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Tara's feet felt leaden as she walked down the path. She’d given it one last try. But in the end, there was only a door closing behind her.

The village was lively as she made her way to the docks. Residents bustled about with their daily tasks, a quiet industriousness that didn’t falter at the sight of her.

‘Leaving so soon, Tara?’ an older woman asked, her arms laden with baskets of freshly washed greens.

Tara smiled tightly. ‘I’ve done what I needed to do here.’

The woman hummed, her expression knowing in that frustratingly cryptic way Tara had come to associate with Solhaven. ‘Safe journey, then.’

‘Thanks,’ she said, turning. She could see the trawler’s tall mast visible between the houses. But Tom would wait for her, wouldn’t he? If there was one last thing to do. ‘Oh, which house is Harriet’s?’ she asked the woman.

She pointed at the house. ‘She expecting you?’

Tara grinned. ‘I wouldn’t have thought so.’

***

Harriet’s house stood on the edge of the village, a low, weathered building with wide windows. The door was ajar.

Tara popped her head through to find Harriet sitting at a workbench, her back to the door, focused on the delicate mechanism of a clock she was repairing.

‘Harriet,’ Tara said, her voice sharper than she intended.

Harriet glanced over her shoulder, her brow furrowing slightly. ‘Tara. Shouldn’t you be on your way?’

‘I’ve got a minute,’ Tara replied, crossing her arms. ‘I wanted to talk to you.’

‘Say your piece, then,’ Harriet said, crossing her arms.

It was as close to an invitation as Tara would get, and she took it, walking in. Harriet motioned to a chair, but Tara remained standing.

‘I want you to know I’ll do exactly what I promised to do. I’ll do what I can to make sure you can keep your island.’

Harriet’s expression didn’t change, though a flicker of something—relief, perhaps—crossed her eyes. ‘Why?’

Tara paused, unsure.

‘You didn’t come here to help us. That was plain,’ Harriet went on.

‘That’s true. I didn’t. I came here to exploit you. To write a story about the weird little island no one’s ever been to. To sell that story.’

Harriet laughed without mirth. ‘Mainlanders,’ she muttered to herself.

‘This mainlander is going to help, though,’ Tara told her. ‘I have the application in my bag, and I’ll deliver it to the government. I’ll give them Tom’s address for the correspondence. He can deliver the decision to you. You’ll never have to hear from me again.’

Harriet looked annoyed. ‘You’d like a thank you, I suppose.’

That made Tara laugh. ‘Not at all.’

‘Then why come and tell me? Why do this at all? It’s not like anyone here can make you do anything you want after you leave.’

‘Because Amelia cares,’ Tara said. ‘And because this place… it’s flawed, but I think it’s worth saving.’

Harriet’s lips pressed into a thin line. ‘So you’re trying to play the hero. Is that it?’

‘No,’ Tara replied. ‘I’m trying to keep something good from being destroyed. But there’s one thing I want in return.’

Harriet raised an eyebrow, her scepticism palpable. ‘And what’s that?’

‘Be kind to Amelia,’ Tara said firmly. ‘She deserves your respect, Harriet. She’s doing everything she can to keep this place together, even when you make it impossible for her.’

Harriet’s face darkened, her jaw tightening. ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about. Amelia’s a dreamer, a fool. She doesn’t understand what it takes to survive here.’

‘She’s no fool,’ Tara shot back, her frustration bubbling over. ‘She’s the reason this place still has a chance. And if you care about Solhaven as much as you claim, you’ll stop making her life harder.’

Harriet’s eyes burned with defiance. ‘I don’t need you telling me how to look after my own.’

‘Then stop acting like she’s the enemy,’ Tara said, her voice sharp. ‘Because she’s protecting you even though it’s hurting her to do it.’

The room fell into tense silence. Harriet’s face remained set, her mouth a thin line of bitterness. Tara waited, hoping for some sign that her words had landed, but Harriet only shook her head.

‘I’ll do what’s best for Solhaven,’ Harriet said coldly.

‘I’ve said what I needed to. Do what you want, Harriet,’ Tara said.

She turned on her heel and walked out, not waiting for a response. As she made her way to the dock, her fists clenched at her sides. The crisp sea air did little to cool the heat of her frustration, but she forced herself to focus on the path ahead.

She saw the boat. It was halfway through being loaded with packages of seaweed.

‘Tom!’ she called.

He turned. ‘You survived Solhaven then?’

‘More like it survived me,’ she told him.

He smiled and didn’t ask. He checked his watch. ‘About twenty minutes till we shove off.’

She nodded. ‘Can I wait on the boat?’

‘Eager to go?’

‘Yes and no,’ Tara told him honestly.