Chapter Thirty-Five
Now
Tag and his parents, Cindy and Martin, arrived promptly at five, the women complimenting each other on their outfits and the
men exchanging hearty handshakes. The hard lump in Piper’s stomach had grown since that morning, and now, after greeting Tag
with a chaste kiss on the cheek, it swelled like a papaya pit sprouting roots deep in her gut.
Tag fidgeted with the buttons on his shirt collar, not quite meeting her gaze. “You look great,” he told her as they moved
into the sitting room, where Piper’s mom was doling out wine in oversize goblets. “I wasn’t sure what to expect after, you
know, but you still look like you. How are you doing?”
Piper looked down at her manicured nails, past her Tory Burch dress, to her shiny new heels. Had Tag been expecting a sea
monster in her place? She’d let her mother straighten her sun-bleached hair and pick out her outfit, but Piper hardly recognized
herself.
She felt like a fraud—Island Piper pretending to be Perfectly Put Together Piper.
“I’m not sure,” she answered, even though his question had been the kind where the correct response was saying, “Thank you,
I’m doing great,” with a smile plastered on her face no matter the truth lurking underneath.
“I guess that’s expected, right?” He accepted a glass of wine and downed half in a few noisy gulps.
Piper shrugged, raised her glass, and followed his lead. She was pretty sure there wasn’t a precedent for what qualified as
normal after being stranded on an island with the former love of your life turned current, but wine seemed like a good starting
place.
Before they could get drunk off Kim Crawford Chardonnay, Barbara ushered everyone into the dining room to enjoy her famous
pot roast. Piper placed her napkin in her lap, surreptitiously wiping the sweat from her palms. Sitting at the formal dining
room table with her parents’ wedding china was like returning from vacation and getting behind the car wheel for the first
time in a while: foreign and uncomfortable.
“A toast,” Barbara said once everyone had settled around the table. She raised her glass. “To the Sinclairs for being so kind
to make the trip to see us after this extraordinary situation. And to Piper, my baby girl, we are so, so grateful to have
you home with us again. We love you so much.”
“Cheers!” Her dad lifted his wineglass in agreement. “We love you, Pipsqueak.”
Piper placed her hand over her heart. “I love you guys, too. And I’m so glad to be home.”
Everyone clinked their glasses together and dug into the meal.
Maybe this dinner wouldn’t be so bad after all. Tag didn’t seem as intent on making her his girlfriend as he’d been before,
and she loved her mother’s pot roast. Relaxing, Piper let the rhythm of small talk and forks scraping on plates wash over
her, trying to remember her former social skills.
“Dinner is amazing, Mrs. Adams,” Tag said, taking a second helping.
She waved him away. “Please, call me Barbara. We’re practically family.” She’d never offered Wyatt that same invitation. “You know,” she continued, turning to Mrs. Sinclair, her eyes sparkling, “if all goes well between these two, we could have a family full of doctors.”
Piper went rigid, her mouth too full of food to set her mom straight. How on earth had she leaped to marriage when Piper had
told her things with Tag weren’t serious just this morning? It was even crazier considering she’d caught Piper in bed with
Wyatt the day before. Or maybe that was exactly why her mother was hyperfocused on sealing the deal with Tag. Wyatt had never
been good enough according to her mother’s impossible standards.
“We would be delighted to have Piper as a daughter-in-law.” Mrs. Sinclair smiled. “And I always thought our Cape Cod home
would be the perfect wedding venue.”
Piper kicked Tag under the table, prodding him to say something, anything, to stop this madness, but he only shrugged helplessly.
Barbara nodded. “A New England wedding sounds lovely.”
The women clinked their glasses together conspiratorially while Piper took a swig of Chardonnay to wash her food down faster.
The wine only made her choke, panic rising in her throat. Next to her, Tag sputtered in nervous laughter, or maybe his pot
roast had also gone down the wrong way. Piper rubbed her temples, trying to erase the throbbing building behind her eyes.
“Speaking of doctors, I have some good news,” her dad announced, oblivious to Piper’s distress. “The dean of Emory School
of Medicine personally called earlier this morning. She said they’re open to working with you, Piper, and supporting you however
you need. Whether that’s starting late or getting more resources. You should call them and discuss the best next steps whenever
you feel up to it.”
“Oh, that is such a relief!” Her mom clapped her hands together. “Now you won’t waste any more time.”
