by Jenny Hale
But what about her? She’d have to try to explain her failures to her son. What kind of example was that: dragging him all the way down to North Carolina, pulling him away from his friends… For what? So she could tell him she’d changed her mind?
Jack was clearly waiting for her to say something.
She didn’t like the position Jack was putting her in. He had money on his side, he had Butch to pull on her emotions—and he knew it. Didn’t he care at all about the fact that she’d uprooted her whole life to do this? Was a piece of land more important than what they’d started? Clearly it was. Truly, it wasn’t his fault she felt this way—he didn’t owe her anything. But she knew what she wanted for herself and she wasn’t going to settle again. She didn’t want someone who put his needs above hers anymore; she wanted a person who would share every single decision with her.
She stood up, her head pounding with anger and frustration. “I do know what to say: no, thank you.” That was all she could get out, for fear tears would spill down her cheeks. She opened the door. “I’m tired. And I don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
“Wait,” he said, moving toward her.
She ignored him.
“Alice!”
She looked back at him, his eyes searching hers frantically, his face so distraught that she almost faltered. But she knew the truth of the situation and she had to be strong. She shut the door before allowing her emotions to well up. He’d let her down tonight in the biggest way. But that was just the dose of reality she needed to move forward. She decided right then that she wasn’t going to talk to Jack Murphy again. He could find someone else to flaunt his money in front of.
Chapter Fifteen
Alice awoke the next morning with a new sense of purpose. She’d make this shop a success all by herself. She’d show her son what hard work could produce. She’d do whatever it took. She’d keep hustling until everyone in the Outer Banks knew the name Seaside Sprinkles.
She’d been at the paint store right when it opened and purchased five gallons of paint in “Perfect Pink,” “Luscious Lime,” and “Daybreak Blue,” a bag of sponge rollers, five paint brushes, painters’ tape, and some mixing buckets and pans. Then she bought a box of Sasha’s favorite chocolate truffles and made sure her room was comfortable, unpacking an extra blanket to go under her—the super fuzzy, soft kind—and opening the window to let the breeze in.
After she checked on Sasha, with Henry’s help, she started painting. She and Sasha had talked about ideas for how Alice might want to paint the shop, but they hadn’t finalized anything and Sasha wasn’t in any shape to think it through with her, so Alice decided for herself.
Alice had studied the light coming in through the windows, remembering how it hit at different angles throughout the day, and she’d chosen paint based on how it would look under the changing brightness. She’d pay attention to the logo they’d created and its position on the wall once the surfaces were painted. Bright pink stripes covered the old brown paneled walls of the bike shop as she dragged the roller up and down. With every swipe, she felt that zinging energy return.
“Is this good, Mom?” Henry asked, his face streaked with baby blue paint. She’d given him the job of painting the wall that would eventually be behind the new counter they’d ordered.
“It looks great!” she said with a grin, walking over to him. She wished she had an extra pair of hands, but knew that she could carry the full weight of the task if she had to, as long as it helped Sasha to get better. Her friend needed the rest. “But it looks like you missed a spot.”
“Where?” The roller dripped blue paint onto his bare foot.
“Right there,” she said, brushing pink onto his nose.
His mouth dropped open, and he lunged forward, the roller precariously close to her hair. Alice squealed and ducked out of the way, her brush spraying paint on the clear plastic covering she’d laid down to protect the wood floor. They both looked at the little pink dots against the dark wood underneath, where the paint had gotten through. It actually looked awesome and she imagined the whole floor full of pastel paint drops.
Alice grinned. “Oh, you’re in trouble now.” She tried to grab him with her free hand, but he dodged her, the plastic crinkling under his feet as he ran to the back of the store. She chased after him, diving and catching his ankle with her paintbrush.
Henry collapsed, giggling uncontrollably.
She was glad to see him smile. He hadn’t since they’d lost Einstein.
Alice’s phone had buzzed a few times this morning, flashing Jack’s number. She’d ignored his calls. Her focus was going to be on Henry, Sasha, and getting Seaside Sprinkles ready for business. She’d been up most the night, and she’d thought of an idea: what if she could raise funds to keep the pier? She’d planned to look into what it would take today.
“What are you two crazies doing?” Sasha said, coming in from the stairway in the long T-shirt she liked to sleep in, which Alice remembered her mother bringing back for her from her trip to the Bahamas. It was bright blue with a wave on the front.
“Painting,” Alice said with wink. “How are you feeling?”
“Better, but weak. I think the antibiotic is already helping, if that’s possible.”
