Newport Beginnings

by Cindy Nichols

  "It was a great evening, all things considered," Joe said. "Just sorry it was cut short."

  Jen agreed, and an idea popped into her head. "We're having a barbecue for Labor Day. Should be some decorated boats on the harbor and Michael and Amber are coming out. Why don't you two join us? We can pick up where we left off last night, without all the...commotion."

  Joe nodded. “Sure. Ma? How about it?"

  "Well, I would love to, but I can't. I already said I'd go over to Back Bay Village to see Phyllis and watch the fireworks. They're having a golf cart parade, best decorated takes the thousand-dollar prize. Those people are nuts over there."

  Jen agreed with that, too. The folks in Back Bay Village, just over the hill in the back bay behind Newport, were definitely living their own dream. Between paddleboard races, tennis tournaments, bridge tournaments and golf cart races, she sometimes thought it sounded exhausting.

  "Next time, for sure," she said with a nod to Mrs. Russo. "Don't get in any trouble over there. I've heard stories..."

  Mrs. Russo waved her hand and snickered. "I never get in trouble, do I, Joey?"

  Joe looked like he was having a hard time not laughing. "Well—"

  "Psh," she said, with another wave of her hand. "Joey will be over for dinner and I'll send along a surprise."

  "Thanks," Jen said as she clipped the leash on Daisy. "See you tonight, Joe."

  Joe nodded slowly and opened the gate for Jen and Daisy. "I'll be looking forward to it."

  Six

  Newport Beach was changing with the seasons, and Faith felt it probably more than either of her friends. It would be cooling off a bit from here on out, it being Labor Day weekend and all. School would also be starting, so the streets would be a little less crowded, and parking would get easier. And the purple ice plant would be in full bloom soon, covering the hillsides and beaches.

  School starting. Faith sighed at the thought. The familiar jangling nerves had come early this year, and she wasn't exactly sure why. For the past—gosh, had it really been almost three decades?—Labor Day had been bittersweet. She'd loved her weekends at the beach and the long dog days of summer had always gotten her ready for a new school year.

  This year felt different somehow. Her decision not to teach summer school and stay in Newport to help Jen had paid off, she knew, and she was thrilled for her friend that the house would stay in the family. But every summer was fun, and she'd always looked forward to going back to her familiar classroom, meet her new group of kindergartners and embark on a new adventure that would last until the following summer.

  So as she found herself struggling to pack her bags—school would be starting the following week and she needed to go home and prepare—she knew she really needed to get on with it. She actually should have done it the previous week, but the allure of the fundraiser and the thinning crowds at the beach hadn't released her, apparently, because she was still there.

  She gathered up the pillows that she'd made and set around the room, preparing to take them home with her. She'd sewn much of the summer and her handiwork was all over downstairs, too. Jen and Carrie had said that they made all the difference in the world in the living room and she did have to agree. She'd gotten pretty good at it. They were all unique—some with gold tassels, others with velvet inlay with crystal beads. She loved them all.

  As she shook open a plastic garbage back to stuff them in, she was startled by a knock and dropped them all onto the bed.

  "I think you should leave those here." Jen stood in the doorway, a glass of wine in each hand and a slight smile on her face.

  A slight smile was about all that Faith could manage as well. She reached for the glass of wine that Jen held out to her and plopped down on the bed with a deep sigh.

  "You don't seem as excited for the new school year this time. You're usually knee-deep in construction paper scraps by now. I haven't seen you cut out a single star for your new students."

  Faith glanced at the stack of construction paper now back in her suitcase. Jen was right—she hadn't mustered up much interest yet. And that had never happened before.

  "I don't know what it is, Jen." She followed her friend out onto the balcony of her room and leaned against the railing. The sun would be setting in not too long, but the sky had started turning into magical colors that Faith knew she would miss very much.

  "I think I do," Jen said as she followed Faith's gaze toward the crashing surf.

  Faith nodded. "It's been an incredible summer. I really feel like we got into a rhythm, and I've really loved working at the shop on the island. I really hate to give it all up."