Time. Funny how the meaning of that word had changed entirely. On the island, time had been measured by life-or-death consequences. How long until they ran out of food? Until they were rescued? Now she’d been given the gift of time and the freedom to pursue her dreams. Dedicating the next six years to training for a profession that didn’t ignite any passion within her would be an unworthy use of that gift.
“That’s great, Dad. Thank you.” Piper gritted her teeth, concentrating on making her smile reach her eyes. Anxiety swirled
in her stomach, and the pounding in her head increased its tempo.
“Piper, if you decide to do your residency in Boston, you’re welcome to stay at our town house up there,” Mr. Sinclair offered
between forkfuls of green beans.
Her mom smiled. “Oh, that would be perfect. Isn’t that perfect, Piper?”
Perfect Piper.
That’s who she’d always been.
She’d spent years chasing after a life her parents deemed perfect, but the pressure to live up to someone else’s standards
had shattered her. Fractured her beyond repair. Her old life no longer fit, like a sweater shrunk in the dryer. There was
no going back.
Wyatt’s words from the island lit her mind like a billboard: Life is short, and you only get one, so you might as well live
it on your terms. A tidal wave had been building inside her all day, and it finally reached its peak, ready to crash back
to earth. Piper placed her fork down and closed her eyes, summoning courage through a deep breath. There was no good way to
do this, so she dove in headfirst.
“I’m not going back to school this fall.”
Silence filled the room, drowning out the lighthearted small talk.
Her parents exchanged a worried glance before her father spoke, his brows furrowed in confusion. “We can discuss the ben efits of taking a term off, but I don’t think you want to lose any momentum.”
“I’m not talking about taking a term off. I’m talking about not finishing medical school,” Piper said, her voice growing in
conviction. “I gave it a shot; I really did. But I don’t care about medicine the way you do, Dad. Your eyes light up when
you discuss the latest medical breakthroughs and your patients. Mine glaze over.”
The rush of saying the words aloud nearly matched the adrenaline spike from scaling that cliffside days earlier. What had
taken her so long to find the courage to share her truth?
Her mom’s eyes grew large. Her fork fell onto her plate with a sharp clang. “Piper, this has been your dream since you were
a little girl! You can’t just throw it away because something bad happened to you.”
Piper shook her head. “It may have been my childhood dream, but only because you told me what to dream. It isn’t my dream
anymore. It hasn’t been for a while. And as hard and as scary as it was to crash on that beach, I think it may have been one
of the best things to ever happen to me.”
“Talk to her, Henry!” Her mom threw her napkin on the table and implored Piper’s father. “She’s making a huge mistake.”
“I don’t think I am, Mom, but either way, it’s my mistake to make.”
Around her, Mr. and Mrs. Sinclair busied themselves clearing their plates while Tag drained his second glass of wine. Ripping
off the metaphorical medical school Band-Aid had been deeply satisfying, if not slightly terrifying. Might as well risk it
all and set the record straight about Tag, too.
“And speaking of making my own decisions, I told you before, but you weren’t listening. Tag and I are not together.” Words spilled out of Piper’s mouth, unstoppable now that she was on a roll. If she’d known it would feel this good to stand up to her mother, she would have done it years ago. “He’s a great guy. Kind, considerate, and smart, but we definitely are not getting married. Sorry to burst your Cape Cod wedding visions.”
“Piper,” her mom hissed. “We’ll talk about this after our guests leave. You’re being very rude.”
Tag stared down at his wineglass as if hoping it would refill itself.
Piper crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair. “How am I being rude? Because I’m not saying or doing what you want? We can talk later, but I’m not changing my mind.” Her heart pounded so hard under her dress she thought it might propel
her right out of the room.
Her mom’s nostrils flared. “I think you should excuse yourself from the table.” Her voice was scarily calm.
Piper jutted out her chin and met her mother’s gaze. “I’d love to.”
Scraping her chair away from the table, she wiped her mouth delicately with her napkin and stalked out the back door to the
porch, not looking behind to see the destruction left in her wake.
Once outside, she leaned over the porch railing and filled her lungs with fresh air as her heart rate slowed. As the adrenaline
drained from her limbs, panic set in. What had she done? She may have almost died in a plane crash, but that wouldn’t stop
her mom from absolutely murdering her.
Maybe she should hide in the clubhouse.
Or run away.
