Just as I got into a space of peace, soft music filled my thoughts. It was just distant enough that I’d didn’t know for sure if the music was playing outside or inside my mind. It encouraged me to relax even more.
All the stress and pressure that I carried with me so often began to fade away, and my body grew much lighter. I imagined that I could simply float away. I recalled what it felt like to float in the buoyant Gulf water. The more I drifted, the more relaxed I became.
When the entire group began to chant together it startled me a little, but I soon joined in with their sounds. The powerful combination of voices seemed to make the entire area vibrate.
Peggy stood up and brought her hands together in front of her chest.
“Thank you all for participating today. As we know, there is power in numbers, and hopefully with our joint energies sent in the same direction we will be able to protect the area from any harm. We have a very special guest with us today. Samantha, would you like to come up front with me?”
I got to my feet very slowly. My mind was still drifting and movement caused a bit of dizziness. I tried to pick my way through the seated people but there wasn’t a clear path.
About halfway there I lost my balance, and reached for something—anything to grab on to.
Unfortunately, the closest thing was a man’s head.
My fingers rested in his hair as I caught my balance.
“I’m so sorry.” I gulped.
“Don’t be. It’s a blessing.” He smiled up at me.
I got lost in his eyes for a moment. It wasn’t a sense of attraction that gained my attention, but a depth that I’d rarely seen in someone’s eyes before.
“Thank you.”
“Go, take your place.” He nodded to me and gestured to the front of the room.
As I started to walk away I felt his hand drift down my back and instantly the dizziness was gone. I looked back over my shoulder at him, only to walk into a woman in front of me. “Oops, so sorry.”
“Don’t be.” She smiled at me. “I can’t wait to hear you speak.”
All at once I felt hands along my back, my elbows, even my hips, as they guided me forward through the maze of people toward the front. And it was more than just touches that I felt. It was a sense of warmth, acceptance, and even admiration.
When I reached Peggy’s side she opened her arms.
“Do you mind? I’m a hugger.”
“I don’t mind.” I smiled and hugged her in return.
Once she sat back down I turned to face the crowd. It felt strange to stand before so many people seated on the ground, so I sat right down in front of them.
“Hello, thank you for taking the time to hear me speak today. Also, I can’t thank you all enough for the opportunity to participate in your class. It’s been some time since I meditated last and I wasn’t sure if I would be able to do it, what with how wild my mind has been lately. Thanks to all of you, it didn’t take long for me to be able to center and discover a part of myself that I haven’t been able to get in touch with lately.
“I think that’s one of the hardest things about being a writer. Sometimes, with the anxieties and rush of the day, it’s nearly impossible to get any words typed out. If I’m worried, if I’m stressed, it shows in my writing and I often have to go back later and adjust it.
“I’ve learned a few things lately about trust—trusting myself, trusting my husband, and trusting my own daughter. It’s so easy for me to get wrapped up in the need for control. Sometimes I might have good intentions with that control. I want to keep my daughter safe. I want to keep my husband happy. I want to make sure that I’m doing everything I can to have a good and fulfilling life. However, the control itself sometimes pushes that life away from me.
“Learning that I’m not responsible for my husband’s happiness, that my daughter has very healthy protective instincts of her own, I recognize that I’m wasting energy trying to be in control all the time. It’s never necessary. It could be much better used by interacting, engaging, and adventuring.
“Also, when I let go of that need for control, I find I have more time in my life. I don’t feel so hurried. I notice the intricate beauty all around me, instead of focusing on what frustrates me, or what limits me. I think sometimes we get it into our heads that we can create freedom. If I just have enough money, if I just have enough time, if I just have enough energy, I will be free. But I’m starting to think that true freedom is something that can’t be created. It’s something that already exists, and the only way for us to truly access it is by releasing control and embracing it. Do any of you have thoughts about that?”
Chapter 24
A woman in the front of the group nodded. “Oh yes. I do freedom checks throughout the day.”
“Freedom checks?”
“I run a very busy wellness center. There are always things coming up, wrinkles in the day. So I’ve set my alarm on my watch and every time I lose track of freedom, that alarm goes off and reminds me to do a freedom check. Am I feeling free to love? Am I feeling free to smile? Am I feeling free to breathe? If not, then I run through a few of my exercises to release control, and soon that sense of freedom returns.”
“That’s wonderful.” I smiled at her. “That’s a great tool for anyone to use.”
As the session wrapped up, I spent some time discussing the book I was working on and the one I’d recently released. I swapped e-mails with several people and we enjoyed a stroll through the wild garden together. The front of the school did nothing to reveal the paradise that was hidden behind it.
“You should come to the beach tonight. We have a drumming circle.” Peggy waved goodbye to the last of her students.
“Oh wow, that sounds fantastic. Sure. Can I bring my daughter?”
“Absolutely. We all bring our children. They love it.”
“Okay, thanks. Oh, by the way, Peggy, I heard about this storm coming in. What do you think of it?”