“We still haven’t found Einstein,” Henry said, his distress obviously not far away, even with the diversion of painting.
They’d told Sasha about losing Einstein when they’d gotten home yesterday, but Alice had assured her not to worry, that they’d find him, because she knew Sasha needed to focus on getting healthy again. Henry went over to the window in the front door, paint in his blond hair, and looked out at the food and water bowls he’d left on the porch in case the puppy came back. They were untouched.
Sasha walked around the table and stood next to him, her steps labored. “I’m sorry,” she said, giving his shoulders a squeeze.
Alice didn’t want to think about that defenseless little puppy out in the world all by himself. She worried so much about him. Where had he gone? She prayed that if they couldn’t find him, at least maybe another family had, and that they’d taken him in and would give him the love and care that he needed. Alice knew Henry was beside himself with worry for his puppy. Einstein had been his security after Matt left—his source of complete goodness, of loyalty—and now the puppy could be in danger and, even though Henry was young, Alice could see in his eyes that he knew that, and it was killing her. She wanted so badly to do something but she just didn’t know what.
Sasha turned around, her chest rising with her breath as she surveyed the new paint. “I wish I could help you two get this room ready,” she said, shaking her head.
“It’ll be fine!” Alice said, feeling completely confident. She couldn’t find Einstein, but this, she could do. “We’re one man down, but we’re still going! Henry and I will have the painting done in no time!”
There was a knock at the door and Alice’s heart filled with excitement, thinking it could be someone who’d found the stray dog and was dropping him home. Henry opened it to see Melly outside on the porch. She was holding a bouquet of wildflowers: lavender, rosemary, baby’s breath, and gaillardias, and a stack of photos.
“Hi,” she said, walking in and greeting everyone. “These are for you.” She handed the flowers to Sasha. “And I thought I’d bring by the photos I took of the shop. I’m so happy with how they turned out.”
Melly held up one she’d taken of the sun streaming in on the old hardwoods and it was beautifully simple; the marks in the floor radiating with the sense of all the people who’d walked those boards, the bikes that had rolled across them, and even the history that had come before; the beam of light like an angelic ray of happiness. Another photo had been taken through the window, the frame dark with shadows, the center the most vibrant blue showing the sea and sky, with a strip of white sand between them. Melly placed them back down on the stack of the others and handed them to Alice.
“They’re just gorgeo
us, Melly,” Alice said, in awe of her friend’s talent. “I can’t wait to frame them and put them up in the shop!” She flipped through the photos, stopping on a perfectly posed portrait of Einstein, the pine trees behind him a vibrant green, his black fur like satin against the brightness of it. His dark eyes bored into her as if he were telling her that he missed her. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she quickly covered it up before Henry could view it, placing the photos on the shelf above the workspace they’d been using for the paint samples.
“These are gorgeous, too, Melly! Thank you.” Sasha gave Melly a hug and then pulled a Mason jar from a cupboard and filled it with water at the small sink for the bouquet, the scent of the flowers wafting into the air and making the whole room smell like summer.
“How are you feeling?” Melly stepped over a large piece of plastic to join Sasha.
She arranged the flowers and set them on the counter. “I’m doing okay. Just need to get my strength back.”
“I understand. Well, if you need me, I’m here.”
“Do you paint?” Sasha teased, grinning at Henry.
“I can paint!” Melly said. “I’m unexpectedly off today.” When she said this, Melly’s voice wobbled just enough that Alice noticed, but she wouldn’t make eye contact. With Sasha in her current state, Alice didn’t need to get drawn into anything else, so she let it go.
“Need some help?” Melly asked.
Alice wiped her hands on her paint-splattered shirt. “If you’re offering, I’d love to have a little help. That would be amazing.” Maybe painting could ease whatever it was that Melly was upset about.
“Of course! Let me run back home and get changed into some old clothes.”
“Oh my gosh, you’re awesome!” Alice said. “I’d hug you, but I don’t want to get paint all over you.”
Sasha offered, “I’ll be in charge of pizza orders, music, and wine!”
“Wine?” Melly said, raising an eyebrow. “Is that on your doctor’s list of acceptable beverages?” Her voice was teasing, but Melly’s concern was evident by the look in her eyes.
“Okay, wine for you all, and Vitamin Water for me.”
“Excellent.” Melly gave her an empathetic smile.