  "I know we haven't talked about this in a while, but is it possible for you to retire? I know you love teaching, love your kids, but maybe it's time to pull the trigger? You could stay down here as much as you want."

  Faith pulled out a folded-up paper from her pocket and waved it. "This is my spreadsheet of expenses. I've been going over it every single day trying to figure out a way to do that. I just can't figure out how to swing it. Not yet. Maybe another couple of years."

  Jen nodded and walked back into Faith's room. "Well, it won't be the same without you around, that's for sure. I guess I'll have more time on my hands than I know what to do with. Who's going to do jigsaw puzzles with me?"

  "Count me out," Carrie said as she bounced onto the balcony and re-filled everybody's wineglasses. "I hate that stuff. It makes my brain hurt."

  "See?" Jen gave Faith a big hug. "What am I going to do?"

  "What are you going to do? What's that crazy shop owner going to do without you, too? She's lucky to have you so she can go gallivanting all over the world,” Carrie asked.

  "Oh, right. What's her name? What did she say when you told her you had to go?"

  Faith took in a deep breath. "She wasn't thrilled. Said she needed me, but I really don't have a choice. She offered to give me just weekends and my school vacations, but I said no."

  "You said no? Why? That would be perfect," Jen said.

  Carrie nodded and settled into the rocker on the balcony. "It really would. I'd love having you here, just like you have been all summer. It won't be the same without you."

  "That's an understatement, but it's not all about us." She turned to Faith. "Don't let us pressure you, Faith. I know you have to do what you have to do."

  Faith glanced back out toward the water. She had thought about trying to teach and working at the shop on the weekends, but it sounded a little overwhelming. Teaching kindergartners was a lot of work, and Jen said exactly what conclusion she'd come to every time she'd allowed herself to think about it.

  "And that would be pretty tiring, anyway. We're not thirty anymore."

  "That's funny. We're not even forty anymore," Carrie chimed in. "We're not supposed to be doing stuff like that—working that hard, raising kids, wiping away tears. We should be on to the next adventure. The world is upside down."

  Jen rolled her eyes as Carrie took Faith's hand. "Look, there's no harm in admitting our limitations. Or even our preferences. If you think it's too much, it's too much. But we sure will miss you for our Fantastic Friday Night happy hours." Jen leaned in a little closer, and whispered as she hugged Faith, "And I'll miss my roommate. Please come back any time you want to."

  "Come back even if you don't want to. We need you." Carrie looked over the balcony and said, "Oh, I have to go invite Mrs. Grover over for dinner, so I'd better get on it. Thanks for being willing to have her over. She really is sweet, you know."

  Faith shared a grin with Jen. Carrie really seemed to have grown fond of the curtain-twitching neighbor when she'd spent the day spying on the open house a few weeks before. She'd been to visit several times since, and no one had objected when Carrie said she wanted to invite her to their Labor Day barbecue—even if they'd raised their eyebrows at the suggestion.

  Jen had explained that Mrs. Grover and her Nana had been friends, even though Mrs. Grover was closer to Jen's mother's age than her gra
ndmother's, and that she imagined Mrs. Grover had been a bit lonely since Nana passed, so they were actually all for it.

  "Great," Jen said. "Michael and Amber will be here any minute and we have a farewell celebration to get to." She rested her hand on Faith's shoulder and smiled. "At least we have one more night."

  Faith's heart tugged at the reminder, but she decided as this would be her last night in Newport for a while, she may as well do her best to enjoy it. Besides, Maggy had said she'd come, and Faith was looking forward to seeing her only daughter. It had been a while.

  Carrie hustled back through Faith's room and rushed downstairs.

  Faith followed Jen indoors and looked around the room she'd come to love.

  "I mean it," Jen said. "Leave the pillows anywhere you want. It's your room, and it'll be here for you any time you want. Make it yours."

  The soft, gauzy curtains she'd made for the room billowed in the warm, end-of-summer breeze after Jen left. Faith glanced at the stack of construction paper and then at the pillows. She carefully set each one where it had been—perfectly arranged to look their best in the changing light of the day—and nodded with satisfaction when she'd finished. She didn't know how frequently or for how long she'd be back, but she knew she would be. And it may as well feel like home.

