Chapter Fourteen

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

April 2018, Yama Parvat Camp Two, Nepal

The first morning at Camp Two, Sophie woke up to stillness. Almost two weeks had passed since the failed mission to find the Japanese team, days spent working up to Camp One and down, and eventually sleeping at Camp One, before extending the excursions to Camp Two. Now they were perched on the side of the mountain where the route wrapped around to continue up, below a massive ice bridge that would require a ladder to cross. Beneath the team were the Americans and Canadians at Camp One, probably at Yakumo’s version, where Sophie’s team had also stayed. It was a longer distance from Base Camp, but the area above the couloir provided more shelter from the elements. The Japanese team had moved on to Camp Three, pushing ahead at a determined pace, and the Polish team was somewhere on the other side of the mountain, following the south ridge route. Sophie knew everyone’s position because it mattered, because one of the teams—if they were lucky—would be the first to claim the summit of Yama Parvat.

Sophie poured some melted snow water into her bottle and opened a pack of electrolytes, working quickly as her bare fingers turned red in the freezing air. Once the electrolytes were poured in, she slipped her gloves back on and drank, alternating sips of water with bites of a high-calorie granola bar. She sat facing Levi, who snored lightly, face down in his sleeping bag. He was holding his own; she was proud of him, for keeping on despite his lack of Himalayan experience. When she finished her breakfast, she pulled on an extra layer of pants and shirt, donned her boots, and exited the tent, squinting for a minute against the blinding snow.

She spotted Penelope, Ivan, and Ruslan and headed toward them. She was still wary of the Russian duo, who seemed discontent with their pace, eager to catch up to or even overtake the Japanese team. But George had been careful and patient so far.

“Morning,” she said as she grew closer. “Where’s George?”

“We were just talking about that,” Penelope said.

“You went to bed early last night,” Ruslan said, half turning to Sophie, his cheeks ruddy in the cold. “He wasn’t himself. Looked ready to pass out.”

“And you didn’t do anything?”

Ruslan raised his hands in defense, glancing between Penelope and Sophie. “Nothing to do. We asked if he was okay, he said he was. Said he needed sleep.”

“Was he coughing?”

Penelope hesitated, then nodded. “He ate with us. I thought it was from the food. Do you think...” She trailed off, her brow furrowed. “Should we wake him up?”

“I think so,” Sophie said, already walking in the direction of George’s tent. She knew the symptoms of severe altitude sickness by heart, had seen climbers transported off mountains when struck with the illness. She suspected the others knew the signs as well but didn’t think to check someone as experienced as George. She tried to ignore the quickening of her heart as she reached his tent.

“George? Are you awake?” She tapped her hand against the shelter and waited. From inside came a faint swishing, the sound of a body moving against the slick fabric of a sleeping bag. “Is it okay if I come in?”

“All right,” came the faint response. She unzipped the door and took in the sight of George. He was dressed, sitting up slightly, but looked pale and tired. He lifted a hand in greeting, but she ignored the gesture, crawling in beside him as her stomach turned over with worry.

“I’m going to take your pulse,” she said, reaching for his right wrist. “How are you feeling?”

“Not well,” he admitted. “Could hardly sleep last night. Head’s pounding. You know.” His eyes fluttered shut, and Sophie looked at him in alarm. His condition seemed worse than he was willing to acknowledge.

His pulse was in the nineties. Not necessarily a cause for alarm—Sophie knew that heart rates often increased at altitude. But his general condition concerned her. “I’ll be back,” she said, ducking out and returning to her waiting teammates. Levi had joined them; he tended to wake up as soon as Sophie left each morning.

“How is he?” Penelope asked.

“Not awful, but not good. Said he had trouble sleeping and has a headache. If he was coughing last night, combined with those symptoms, I don’t think it’s a great sign. He definitely has some altitude sickness.”

“Great,” Ruslan muttered. They all looked at him; he shrugged in return. “I am just as worried for his health as all of you are. But this complicates things.”

“I think we need to take him to Base Camp,” Sophie said. “I don’t know if he’ll agree. But he needs to be looked at by the doctor. Do we have any oxygen?”

Ruslan shook his head. “We were saving that for the last few trips up, remember? No sense in lugging it to this elevation.”

“Right. Maybe that was a bad decision.” Sophie paused to consider their options. “Well, I don’t think we have much time to waste. Levi, want to help me bring him down? You three can stay behind and break camp. The plan was to descend today anyway, right?”

Her teammates nodded, somewhat begrudgingly. Penelope looked at George’s tent, her eyes wide. “What will we do if he cannot continue?”