Sinking onto the porch steps, Piper tilted her head back and let the balmy summer breeze soothe her nerves. She wished Wyatt were here reminding her of her strength—encouraging her to be brave. Then she remembered her mother’s actions had indirectly caused her breakup with Wyatt all those years ago, and a new source of determination flooded her veins. For too long, she’d been the perfect daughter, bending over backward to fulfill her parents’ expectations. But at what cost? She’d sacrificed her own happiness, stifled her own desires, and lost the love of her life, all in the name of pleasing them.
Even though Piper knew her parents loved her and were only doing what they thought was best, they’d been wrong. They didn’t
know everything, and they certainly didn’t know everything about her, which she had to admit was partially her fault. She’d
have to introduce them to the real Piper, the Piper with opinions and dreams of her own, and see what happened. Either way,
she was prepared to deal with the consequences. She still cared about her parents’ opinions, but no longer enough to sacrifice
herself at the altar of their expectations. No one, especially not her mother, would dictate her actions, push her around,
or decide what was best for her ever again.
The screen door creaked open behind her. She expected to see her father coming after her, but Tag’s stocky frame cast a shadow.
“Did they send you after me?” She squinted up at him.
“I volunteered. I needed a break from the awkward small talk happening inside. Is it okay if I sit with you?”
Piper nodded and scooted over to make space for him on the step. He pulled his meticulously pleated pants up at the thighs
and sat beside her.
“Tag, I’m really sorry about all of that.” Piper winced. “I didn’t mean to drag you into my family mess. That’s not how I
meant to handle things with us.”
He shrugged. “It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not. You didn’t deserve that. You’ve been wonderful to me, and my parents love you.”
“But you don’t,” he stated simply.
She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be.” A tiny smile graced his face. “We’re on the same page, and I had a feeling this was coming. I told my parents
you weren’t my girlfriend and that coming down here was overkill, but they didn’t listen.”
“Yeah, I can relate to that.” Piper rolled her eyes.
“Does your dinner dumping have anything to do with the guy stranded with you? I heard on CNN that you two were high school
sweethearts.” He sounded more curious than accusatory.
“Yes and no.” Piper blew out her breath. “I think it’s more about finally doing what’s best for me instead of what others
think, but I’ll admit that seeing Wyatt again may have pushed me to that conclusion faster.”
He nodded in understanding. “I hope everything works out with you two, then.”
Tag always knew the right thing to say. His impeccable manners used to put Piper on edge, but now she felt only gratitude
for his ability to remain unfailingly polite, even during a breakup.
“I hope so, too,” she whispered.
Tag didn’t press her for conversation as he twisted his silver watchband back and forth with a soft click, click, click.
“How bad is it in there?” Piper asked after a few minutes.
“Well, I’ve never seen your mother’s face turn that shade of purple, but now she’s dishing out dessert like nothing happened.”
“That sounds about right.”
“Don’t worry about it too much. I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but everyone’s pretty stoked you’re alive. I think you have
a free pass right now.”
Piper barked out a laugh. “You don’t know my mother.”
“That’s true. She can be a little... intense.”
“You mean terrifying?”
“You said it, not me.” Tag grinned. “I should go. I’m sure my parents are ready to make an escape.” He stood, straightening
his shirt. “Are you coming in?”
She shook her head. “I’m not quite ready to face my mom’s wrath.”
“I get it. Then I guess this is goodbye. For now, at least.”
Piper rose. “Thanks for coming down here, Tag. And for being a good friend. You’re going to make some girl so happy one day.” She settled into one last hug before he headed inside.
Twenty minutes later, her dad poked his head out. “The coast is clear, kiddo. I’ve never seen a group of people eat strawberry
shortcake so fast.”
“I’m sorry I ruined dinner.” Piper followed him into the kitchen. “How upset is Mom?”
“Give your mother some time. She’ll come around.”
She raised a skeptical eyebrow. “We’ll see. Are you mad at me, too?”
“I could never be anything but proud of you, Pipsqueak. Of course, I’d love for you to take on the family business, but all
I want is for you to be happy.” He crushed her into a hug.
Piper hugged her dad back hard, his acceptance meaning more to her now than ever. At least one of her parents had taken the
news well.
“Oh, before I forget. I got you a new phone.” He picked up a still shrink-wrapped white box from the counter and handed it
to her. “They said once you log in, all of your contacts and anything saved to the cloud, whatever magical place that is,
will come back, but if you have any issues, we can go back to the Apple store.”
Piper thanked her dad with a kiss on the cheek and rushed up to her room. An eternity had passed since she’d last spoken to
Wyatt, and she couldn’t wait to hear his voice—and finally confess her love.