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“And your mother.”

“You asked five Sinclair women for permission to marry me?”

“Thomas too.”

“That may be the bravest thing you’ve ever done.”

“It was terrifying.”

I laugh and kiss him again.

Later, after dinner, we gather at the bow as the sun begins to set.

Mom carries Dad’s photograph.

I hold Grandpa’s compass.

Storm places a small wooden box on the table between us.

Inside are copies of the final pages of Dad’s journal, recovered with the film.

He wrote them the night before he died.

Most of the words concerned the evidence and the precautions he had taken.

The last paragraph was for us.

For Mom.

For his five daughters.

Mom reads it aloud.

If my girls ever learn what happened, tell them I was never afraid for myself. I was afraid I would not have enough time to teach them everything a father should teach his daughters. Tell them they were the greatest joy of my life. Tell them to trust one another, protect one another and never allow the darkness left by cruel men to take away the light inside them.

Mom’s voice breaks.

Nathan places his hand over hers.

This time, she lets him.

Storm reaches for Willow.

Willow takes Ivy’s hand.

Ivy holds Hazel’s.

Hazel reaches for me.

Ben stands behind me with his arms around my waist.

Together, we look across the water.

“We finished it, Dad,” I whisper.

The tide moves beneath the Sea Whisper.

It doesn’t feel threatening tonight.