“We’ll worry about that later,” Sophie said over her shoulder, already returning to her own tent to don her climbing boots and crampons. Levi did the same, adding an additional layer of clothing. They made their way back to George. “We’ll have to see if he can walk on his own,” Sophie said to Levi. “The descent from this point isn’t super technical. We’ll have to stay close to support him, but hopefully we won’t have to carry him. George?” She peered through the door. His eyes were closed. “George? It’s Sophie,” she said again, louder, and his eyes snapped open like a frightened animal.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I drifted off. Couldn’t sleep last night...” He trailed off and began to cough weakly.

“It’s okay,” Sophie said, maneuvering around his sleeping mat to prop his body more upright. He was heavy; she looked to Levi for help. “We’re going to descend to Base Camp, you, me, and Levi. The others will pack up and come later.” She tried to convey the information nonchalantly, to not alarm him with the possibility of a medical emergency. But she suspected he knew—he was far more experienced than anyone else on the team. Still, altitude sickness often clouded judgment. There was no way of knowing the true extent of his illness until the doctor examined him.

Sophie and Levi dressed George in additional layers and tugged on his boots and crampons. Together, they emerged onto the snow-covered slope. As soon as he was on his feet, George doubled over in a frantic fit of coughing, gasping for breath in between. When he lifted his head, his mouth was coated with frothy, pink sputum. Sophie and Levi exchanged worried looks. She felt the eyes of her teammates upon them.

“Can you walk?” Sophie wiped George’s mouth with her sleeve and then positioned herself beneath his left arm; Levi did the same on his right.

George took a wheezing breath. “I think,” he said, and paused, as if he didn’t have a concluding thought. “I’ll try,” he said. “Can’t breathe much.”

“I know,” Sophie replied, exchanging another glance with Levi. They had more than a thousand feet to descend to reach Camp One, and another two thousand to Base Camp. “Let’s try. One foot in front of the other.”

They set off, trying to ignore the sound of George’s rapid breath. They made slow progress, moving as a unit, a footstep at a time. Sophie kept her head down, focusing on the ground, away from the looming peaks overhead. The mountain of death, whose sides they stood on. She hoped fiercely that the name did not ring true.

George stopped abruptly, coughing so hard his body shook, as if he were trying to expel something lodged deep in his chest. He coughed until he could no longer breathe and then vomited onto the snowy ground, more pink foam traced with red. Sophie’s own stomach heaved and she looked away, listening as George wheezed.

“Can you keep going?” Levi asked. No verbal response, but George must have nodded. “Sophie. Let’s walk again.”

She didn’t know how much time had passed, but every time she looked up, the sun seemed to be marching across the sky at a furious pace while they dragged their feet along the ground. The air grew hotter as the sun’s rays reflected off the dazzling snow, creating an oven of the field as they descended. A small, silent eternity passed, interrupted only by George’s worsening breath, the drag and rattle of his lungs. Then she looked up again and saw it: the bright cluster of tents.

“We’re almost there,” she whispered, as much to herself as to the others. Levi glanced at her, a quick acknowledgment that he too saw the first finish line. But George seemed to be in a trance, all his energy concentrated on simply moving forward.

When they came closer, someone at Camp One looked up and spotted them. The figure moved their hands to their mouth, cupping them, and Sophie knew they were shouting, but they were still too far away to hear. It was agonizing to inch closer, watching figures emerge from the tents below, unable to communicate.

Levi halted, so Sophie did too. He removed his arm from George’s shoulders and tried calling back. “We need help!” He glanced at Sophie. “Worth a shot.”

“We just need to get down there,” she replied, moving again as soon as Levi was ready.

They must have heard him, or at least seen the spectacle of the trio inching its way down the mountain, because by the time they arrived a small cluster had formed. Andrew, the Canadian team leader, broke out of the crowd and approached them, his eyes widening as he realized who they were carrying. “Oh my god, it’s George,” he breathed, glancing between Sophie and Levi. “What’s going on?”

“He’s in bad shape. Coughing up pink foam. I think—”

“Pulmonary edema.” Andrew finished the statement. He turned back to the crowd. “Lowell, he has HAPE. Can you grab some oxygen?”

Lowell nodded and stepped back from the crowd. For the first time, Sophie spotted Evelyn; genuine worry was clear on her sister’s face. George seemed stable enough, though he hadn’t acknowledged Andrew’s presence or that of the other climbers. He stared at the ground, breathing heavily.

“Should we help him sit?” Sophie asked Levi.

He nodded. “Andrew, do you have a pad or sleeping bag so we can let him sit down?”

Andrew gave a thumbs-up and headed to the tents, moving as quickly as he could in the snow.

Suddenly George leaned over, coughing with a startling force. He gasped for breath, each cough splattering pink foam across the snow. Sophie struggled to hold him upright and lost her grip; Levi too had loosened his while they waited for Andrew and Lowell. George collapsed face-first into the snow, sounding like an unseen force was strangling him to death.

