These Summer Storms

It’s Labor Day weekend, and Alice Storm boards an Amtrak train to spend the next five days with her family, as her father, Franklin Storm, has died. Alice, a teacher, was looking forward to spending the next week enjoying the last of her summer break, but now she wonders if she can survive the next five days. She’s newly single, and it stings a bit when another passenger takes the seat next to her and she must answer that she’s alone. The man scrolls through headlines on his phone, and she spots the one announcing her father’s death. The man turns his phone over, and she notices that it bears the S insignia, which stands for “Storm Inside™” (9).

The train arrives in Wickford, Rhode Island, Alice’s stop. The man sitting next to her stands to exit, too, and assures her that he’s not following her. They wait for their rides together, and once more, the man says he’s not following her and keeps his distance. Alice says he can stay next to her. She finds him attractive, although she’s still reticent around men since her recent broken engagement. Alice can tell from his speech and demeanor that he’s not a “local.