If You Don't Know By Now. Teresa Southwick

forget himself before he could say damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead. Which was why he’d returned her letter ten years ago. He’d had an opportunity to be good at something and needed to cut any personal ties that weren’t family. He hadn’t trusted himself to resist any request she would make to get back together.

      A feeling of loneliness surrounded him, a sensation he hadn’t ever felt before. The last time he’d said goodbye to Maggie, he’d had high hopes for making something of his life. Now he couldn’t shake the feeling he should have grabbed hold of her and hung on for all he was worth.

      “Where are you staying, Jack?” Maggie put her hand on her daughter’s shoulder and her knuckles went white.

      “Gran’s house.”

      “Then it’s not goodbye.”

      “What do you mean?”

      “Faith and I live next door. It’s more like, ‘Howdy, neighbor.’”