Her phone rang.

"Hello," she sobbed out.

"Miss Hannah, I understand you are the listed as emergency contact for Olivia Stephanotis," a gentle female voice announced.

"Yes. We're roommates. The ambulance just took her. Any treatment she needs I'll pay for," Joan promised.

"I'm sorry, Miss Hannah, she didn't make it. Do you know what her arrangements were?"

Joan shook as she answered, "I... I..." Then she noticed a large legal envelope with her name on it on the table. She picked it up and opened it. There were legal documents with a funeral home card stapled to the corner.

"Miss Hannah?"

"She made arrangements to be cremated and interred with her grandmother," Joan read aloud then offered, "I'll call the funeral home. Goodbye." Hanging up, Joan began crying again.

Her phone rang with a foreign prefix. Gulping a deep breath, she tried to have a calm voice as she answered, "Hello?"

"Is this Joan? Joan Hannah?" A thickly accented voice asked.

"Yes. Is Catherine okay?" Joan's breath caught in her throat.

"Nay, lass. You need to come now if you would like to see her before she joins the angels," the voice declared.

"I'm coming... tell her, I'm coming." Joan announced then hung up. She sat down and stared at the envelope Olivia left her. There was a postie on it in Olivia's bubbly script.

I don't need a funeral. I know you'll remember me. Go and say goodbye to Catherine. Yes, Thane told me her date and mine, but not yours. Don't be sad, I'm having an adventure. Be brave, he loves you even if you don't believe in him. Love Always, Liv

Looking through the papers, there was a round trip ticket dated for tomorrow afternoon. Trembling, she called the funeral home then the church listed. She was shocked to see papers selling Olivia's store, Metropolis Metaphysical. There was a safe deposit key taped to a card. Shaking her head, Joan shoved everything back onto the envelope. Looking at the ticket again, she called British Airways.

"Uhm yes, I have a ticket that is for tomorrow, but my mother-in-law has gotten worse. Is there anyway I can move it to today?" Chewing her lip, she listened then answered, "Yes, I have my passport and I can pay the change fee." The service agent asked her a few more questions then gave her a new confirmation number before disconnecting the call.

Looking at the Marigold Tarot Cards on the table, Joan picked up the card, The Lovers. It reminded her of the morning she and Thane ate breakfast in the little outdoor café at the farmer's market. He bought her a bouquet of sunflowers, then turned her face toward him and kissed her over her shoulder. Unable to put the card down, she carried it down the hall, and tucked it in the book on Greek Mythology Olivia gave her. She stuffed warm clothes in a carry-on and small suitcase. She hesitated before she added her long black boots and the dress she only wore for funerals. Looking out her bedroom window, she noticed all the flowers were wilted on the ground and the trees turned the brown of autumn. She stomped outside, kneeling, she scooped up a handful of the flowers.

"I won't date your brother or whatever you want. I don't believe you exist!" She shouted her denial, then crying, she carried the wilting blossoms inside and put them in a bowl to dry.

