On the Island

  “Susan won’t care,” I said, pulling the blanket over our heads so we could have some privacy. I was all talk, though, because five minutes later, I passed out.

  I woke up with a headache. Anna was still asleep, her head resting on my shoulder. When she woke up, we took turns cleaning up and brushing our teeth in the bathroom. Susan set a plate of turkey and roast beef sandwiches on the table along with potato chips and Cokes. She also handed me two individually wrapped packages of Tylenol and two bottles of water.

  “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome,” she said, patting me on the shoulder.

  We tore open the Tylenol and swallowed the pills with a drink of water.

  “What day is it, Anna?”

  She thought about it for a minute before she answered. “December twenty-eighth?”

  “I want to spend New Year’s Eve together,” I said. “I’ll be missing you a lot by then.”

  Anna gave me a quick kiss. “It’s a date.”

  We ate our sandwiches and chips and passed the rest of the time talking.

  “I’ve thought about this day for so long, T.J. I can picture my mom and dad, Sarah, David, and the kids all standing together as I run toward them with my arms wide open.”

  “I’ve thought about this day, too. I worried it might never come.”

  “But it did,” Anna said, smiling at me.

  The sky lightened, and I gazed out the window at the frozen Midwestern fields. When we descended for our landing in Chicago, Anna pointed and said, “Look T.J., snow.”

  We touched down at O’Hare a little before 6:00 a.m. Anna unbuckled her seat belt and stood up before the plane came to a full stop.

  We grabbed our plastic bags from the overhead compartment and hurried down the aisle to the front of the plane. The pilot and co-pilot came out.

  “It’s been a pleasure bringing you home,” the pilot said. “Good luck to both of you.”

  We turned to Susan.

  “Thanks for everything,” Anna said.

  “You’re welcome,” she said, giving us a hug.

  Someone swung the door of the plane open.

  “This is it, T.J,” Anna said. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 43 – Anna

  T.J. and I ran through the jet bridge holding hands. When we came out on the other side, the crowd roared. The flash of hundreds of cameras blinded me, and I blinked, trying to focus. Reporters started yelling questions at us immediately. Sarah rushed forward in a blur and gathered me into her arms, crying.

  Jane Callahan was nearly hysterical as she engulfed T.J. Tom Callahan and two girls – T.J.’s sisters I assumed – joined in the family hug. David stood beside Sarah, and he reached out to embrace me. I squeezed him tight and then pulled away, scanning the crowd for my parents.

  John was standing there.

  He hurried forward and I hugged him automatically. I stepped back, wanting him to get out of my way. Confused, my heart began to pound. My eyes darted over the rest of the people standing inside the roped off area, but I didn’t see my mom.

  Or my dad.

  I searched again, frantically, and then I understood why their phone had been disconnected. My knees buckled. Sarah and David caught me.

  “Both of them?”

  Sarah nodded, tears running down her face.

  “No,” I screamed. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “Your call caught me off guard, and you sounded so happy. I just couldn’t do it, Anna.”

  They led me to a chair. Before I could sit down all the way, T.J. appeared beside me.

  He sat and pulled me into his arms, rocking me gently while I sobbed. I lifted my head off his chest.

  “They’re both dead.”

  “I know. My mom just told me.”

  He kissed my forehead and wiped away my tears as the cameras captured it all. I didn’t know it then, but less than twenty-four hours later, the pictures of T.J. holding and kissing me would appear on the front pages of newspapers across the country.

  I rested my head on his chest and closed my eyes. Sarah rubbed my back. Finally, I took a deep breath and sat up.

  “I’m so sorry,” T.J. said, smoothing my hair back from my forehead.

  I nodded. “I know.”

  It was silent except for the clicking and flashing of the cameras. I turned to Sarah and said, “I want to go home.”

  Sarah wrote down her cell phone number so I could give it to T.J. I handed it to him and he shoved it in the pocket of his shorts.

