Previously…
– Tempest pushed to marry Samantha immediately, but Samantha expressed reservations about moving too quickly. They agreed to wait until the fall.
– Isaac and Sienna worked to develop a co-parenting relationship.
– Diane continued to be suspicious of Sienna and her motives.

A moody gray sky hovers above King’s Bay as Isaac Banks steps out the front door of his apartment building. With one arm, he carries a small, sparkly purple backpack and equally diminutive, pink duffel bag; the other hand holds a Squishmallow pillow featuring a cupcake character — Noelle’s current favorite. A few steps ahead of him, Sienna Ridley holds little Noelle’s hand as she leads her to the SUV waiting by the curb.

“I swear she didn’t come with this much stuff,” Sienna comments as she opens the back door and hoists Noelle into her car seat.

“I think it multiplies when we’re not looking,” Isaac cracks. He goes around to the back of the vehicle, opens the liftgate, and places the bags in the cargo area.

“I need my Squishmallow!” Noelle declares from the back seat.

“Coming right up,” Isaac says, and he swiftly delivers the plush toy to the toddler.

“Would you get her strapped in so I can warm up the car?” Sienna asks. Isaac assents with a silent nod, and Sienna rounds the vehicle and climbs into the driver’s seat.

“I’ll see you again very soon,” Isaac tells his young daughter as he buckles her into the rear-facing car seat with practiced ease.

“I had fun!” Noelle exclaims.

Isaac smiles warmly at her. A year ago, she was a complete stranger to him, and the thought of caring for a toddler seemed so foreign. Now, she fits into his life so smoothly that it is difficult to imagine a time without her.

“I did, too,” he says.

“Dammit,” Sienna mutters from the front seat.

“What’s wrong?” Isaac asks.

There is no response as she turns the key again, presses down on the brake, and… nothing. Sienna sits in stunned silence for a long moment.

Isaac looks at her from his position by the back door. “It won’t start?”

“No…” Sienna tries again. Still, the car does not react at all, other than the dashboard display lighting up and a chime sounding. “No, no, no. I have a shift at 5 a.m.”

Leaving Noelle’s door open, Isaac moves around the SUV. “Want me to try?”

Without responding, Sienna turns the key one more time, using her foot to give the brake her all. Yet again, nothing.

“It’s your battery,” Isaac says.

“Yeah, I figured,” Sienna snaps. “Thanks.”

He decides not to point out that her headlights are still turned on — and have been on the entire time that the car has been parked out here.

“No, no, no!” Sienna moans, smacking her hand against the steering wheel.

The coffee house is in a late afternoon lull. Claire Fisher and Tempest Banks sit at a small table by a window overlooking the parking lot. Each woman has a half-finished hot drink in front of her.

“So they FaceTime us, at like 9 at night, and Travis looks like he’s gonna cry, and Rosie is almost shaking from being so excited,” Tempest relays.

Claire smiles. “That all sounds about right.”

“I mean, a baby. After everything that’s happened — and with everything going on.” Tempest takes a sip of her coffee, then gestures vaguely with the cup. “Sam immediately starts talking about logistics and meal trains and babysitting and– you know how she is.”

“Of course. She likes a plan.” Claire studies Tempest for a moment. “And how do you feel about all of it?”

“Me? Good. Happy for them. They need good news right now.”

“I agree.” Claire lifts her coffee cup and holds it between both hands. “And how about you? How are you doing?”

“I’m fine. Why?”

“When you and Samantha told us that you were going to put off the wedding until fall… you seemed a little hesitant.”

“Me? No.”

“You can be honest with me, Tempest,” Claire says. “Is postponing the wedding really what you want?”

—–

Outside the apartment building, Isaac has the hood of Sienna’s SUV propped open as he works efficiently, jumper cables in hand. Sienna sits behind the wheel, phone in hand. In the back seat, Noelle amuses herself by playing with her Squishmallow, babbling to the stuffed creature.

“If this needs a tow, I’m screwed. And if it needs a repair,” Sienna says, stopping to suck in a panicked breath, “I don’t even know what I’m going to do.”

Isaac carefully finishes adjusting the cables, which are attached to a portable jump starter.

“Okay, turn it on,” he calls out.

Nervously, Sienna turns the key again and presses down on the brake. The engine sputters, then roars to life.

“Oh my god.” Sienna grips the steering wheel with relief. “It worked!”

“You’re good to go,” Isaac says.

She hops out of the car, engine still running.

“If that hadn’t worked– if I’d had to call out, or pay for repairs– I’m barely keeping my head above water as it is,” she says.

Isaac detaches the cables and looks at her — really looks at her.

“Hey. Whatever I can do to help, I will. Especially with Noelle. She’s not going to want for anything, ever.”

Sienna swallows. “You say that like it’s so simple.”

“It is.”

“I’m working really hard, Isaac. I’m picking up extra shifts when I can. I know I’m not a doctor, but–“

“You’re doing your best for Noelle. I see it.”

