“T’es pas raisonnable,” Yvonne argued behind her. She then turned to Ana and shook her head before she continued in English, probably hoping for help in convincing her granddaughter. “Listen to the radio. They say it could be worse than 2010. I have a guest room ready for you. I’d feel so much better knowing you’re safe with me.”
They made their way behind the reception desk before Melodie continued, “I’m not going anywhere.”
Ana agreed that Melodie being safe with Yvonne during the storm was a much better idea than staying here. She hesitated before she spoke, knowing Melodie probably wouldn’t react well to her butting in, but in the end she chose to show her support to Yvonne. “Your grandmother is right. You’ll be safer in the village. And don’t worry about me. I’ll be all right by myself.”
“I’m not staying for you,” she hissed with all her venom. “I’m not going to be chased away by any scientist or any storm, you hear me?” She disappeared into the hall behind the stairway and Ana heard a door slam a few seconds later.
“I’m sorry,” she told Yvonne, who joined her in the dining room and sat across from her at the table. “I was trying to help but I might have made things worse instead.”
Yvonne waved her hand dismissively. “Don’t worry. I could never have convinced her anyway. Sorry we disturbed your breakfast.”
“Oh it’s okay. Don’t worry about it.” She took a bite and looked at Miller, who’d stared at her through the entire episode. “With everything going on today, I think he’s the only one who could still focus on breakfast.”
Yvonne chuckled briefly. “I’ll feed him in a minute, but then I think we’ll head up to the village. There’s no sense trying to go for a walk today.”
“You’re right.”
“You’re a good person, Ana. We’ve only known each other for a week but I already consider you a friend.”
“So do I,” Ana replied as she met Yvonne’s gaze, heavy with concern.
“And as a friend, I should invite you to come with me today, but I can’t. Instead of helping my friend, I need to ask her for a favor.”
Ana placed her hand on Yvonne’s arm, trembling as it rested on the table. “I promised you I’d watch over her, and I will. Besides, I need to stay here, in the middle of the action.”
“Thank you.”
Ana smiled at her before she stood and grabbed her plate. “Now you go feed Miller and get out of here. I’ll clean the kitchen. And don’t worry. If I think we’re not safe here, I’ll drag her out one way or another. I’ll carry her over my shoulder like a sack of potatoes and I’ll find a way to bring her to you.”
Yvonne snorted a laugh. “That would be a sight. If it comes to that, be aware that your sack of potatoes will be kicking, biting, scratching, and screaming louder than any sack of potatoes you’ve ever met.”
They both laughed and Yvonne surprised her when she stood and hugged her tightly before she thanked her again. Ana returned the embrace, slowly growing used to Yvonne’s spontaneous warmth and affection. She would do anything for her, even watch over a woman who couldn’t stand her presence.
Chapter Nineteen
Ana decided she’d stay outside as long as she could. She didn’t want to put her own security at risk, but she felt it was her duty to experience the storm she’d feared and predicted. It had all been theories until now. She wanted to see it, breathe it, feel it for as long as she could stand it. It wouldn’t be much longer. She was already terrified. No one knew how bad things would get yet, but there was no doubt it would get bad. Ana stood on the beach behind the inn, keeping her promise to Yvonne to watch over Melodie. That woman was so infuriating. She should be in the village with her grandmother. She had no business staying so close to the storm. Ana knew she was stubbornly trying to prove a point, which made Ana feel even more responsible for her safety.
She faced the sea and couldn’t remember ever feeling so small. The tide was rising. It wouldn’t get to its highest point for another hour or so, yet it was already menacing. Strong winds coming from the north hit the sea at fifty miles per hour, building waves up before they crashed onto rocks or on the beach with such force that the impact resembled explosions of water, spraying everything several feet around them. Winds were predicted to strengthen as the water rose, unleashing its power. It was only a matter of time before waves crashed against houses. They’d probably reach the inn. She shuddered, the humid air penetrating through her raincoat to her skin, to her bones. Or was she shuddering out of fear? Probably both.
She knew what was happening, how and why it was happening, but she also knew she couldn’t possibly guess where it would stop and how much damage it would cause. She felt completely powerless as she breathed with difficulty through the thick, heavy, salty mist. She cupped her hands over her ears, trying to muffle the deafening sounds she couldn’t even identify anymore. Wind and waves became a single rumbling, as if a train was about to run over her. She spotted a red plastic Adirondack chair in the water not too far from where she was standing. The sea rocked it back and forth. The sight almost comforted her until she saw the chair disappear into a wave. She turned and saw the beach behind her was no longer dry and she stood in water. The streetlights that had turned on as soon as the sun had disappeared were off. No light came from the inn either. The winds had probably caused power outages. Her heart thumped hard, giving a beat to the roaring noise around her. It was time to go back in.
She walked toward the inn when one of her Wellington boots got caught in mud and she tripped. As she lay flat on her stomach on the wet ground, a wave passed over her and she felt the sand sink under her body. The water was freezing. If she didn’t move quickly she’d be doomed to the same fate as that red plastic chair, swallowed whole by the sea. Panicked, she crawled as fast as she could until she could stand up again and ran to the inn without looking back.