  “I’ll call you in a little while.” He wrapped his arms around me and whispered in my ear. “I love you.”

  “I love you, too,” I whispered back.

  We stood up as Tom and Jane Callahan walked toward us, T.J.’s sisters trailing behind. “I’m so sorry, Anna,” Jane said. “Sarah told us about your parents. I felt horrible knowing the news you were coming home to.” She hugged me and when she pulled away she held my hands for a minute. “We’ll call you in a few days. We have some things to discuss.” She smiled and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek.

  Tom Callahan smiled and squeezed my shoulder.

  “Thank you for chartering the plane,” I said.

  “You’re welcome, Anna.”

  Sarah sent David over to tell the media I wouldn’t be giving a statement. John came and stood beside me. He started to reach for my hand and then changed his mind.

  “I’m sorry about your parents, Anna.”

  “Thank you.”

  We stood there awkwardly, like strangers, and he finally said, “I was so happy when Sarah called. I couldn’t believe what she was telling me.”

  I took a deep breath and said, “John –”

  “Don’t say anything. Just take some time and when you’re ready we’ll talk. I know you probably want to get out of here.” He glanced over at T.J. who stood nearby with his family. “I gave all your things to Sarah about a year ago. I hadn’t been able to do it until then.” His eyes locked on mine. “I’m really glad you made it home, Anna.”

  He hugged me and walked away and then Sarah and David led me from the gate.

  Chapter 44 – T.J.

  My family surrounded me. Alexis and Grace each held one of my hands and my mom couldn’t decide whether she wanted to laugh or cry so she did both.

  “I can’t believe how tall you are,” my dad said.

  Everyone freaked out about my ponytail.

  “No scissors,” I explained.

  I noticed a tall, blond guy out of the corner of my eye. He walked up to Anna.

  Don’t talk to her. She doesn’t love you anymore.

  I watched them until my mom tugged on my arm.

  “Let’s get you home, T.J.”

  I glanced over at Anna one more time. John hugged her and then walked away. I exhaled and said, “I’m ready, Mom.”

  Before we got outside, my mom handed me a coat and some socks and tennis shoes. I shoved the flip-flops in the plastic bag with the rest of my stuff and followed my family to the car.

  When we got home, I took a shower, wrapped a towel around my waist, and walked into my old bedroom. It looked exactly the same. My double bed still had the same navy blue bedspread on it and my stereo and CD collection sat in the corner next to my desk. A stack of clothes lay folded on the dresser. My mom did a good job guessing my size considering how much I’d grown.

  When I came out of my room, my mom was in the kitchen making breakfast. She gave me a plate of pancakes and bacon and when I finished eating, I sat in the living room talking to my family. Grace, now fourteen, wanted to sit next to me. Alexis, who had just turned twelve, sat at my feet.

  I told them everything – Mick, the crash, the contaminated water, the thirst, and hunger, the shark, getting sick, and the tsunami – and I answered all their questions. My mom started crying again when she heard how sick I’d been.

  Later that night my sisters went to bed and it was just my parents and me.

  “You
can’t imagine what it’s like, T.J.,” my mom said. “To think your son is dead and then he calls you on the phone. If that’s not a miracle I don’t know what is.”

  “Me, neither,” I agreed. “Anna dreamed about the day we’d get to make those calls. She couldn’t wait for everyone to find out we were alive.”

  Silence filled the room for the first time since we’d started talking.

  My mom cleared her throat. “What kind of relationship did you and Anna have?” she asked.

  “Exactly the kind you think we did.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Almost nineteen,” I said. “And Mom?”

  “Yes?”

  “It was definitely my idea.”

  Chapter 45 – Anna

  We stopped at the restroom because I desperately needed to blow my nose and wipe my eyes. Sarah handed me some Kleenex.

  “I should have known something was wrong when their phone number didn’t work. You said they sold the house.”

