Book Five: Save Yourself — 19.

Donna, injured and hating the hospital, struggles off her cot on a crutch. As she pushes through a swinging door, she finds herself on the beach at Cherokee Island, her bandaged left foot braced in a black boot. Van, her dead brother, waits at the surf, collecting sand dollars.

They walk together and trade banter, but Van quickly confronts Donna about how she has lived and the pain she has caused, saying every abused woman she enabled was “a Cady Lewis.” Stung, Donna falls in the sand and rages that suffering never justifies destroying others’ lives. Van agrees—and adds that even abusers were once victims—forcing Donna to face her contradictions.

When Donna tries to redirect blame toward Gwen, Van insists Gwen was restoring dignity to the dying and nearly died saving a kid, saying Donna never truly believed Gwen was killing for thrills. Donna admits she cannot fix the past with money. Van counters that there are other kinds of wealth and places a sand dollar in her hand as a sign it is not too late to make things right, then kisses her cheek.

Donna wakes in her hospital bed, her injured foot elevated. Her right fist is clenched as if holding the sand dollar. Afraid to see it empty and afraid of breaking down, she hesitates to open her hand, suspended between guilt and the possibility of redemption.