrible tragedy.”

I went to Asher and handed him the water. He held the glass without feeling it, staring out the window.

“Faith?” Silas was frantic in my ear.

I took a few steps away and whispered, “It’s Asher’s brother and his wife. They’re gone, Silas. Gone.”

“Oh, fuck. Oh, shit. Faith, God, I’m so sorry.” Silas paused and I knew he was pulling himself together. “What can I do?”

“I need your jet. Tonight. We have to get back to Kauai.” I stared at Asher, his back to me at the window.

To his nephew who lost his parents. Oh my fucking God…

“Of course. Faith, listen to me. Are you listening to me?”

“Yes. I’m here.”

“Breathe, honey. Get a pen and paper. I’m going to give you the airfield details. You’re going to want to talk to Kevin Barker, okay? He’ll take care of everything. They’ll have to get fueled up and talk to air traffic control. A few hours, tops.”

I nodded and frantically wrote the details on the fridge whiteboard where I kept a grocery list of take-out numbers.

“Thank you, Silas. Thank you so much.”

“Anything. Should I come over? Do you need my help?”

Yes. Make this all go away. Take it all back for him.

“No, we’re leaving now.”

“Okay, you call me if you need anything. I’ll keep my phone ready. And tell Asher…” Silas’s voice broke. “Just…I’m here, okay?”

“Okay. Thank you. Bye.”

I hung up and took a steadying breath.

“It’s done,” I told Asher, hurrying back to the entry to grab my coat. “Let’s go.”

He nodded then stopped, shell-shocked and dazed. Like a man stumbling out of the rubble of an exploded building. He glanced at the mess of papers on the floor. “I did that. And your award…”

The ceremony, my nomination, even the perfect moment of telling Asher I loved him…That all seemed to belong to another lifetime. A life where things were beautiful and full of promise instead of suffocating with grief.

“Forget it.” I reached out my hand and took his arm. “Come on, honey. Come on.”

He nodded absently and followed me out.

Downstairs, I told Silas’s driver to take us to King County Aviation. The airport was a row of private jet hangars. As twilight darkened, I followed Silas’s instructions to where his jet was being prepped, a crew already in action. A steward led me in my evening gown and Asher in his suit, minus the tie and coat, inside the jet.

Asher hadn’t said a word on the drive over and remained silent as we prepared for takeoff. He stared out the window, seeing nothing, but his hands were clenched in fists.

The steward came by offering water and food in a low voice. No doubt Silas had told them this wasn’t a pleasure flight.

“Water, please,” I said. “Asher, you need water.”

I pressed the glass into his hand, but he didn’t drink. Just held it, eyes on the runway beneath us, and they stayed there until the runway became ocean, until night fell and there was nothing to see but black.