  “I said the house was sold. David and I put it on the market as soon as their estate cleared probate.”

  I leaned forward, bracing myself on the bathroom counter. “What happened to them?”

  “Dad had another heart attack.”

  “When?”

  She hesitated. “Two weeks after your plane went down.”

  I started crying again. “What about Mom?”

  “Ovarian cancer. She died a year ago.”

  David yelled into the bathroom. Sarah popped her head out for a second then came back in and said, “The reporters are headed this way. Let’s get out of here, unless you want to talk to them.”

  I shook my head. Sarah had brought me a coat and fleece-lined boots. I slipped them on and we walked to the parking garage, the media trailing not far behind. I breathed in the smell of snow and exhaust.

  “Where are the kids?” I asked when we arrived at Sarah and David’s apartment. I really wanted to hold Joe and Chloe in my arms.

  “We took them to David’s parents. I’ll pick them up tomorrow. They’re so excited to see you.”

  “What do you want to eat?” David asked.

  My stomach churned. I had looked forward to ordering a feast but now I didn’t think I could eat.

  David must have sensed it because he said, “How about if I run out for some bagels and you can eat when you’re ready?”

  “That sounds great, David. Thanks.”

  I took off my coat and boots.

  “Your clothes are all here,” Sarah said. “I put them in the spare bedroom closet after John brought them over. Your jewelry and shoes and some other things are in there, too. I’ve never been able to get rid of any of it.”

  I followed Sarah down the hall to the spare bedroom. She opened the closet and I stared at my clothes. Most of them were on hangers and the rest were stacked neatly on the top shelf. A light blue cashmere sweater caught my eye, and I reached out and touched the sleeve, amazed at how soft it felt under my fingers.

  “Do you want to take a shower first?” Sarah asked.

  “Yes,” I said, grabbing a pair of gray yoga pants and a long-sleeved white T-shirt. I pulled the blue sweater off the shelf, too. A dresser in the corner held my socks, bras, and underwear. I headed into the bathroom and stood under the shower for a long time.

  My clothes swam on me, but they were familiar and warm.

  “Stefani’s on her way over,” Sarah said, handing me a mug of coffee once I settled myself on the couch in the living room.

  I smiled at the mention of my best friend.

  “I can’t wait to see her.” I took a sip of my coffee. Sarah had spiked it. “Bailey’s Irish Cream?”

  “I thought you could use a drink.”

  “Okay, but only one. I’m a bit of a lightweight these days.” I held the warm mug in my hands. “How did Mom get along after Dad died?” I asked.

  “Okay. She refused to sell the house so David took over the yard work and we hired someone to shovel the driveway and sidewalks when it snowed. We made sure she wasn’t lonely.”

  “How bad was the cancer?”

  “It wasn’t good. She fought hard, though, all the way to the end.”

  “Did she go to hospice?”

  “No. She died at home the way she wanted it.”

  We finished our coffee. David came home with the bagels and Sarah urged me to eat.

  “You’re so thin,” she said, spreading cream cheese on a bagel and handing it to me.

  We returned to the couch after finishing our meal. Sarah turned the stereo on and found a classic rock station. She handed me a fresh cup of coffee, no Bailey’s this time. David joined us and he and Sarah asked me about the island.

  I told them everything. Sarah cried when I told her and David how T.J. and I almost died of dehydration. Hearing that two planes had flown overhead really tore her apart. They were shocked when I told them about the shark and Bones and the tsunami.

  “What a horrifying ordeal,” Sarah said.

  “Well, we adapted. It was bad near the end, though. I’m not sure how much longer we would have lasted.”

  Sarah handed me an afghan and I tucked my legs under it.

  “I was surprised to see John at the airport,” I said.

  “I called him. He was devastated when your plane went down and he was really happy when I told him you were alive.”

  “I thought he would have moved on. Maybe married someone by now.”

  “No. He was dating someone for quite a while, but as far as I know he’s still single.”