“Ugh, I knew you would hear about that eventually. It’s just a little storm. It most likely won’t even hit us. Maybe it’ll just rain. But it’s nothing to be worried about. Unfortunately, the meteorologists will all have you believing that it’s the end of the world. I just didn’t want you to get worried about something that isn’t going to happen.”
“What if it does?”
“Trust me. I’ve lived here all my life. If the locals are panicking then you should think about joining in. We know when a storm is going to be a problem or not. This storm is going to go north, they just haven’t figured that out yet.”
“Okay. See you tonight.” I smiled with relief.
As I left the college I felt more energized than I had in a long time. My energy was aligned and I looked forward to going to an activity with the whole family.
I returned to the house to find Max and Abby in the middle of constructing a massive sandcastle. I joined in and we talked about the drumming circle. Max agreed that it would be a lot of fun. I suggested exploring some of the area, but I could see that all Max and Abby really wanted to do was play on the beach. So I went inside and changed into my suit.
Then I sprawled out in the sand and let Abby bury me up to my neck.
Max took advantage of my situation and kissed me.
I laughed at the kiss and broke free of the sand to hug him. Then of course we had to frolic in the water to rinse off all the sand.
We had a light dinner then headed for the drumming circle.
The drumming circle wasn’t quite as crowded as the class had been.
As soon as we arrived we were given drums to use. Abby received a small intricate drum that she was all too happy to bang on. I laughed at her enthusiasm as several other children joined in with her.
Max slid his arms through mine as we enjoyed the relaxed environment and chatted with others. It was soothing to hear the sound of the drums interspersed with conversation.
When the drumming actually began everyone fell silent. The rhythmic pound
ing mingled with the rush of the water against the sand. I felt myself transported from a physical place to something far less tangible. Although I was aware of the people around me, I also felt distant from them.
I closed my eyes and let the vibrations carry up through the palm of my hand throughout the rest of my body. Without even thinking about it I was in time with the rest of the drummers. Soon the sound that surrounded me lulled me into a deeper trance.
Somewhere in the back of my mind I thought about the lack of time and space. I thought about what all of it meant. But the rest of my thoughts dissolved into drumbeats.
By the time the drumming died down, my hand was red, and yet I didn’t feel any pain. Abby and the other children continued to bang, sing, and dance long after the adults were worn out.
I rested in Max’s arms.
Chapter 25
Max kissed my cheek and nuzzled his lips close against my neck.
“That was pretty powerful.”
“Yes, it was. This is something we have to do more often.”
“I agree.” He yawned and stretched his arms before pulling me close again. “All of this is. I’m loving every minute.”
“You are?” I glanced over my shoulder at him. “You don’t regret leaving your job, do you?”
“Not even for a second. I can’t think of the last time I felt stressed or overwhelmed. This trip has reminded me that life can truly be a pleasant experience if you let it.”
As the crowds who’d attended thinned out, I stood up to get Abby ready to go.
“Wait.” Max pulled me back down beside him. “Let’s just sit together for a little while.”
“Max, it’s late.”
“So?” He shrugged. “Abby doesn’t look tired.” He smiled as she danced across the sand in wide twirls. “Have you noticed she’s not having as many tantrums?”
“Yes, I have.”
He looked over at me. “Do you think maybe she’s enjoying her freedom too?”
“Yes, I do.” I grinned. “Why?”
“Because we have a few more stops and then the book tour will be over. What happens next?”
“I thought we were living in the moment.”
“We are.” He squeezed my hand and looked back over at Abby. “Since I’ve had so much more time with her I’ve started to get uncomfortable about some things.”
“Like what?”
“Like sending her back to preschool.”
“Huh?” I raised an eyebrow. “Why would that make you uncomfortable?”
“Because she’s a free spirit. But when we send her back, she’ll have to fall in line with all the other kids. She’ll have to follow the rules and make sure that she keeps her emotions to herself.” He frowned. “Maybe I’m crazy, but I’m wondering if that’s really fair. While we’re living as freely as we can, we’re teaching our little girl that she has to color inside the lines.”
“We don’t have to send her back. We can keep her home until first grade if we want to.”
“What about longer?” He cleared his throat.
“Longer?”
“I talked to someone tonight—a father to one of the kids that Abby was playing with. He said he and his wife homeschool their kids.”
“Oh, I don’t know.” I scrunched up my nose. “That always seemed a little strange to me.”
“Why?”
I thought about it for a moment. “I guess because homeschooled kids always struck me as being isolated or strange in some way.”
“Do they look isolated?” He grinned as Abby chased a few of the kids around. Even though they were older, they didn’t seem to mind playing with Abby at all.
“No, I guess they don’t. But I don’t know if I’m smart enough to homeschool her.”
“You’re a well-known writer who’s completely changed her life and followed her passion. Besides, you wouldn’t be doing it alone. We could do it together—as a family.”
