Winter's Tide by Lisa Williams Kline

kinds of questions to ask him, but I knew not to ask them right now.
    A few minutes later, Lynn and Diana came in.
    â€œWhy do I have to go?” Diana stopped in the doorway and pulled off one riding boot. “She’s not my real grandmother. I only met her twice.”
    â€œThe whole family is going, Diana. She’s Norm’s mother, and we love her and want to be there for her.”
    â€œI’m going to call Dad.” Diana hopped around, pulling off a second riding boot. “Maybe he’ll let me fly down to Florida to stay with him.”
    â€œNo, we’re not doing that,” Lynn said matter-of-factly. “Go upstairs and pack enough for at least three or four days. Hurry up.”
    â€œWhy not?” Diana dropped her boot on the ground.
    â€œIt’s a bad idea for so many reasons I can’t even list them all,” Lynn said. “I don’t have time to discuss this. I’ve got to go pack my things.” Lynn left her purse and keys on the kitchen table and, taking off her white coat, went back into the master bedroom.
    Diana stomped past me and up the stairs.
    â€œI don’t care what she says, I’m calling Dad.”
    â€œIt’s too late to get a plane ticket,” I said, following her upstairs. “We don’t even have time to take you to the airport. And what if your dad doesn’t want you to come?”
    â€œHe just gave me that phone. He would want me to come.”
    I felt like Diana lived in a dream world when it came to her dad. Hadn’t she just cried herself to sleep last night about him?
    I followed her down the hall to her bedroom. The walls were covered with horse posters. An old bridle that was turning greenish hung over the mirror above her dresser.
    â€œI’m already packed. I can help you,” I said.
    Diana didn’t respond. She had her phone to her ear.“Dad, I’m sorry I said you were a hothead.” She took a breath and started pacing the room. “I need to come down to visit you because the rest of the family has to go to Emerald Isle because Norm’s mom is in the hospital. You said you wanted me to come before. Can you call me back?” She tossed the phone on her bed. “They can’t make me go!”
    Hot anger flashed through my body. I pulled Diana’s suitcase out of her closet and threw it onto her bed. I loved Grammy Verra! I couldn’t believe Diana was acting like this. “Grammy Verra’s in the hospital! Can’t you think about anybody besides yourself?”
    Diana whirled around, her hands on her hips. “You have no idea how I feel. I’ve met her for a total of a week out of my entire life and now I have to go spend my Christmas break sitting around a hospital!”
    I did know how she felt. That was exactly what I had been thinking about Matt. But I didn’t say anything about that to her.
    â€œYou got along with Grammy great!” I said instead. “You talked about how much you both love animals. And she hugged you and you let her, I saw you!”
    I thought about Grammy being in the hospital and wondered if she was in pain. I didn’t want to see her lying in a hospital bed. Would she have tubes everywhere? What if she died?
    Diana marched to the window and stared out. “So what? She’s not my grandmother.”
    I thought of something that might convince her. “While she’s in the hospital, we’ll probably have to watch her dog, Jelly.”
    Diana turned to gaze at me, excitement beginning to spread across her face. “We’ll get to live with a dog?”
    She threw two pairs of wadded-up jeans into her suitcase, then tossed in three sweatshirts.

5
D IANA
    A ll four of us were in Norm’s car, on our way to Emerald Isle. Norm and Mom, up front, talked urgently about hospital visiting hours and other logistical things. Stephanie’s phone kept beeping with texts from that new kid, Noah, and she