  Seven

  Jen's mood lifted as Carrie opened the gate for Mrs. Grover, whose hands were full with a plate of cookies. She was growing fond of Mrs. Grover and was pleased that she'd accepted the invitation. She caught a whiff of perfume as the older woman passed through the gate, and it reminded Jen of rose water, or something equally old and quaint.

  The scent reminded Jen of her grandmother—not Nana, whose house they were all enjoying—but her mother's mother, who was much more prim and proper than her Nana had been. She wondered how Mrs. Grover and her Nana had been such good friends, when Nana had been such a free spirit and Mrs. Grover seemed—well, not that.

  The comparison seemed even more appropriate as Jen took in Mrs. Grover's black skirt and sensible shoes. It was a warm evening, but Mrs. Grover had on a lavender sweater, buttoned at the top, and her hair in a bun at the nape of her neck. It looked, to Jen, very uncomfortable, even severe.

  "Your Nana's favorite, snickerdoodle," Mrs. Grover said with a wide smile as she handed the plate to Jen.

  Well, that was one thing that Mrs. Grover and Nana had in common. They both loved to bake, and neither Jen's mother nor her maternal grandmother could even boil water.

  "Aw, thank you," Jen responded, setting the plate in the middle of the table. She squinted at Carrie, who reached for a cookie but caught Jen's eye before she'd managed to snag one.

  Carrie pulled her hand back and shrugged. "Can't blame me for trying. They're my favorite, too."

  Mrs. Grover reached for a handkerchief from her sleeve. "I remember, from the day we spied on the open house. What fun that was."

  Faith laughed. "I think they're everybody's favorite. But they'll still be there after dinner. And Carrie's grilling steaks, so we all need to be hungry."

  "Oh, that's right. I'd better get on it," Carrie said, pulling out a chair for Mrs. Grover and heading to the barbecue.

  "Carrie told me the news about Michael and Amber. My word, it seems just yesterday he was running around here in a diaper. I can hardly believe he's going to be a father."

  Jen laughed. "That's exactly what I've been saying to myself. Seems like yesterday to me, too. I keep reminding myself not to say that to Michael. But I guess time flies."

  Mrs. Grover nodded and rocked slowly on the porch. "That it does, my dear. That it does." She leaned forward and glanced down the street. "And here are the kids now."

  Jen glanced down the sidewalk, her heart swelling at the sight of her eldest son and daughter-in-law. They'd announced that they were having a baby not too long before, and Jen couldn't wait to see how everything was going.

  "Hi, everybody," Michael said as he opened the gate for Amber and ushered her inside.

  "Oh, hello. It's so good to see you." Faith waited behind Jen for hugs.

  "Michael, do you remember Mrs. Grover? From next door?"

  Michael glanced at his mother quickly and she smiled, nodding toward Mrs. Grover's house. Her lips quirked into a smile, and she knew full well he remembered her as the neighbor who spied on them and told them to keep it down at night. But true to form, he was polite and shook her hand with a slight bow.

  “Good to see you again, Mrs. Grover. It's been a long time. You were a friend of Nana's, right?"

  "Yes, a much younger friend of your grandmother's," she said as she nodded toward Amber when Michael introduced her. "And I hear congratulations are in order."

  "Oh, yes, thank you." Amber blushed as she sat down on the porch. Jen hadn't talked to her much about the impending baby and looked forward to some quality time to do that. Unfortunately, tonight might not be the night—but she'd make sure they had time when it was right.

  She really did love Amber, and had ever since Michael first brought her over. She was a perfect fit for Michael—a little bit quiet, but it balanced his gregariousness. He'd always been very outgoing, and they seemed to bring out the best in each other. They both had decent jobs, but she hadn't even been able to find out what they planned to do after the baby came.

  "How are you feeling, sweetheart?" Faith asked when she sat down beside Amber.

  "You look great. Positively glowing." Carrie rounded the corner with barbecue smoke billowing behind her. She gave both Michael and Amber a quick hug and pinched Amber's cheek—which made Amber turn pink all over again.