“We have some time to think about it.”
“Yes, we do. I don’t want to push anything. I just wanted your thoughts on it.”
“It sounds ideal, but I’d have to know more about it first.”
“Okay, maybe when we get back home we can look into it.”
“Sounds good to me.”
I settled against him again as I watched Abby play.
By the time we went back to the house, Abby was so sound asleep that we couldn’t even wake her to put her to bed. Max tucked her in, then joined me in the living room. I flipped on the television and the screen flashed with bright red graphics before the weather began.
“Uh-oh, looks like Halley might be an issue after all.”
“Did you talk to Peggy about it?”
“Yes, she told me not to worry about it. She said that if the locals aren’t worried, we shouldn’t be worried.”
“I don’t know, Sammy, from what they’re saying right now it seems pretty serious to me. If there’s power outages we’ll have a hard time getting out of the state. Maybe we should think about leaving before it gets any closer.”
“But we have the house for the week, Max.”
“I know. Let’s see how it looks in the morning.”
“Okay.” I curled up in his arms and closed my eyes. As I listened to his heartbeat, I could still hear the drumming that had surrounded us on the beach. No matter what Max tried to say, I realized he was just as much a free spirit as I was.
The next morning the weather report didn’t look any better. In fact, it looked worse.
Max shook his head and looked over at me. “Sammy, I don’t think we should stay. If this storm decides to come closer, we’re going to be stuck for days in bad weather and the aftermath. As nice as this has been, I’m afraid we’re going to have to cut it short.”
“I think you’re right. I wouldn’t want to risk staying here on the off chance that it does turn into a serious storm. We had a good amount of time in paradise—I think it’s time to move on.”
“Okay.” Max sighed and looked over at Abby. “Who is going to break the news to her? She really loves the water.”
“Maybe we can just get her excited about our next stop. We’re staying at a ranch in Texas. I’m sure they’ll have horses.”
“Good idea, I’ll talk to her about the horses. That might put her in a better mood. I’ll check if we can arrive early in Texas, too.”
“Thanks, Max. I’ll break the news to Peggy. She was looking forward to us staying.”
“I still think this is the right choice.”
“Me too.”
I stepped out onto the balcony to phone Peggy.
“Hi, hello there. How are you, Samantha?”
“Hi, Peggy.” I smiled at her greeting. “Listen, I think we’re going to have to cut things short here.”
“Oh? Is everything okay?”
“Max and I are just both a little concerned about Halley and we don’t want to risk waiting it out.”
“Oh, I told you they’re always over the top about these storms but they rarely cause any major problems.”
“I know that, and I do trust your experience, Peggy, but it just makes more sense to us to move on instead of risking the possibility of getting stuck in bad weather.”
“I understand that. We’ve enjoyed your visit and I hope that you plan to come see us again some time soon.”
“Oh, we will definitely be back. It’s been such a great experience.”
“Safe travels, Samantha, and I can’t wait to read your next book.”
“I’ll make sure you get one of the first copies.”
As I hung up the phone the waves rushed across the sand. The water was much livelier than it had been when we’d first arrived.
When I stepped back into the house Max bounded past me with Abby on his back.
“Faster, horsie!” She giggled.
“I guess your talk worked.” I laughed.
“She’s already packed up all her swimsuits. I think we’re ready to go.”
“Yes, she said we can arrive at any time. We’ll be there a few days before the book signing, but she didn’t seem to mind.”
“It’ll be quite a change of pace to be on a ranch.”
“Think of the romantic nights.” Max winked at me.
“Oh yes, romance.” I laughed. “I don’t think that’s what we’ll be experiencing.”
“Why not?” He let Abby down from his back.
“I have two book signings in Texas, and we’re going to be staying with another family on the ranch. We’re not going to get much alone time.”
“I’m sure we’ll be able to find some.” He smiled and kissed me.
I smiled back, but hoped he wouldn’t be disappointed.
Chapter 26
After we packed the car, I checked the house one last time to be sure we’d left it spotless. Then I placed a thank-you note on the counter in the kitchen. As I turned to walk out I saw someone familiar on the beach. I walked out past the car and let Max know I would be a minute. Then I joined Peggy on the beach.
“Peggy?”
“Hi, Samantha.” She turned and smiled at me. “I wanted to come say goodbye, but I got distracted by this view.”
“It is beautiful, isn’t it?”
“Honestly?” Peggy turned back to face the water. “It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” She sighed, then looked over at me again. “Be sure to let me know you made it to Texas safe. Watch out for snakes and cowboys.”
“I’ll do my best.” I laughed, then hugged her. “Thanks for everything, Peggy.”
“You’re welcome. Keep doing what you’re doing.”
“You too.” I gazed at the Gulf one last time, then joined Max in the car.
As we drove away from the beach I heard drumming in the backseat. When I looked over my shoulder I saw Abby with her small drum.
Toddler in Tow (Single Wide Female & Family #3) Page 8