Snatching up her phone, she texted for a taxi. She got in it and went to the bank for her passport and to get out cash in dollars, pounds, and euros, then she went to the airport. Three hours later, she was through security and sitting on a plane flying across the Atlantic. 

~~~~

Joan was grateful for the sleeper cabin on the ferry from Kirkwall to Lerwick. The bed wasn't very comfortable but after the twelve and a half hours on planes or in airports, she would have been grateful to lay on the deck and sleep. It was much colder in Scotland than New York so she bought several heavier pieces of clothing and a coat. She left in such a hurry she forgot hers. Emailing Catherine's sister from the airport in New York while she waited to board, Joan was happy to find out Moira got her reservations at a B&B less than two miles east of Sandness during her layover in Edinburgh. The Collaster was a traditional Shetland Crofthouse with three bedrooms and slept six, but Joan rented the whole for the rest of the month. She needed to be alone. She needed to think about things and Thane. As the large diesel engines of the ferry growled quietly through the walls, Joan let herself drift off to sleep. There would be time for mulling things over after she saw Catherine.

Hours later, a female porter was gently shaking her awake. "Lass, we've arrived."

"I'm sorry," Joan groaned and stretched.

The porter smiled at her nodding, "I suspect the flight from New York was a bit long."

Grinning at her sleepily, Joan asked, "Was it my accent or my sweatshirt that gave me away?"

"Both," the lady answered sweetly, then she asked, "What brings you to Shetland?"

Joan's smile faded immediately, as she revealed, "My mother-in-law came to spend her last months with her sister. I came to be with her when she passed."

"Has your husband already arrived then?"

"No, he died last spring." Joan suddenly realized she was going to be more upset about Paul's mother dying than she had been about his death.

The porter misunderstood her silence and patted her on the arm. Her eyes shining with sympathy. "It was good of you to come."

To change the subject, Joan asked, "Where do I catch the bus to Sandness?"

"The queue for the bus is just outside the terminal. The bus will be around on the half hour. There is still coffee and scones in the dining hall if you want to catch a nibble before the ride. If you walk out to the 970, there will be a bus shed just on the right. The trip should take an hour or so. It's the number nine, then when you get to Walls, you'll have to change to the number ten bus, I think, but you will definitely need the nine to get across the isle to Walls."

"Thank you so much for your help," Joan thanked and tipped her well. She gathered her things and went to the galley to grab a cup of strong coffee. She wasn't hungry at all, but she needed the caffeine because her body thought it was 2AM.

She called Catherine's sister Moira as she walked to the kiosk. "I'm here. I am going to the bus now... Yes, the porter told me that. The nine to Walls and then the ten to Sandness... I'll see you soon. Bye."

There were several cars unloading from the ferry, and she wondered how long it took to load and unload them all because it looked like many vehicles were waiting to make the trip back. She was glad she didn't wait to fly out or she would have been stuck in Edinburg or Kirkwall overnight because the ferry only ran four times a week. The number four bus stopped, and the driver asked if she knew where she was going then verified what the porter told her, adding that the stop in Walls was named Bakery. He assured her she picked a fine warm day to travel then pulled away. Joan cowered from the cold wet wind, gulping the last of her coffee.

The number nine stopped, and a younger man greeted her as she boarded getting a ticket. The busses were run by different people so she would have to buy another ticket when she changed busses. He told her that she should get a pass for the length of time she was visiting so she wouldn't have to worry about change for the trips. The five people on the bus with her were more than happy to tell her about different sites and a spirited debate about who had the best wooly jumpers started. As others got on and off the bus, Joan finally figured out they meant sweaters before she arrived in Walls. She learned more about wooly jumper patterns in those forty-five minutes than she could have imagined. Only three people joined her for the ride toward Sandness, still talking about where to get the best wooly jumpers, but they got off at a horse farm, leaving Joan to stare out at the scenery.

The driver sweetly announced all the places to see. As she slowed for a sharp corner, she pointed down the road toward the coast. "The Voe of Dale is down that way and at the end is Fair Isle Knitwear, they have lots of beautiful jumpers and wraps for an affordable price. Are you staying in Sandness long?"

"I don't know. My mother-in-law is there with her sister, she isn't well," Joan revealed.

"Ahh, you must be Catherine's lass. She and Moira have talked about you a fair bit. I am sorry for your love's death. If it had been here, that never would have happened. The Shetlands have the freshest seafood in the kingdom," the driver assured her, then asked, "Where are you staying? Moira's house is a wee thing."

"I rented a place. One of the Air BnBs for the rest of the month," Joan revealed.

"Which one?"

"The Collaster."

"Steven is lovely. He will make certain you have everything you need," She assured Joan. The driver stopped and pointed at a road. "Follow that to the end and turn right and you'll be at Collaster. Steven will have a bike you can use to get around on."

The sign said Bousta. The driver went a short way to the next road and stopped at a sign that said Norby. "I am not supposed to stop where there isn't a stop, but I figure you have had a long enough trip. Moira's is the second house on the left. Tell her and Catherine, Wilma says I hope they are faring well."

As the bus pulled away, Joan turned in a circle.Behind her, sheep were grazing around a stone ring next to a small up. Thegrass was still green but the wind blowing off the sea to the north carried achill that went through her jeans. Dragging her small, wheeled suitcase shestarted down the single lane road toward the sea.