Here One Moment
by Liane Moriarty
Contents
Chapter 108
Overview
Sue's illness proves to be benign, and she and Max find that the Death Lady's prediction has deepened rather than damaged their relationship, prompting crucial end-of-life conversations and a renewed commitment to living fully. Max surprises Sue with salsa dancing lessons—a regret he didn't want to carry—and Sue embraces the joy of the moment. The chapter ends with Sue learning another passenger's prediction has come true, reinforcing her quiet resolve to cherish every remaining moment with Max.
Summary
Sue reflects on her recent illness, which turned out to be an ordinary virus combined with an allergic reaction to a bath bomb from her daughter-in-law. She admits to Max that the Death Lady's prediction made her overreact and turned her into a hypochondriac. Max, however, says he's no longer angry at the lady because her prediction prompted them to have important conversations they'd never had before—about funeral preferences, passwords, paperwork, and end-of-life plans.
Max reveals he'd been thinking about what he would regret most if Sue died, and he surprises her by driving not to the Japanese restaurant she expected, but to a community hall for a beginner salsa dancing class. He explains that he remembers Sue always wanting to try salsa and him always shutting her down. Sue realizes she had only pretended to want salsa dancing as a ploy to get Max to exercise more, and she finds the irony privately hilarious but keeps it to herself.
Despite her initial surprise, Sue quickly falls in love with the salsa class. She and Max are naturals at enjoying life together, and she watches Max already getting the rhythm and attempting hip movements. She feels lucky and grateful as she claps along, repeating "lucky" in her head to the beat. She notes their instructors are charming, the other couples are fun, and she's confident they'll make lifelong friends by the end of the eight-week course.
Later that evening, eating toasted sandwiches and watching a Frasier rerun, Sue sees on Facebook that another passenger from the flight has received a diagnosis matching the Death Lady's prediction but intends to fight it. Sue quietly puts down her phone, deciding not to worry Max. She resolves to simply cherish every moment she has left, laughing with Max as he wipes tears from his eyes at Niles's antics.
Who Appears
- Sue O'SullivanFlight passenger whose illness was benign; embraces salsa dancing and resolves to cherish life with Max.
- Max O'SullivanSue's husband; surprises her with salsa lessons, motivated by the Death Lady's prediction to avoid regrets.