In an instant Sophie was beside him, trying to wrangle his thrashing body so that he lay on his back. Another pair of hands brushed hers, but they weren’t Levi’s. She looked up—Evelyn. Her sister’s gaze was focused on George as she corralled his arms together and held them as best she could as his coughs continued. She looked up at Sophie. “Ready?”

Sophie nodded, unable to speak. Together they rolled George onto his side and then his back, so that he stared up at the sun, glassy-eyed. Sophie found her voice. “He needs to sit up. He can’t breathe.”

“I know.” Together they wrestled him into an upright position. Sophie felt Levi’s presence behind her; his hands joined theirs, holding George upright. The coughing began again.

Sophie shifted her position so that she could see George’s face. His eyes were no longer blank—they held a terror that Sophie had never seen before. He was drowning from the inside, fighting against the fluid in his lungs. She wanted to look away, cry, hand him over to Levi and Evelyn. But seconds later, Lowell stooped in front of George, sliding the oxygen mask over his face, and checking that the air was flowing from the cylinder. George’s coughing eased, though he still looked scared beneath the mask, afraid of his body’s betrayal.

Sophie thanked Lowell. He stepped back, watching George carefully.

“Here,” Andrew said, stepping beside George and handing a sleeping bag to Levi. He took it and rose to his feet, leaving Evelyn to support George’s weight.

“Thanks. I don’t know that we should wait around here for long. He’s in bad shape.” He paused, glancing at Sophie. “Do you think...”

She knew what he was asking: Was she strong enough to continue the descent? She wasn’t sure. Adrenaline could probably take her down to Base Camp, but she would be exhausted, probably in poor shape for the next two days. She stood up and shook her head, stepping closer to Andrew, a few feet away from George. “Do you have anyone who can help him down?”

“I will. And—” he turned for a quick scan of the waiting group “—Lowell, you’re young and strong. Get over here.” Lowell raised a hand in acknowledgment and turned away, presumably to ready himself for the descent. “Everyone else, listen up. You’ll stick around up here as planned. Don’t head up to Camp Two. Evelyn, agreed?”

Sophie looked at Evelyn with surprise. She knew that the American and Canadian teams were sticking together but hadn’t realized that Evelyn had taken over James’s leadership role. It was hard to decipher the emotion on Evelyn’s face—she gazed up at Andrew and nodded, but her expression remained grim and distant.

“Spend the night and descend tomorrow. I’ll stay at Base Camp.” He turned back to Levi and Sophie. “What about you two?”

“We’ll come down to Base Camp. The rest of our team shouldn’t be too far behind us.” She pivoted to scan the mountain above them but didn’t see the trio. “He’s our leader. We can’t do much until we know his condition.”

Andrew exhaled and lowered his voice. “Well, I wouldn’t count on having him around after this. I mean, he’ll probably survive, but he needs to go back home. He can’t stay on the mountain in this state.”

“I know,” Sophie replied curtly, because the same thought had repeated itself in her head for the entire descent. “But we don’t need to worry about that until we’re back down.”

Lowell returned, interrupting the conversation. Andrew saluted them and then positioned himself beside George, stooping with Lowell to help the man to his feet. Evelyn stayed close, her hands on George’s back until they maneuvered him to his feet, and then stepped back, arms folded as she watched. Sophie tried not to stare, but it was difficult to take her eyes off Evelyn. It had been so long since she had seen her at work—the intense expression on her face, the knit of her brow. It reminded her of when Evelyn studied—all the days they had spent at the kitchen table after dinner, silently doing homework but dreaming of ski trips or hiking trails instead. She felt a strange urge to comfort Evelyn, familiar and foreign all at once, to wrap her in a hug and take away any worry that she felt. Sophie moved closer to Levi, finally tearing her eyes from her sister.

“Should we go with them?” Levi asked.

“Yes. In case anything happens.” The image of George a few minutes ago, collapsed in the snow, unable to breathe, flooded her mind. “Now,” she said, and took his arm gently, pulling him away from camp. Lowell, George, and Andrew fell in step behind them, and slowly the descent began again, two thousand more feet past crevasses and towering rocks. Sophie paused, once, to look over her shoulder and saw Evelyn watching, arms still crossed. I should turn back , Sophie thought, and say something . But there were no words to convey what she felt.

“He’s stable. We’ve called in a helicopter for this afternoon. They’ll take him to Pokhara and another helicopter will take him to Vayodha Hospital. Then, whenever he’s back to normal, he can hop on a flight home.”

The doctor paused, looking between Sophie and Levi. After the slow descent yesterday, George had been whisked into the medical tent, taking the cot that James had vacated last week. There had been no updates on George’s condition overnight. Sophie and Levi had barely slept; both were awake and dressed at the crack of dawn, in search of the doctor.

