Page 142 of Modern Romance November 2024 5-8

Suddenly, Tara was back at the bonfire to check on Josie. “How are you feeling? Are you too cold? Too hot? How can I help?”

Josie rolled her eyes. “You can treat me like a normal human being.” But she smiled to let Tara know she was joking, or mostly joking.

Tara laughed. “I’m sorry. You know how I get. Hey, I want to introduce you to someone.” Tara beckoned toward a beautiful woman in an expensive-looking puffy jacket with what looked like real fur lining the hood. Josie thought she recognized her and learned a few minutes later that she was the mother of a famous film actress.

“This is one of my best friends, Hilary,” Tara said.

Hilary smiled dreamily. “I’ve heard so much about you, Josie! Welcome back to Nantucket.”

“I have to run off and help with a Christmas parade float,” Tara admitted.

“You’re my babysitter,” Josie joked to Hilary.

“Oh, stop it!” Tara said before she ran off again.

Hilary and Josie watched her go, and then Hilary sat down beside Josie and looked at the fire. It occurred to Josie that, at one time, she might have been intimidated by such a beautiful and prosperous woman as Hilary. But now that Josie knew she was going to die, she no longer felt inferior to anyone. She was just a human like anyone else. This was freeing.

For a little while, Hilary and Josie talked about light things, like how Nantucket had changed since Josie left, and how Tara’s business was going, and Hilary’s truly bizarre and “enormous” year, during which she’d met her romantic partner and rekindled her relationship with her daughter.

“That sounds like a lot,” Josie admitted with a laugh. “You must be exhausted.”

“Actually, I have more energy than ever,” Hilary admitted. “But enjoying life has a way of doing that to you.”

“I know what you mean,” Josie said.

Hilary winced, probably because she knew Josie was dying.

“Don’t worry,” Josie told her. “I don’t want anyone to censor what they say in front of me. I want to have real, honest conversations with as many people as possible. It’s how I see my last months going.”

Hilary nodded. “That’s beautiful.”

Josie had begun to feel incredibly cold, cold down to her bones, and when she confessed this to Hilary, Hilary popped to her feet and insisted on taking her home. “You can come to my place,” Hilary said. “Tara and some of the other girls are coming over later. You’ll love everyone.”

Josie agreed.

But when Hilary pulled into the driveway of her mansion in Siasconset, Josie could hardly believe her eyes. She’d grown up in Nantucket, which meant she knew of wealth, and she’d spent many years in Manhattan with the wealthy living all around her. But she’d never seen such tremendous proof of money this close-up. Hilary waved her hand and explained that her family was Old Hollywood and that her mother bought the place before she died. “It’s extravagant, but I like to have people over as much as possible to enjoy it.”

Hilary set Josie up by a roaring fire and fetched her some tea and cut fruit and dark chocolate. Josie didn’t say how tired of dark chocolate she was. She’d started eating that as her “sweet treat” almost exclusively after her diagnosis, and it hadn’t helped at all. Milk chocolate was the way to go.

Josie was surprised at how at ease she felt around Hilary. She was grateful that Tara had Hilary as a friend all this time.

“Do you mind if I ask you a question?”

Josie perked up. “I love difficult questions.”

Hilary laughed. “Tara mentioned you want to reach out to your parents and rebuild a relationship with them. But I know how they left you. I know the emotional injuries you and Tara sustained. Why do you think they deserve another chance?”

Josie knew that this was heavily on Tara’s mind. She also knew that Tara was too frightened to bring it up right now, not now that Josie was settling in and “getting well again.”

“I’m only forty-five years old,” Josie said.

Hilary winced but remained quiet.

“I figured I had another forty years of life left in me,” Josie continued. “I figured there was time to make art, change careers, build friendships, and fall in love again. I figured there was time to travel and see the world. But more than anything, I figured there was time to forgive, mend things, and see beyond the messes we humans create. Now that I know I’m out of heresoon, I want Tara to recognize how precious this life is.” Josie hesitated. “I know how lonely Tara has been. I know how awful the past decade has been for her. And I just can’t handle the fact that she won’t have anyone from our little family left when I'm not here.”

Hilary bowed her head. “Tara has us. She has the Salt Sisters.”

“I know that. And I’m so grateful for that,” Josie stated. “But what you have to understand is Tara loved our parents. She looked up to them. She honored them. The way they left was cruel and unusual, and I’ve never fully understood it. I think Tara needs to sit down with them, talk to them, and understand them. I think they need to find a way to understand us, too.”