  "I'm okay, actually. I was a little queasy there for a few weeks, but it seems to have passed."

  How had Jen not even known that Amber was having morning sickness?

  Jen sat down beside her daughter-in-law and patted her hand. "I'm sorry, Amber. If I'd known, I'd have told you to eat soda crackers. I'm sorry I didn't."

  "Oh, that's okay," Amber said with a smile. "My mom told me to, and I think it helped."

  Jen felt a funny pull in her tummy that took her by surprise. She knew if she looked up, Faith would have a funny expression on her face, although Carrie would be oblivious. Faith knew much better the strange interactions Jen had had with Amber's mother.

  Faith coughed before she said, "I'm so glad your mother was there for you, sweetheart," when Jen couldn't actually get the words out.

  Jen thought how different it was to have a daughter—she just didn't talk about those kinds of things with her boys. It wasn't like they were going to get pregnant themselves, so she just didn't even think about it. Besides, boys were less forthcoming about all things emotional—at least in her experience.

  Jen was grateful for the save—again—and decided it wasn't worth dwelling on. She made a mental note to check in more with Amber, so she'd know how things were progressing. But for now, she hustled into the kitchen when she saw the thumbs-up sign from Carrie, the barbecue queen, and told everybody to take a place at the table. She was back in a flash with a tray of corn on the cob and a big bowl of Nana’s famous potato salad. She'd go back for the watermelon next.

  "Wow, that smells fantastic." Dirk Crabtree, the realtor who'd tried to sell the beach house and Carrie's fundraising partner, slipped through the gate and loosened his tie. Joe was right behind him, and he reached for the big bowls Jen was carrying and set them on the table after a hello to the other guests.

  Carrie stood and smiled as Dirk climbed the porch stairs. "Well, thank you. I must say I agree."

  "And from the looks of it, everyone else does, too," he said, glancing around the table.

  "Please, Dirk, have a seat. We have plenty to eat. Join us," Jen said after quick introductions.

  "Nice to meet you, Michael, Amber," Dirk said before flipping his tie over his shoulder and accepting the plate Carrie had loaded up for him—including the green salad that Jen had thrown together at the last minute, after her trip to the farmer's market.

  "T
hank you." He rolled his eyes in delight after his first bite, and Jen was pleased that he got to try the one thing that Carrie did know how to cook well—barbecue.

  "I wanted to come by and actually apologize about last night. I had no idea that your mother was going to do that. Had I known, I would have done my utmost to stop her. What a zoo—and it can't have been much fun for you, Carrie. I'm really sorry."

  Aside from Carrie's fork pausing slightly once on the way to her mouth, she had no other reaction. Jen wasn't surprised, but hoped that maybe Carrie would talk about it with Dirk. Unfortunately, she was disappointed.

  "Oh, it was no problem at all. Truly."

  Dirk stopped chewing for a moment and stared at Carrie, seeming not to believe her. The same sense Jen had.

  "Nana's recipe?" Michael asked, helping himself to another scoop of potato salad.

  Jen nodded, and Michael smiled even bigger.

  "What happened?" he asked Carrie before he took another big bite.

  Faith glanced at Carrie, but when Carrie didn't volunteer any information, Faith went ahead.

  "Carrie and Dirk put together a fabulous fundraiser for Carrie's mom. It was great, and they raised tons of money for the children's wing at the hospital."

  "It really was marvelous," Mrs. Grover added. "I haven't been to such a fun event in ages."

  Michael rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me. Mrs. Westland did something cruddy and ruined it for Carrie. Right?"

  Jen's eyes flew open wide and she nudged her knee into his—well, maybe it was actually a little stronger than a nudge.

  "What? That's what usually happens. Why would this be different?"

  Carrie sighed. "Michael's right—why would this time be any different? I should have known. It was too good to be true that we might come out unscathed."

  "What did she do?" Michael asked, leaning forward. "I mean, if you don't mind talking about it."

  Carrie just shrugged and said, "It was really not a big deal."