She’d experienced enough of the storm already, but she wasn’t convinced the walls of the inn would keep her or Melodie safe. She thought about dragging her to the car and escaping to the village, but she figured the water had probably reached the road to the west and east of their location. It was too late to run. They’d have to face the storm together. Trapped inside and hoping for the best. She took a deep breath and walked into the dark lobby. “Melodie!”
“I’m in here!” a trembling voice yelled back in the direction of the hall. She reached for the flashlight she kept in her backpack and headed toward Melodie’s room.
Melodie had decided to indulge in a long sweet-scented bath as Kevin had suggested. It was a luxury she couldn’t afford anymore with Thomas constantly demanding her attention, a luxury she’d even forgotten about until Kevin had reminded her that morning. She slowly lit a dozen of candles that she distributed around the ledge of the bathtub and on the vanity as hot water filled the tub and a mandarin-scented steam filled the room. She got in the bath and tried to relax despite winds growing stronger outside. She was used to the sound of wind and waves crashing on the beach. She heard the walls and windows crack a little, but that wasn’t new either. There was no reason to run away and her grandmother wouldn’t have insisted so much if Ana hadn’t been around. Her grandmother had never been scared of a storm before. Ana was frightening her with her alarmist ideas.
Melodie focused on her breathing and the light dancing around her. She’d left the bathroom door slightly open so the bedroom light could come in without flooding the warm candlelight. She’d missed Thomas all day, but she had a feeling Kevin would take him more often moving forward. She’d seen something different in him today. Less of a boy and more of a man. She wanted him to spend time with their son so she had to find ways to make time without Thomas more pleasurable. This bath was exactly the kind of thing she could see herself looking forward to.
The light coming through the door suddenly disappeared and the inn fell in silence. The power was out. Melodie blew out a few candles, thinking they’d be useful later if the outage lasted through the sto
rm. She sank back into her bubble bath and settled into the dead silence of the house. It was a little creepy, but the worst part of it was that she could now hear every sound the boisterous storm made outside. She could hear the sea as it inched closer and closer, waves crashing louder and louder. She could hear the patio furniture being pushed around the porch, hitting the walls of the inn with a banging noise that made her jump every time. As much as she wanted to remain strong and calm, she felt fear take over, and soon she couldn’t stand being in the water anymore.
She got out of the bath and dried herself before she covered her body with a thick pink terrycloth robe. She took two lit candles to her bedside table and blew out the rest of them before she lined them up on the nightstand, ready to be used. She sat on her bed and contemplated getting dressed and driving to the village. She didn’t need to prove Ana wrong badly enough to spend the night alone in the dark, terrified. She heard the doorbell, indicating that the front door of the inn had been opened, and was shocked at the way she sighed with relief when she heard Ana’s voice call her name.
“I’m in here!” she called back, appalled at the fragility she heard in her own voice. She took a candle and walked to the door. As soon as she opened it she recognized the light beam of a flashlight. “Of course you have a flashlight,” she said before she could stop herself.
“Are you really going to poke fun at me for being predictable right now?”
“No. Right now I think you’re a freaking genius, to tell you the truth. Come in.”
She made room for Ana to enter. Water was dripping from her hair, face, raincoat, everywhere. She was covered with mud and shivering with cold. “You have candles, I see. I’m not the only one who was prepared.”
“I wish I could say it was planned that way, but believe it or not, I was just treating myself to a bubble bath in candlelight.”
“Oh, well,” Ana said as she directed her flashlight to Melodie’s terrycloth robe, her teeth chattering. “Good timing then. Those candles will come in handy.”
“So will the bath. I just got out and it’s still warm. Get in the bathroom, get out of these wet clothes and get warm, will you? Last thing we need is for you to become hypothermic. I would run you a fresh bath, but Mammie upgraded the inn to a tankless water heating system a few years back. An electric system. It’s great because even with a full house we never run out of hot water as long as there’s electricity, but in a power outage we’re screwed.”
“I’ll be okay. I’m inside now. I’ll warm up sooner or later.”
“Don’t argue with me. Unless I gross you out?”
Melodie felt Ana stare at her and saw her blush. “You don’t gross me out at all,” she said in a low voice that took Melodie by surprise and sent a warm current down her body. She had to clear her throat before she could speak again. “Good. Then get in there right now. I’ll find something for you to wear. And take a couple of these,” she added as she handed Ana a candle. “We should save the flashlight in case we need to go out of this room.” Ana nodded and turned it off before she handed Melodie the flashlight in exchange for a lit candle. She remained immobile so Melodie gently pushed her inside the bathroom. “Hurry now, before the water gets cold,” she whispered before she closed the door.
She sat on the floor and leaned against the door. She heard the thud of Ana’s backpack and raincoat falling to the floor, followed by fainter sounds until she recognized the distinct splashing and spattering of bathwater. It was difficult to isolate these sounds from the ruckus the storm was making outside, but Melodie made every effort to focus on any sign of Ana’s presence on the other side of the door. She was far past trying to prove a point. This storm was clearly stronger than any storm she’d experienced before and she was glad she wouldn’t have to face it alone. As frustrating as Ana’s beliefs were, she couldn’t think of anyone she’d trust more in this situation.