  “Oh.”

  “What did you decide about him?”

  “He’s not the one I’m supposed to be with, Sarah. I don’t know what would have happened if my plane hadn’t gone down, but I had plenty of time to think about what I wanted.” I shook my head. “It wasn’t him.”

  “You and T.J. are together, aren’t you?” Sarah asked.

  “Yes. Are you surprised?”

  “Under the circumstances? No. How old is he?”

  “Twenty.”

  “How old was he when it started?”

  “Almost nineteen.”

  “Do you love him?”

  “Yes.”

  “I saw the way he looked at you. How he comforted you at the airport. He loves you, too.” Sarah said.

  I put my empty mug on the coffee table and nodded my head. “Yes. He does.”

  The doorbell rang, and Sarah walked across the room. I followed and held my breath as she looked through the peephole and opened the door. Stefani stood there, tears streaming down her face. I pulled her into my arms, no words capable of expressing how it felt to see her again.

  “Oh, Anna,” she said, sobbing, squeezing me with the strength of her embrace. “You came home.”

  Chapter 46 – T.J.

  Later that night I went into my room, stretched out on my bed, and called Anna. “Hey,” I said when she answered. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m worn out. Too much to process.”

  “I wish I could help.”

  “It’s just going to take time,” she said. “I’ll be okay.”

  “I’m lying on my old bed. My mom didn’t get rid of anything.”

  “Neither did Sarah. I thought people were supposed to give your stuff away when you died.”

  “My mom knows about us.”

  “Oh, God. What did she say?”

  “She asked me how old I was when it started. That’s it.”

  “She might revisit that later.”

  “Maybe. So was that John at the airport?”

  “Yes.”

  “What did you say to him?”

  “Nothing. He cut me off. I’m supposed to call him.”

  “Are you going to?”

  “Eventually. I can’t deal with it right now. A few days ago we were walking on the beach. Now we’re home. It’s surreal.”

  “I know.”

  “Are you tired?” she asked.

  “Exhausted.”
/>
  “Get some sleep.”

  “I love you, Anna.”

  “I love you, too.”

  Chapter 47 – Anna

  Sarah opened the bedroom door, holding a cup of coffee and the newspaper in her hand.

  “Are you awake?”

  I sat up and blinked. Daylight filtered in through the sheer curtains. “What time is it?”

  “Almost ten o’clock.” Sarah handed me the coffee and put the newspaper on the nightstand. “The reporters won’t take no for an answer. I had to turn the ringer off.”

  I picked up her cell from the nightstand and turned it on. I’d shut it off after I talked to T.J. The screen showed eleven missed calls.

  “They’re calling your cell, too. I’ll get my own phone as soon as I can.”

  Sarah waved her hand dismissively. “No hurry. Maybe we can send David out to pick one up.”

  I set the coffee on the nightstand and picked up the newspaper. Pictures of T.J. and I covered the front page. There were the same ones I’d already seen on CNN and several from the airport. The largest one showed T.J. kissing my forehead surrounded by smaller shots of us running hand in hand, embracing, and him wiping my tears away and holding me in his arms. For those who had speculated about the nature of our relationship, one look at the front page probably answered their most burning questions.

  I handed the newspaper to Sarah. “If any reporters get through, tell them I’m not ready to talk, okay?” I picked up my mug and cupped it in my hands. Thoughts of my mom and dad filled my head and I started crying. Sarah climbed in bed and put her arms around me, handing me a box of Kleenex.

  “It’s okay, Anna. I did that, too, after each of them died. It’s going to take a while before it stops hurting so much.”

  I nodded my head. “I know.”

  “Are you hungry? David ran out to get breakfast.”

  The emotional turmoil ruined my appetite, but my stomach felt empty. “A little.”

  “What do you want to do today?”

  “I should probably make some appointments. Doctor, dentist, haircut.”

  Sarah left the room and returned with the phone book. “Tell me who to call.”