“So, there’s no chance he’ll come back to climb?”

Sophie knew the answer, but was glad Levi asked, for the small part of her that still held out hope.

The doctor shook his head. “No. He’ll likely be in critical care for a few days and won’t be back to full strength for a couple of weeks. It’s not impossible for him to climb again soon, but it would be an unnecessary risk. I’ve spoken to George; he agrees. He wants to return home.”

“When can we see him?” Sophie asked.

“Now, if you want to.”

They followed the doctor inside the tent, which was small and cluttered with medical equipment. A large space heater growled in the center, sourcing energy from a solar panel outside. The warmth made Sophie instantly drowsy. The doctor led them past a canvas wall panel to a small room with a cot, where George lay, breathing through an oxygen mask. He was awake and sat up a bit when he noticed Sophie and Levi. He looked at the doctor and gestured to his mask.

“You can remove it for a few minutes,” the doctor said. Sophie knew how difficult it was to talk while wearing an oxygen mask.

“I’m happy to see you,” George said, after pulling off the mask. “God, what a wrench in the works. Thank you both, for taking care of me.”

“We thought about leaving you behind,” Sophie replied, testing his sense of humor.

George laughed. “Right. Couldn’t blame you then. I was in bad shape. I thought I was going to die.” Any signs of laughter disappeared from his face. “Really. I can’t thank you enough for acting quickly.”

“Of course.” Sophie paused. “The doctor tells us you want to head back home.”

“I do. I always thought I’d have more of a fighting spirit in these situations, but I’m not twenty-five anymore. When I was coughing up my lungs, all I could think about was having a cup of tea in my garden with my wife and kids. So. I think that’s a damn good sign to hurry home and make that a reality.”

“We completely understand,” Levi said. “I would do the same.”

George coughed, though much less forcefully than the day before. “The doctor tells me I cracked a couple of ribs from coughing yesterday. I’d heard of that happening, but—” he gestured to his rib cage “—I never thought I’d have the pleasure of feeling it. I’d better get this mask back on soon. Promise me you’ll rally the troops and keep on, alright? We’ve done well. You’ve got a summit to make in my name.”

“Promise,” Sophie said.

“Good. You won’t want to miss my grand send-off this afternoon, I’m sure. I’ve been told the helicopter can’t land here, so there’s a whole business of lifting me up on this cot. Very dramatic and embarrassing, I’m sure.”

“We’ll be here,” Sophie replied, stifling a laugh. “I’m glad you’re okay, George. You’ve been a great leader.”

“I appreciate that.” He slipped the mask back on, waving them off as the doctor stepped in to check his oxygen levels.

Sophie blinked rapidly as they emerged into the sharp morning air, momentarily blinded by the snow and sunshine. “He seems no worse for the wear.”

“I’d say he’s doing about as well as possible, considering the circumstances. Breakfast?”

“Please,” Sophie replied, already heading to the mess tent.

She had no trouble scarfing down breakfast. They were the first to arrive, steam rising off the food. As they were finishing up, others trickled in, including Penelope, Ivan, and Ruslan. Sophie and Levi had seen their teammates at Base Camp yesterday afternoon, but not much since then. No one had been in the mood to talk. Sophie waved them over after they had gotten their food.

“We saw George this morning. He’s doing okay. They’re airlifting him to a hospital this afternoon.”

Ruslan whistled low. “Heard he collapsed at Camp One. Guess it’s good you carried him down when you did.” He paused, his gaze traveling over his teammates. “We should discuss the elephant in the room.”

“I know, Ruslan. I’ve been thinking about it,” Sophie replied. Her mind had been running circles around their leaderless team all morning.

“Sophie should lead us,” Penelope said.

Sophie shifted in her seat. “I don’t know. I don’t have that kind of experience.”

“None of us have experience leading a first ascent expedition. But who of us made a living guiding climbs? Who has summited the most eight-thousand-meter mountains?” Levi asked.

Sophie shot him a pointed look. “That doesn’t matter. That has nothing to do with what makes a good leader.”

“You’re right,” Levi said. “But I’m taking myself out of the running. That leaves you four.”

Penelope set down her fork. “Do we need a designated leader? We’re a small team. I think we can generally come to agreements.”

Ruslan coughed, as if stifling a laugh. “You can’t possibly think that. Look, Ivan and I have made many trips together over the past ten years. We have a style that works for us. We travel light and ascend quickly. We’ve summited without guides many times before.”

“We’re also...” Ivan trailed off, glancing at Ruslan as if unsure if he should continue. He forged ahead. “We’re under a lot of pressure from the Federation and the Russian climbing clubs to make the summit. Not necessarily first, but the press coverage would be outstanding either way. We might lose our sponsorships without the summit.”

