As much as it terrified her, it was, in an odd way, her favorite part of the day. For however long a storm would last, she could forget about everything else, and think only of the light and the sound and the rain and the darkness. Because when the clouds cleared away, the real world returned, and when that happened, everything came rushing back.

Even when she tried to draw, something that had always been her escape before, she couldn’t forget and would end up pushing her sketchbook away.

Her overriding worry was that she had waited too long to disappear. It didn’t matter that nearly seven weeks had passed without anything happening. They’d already been closing in, forcing the change of plans and hastening her departure.

“A quick trip to celebrate,” she’d suggested. She smiled, though inside she’d never felt more horrible. “Just the two of us, in San Diego.” She had already arranged for Rachel to watch Emily, and though she knew her husband had work he’d been planning on doing that weekend, she’d convinced him to go.

But even rushing things, had it been too late? If yes, she didn’t know what she’d do. The pain would be…unbearable.

Outside everything suddenly glowed white. She didn’t see where the lightning struck, but it was close. She barely blinked when the house rattled with an explosion of thunder.

She didn’t even know she was yelling until the noise in the sky began to die. Without a doubt, that was the closest she’d come to being hit since she’d arrived.

Putting her hands over her head, she curled into a ball.

All she could think about was the nightmare outside.

Terrifying and nerve-fraying.

And freeing.

If only for a little while.

CHAPTER SEVEN

“I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this,” Callie said over the phone. “Anything you need, just let me know and I’ll take care of it.”