Page 136 of The Ampersand Effect

She didn’t want to dwell on that, though. She’d sleep tonight.

She had no plans today—just a few travel logistics to confirm for her upcoming trip to Iceland. She needed to reach out to Njáll and Dagný, the siblings she’d befriended—and basically been adopted by—during her previous trips to Iceland for flight training. This time, she’d be staying with them and their mother while she and Njáll attended their training course. Dagný had also offered to work her artistry on Tobin’s arm, completing a long-awaited portion of her tattoo sleeve in the open space above the phoenix.

Tobin was excited to travel again. But something tugged at the edge of her mind—a discomfort, an uncertainty.

And it felt an awful lot like Grier.

She was nervous to be away from Grier. And that feeling did not settle well in her body.

She was just about to text the woman in question when her phone started to buzz in her hand. LoLo’s face appeared on the screen. Tobin swiped to connect the FaceTime call, and soon LoLo’s gruff expression filled the frame from the palm of her hand.

“Good, you’re up,” LoLo said.

Tobin couldn’t resist edging her response with sarcasm—it was early, even by LoLo’s standards; the woman had been rising with the roosters since the dawn of time.

“Good morning, LoLo. I’m so glad you called before the rest of the world has had a chance to blink their bleary eyes.”

“Your sarcasm is unbecoming, child.” LoLo looked at her, unimpressed.

Tobin smirked. It wouldn’t do her any good to provoke her—if LoLo was calling this early, she had an agenda.

“What’s up, LoLo? Everything good?” Tobin heard the concern in her voice before she felt it in her body. Maybe she’d jumped to conclusions… LoLo was built like a house, but she wasn’t immortal. Tobin reluctantly accepted that hergrandmother wouldn’t be around forever. But it was a thought she kept buried in the furthest recesses of her mind and not her first instinct whenever LoLo called.

She couldn’t live with the constant fear of losing LoLo. So, she chose to ignore her humanity until the time when it confronted her—and not the other way around.

“Yes, of course it is. Why wouldn’t it be?” LoLo responded, resolute as ever. Her obstinance in the face of her age was a point of contention in every conversation that might—in any way—imply she was growing feeble or weak. Heaven forbid anyone show her concern.

Tobin raised a hand in mock surrender, placating her matriarch.Definitely an agenda.

“I think you should come for a visit,” LoLo continued. “How does today sound?”

Tobin didn’t even pause before answering. “Uhhh… If you were trying to calm my fears about something bad going on, you’re failing miserably.”

Tobin stared her screen as LoLo scowled. “I’m fine. It’syouI want to talk about. I’ll see you at one o’clock.” LoLo nodded, as if Tobin’s response had been self-evident. “Come hungry.”

The call ended before Tobin could reply.

“I always do,” she muttered anyway. Then, to no one in particular, “I guess I’m going to the orchard today.”

She opened her phone again, to send the text she’d been planning to send to Grier before LoLo interjected.

TOBIN—5:11 a.m.

I’ve been ordered to the orchard today.

Wish me luck.

She heard the distinctive sounds of cabinets opening and closing, and turned to look through the large window to seeHarrow making breakfast. Tobin joined her, plopping onto one of the stools and sliding her mug across the counter for Harrow to refill.

“Tough night?” Harrow asked, cocking an inquisitive eyebrow. “No, but I think I have a tough day ahead.” She raised her eyes to meet Harrow’s, who was watching her while filling both their mugs from the coffee pot—without spilling a drop, thanks to years of diner shifts that paid her way through school.

“LoLo just called and basically summoned me to the orchard this afternoon.”

Harrow cackled. Literally. Shecackled.

The hairs on Tobin’s arms stood up. Her neck prickled. Her hackles rose.

What was she missing? Harrow obviously knew something she didn’t. She stared at her sister, incredulous, waiting for her to regain her composure and kindly explain what in the actual hell was going on.