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A deep motherly and protective rage squeezed at Tessa’s heart, but she bit her tongue. “Alright, but if you ever need to talk then I’m here to listen.”
Robin’s shoulders sagged and she took a few deep breaths, collecting herself. “Thank you.”
“Stop thanking me.” Tessa tossed the pillow onto the bed. “I’d like to think that if I were in your shoes, you would have done the same. But to be honest, there’s no way I could pull off those six-inch heels. I’d stumble around like a newborn baby gazelle.” Robin burst out laughing and Tessa couldn’t help but smile.
“Okay. I hate to ask because you’ve already done so much for me,” she spoke through giggles as she tried to get them under control, “but you wouldn’t happen to have any wine, would you? I could really use a drink.”
“No wine,” Tessa said, slightly embarrassed. A girl like Robin would drink wine but she could never stomach the stuff. “But I did stock the garage fridge with beer for Landon’s homecoming.” The smile fell from her face. Landon isn’t coming home.
Robin noticed the shift immediately and straightened her shoulders, dancing a little to keep things light hearted. “Think he’ll mind if we have a few?” She was weird but Tessa already liked her.
“Not at all.” Tessa winked. “Let me get the kids to bed and I’ll meet you out back on the porch.”
“Mom, I’m worried.” Mason snuggled deeper into the blanket and looked past her to the glow in the dark stars stuck to his ceiling. “Dad isn’t coming home, is he?”
“We don’t know that.” She smoothed back the hair from his forehead. It was so long it was in his eyes. “I know in my heart that Daddy will do anything to get back to you.”
“What if his ship sank?” The pain in the question sliced through her core, a million what if scenarios running through her brain. She swallowed back the choking fear for Mason’s sake.
“It’s a good thing Daddy is a strong swimmer then. He’ll always find a way.” Doubt plagued her, but she forced conviction into her words.
“Will Grandpa let Daddy stay with us when we go to visit him?”
“Of course he will.” Tessa switched off the lantern and pressed her lips against his cheek. “Go to sleep now, buddy. We’ve got a lot of packing to do tomorrow.”
“God, I need one of these.” Tessa twisted the top off the warm beer as she slumped onto the wicker seat next to Robin.
“Me too.” Robin stared at the star speckled desert sky. With no light pollution it was a brilliant thing to behold. Foam filled the neck of her bottle as she tilted it to her lips. “Want to talk about it?”
“No.” Tessa shook her head. “I just want to enjoy my drink.”
“Want to know something stupid?” Tessa asked as she finished her beer.
Robin pulled her knees to her chest and nodded. “A distraction would be nice right now. Tell me all the stupid things.”
Tessa laughed at her eagerness and twisted the cap off her second warm beer of the night. “I have this dumb thought that this was all my fault.”
“Do tell.” Robin rested her chin on her knees and waited. “I want to know what you did to make the sun so mad she turned the whole world off.”
“Well, when you put it that way.” Tessa rolled her eyes as she took a sip.
“I’m serious.” Robin reached out to smack Tessa’s leg. “Tell me what you’re thinking about.”
“It really is stupid,” Tessa groaned. “I sent an email I shouldn’t have sent.”
“To the government?” Robin raised her eyebrow.
“No. To Landon.” A week ago, this would have seemed so trivial. But now the world was ending and those might have been the last words she’d said to him. Don’t think like that. Her eyes welled with tears.
“I was mad. The kids were melting down. They were in port in Hawaii and he ate at some fancy restaurant with his Marines while we had cold cereal for dinner. I wrote some things I shouldn’t have and now I feel like the universe it punishing me.” It all came out too fast, the alcohol loosening her tongue, and she wished she could take it back.
“So you sent an email and the lights went out. Makes perfect sense if you ask me.” She turned to look at the stars again. The full moon lit up her face with a soft glow. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“Stop.” Tessa pressed a finger to her lips.
“I’m only kidding.” Robin took a sip of her beer. “That’s what you told me, right?”
“No, I mean stop talking.” She jumped from her seat, sending the empty bottle at her feet rolling across the patio. “Did you hear that?”