“If there’s a chance of a first ascent, Ivan and I would like to take it. We can’t risk being slowed down.”

“George created this team for a reason. I don’t think it was for us to split up,” Levi said.

“George knows the pressure we are under.”

Sophie felt her frustration at the Russian duo begin to ease. If only they had told her from the start, she would have understood their strong desire to go ahead of the team, to always push on. She too was at risk of losing her sponsorships. For this trip, she had convinced the North Face and Black Diamond to support her again, but both companies had been reluctant after her hiatus. She knew that a failed summit attempt might drop her from their list, and she couldn’t afford a huge expedition like this without their help. The list of expenses was endless—permits, gear, food, transportation, guides, oxygen. Climbs of eight-thousand-meter mountains could cost more than $50,000 per person.

“You can split off,” she said, “if it’s what you want to do. It’s dangerous, but you know that. I just don’t think it’s cohesive to have a group that wants to move at two different speeds. We’ll be in constant tension.”

Ruslan nodded. “My thoughts exactly. It’s nothing personal.”

“So, what will you do today?”

“Go as far as we can,” he replied with a grin. It was the first time Sophie had seen him look genuinely pleased. He slapped Ivan’s back and stood up. “We need to sort through our gear. Come on.”

Ivan stood up with a small wave. “I hope to see you all again soon. May the worthiest summit first.”

Sophie returned his wave. Once they had left, she turned back to Levi and Penelope. “That was fast.”

“They’re going to get themselves killed,” Penelope replied.

“Maybe. Or maybe they’ll make the summit first. It wouldn’t shock me.” She felt Levi’s gaze on her and turned her head. His mouth turned downward slightly, and his brow was furrowed.

“I don’t mind them splitting off. But there’s only three of us now. Doesn’t that feel unsafe?”

“It’s not ideal,” Sophie admitted. “But what else can we do?”

“I don’t know. Tag along with the Americans and Canadians.”

“Yeah, right,” Sophie laughed. “Like they’d want that.”

Levi tilted his head. “Just think about it. I feel less comfortable now, with a smaller group.”

“I am indifferent,” Penelope announced, standing up with her plate. “And I am going back to sleep.”

“We’ll catch you later,” Levi replied. He returned his gaze to Sophie. “Alright. I’ve let this go on for too long. Do you know what day it is?”

Sophie considered for a moment too long. “My birthday,” she said finally, realizing that it was April 14. Time became nonlinear on the mountain, unfolding as it pleased, a moment of difficult climbing stretching into several hours, but entire days dissolving into nothingness. Her twenty-fifth birthday. She was surprised at how quietly it had crept up on her.

“Try to sound a little more excited,” Levi said, reaching over to brush a strand of hair from her face. He frowned at her expression.

“Sorry,” she said, aware that she probably looked as miserable as she felt. “It’s just that with everything that happened yesterday...I’m not in much of a mood to celebrate.”

“No celebrations necessary. I left your present at home,” he said, apologetic. “Too big to fit on the plane.”

“Then my birthday will happen in June this year. Or May, or whenever this ordeal is over with.”

“When it’s over with, you won’t call it an ordeal. You’ll call it something else. Something happier.” He paused, fiddling with his empty plate, before reaching into his jacket. “I do have something for you.” He pulled out a green envelope and slid it across the table.

The sight of it made Sophie smile. “Green. My mom puts my birthday card in a green envelope every year.”

“I know.”

“You know?” Sophie blinked, trying to remember if she’d ever told Levi such a small detail. This was their first time celebrating her birthday; she couldn’t imagine why it would have come up. A strange expression crossed Levi’s face. “What?”

“Your mom told me.”

Sophie folded her arms. “When did she tell you?”

Levi exhaled a quick puff of breath. “Okay. Don’t get mad.”

“No promises.”

“She called me back in March,” he said. “A few weeks before we came here. She wanted to make sure I knew what day your birthday was.”

“And?”

Levi almost smiled. “You know her so well.” He paused. “She asked me to convince you to talk to Evelyn, if I could. She thought this was the perfect opportunity to hear each other out. I didn’t know what to say. I didn’t like keeping this a secret from you, but...”

“But you did,” Sophie said, finishing for him. “God. Okay.” She remembered a conversation they’d had recently—Levi asking her if she wanted to hold on to her resentment of Evelyn. Sophie had said Levi sounded like her mother. Now she realized it was her mother’s words piped through Levi’s mouth. That explained his willingness to speak to Evelyn, too.

“You’re mad.”

Sophie closed her eyes. “At my mom, yes. The jury is still out on you.”

