Page 58 of Through the Storms

“Yeah. The interviewer was a jerk, but Oakley handled it. Her answer was why I felt comfortable coming on this trip.” Riley closed her eyes as if she were trying to remember the words. “She said the tornado was going to happen whether she was there to see it or not. If she’d caused it to happen, then, yeah, she should feel guilty, but since she had no control over what the tornado did, guilt was the wrong emotion. Sadness, grief, and empathy were more accurate depictions of her emotions.”

“Did you see what she did when the newlyweds tried to take pictures at the trailer park?” Chloe asked.

Riley nodded. “I thought she handled it well, and I doubt anyone will try it again.”

“She has a point. It’s one thing taking pictures of an act of nature, but it’s quite another to take pictures of someone else’s misery.” Unexpected tears welled in Chloe’s eyes.

“Are you okay?”

Chloe nodded, but her words caught in her throat as the tears fell harder.

“It’s okay, Chloe.” Riley’s voice was soft, which only made the tears flow more.

“Those poor people lost everything. Did you see the little girl looking for her doll?” Chloe shuddered. “That gutted me.”

Riley slid closer to Chloe and put a hand on her leg. “But did you see the teenager helping the elderly couple with their dog?”

“Oh, my god, yes.” Chloe wrapped her arms around herself and squeezed. The tears flowed harder.

Riley’s compassionate gaze bore into her. “It’s okay to cry. You’re not used to seeing trauma like that.”

Chloe blinked several times. “But you see it all the time.”

“Unfortunately, it comes with my job. But I also see incredible acts of courage and compassion. That’s what makes it all worth it.”

The pain caught in Chloe’s chest threatened to burst out. It was suddenly difficult for her to breathe, so she inhaled deeply only for a sob to escape.

Riley moved even closer. “May I put my arm around you?”

“Please,” Chloe managed to say.

Riley’s strong arms enveloped her. Feeling sheltered, Chloe let go of her emotions and sobbed against Riley’s chest.

CHAPTER 23

“Are you okay?” Lanasaid into the phone. Her heartbeat quickened.

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” Oakley’s puzzled voice asked.

“You normally don’t call from the van.” Lana sat back against her office chair. She’d already done the morning broadcast and was studying the storm projections when her phone startled her.

“I’m not in the van.”

Lana glanced at the time in the corner of her computer screen.9:42 a.m.“It’s almost ten o’clock.”

“We pulled in late last night, after midnight, so I told the group we wouldn’t head out until ten.”

“Getting soft?” Lana teased. It wasn’t like Oakley to miss a minute of chasing if she could help it.

“Maybe.” There was a smile in Oakley’s voice. “Remember the sisters I told you about?”

“The older ladies?”

“Yep. Peggy looked wrung out when we got back last night. She didn’t sleep a wink in the van. I think seeing her first tornado was a bit overwhelming.”

“I’d think seeing the trailer park was the real catalyst.” With the group rolling in so late, Lana and Oakley hadn’t had the chance to talk on the phone last night, but Oakley had sent Lana multiple texts throughout the day.

“No doubt.” Oakley sighed. “I wasn’t expecting a trailer park out in the middle of nowhere, or I would have found a different cell to follow.”