She nods, disbelief slowly fading away under his steady gaze.

“Thank you, Isaac.” She even manages a small smile. “I really appreciate it.”

“Any time. Now lemme say goodbye to my favorite little girl, for real.”

He sets the portable battery on the curb and returns to the back door of the car to say his farewell to Noelle. Sienna climbs back into the driver’s seat, reassured by the steady hum of the running engine, and finally lets out a sigh of relief.

—–

Claire takes a drink of her coffee as she waits for Tempest to respond in her own time. She learned long ago that pushing Tempest when she is not ready will only cause her to withdraw or lash out. Over the coffee house’s speaker system, Sombr’s indie pop track “Back to Friends” Sombr plays.

“You don’t have to pretend with me, you know,” Claire gently offers.

“I know.” Tempest shifts to stare out the window, where a Honda Civic is struggling to back into a spot. “You ever just feel like… sometimes you don’t know how you feel?”

“I think I know what you mean.” Claire sets down her coffee. “Remember that Samantha made this decision with you, not behind your back or against you or anything else.”

“I know.”

Tempest silently watches the Honda pull out of the spot and slowly lurch backward again. Then she turns to face Claire.

“Putting off the wedding for a while makes sense. I get what Sam means. I got this whole thing worked up in my head about how we had to get married right away. And while I was thinking about that, she was unconscious.”

“So she had a lot of catching-up to your thinking to do,” Claire says.

“Right. But giving her time to catch up — that doesn’t mean something isn’t gonna happen.”

“You mean something like what happened when Samantha was in the hospital.”

Tempest nods fervently. “Maybe that’s crazy of me. But it’s scary. Even– my mother was here one minute, and we were making plans for what would happen to her baby, then there was a car accident and that was it. She was gone. Things can change fast.”

Claire replies with a soft, compassionate expression. She knows that Tempest and Yvette’s relationship was far from ideal, but Yvette’s sudden death was one more instance of trauma in Tempest’s relatively short life to date.

“But you do trust Samantha, right?” she asks. “That she really does want to marry you?”

“I trust her. I don’t trust the world.”

“The fall will be here sooner than you know, Tempest.”

“I just want it to hurry up and get here.”

Claire opens her mouth to speak, but then stops herself. What she wants to say is: Remember that a piece of paper won’t prevent bad things from happening. Nothing will, in the end. For now, though, she is not sure that it is the wisest contribution to the conversation.

She thinks for another moment before saying, “If I can give you one piece of advice… don’t wish this time away, either. You only get to be engaged once — with any luck. Enjoy it. Enjoy the wedding planning. Enjoy the options and the decisions and the excitement. This is a special time.”

“I’m gonna try my best,” Tempest says.

“Good. And in the meantime, how about you let me throw you a bridal shower?”

“Aw, with the toilet paper dresses and crap? I don’t know if that’s really my thing.”

“I know that’s not your thing,” Claire says with a laugh. “But let’s come up with a version of it that is your thing. Because you deserve it. Deal?”

Again Tempest nods, this time softer, more settled. “Deal.”

—–

Diane Bishop stands at the kitchen counter inside Isaac’s spacious apartment, unpacking takeout containers.

“I took a gamble on the noodles. If they’re bad, I’m blaming you,” she says.

“I accept full responsibility,” Isaac says with a grin from his post at the sink, where he is washing his hands. He finishes up and joins her.

“How was the rest of Noelle’s visit?” Diane asks. “That kid is a rip.”

“It was great.” He pauses just a beat before adding, “We had a little hiccup during the handoff, but nothing too dramatic.”

Diane glances over at him. “What happened?”

“Sienna’s car died when she was leaving. I had to jump it.”

She hesitates, a fraction too long. “Of course you did.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Diane says. “It’s just a very effective damsel-in-distress move.”

“I was just helping.”

“I know that, too.” She wads up a paper bag. “You’re a good man. And a good father. Of course you helped.” With a slight edge, she adds, “I recognize the play, that’s all.”

Isaac’s brow furrows. “What play? She left her lights on.”

“Which could’ve been an accident… or not.” She moves around him to toss the paper bag into the recycling container.

“I really think it was an accident. She was spiraling. Like, freaking out about paying for repairs, or missing a shift at work.”

Diane stops and looks squarely at him. “I’m glad it was an easy fix. And I won’t keep banging this drum, but you had your guard up the minute Sienna showed up in King’s Bay. Don’t forget about those alarms just because you’re comfortable with Noelle now.”

She reaches for his hand, and their eyes meet. The affection is still there, but there is something thrumming underneath, something newer and only half-articulated.

“I got you,” he says.

“Good. Now let’s see what these noodles are all about,” Diane says. They return their attention to the food, as something unresolved lingers in the air.

END OF EPISODE 1292

Is Diane projecting too much about Sienna?
Should Isaac be cautious about his co-parent?
Did Claire really settle Tempest’s nerves?
Talk about it all in the comments below!

Next Episode