“She was very persuasive,” Levi said, his voice quiet. Sophie opened her eyes and watched him for a moment. He was so kind, so willing to accept others for who they were. Except the part of her that struggled not to hate Evelyn.

Sophie grabbed the card from the table and slipped it inside her jacket. “I’m not in the mood to hear anything sappy about how much you love me or how proud of me you are.”

“Well,” he replied, “I understand. I’m sorry. Really. But that card isn’t from me.” He studied her for a moment. “You said you weren’t in the mood to celebrate. What do you want to do?”

A card from her mother, then—even less appealing. “Sleep,” she said, without hesitating.

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

Sophie woke up hungry. She sat up and stretched, trying to relieve some of the discomfort in her overused muscles. Beside her, Levi was still asleep. Sophie reached for a wool sweater laid over her backpack, then hesitated. She grabbed her jacket instead, slid the green envelope from the interior pocket, and pulled out the card. On the front was a painting of a snowy mountain, brightly colored skiers cutting lines down the slope beneath a rich blue sky, Wish You Were Here! written in cheery, looping font. Sophie recognized it as one of the cards sold in the resort’s gift shop. Her mother had started a program years ago to have local artists create the merchandise. Sure enough, the artist’s signature was on the back of the card. Sophie knew she was stalling and flipped it open, drawing a breath at the sight of the familiar, neat handwriting.

Sophie, of course I wish you were here. But I can’t imagine a better place for you to turn twenty-five...

The card went on, a whole page of love. The thought of her mother writing it out over a month ago, then mailing it to Switzerland, of Levi finding the perfect green envelope and slipping the card into its new home, carrying it all the way here without her noticing, made Sophie tear up. She brushed the back of her hand against her eyes before the card got wet and returned it to its envelope.

Levi slept on, oblivious to her surge of emotions. She brushed the hair off his forehead but decided not to wake him and crawled out of the tent after pulling on the sweater, stretching once more in the cold sunshine.

Penelope walked by and stopped. “They’re letting us make calls in the comms tent. Just for a little while longer.”

“Oh, thanks.” Sophie forced a quick smile, hoping she didn’t look like she’d just been crying. “How are you doing? Now that the George situation has had some time to settle in.”

Penelope frowned and lifted her head up to the sky for a moment, squinting behind her sunglasses. “I want to climb. George wants us to summit. I came all this way. I do not want to turn around because of someone else.” Penelope returned her gaze to Sophie. “You are worried about Levi.” It wasn’t a question.

“Maybe,” Sophie admitted. “He’s newer to all this. If he doesn’t feel safe, then he isn’t safe.”

Penelope nodded. “I can tell how much you love him. I cannot imagine climbing with my husband. We would be at each other’s throats.”

Sophie glanced at the tent, half expecting Levi to be listening in. Though she was still processing his conversation with her mother, much of her anger had melted away. She knew how convincing her mother could be, and besides, love for her was at the core of their actions. “I have Levi to thank for getting me back into climbing,” she said. “He’s always been this source of calm for me, which is something I needed. A peaceful relationship, you know?”

Penelope patted her arm. “Hold on tight to that. Excitement, it grows old quickly.” She stepped away and waved. “I’ll see you later.”

Sophie waited a moment longer before ducking back into the tent. She grabbed Levi’s leg and shook it gently, waiting for him to stir.

“Good morning, again. Penelope told me the phone is up for grabs. Want to come?”

A few minutes later, they found no line to make a call, just one person holding the large satellite phone to their ear—Evelyn. She was seated in a chair, her back facing them.

Sophie tried to resist the urge to eavesdrop, although the conversation carried in the small space.

“It’s been fine besides yesterday... Yeah, we’re making good progress... I miss you too. I’ll be home before you know it.” Another pause, laughter. “New York, Colorado, same thing.”

Levi coughed and Evelyn turned in her seat, taking in the sight of them. Sophie nudged him. “Sorry,” Levi whispered. “Dry throat.”

“I should go, okay? People are waiting to use the phone. I love you.” Evelyn paused, shifting the phone to her other ear. “Do you want to talk to Sophie?”

Sophie blinked, caught by surprise.

Evelyn extended the phone to her. “Here you go. It’s Mom.”

“Right.” She took the phone and sat in the chair after Evelyn stepped away. Sophie waited until Evelyn left before speaking into the phone. “Mom? Hi.”

“Oh, hi, Sophie, it’s so good to hear your voice. How are you? Happy birthday! I’ve been sitting around all day thinking: I just wish I could tell Sophie happy birthday. I guess my wish was granted.”

“Thanks, Mom. I’m okay. I mean, I’m good, but this trip has been hard. George got really sick yesterday, fluid in his lungs. They’re airlifting him off the mountain later today. And our group is splitting up and it’s just...unlike any other climbing experience I’ve had. Not that any of them have been alike.”

