These Summer Storms

“Maybe they were in that gorgeous moment in life when there was no such thing as the dark. Instead, it was all daytime, full of promise and empty of fear.”

This passage captures the fleeting joy that Alice experiences the night before she goes to Storm Island. It’s a temporary, almost magical phase: Worry and danger haven’t yet intruded, and the world feels entirely safe and full of potential. The juxtaposition of darkness and light symbolizes a life untouched by harsh realities. It’s a romanticized interlude where fear doesn’t exist, in contrast to the emotional storms Alice must soon navigate.

“She’d basked in the truth of that man and his desire and his ability to anchor her to her own body for a few hours.”

This passage highlights the unexpected impact of Alice’s first encounter with Jack. Even as a stranger, Jack briefly becomes a refuge for Alice, offering her a glimpse of presence, attention, and physical affirmation that she has been missing. She senses something sincere and unguarded in his desire, which helps her let go and feel fully present in her body, perhaps for the first time in a long while. Jack assists her in reconnecting with herself as this fleeting night turns into an act of reclaiming.

“A long moment passed while her siblings watched her, searching for the truth, which was thin on the ground when the Storms were together, told in halves and quarters, too valuable to give away for free and so tucked away and converted to secrets- a much better investment.”

The Storm siblings have a complex family culture built not on transparency but on strategic withholding. Honesty is rare and even suspicious in their interactions. The monetary metaphor adds a transactional feel to their relationships, where information is hoarded or traded rather than openly shared.