he night is slowly coming to an end. It's a hard thought to accept, because right now I feel happier than I've felt in a long time, and I want this night to last.

As though the island knows the end is near, the wind picks up, swirling my hair about my face. The waves in the distance seem more treacherous than usual, like maybe a storm is brewing. I lift my head from Jordan's shoulder long enough to scan the beach. Most of the others have already slipped into the night, but the old couple is still here, as well as Lexi and Lina who are starting to pack away.

My arms hold Jordan tighter, because the moment I have to let go is drawing closer, and he must feel it, too. His arms do the same, and when Lexi looks over and gives me a nod, my heart sinks.

Jordan looks down at me, serious. "This is stupid."

"I know."

"No," he says, his eyebrows furrowed, "you're stupid."

"Excuse me?"

"Yeah," he says. "You're just going to let everything ride on a fundraiser? That's stupid."

"We agreed," I say.

"I didn't agree to anything."

My heart does this mini palpitation. Maybe he's right and this is stupid, but what's the alternative? Finding out tomorrow that we didn't raise enough? That he's selling the cafe? That I hate him even though it's not his fault? It's easy for Kali to give me some speech about taking that chance, but his chance worked out; mine never do.

He leans in closer, his lips ridiculously close to mine. "What are you so afraid of, Evvy?"

I swallow hard. All I can think about is the mermaid in that cave, who waited so long for her sailor to return that she turned to stone. If we don't raise enough money, Jordan will be heading back to Chicago and whatever this is will become long-distance – a disaster waiting to happen.

Over in the corner, Lexi is beckoning me over. I turn to Jordan, eyes soft, and unwrap my hands from his neck. Jordan's eyes darken like he knows what I'm about to say, but as soon as I open my mouth, he tucks my hair behind my ear, kisses me gently, and walks away. I stare after him, heart pounding, urging myself to call him back, but until I know how much we've raised, what's the point?

By the time Lexi, Lina, and I have cleared up the beach, it's past midnight. Lexi offers to drive me home, but I decide to ride on my bike, instead. Being alone gives me time to think, to process, to stop my heart from pounding. But most importantly, it gives me time to think about him. I start with his lips as my feet pedal faster, racing into the night. Nex is the slightly asymmetrical tilt of his eyebrow and the way his gray eyes cool whenever he's annoyed. But mostly I think about the way my body shivers whenever his fingers brush my skin.

Before I know it, I've made it home. I lock up my bike and tiptoe inside, heading straight up to bed. I'm at that level of tired where you don't take your clothes off or even your makeup, you just fall face-first into the soft satin sheets, losing yourself to the darkness.

The next morning, Lexi is at the table staring intently at her phone. It's hard to tell just by looking at her whether or not our fundraiser worked, so I hover by the door for a second or two, gathering up the courage to enter.

Dad is sitting at the kitchen table drinking coffee, his eyes on the weather channel. They've issued a 48-hour hurricane watch, which isn't unusual for this time of year. Most people on the island are calm about Hurricanes. There's no rushing to evacuate even with a hurricane warning, there's no raiding the stores to stock up on tinned goods, because the majority of us are already prepared for something like this. All we can do is keep one eye on the weather channel and carry on as normal.

"Right when we're supposed to be getting you moved in," Dad says to Lexi with a sigh. "I suppose we'll have to be quick if there's a storm on the way. We'll get the windows boarded up today just in case. Saves time when we're back."

"Elliot's coming over later," Lexi says. "He can help."

"And Evvy."

Lexi bites her lip. "I'm not sure she–"

I choose this moment to make my presence known. Lexi looks up again, the truth all over her face. "Well?" I ask.

Her eyes fall to the table. "We did really well," she begins. "Way better than I thought we would have. We should be really proud of–"

"Lexi, just tell me."

She nods briefly. "Realistically, there is either enough money to fix up the cafe, or enough money for Jordan to stay at the Inn for a few months longer, or enough money for him to give his Mom and pay off his bills, but there isn't enough for all three."

My heart sinks. I've been holding onto hope for so long that finding out things are hopeless is borderline tipping me over the edge. My brain scrambles to recall every memory of Mom in the Big Fish Cafe, every midnight ice cream we shared after her shift. Sometimes when I walk into the caf, a memory of her will hit me out of nowhere, and it'll be one I'd long since forgotten. Now what's going to remind me of her? What's going to stop her from fading away completely?

"I'm sorry, baby," Dad says. "I know how hard you fought for the cafe, but things with Satan don't have to be over if you don't want them to be. That's a limitation you've put on yourself."

I shake my head. I'm not even thinking of that right now, I'm thinking of her. "She's gone," I say numbly, sinking into my chair. "She's really gone."

Dad's eyes soften. For a moment, I watch his expression physically crumble, like his heart is in the process of breaking into pieces. It's not often that Dad lets himself get emotional, but his eyes water now like they did at her funeral.

"She's not gone," he says, taking my hand, and he pulls me to my feet. He holds me tight, his arms wrapped around me like a protective cocoon, shielding me from the world. "The cafe doesn't even begin to touch her, Evvy. It's a building. A building we had great memories in, but a building nonetheless. Your mother is here." He gently touches the side of my face, his fingers calloused and warm. "I see her every time you smile, every time your eyes light up whenever you're passionate. Every time you laugh or cry or say something sarcastic. So don't ever tell me she's gone. Don't ever give up on her like that."

My eyes burn in a way they never have before. My throat feels thick, and no matter how desperately I try to hold them back, the tears lash my cheeks.

He lifts his head slightly, beckoning Lexi over. "You too. Come here."

She gets to her feet and walks over. He envelopes her into our hug, holding us tightly. "Your mother loved you both more than life itself, and if she were here right now, she'd be so proud of you both."

"I miss her so much," Lexi whispers, and her voice cracks. I'm so used to her being the responsible, strong one. She's the one who took care of things after Mom died, who cradled me in her arms night after night. If she ever cried herself, she never let me see it.

"Me too," Dad says.

"Me too," I say back.

I don't know how long we stand like this, but it's enough of a reminder that I'm not alone, despite having felt like this so many times before. I'm lucky to have Lexi and Dad in my corner. I'm lucky to have experienced the warmth and love of my mother, even if she's no longer here. I am lucky, period.

Eventually, we break apart. We spend the whole day getting the house ready for a potential storm. Dad clears the yard of any loose items, Lexi and I help to cover up the windows, and when the three of us are finished, we fill clean containers with water just in case.

"Right," Dad says. "I'm exhausted. Who wants to watch a movie?"

I hesitate for a moment. I'd wanted to rush over to Jordan's and tell him about the fundraiser straight away, like ripping off a bandaid, but I'm terrified. The moment I tell him, the moment it becomes real that all hope is lost, so instead, I settle onto the sofa between Lexi and Dad, ignore the wind currently battling the windows, and shut out the rest of the world.

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