“Just stay safe. Use your brain. You’re too smart to get yourself into trouble. I just told Evelyn the same thing.”

She ignored the comment about Evelyn. “What time is it in Colorado?”

“Eleven forty-five. I was asleep when Evelyn called, but I saw the number on the phone and thought, it’s not every day you get a call from Nepal. And of course, I always assume the worst. But this is a delight, both of my girls on the phone.” She paused, then cleared her throat. “Evelyn tells me you still haven’t talked.”

“Funny you should mention it,” Sophie said. “Levi just told me about a phone call he got back in March.”

The line was silent, long enough for Sophie to wonder if the call had dropped. “I just thought—I thought, he’ll be there and I won’t. I might never get to see both of you in the same room again, but he will. Same mountain, at least. You’re so stubborn, Sophie, but you trust Levi. I thought he could help nudge you in the right direction.”

Sophie could hear the emotion in her voice. The fire in her core cooled slightly, more of the anger dissipating. “I understand. But it’s my decision to make, Mom. Please don’t use Levi to get what you want.” She paused. “Evelyn and I are on different teams, different schedules. She helped with George yesterday, though.”

“Oh, yes, she told me about that. I think she’s going to come home to Colorado for a while after this trip. She’s thinking about doing what you do, leading guided trips. You should give her some tips.”

“I don’t know if...” Sophie trailed off, biting her tongue. She was disappointed, but not surprised, that her mother was right back to insisting that she should repair her relationship with Evelyn. She still hurt every day, still felt sick to her stomach when she thought of Evelyn and Miles together. The last thing she wanted was to help Evelyn land a job in her own career field, one that Evelyn had already tried and failed in. “I should get going. Levi still needs to make a call.”

“Tell him hello for me,” her mother replied. “I’m glad he’s there with you. I worry about you so much.”

Sophie didn’t know if that meant on these climbs or in general , but she didn’t ask for clarification. “I’m glad he’s here too. He gave me your card.”

“Oh, good. I wanted to ask, but I didn’t want to ruin the surprise.”

“Thank you. It meant a lot to me.” Sophie swallowed before her voice choked up. “Okay, Mom, I love you. Bye. I’ll talk to you next time I get a chance.”

Her mother said goodbye and happy birthday again, and Sophie pressed the button to hang up. She stood and handed the phone to Levi. “How was it?”

“Fine,” she replied, reluctant to get into the details. “Who are you calling?”

“Home. Mom and Dad.”

“Okay.” She kissed his cheek. “I’ll wait outside.” A few more people had entered the tent, queuing to use the phone, so she skirted around them. Stepping outside, she nearly bumped into Evelyn, who was standing alone. “Oh, sorry,” Sophie said, backing up a few steps.

“It’s okay,” Evelyn said. “How was Mom?”

Sophie realized that Evelyn must have been waiting for her. “She seems fine,” she replied cautiously. “You know, worried as always.”

“Yeah.” A hint of a smile crossed Evelyn’s face. “I think it’s worse this time since we’re not on the same team. She said, and I quote, that I’m ‘climbing with strangers.’ As if you and I haven’t known James for years. And I was on Lhotse with all three of my teammates last year.” When Sophie didn’t respond, she pushed on. “I’m sorry about George.”

“Me too. It must be devastating for him, but he seems to be taking it well. He’s looking forward to seeing his wife and kids.” Sophie paused. “Thank you. For helping.”

“Of course.” She paused. “Happy birthday, Sophie. What a place to spend it.”

“Thank you.”

“Do you remember when I turned twenty-five? You came to New York and we got drunk at that terrible bar.”

Sophie nodded, reluctant to indulge Evelyn’s memories of the past. Sophie had been twenty-one, a few months away from marrying Miles. She had felt safe then, in control. An illusion she could never go back to. “Too bad there aren’t any cheap bars in the Himalayas.”

Evelyn smiled, but her expression quickly fell. She opened her mouth, seemed to hesitate, and then spoke. “Where will you go at the end of summer?”

Sophie regarded her for a moment, wondering how much honesty to answer with. “I don’t know,” she said finally. “Maybe Switzerland. Maybe Mom’s house until I land a guiding job somewhere. I don’t want to leave Levi, but I don’t know that I want to stay in Switzerland forever. I miss home. I miss Wyoming.” Relief washed over her as she said it out loud, for admitting that Switzerland still felt temporary, and better yet for admitting that she missed Wyoming. It had taken her so long to separate them in her mind, Miles and Wyoming, the two so intertwined that the bad parts of Miles seeped into Wyoming and the good parts of Wyoming into Miles. She had no idea where she would live, couldn’t imagine anywhere else than the cold, dark cabin in the woods that was always on the verge of falling apart. She wanted badly to ask about the cabin, if Miles had sold it, but didn’t dare speak his name in front of Evelyn.

