Like the Gulf of Mexico in her backyard, young Lucy often appears bright and steady. But when her sister drowns on her watch, it feels like the riptide lodges in her own chest, surging in storms of panic attacks and receding in the darkness of depression and attempted suicide. With only her eccentric father and distant mother left, Lucy clings to Audra, whose friendship and family mean warmth, rich Southern food, and shelter from the abuse Lucy hesitates to recognize. But just when Lucy needs them most, Audra's restless father uproots their family to a different state. As the two girls struggle into womanhood, Lucy determines to quell the storm inside her, even if it means shutting herself off from the rest of the world--including Audra. But can either friend afford to lose the other? This coming-of-age novel illuminates the hazards of family, the price of loss, and the guiding light of enduring friendship.