Ana rubbed the mud off her hands and her face as her body temperature slowly came back to normal in the warm bathwater. She noted the same mandarin scent she’d smelled on Melodie when she’d entered the room. The smell suited the brunette much better than it would suit her, she was sure of that. She preferred more subtle perfumes on her own skin. Or none at all. But mandarin was perfect for Melodie’s skin. As idiotic and irresponsible as it seemed for anyone to be taking a bath while all hell prepared to break loose outside, Ana was grateful for the warm water now. She was also grateful for the candles and for the fact that the room was not located on the sea side of the inn. They’d probably be safer here than anywhere else in the building.
She got out of the tub and let the water out. “Towels are on the shelf above the toilet. I’ll find you something to wear now,” she heard Melodie call out from the other side of the door. She must have heard the sound of water running down the drain, Ana thought. She was patiently waiting for her to be done. She was scared, that much was obvious from the way she’d appeared so pleased to see her earlier. At least she wouldn’t have to fight to watch over her during the storm, which she’d been prepared to do. Melodie clearly welcomed her presence. For now anyway.
“Thank you.” She dried off and wrapped herself in a towel before she opened the bathroom door to take the clothes Melodie handed her.
“Here. The sweatpants might be a little short for you, but they’ll be comfortable.” She took the dark sweatpants and plain white T-shirt, both neatly folded.
“You know, I could run upstairs to get my own clothes.”
“Please don’t,” Melodie replied as she moved closer and placed a hand on her bare arm. Ana felt her tremble.
“Why not?”
She clicked her tongue, exasperated. “You’re going to make me say it, aren’t you?”
“Say what?”
“That I’m scared shitless and I don’t want to be alone. Happy now?”
Ana couldn’t help chuckling briefly, glad Melodie could admit her fear, but she didn’t want to torture her either. She squeezed the hand that was still resting on her arm before she met her anxious gaze. “Let me just get into these clothes and we’ll get settled for the night. I’m not going anywhere, I promise. We’ll be okay.”
“How can you be so sure?”
Ana simply smiled and got back inside the bathroom but didn’t close the door completely. She couldn’t be sure, but what else could she say? They were stuck here now. There was no sense panicking. She hurried into the sweatpants that were indeed at least two inches too short for her. She put on the T-shirt and glanced at the mirror above the vanity. The T-shirt she’d thought plain actually sported a small drawing of a beluga on her chest with the words “Sauvons les Belugas” written in blue under it. Save the belugas. Ana smiled. The small white whales known as belugas had made the Saint-Laurent River their home, but they were endangered due to chemicals found it the water. They’d survived people hunting them near to extinction but they were still in jeopardy due to human activities and knowing Melodie was among those who fought for their survival made her feel closer to her.
Ana jumped when she heard glass shattering inside the inn.
“Oh my god, did you hear that?” Melodie called out as she pushed the bathroom door open and grabbed Ana’s arm again, this time much tighter.
“Yes. It sounded like it came from the basement.”
“Should we go check it out? Do you think water is coming in?” Melodie shrilled, squeezing her arm so hard Ana winced with pain.
“Water is probably coming in, yes, but we should definitely not go check it out. We need to stay on this side of the inn and out of the basement.”
“Okay,” she granted with exaggerated nods, not releasing her grip on Ana’s arm. “What are we going to do, then?”
“Nothing,” Ana replied as she used her hand to unclasp Melodie’s fingers from her arm, convinced she’d bruise. “We’re going to sit together and wait it out. There’s nothing else we can do, really.” She guided her toward the bed where they sat side by side, their backs against
the headboard. Melodie entwined their fingers together and held tight, but the grip was more reassuring than painful now, and Ana welcomed it. There was a lit candle on each nightstand and the flashlight lay between them on the bed. There wasn’t anything else they could do. The tide would eventually go down. The storm would pass. All they had to do was wait it out. She heard a banging noise against the north side of the building. Waves knocked against the porch and the wall of the inn. The sea had arrived and it wouldn’t wait for an invitation to come in.
“It’s definitely coming in, isn’t it?” Melodie asked, panicked.
“Yes, it is.”
Melodie sighed. There was no way she would sleep while the sea was taking over her property, and there was nothing she could do until the storm passed. She’d go crazy. Her cell phone chimed in and she reached out to grab it on the nightstand. A text message from her grandmother appeared on the screen.
Are you okay?
She wanted to tell her how terrified she was, how she’d heard a window break and water was most likely flooding the basement. Not to mention the damages it was making to the porch and the back of the inn. But all that would achieve was to make her grandmother feel as scared and powerless as she felt. So instead, she decided to be as reassuring as she could manage to be in her circumstances.
I’m fine. Ana is here with me. We’ll call you when it’s over.
Her grandmother replied with a thumb up emoji and she put the phone back on the nightstand. She sighed again.
“That was Yvonne, wasn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“She must be worried.”
“Of course. But I told her we were together and we’d be fine.”
“Good.”
They both jumped and gasped when they heard a strong wave crash against the inn and another window break. “I hope I didn’t lie to her.”
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