“I’m only asking,” Evelyn said, “because I might go back to Mom’s.”

“She told me. Why?” Sophie suspected she knew the answer. Evelyn’s relationship with Miles must be on the fritz; otherwise, she doubted her sister would abandon her high-paying opportunities in New York. But she wanted to hear Evelyn say it, to admit that things between her and Miles weren’t working out.

Evelyn cleared her throat. “I won’t get my job at my firm back. Realistically, I don’t think anywhere will hire me when they see my track record of quitting every summer. As horrible as this sounds,” she laughed, “I think I need to cut my losses and realize that law school was an expensive, time-consuming mistake. I don’t think I was ever meant to be a lawyer.”

She dodged the Miles aspect of the question, but Sophie didn’t want to push it. She was still processing the fact that Evelyn had started the conversation, that they had managed to speak to each other without fighting, that Evelyn was laughing . Let alone that Evelyn seemed to have given up on the career she had worked so hard for. She rubbed her forehead. “I always thought you’d make a good lawyer.”

“I think that I am. It’s just not a job conducive to mountain climbing. I should have seen that from the beginning, but I was caught up in the prestige of it all. It makes you feel like somebody, attending Columbia Law School.”

“You were always more ambitious than me.”

“But I think you were right all along. A nontraditional job makes more sense. I want to try guiding climbs again. Nowhere near Wyoming. I don’t want to step on your toes. I think maybe I was too young and immature last time I tried. I could do a better job now.” She paused. “I think I didn’t give myself enough freedom. I did seven straight years of school, no gap year, hardly a break between graduating and starting a job. It’s like I don’t even know myself. Maybe I’ll go back to being a lawyer someday, but I need to try something else.”

Sophie blinked. It amazed her to hear Evelyn sound so insecure, so unsure of herself, to acknowledge that she had been wrong. It went against everything she had ever known about her sister. “Go for it. I don’t know if I’ll even be back in Wyoming.”

“Ready for—Oh, hey, Evelyn.”

Sophie turned her head to see Levi behind her, a surprised expression on his face. “Hi,” she said. “Yeah, I’m ready for lunch.”

Levi peered around her. “Have you eaten, Evelyn?”

She waved a hand. “No. My stomach isn’t up to it right now. But thanks.” She turned away, walking in the opposite direction.

Sophie watched Evelyn’s retreating back for a moment before gesturing to Levi. They trudged through the snow in silence for a minute before he spoke. “So?”

She shrugged. “She started the conversation. It was fine, I guess. Weird. I don’t know why she wants to talk to me.”

“Did you want to talk to her?”

She considered the question. “No. But at the same time, I didn’t mind. I don’t think that one conversation goes very far in repairing our relationship. We spoke. That’s it. It’s difficult to see her as anything except the person who ruined my life.”

“Sophie.” He caught her arm and pulled her aside. “Your life isn’t ruined. Look around you. You’re so lucky to be here. What happened with Evelyn was a nightmare, yes. But it was a small blip in the grand scheme of your life that is to come.” He kissed her once, his lips the same temperature as hers: cold.

“I know. I’m speaking from my perspective back then.” She stepped away from him, irritated by his incessant positivity, which she usually loved. She was beginning to feel angry at Evelyn, too, for how easily she had started the conversation, for declaring that she was moving back into their mother’s house and not addressing Miles.

Were they broken up? Was he moving to Colorado, too? If he came anywhere close to Wyoming, she might as well stay in Switzerland forever. The legal fact of their marriage had become nothing more than a nuisance to her long ago. She’d lost any feelings for Miles as soon as he and Evelyn told her about the affair, though they had started to drift before that, with his many trips to New York—to see Evelyn, she now knew—and constant desire to leave Wyoming, which felt more like home to Sophie with each passing day. At the beginning of their relationship, his laissez-faire attitude had attracted her to him, but over time she understood that he was always scouting for the next opportunity, ready to leave a seemingly stable life behind on a whim. Sophie had thought that she was the same way, but after settling in Wyoming, she liked the routine of living in the cabin. Guiding climbs presented new adventures and challenges each day, but Sophie appreciated having a home base to return to, a quiet place to recharge. For a few months, Miles seemed to feel the same way, but then something shifted.

Sophie’s mind still hadn’t quieted when the helicopter came, the sky overwhelmed by the sound of the strange, mechanical bird. She watched George’s stretcher lift, up, up, until he was safe inside the helicopter and it rose away, disappearing into the blue abyss. A part of her wished that she had hitched a ride, away from the mountain, to a life that made sense. But she would have to travel back in time for that.