Sam pulled on her arm, dragging her up toward the tunnel. Annie struggled to get out of her sister’s grasp.
“Serena is in there!” She pointed to the water. “Do you have your phone? Call 911!”
“Oh my god.” Sam turned to look at the water before pulling her phone out of her back pocket. As she called for help, Annie knew she couldn’t go after Serena; it was too dangerous. Tears sprang to her eyes as she stood there helplessly. As much as she’d wanted to disappear in the last four years, when faced with death, she couldn’t do it. A part of her still wanted to live. She stood on the shore, one arm wrapped around both Sam and Finn, and stared into the water, praying that Serena would survive.
An hour later, Annie stood out in the storm at the end of the cul-de-sac, unwilling to go inside even though there was nothing she could do. She was wet to the bone and shaking, even with the blanket she’d brought outside with her. She and Sam had taken Finn to the main house after calling 911.
Power had been restored shortly after they went in, and Annie had given Finn a hot bath. Both her father and Marley were fine, if a bit bruised, though Marley was limping slightly. Annie had wrapped Finn in a blanket, and they’d sat on the couch together, Marley next to them. Finn had snuggled into her side, not saying anything. Annie didn’t speak either. She’d just held him, so thankful he hadn’t gone into the river with Serena. She closed her eyes every time the image of the two of them poised at the edge of the water popped into her head. She’d been so close to losing Finn again. Her arms tightened around him and she kissed the top of his head. They were warm and safe, her son and dog.
When Annie’s father said he’d made Finn his favorite soup, Finn’s stomach had won out over his need to be with her. She’d reluctantly let him go. Once he was happily slurping up the chicken corn soup, surrounded by Sam, Cam, and Annie’s father, Annie had grabbed a blanket and slipped outside to wait for news about Serena.
The Kapaa fire department, which was stationed only four minutes from their house, had been able to get to them. They’d called the coast guard and set up a land rescue to search the river. The fireman who spoke to Annie told her the Kapaa department didn’t do night rescues by helicopter, and that one would be coming from Oahu. But it would take more than an hour to get there, given the conditions. The rain had lessened, but it was still coming down. Annie had wanted to scream, feeling so helpless. How could Serena possibly survive when she couldn’t swim? When she voiced this thought out loud, the fireman explained that, with all the debris and driftwood in the water, maybe Serena would have grabbed on to something, staying afloat long enough for them to find her.
With the storm finally letting up, she knew rescue workers, along with volunteers, were on the bridge and along the shore, wherever it was safe, and using spotlights to search the river and shores for Serena. Annie shivered, rubbing her arms under the blanket. If Brody were here, she knew he’d be right there helping with the search. But he was still stuck somewhere on Kuhio Highway on the other side of the bridge. The Lihue fire department hadn’t made it to them yet either. Despite what the fireman told her, with each moment that passed, Annie’s hope that they’d find Serena alive diminished. How could she possibly survive in a storm like this?
She hugged her arms around herself, knowing she should go inside and see how Finn and Marley were, but she couldn’t tear herself away from where she stood in the road at the end of their driveway, waiting for someone to give her news. Sam had come out a few times for updates, and to let her know Finn was okay, full after his meal and on the couch with Cam watching a movie. Annie looked back and saw Marley had parked himself by the front door, waiting for her. He seemed okay, despite having been kicked. Sam urged Annie to wait inside, but she refused, even though she was drenched from head to toe, her hair sticking to her face.
The sound of a car pulling up made Annie turn her head, and she watched as her husband parked and jumped out of his car.
“Annie!” He ran toward her, but she stood, rooted in place, until he reached her and wrapped his arms around her, wet blanket and all.
She didn’t speak, just turned her face so that her cheek rested against his sternum. Home, she thought. Her arms were still wrapped around her chest, and she stayed like that in Brody’s embrace, drawing heat from his warm body.
“You’re shaking.” He finally pulled away to look at her. “I’m so sorry it took me so long to get home.”
“I . . . Brody. It was awful . . . I can’t,” Annie stuttered.
Brody rubbed his hands up and down her arms. “It’s okay. Sam called and told me what happened. I couldn’t get through to the police. The call kept dropping. Or it was busy. By the time I finally got through, you and Sam had already called 911.” He searched her face. “They’ve got part of the bridge blocked off for the search—that’s why it took me so long to get here. The Lihue fire department just got here too. They’ll find her, if she’s still . . .”
“She had our son. She grabbed him out of Sam’s arms and ran down to the dock.” Tears gathered in her eyes again as she pictured Finn in Serena’s arms, precariously balanced at the water’s edge. “I don’t know what she was going to do with him. But I talked her out of it. I told her I’d help her, we’d figure it out. I grabbed Finn and I know she was coming back with me, but then the water . . .”
Grief washed over her, even as relief that her husband was here coursed through her body. He was always so good in an emergency, probably from his training as a fireman, and she knew she could lean on him. She wrapped her arms around his middle and held him tight, all her bitterness at him these last few years washing away with the rain.
“It’s okay, Annie. Finn’s safe. You got him in time.” His body vibrated from his voice, and Annie closed her eyes for a moment, realizing she’d missed this, missed leaning on her husband when things got tough.
She picked her head up off his chest and looked up at him. “She was coming back . . .” Annie squeezed her eyes shut. “I know she was. But then the river . . . She just disappeared.”
Brody held her tight, and they stood like that for a few moments, both soaking wet. The worst of the storm seemed to have passed, but it was still raining.
Annie pulled away and stared toward the bamboo tunnel, wishing Serena would just walk through there, alive. Yes, the woman had tried to kill her with a wine bottle （and how fitting if that had happened to Annie—death by wine）， and tried to steal her son. But even though she knew she should be relieved that Serena was gone, Annie just couldn’t rejoice in the possible death of another human being, even one who had caused such havoc in such a short amount of time.
She turned to Brody, really looked at her husband for the first time in years. She’d been so wrapped up in her own grief and misery and had taken his presence for granted. Yet he’d stood by her for this entire time while she wallowed in her misery, lashing out at him. Would she have done the same if the roles were reversed? She honestly didn’t know. She wasn’t as patient as Brody, and had a quicker temper. Would she have put up with all the unhappiness she’d heaped on him these last few years? It wasn’t his fault her life had fallen apart. He’d been there for her, always standing by her, even when she pushed him away.