Here One Moment
by Liane Moriarty
Contents
Chapter 118
Overview
A man Cherry nicknames "Thor" visits her home to explain that she made death predictions on the flight, four of which have now come true, and warns her that the media is about to expose her identity. Cherry, horrified and seeking comfort, goes to Mira's house, where she discovers that Mira's son Leo is the curly-haired man from the plane—and she saves his life by shouting a warning as an excavator topples toward him.
Summary
One November morning, seven months after the flight, a tall, muscular man Cherry nicknames "Thor" (who introduced himself as "Ben") arrives at her door. He is the man who helped her with her bag on the plane. Thor gently explains to Cherry what she did during the flight—walking down the aisle predicting passengers' causes and ages of death. Cherry has no memory of this but believes him immediately, recalling the flight attendant's concerned expression upon landing and the little boy staring at her. Thor reveals that three of her predictions have already come true, and now a fourth person has died. Cherry is horrified and feels a deep sense of responsibility. Thor shows her online news articles and warns that her identity is about to be publicly exposed by journalists.
Thor offers to help Cherry release a public statement clarifying she is not a psychic, and she agrees she needs to apologize. He also offers her use of a property where she can stay until media attention fades. Before leaving, he advises her not to answer her phone and says he needs to investigate the fourth death. Cherry, distraught and confused, decides to walk to her friend Mira's house for comfort.
At Mira's home, Cherry finds Mira ecstatic because her son and his family are in Tasmania looking at rentals—he has resigned from his job. Mira introduces Cherry to her granddaughter Bridie. Cherry then walks onto Mira's back deck and notices a middle-aged man walking anxiously around the muddy backyard. She recognizes him by his distinctive curly hair: he is the man who sat across the aisle from her on the flight—Mira's son, Leo.
Cherry is mortified, realizing she may have given Leo one of her death predictions. As they lock eyes in mutual recognition, Cherry notices a dilapidated excavator on the edge of a half-finished trench beginning to topple toward Leo, who stands frozen. Cherry shouts his name and warns him to watch out. Leo turns, swears, and jumps nimbly across the muddy trench just in time, narrowly avoiding being crushed by the falling excavator.
Who Appears
- Cherry LockwoodThe narrator and former actuary who learns about her in-flight predictions and saves Leo from a falling excavator.
- Thor (Ben)A tall, muscular man from the flight who visits Cherry to explain her predictions and offer protection from media exposure.
- LeoMira's son, recognized by Cherry as the curly-haired man from the flight; narrowly escapes being crushed by a toppling excavator.
- MiraCherry's friend and Leo's mother, ecstatic that her son's family is moving to Tasmania.
- BridieMira's granddaughter, a serious young girl sitting on the couch engrossed in her phone.