* * *
The three women sat in their chairs on the small patio out back while Henry played in the ocean. Alice and Melly, both still covered in paint speckles, had finished painting the entire room, carefully backing out of the rear door as they lightly spattered the floor in pink, blue, and green paint. Unable to walk back in until it dried, Sasha had ordered a pizza and Alice and Melly had taken turns diving into the waves with Henry, but now they’d settled in the sun with the food. Melly hadn’t mentioned a thing about the reason for her sudden day off, and Alice was beginning to think she’d imagined her new friend’s flicker of emotion earlier.
Unable to hold in her own feelings any longer—she’d managed all day—Alice told the girls about Jack’s offer. She’d replayed their conversation over and over in her head all of last night, and no matter how she tried to spin it, the truth was that he’d been looking out for Butch; and while that was honorable, he’d still taken advantage of the situation without any regard to Alice.
“I don’t think he meant to be awful,” Melly said. “I’ve spent some time with him at the hospital and I don’t know if those rumors I’d heard about him are true. He seems like a very kind man. Perhaps he was just trying to give you options.”
“Well, his delivery needs some work,” Alice said, pursing her lips and shaking her head. The whole situation made her uncomfortable. She felt guilty about Butch, worried that she was going to run herself into the ground with this place, and angry that Jack hadn’t said what she’d wanted him to say, which was that he believed in her and she could do it. Maybe her expectations were too high, but shouldn’t they be?
Melly smiled. “You’ll find where you fit,” she said. “With Jack or without him, ice cream or no ice cream, you’ll figure it out. That’s what I tell myself too.” She took in a jagged breath and looked out over the ocean. That, right there, was the emotion Alice had seen earlier. She hadn’t imagined it after all. She waited, honing in on Melly, wondering if she would share what was bothering her. But Melly kept quiet. When Melly didn’t respond to Alice’s glances, she looked out at her son.
Henry was on his boogie board, riding the surf that took him all the way up to the dry sand. He waved at them and they all waved back. Alice assessed Sasha, trying to decide if she was strong enough to support Melly if something was wrong. Alice could see in Melly’s eyes that she wanted to say something, but she wasn’t giving anything up, when, in truth, she should feel like she could tell them. They should all hold each other up in times of crisis. One thing Alice knew was that Sasha was emotionally resilient, and even if she was physically exhausted, she’d probably still be amazing if she needed to offer encouragement to Melly or help her through something. So Alice decided to ask.
“Melly, is something bothering you? You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders right now.”
Only then did Sasha seem to notice Melly’s demeanor. She scooted her chair closer. “What is it?”
Tears sprung to Melly’s eyes and when she tried to blink them away, they spilled down her cheeks. She wiped them with her hand. She seemed unsure about divulging whatever it was, but Alice urged her on with a look that let her know they were there for her. “I heard they’re going to let me go at the hospital,” Melly said quietly, as if it were still a shock to her.
“What?” Alice said, disbelief causing her voice to almost squeak as she said the word. “They just hired you!”
Melly nodded in agreement, dragging her fingers under her eyes as the tears spilled over. “I didn’t want to bring it up. You two have too much you’re dealing with right now. You don’t need my issues making it worse.” She shook her head, a bewildered look on her face. “I came highly recommended. I had reference letters from the top surgeons in my field. I don’t understand it at all.” She spoke as if she were talking it out with herself, her focus inward as she worked to arrive at some conclusion that wouldn’t come.
“Who told you this? How do you know?”
“One of the nurses has a friend in HR. She let it slip last night while they were out for drinks. She said it came down to funding. There just isn’t enough money to keep us all—that was why it had been a temporary position. I think the hiring manager assumed they’d get the funding. It’s probably a surprise to him as well. The hospital partners thought if they could stretch their dollar, hire top-notch staff, bring in high-level research… They were trying to elicit donations from a few large private sources, but they backed out and the community just doesn’t have enough revenue to support us.”
That was the favor Jack was doing. He’d been asked to do research for them to get their name out there. And he knew something about Melly, but he wouldn’t say. It was all making sense now.
“I can’t go back home,” Melly said, before putting her face in her hands. “And that’s the only option I have. I’d have to sell the cottage and get my old job back… I can’t face my ex-husband.”
“Lots of people live in the same town as their exes. It wouldn’t be so bad, would it?” Sasha offered.
Melly bit her lip in thought, her features overwhelmed with fear. Clearly, there was more to this than she’d shared, and Alice wondered what it could be.
“You can tell us,” she said, in an effort to support her friend.
Melly swallowed, taking in a few breaths before meeting Alice’s eyes and then Sasha’s. “We tried to have children, and we just couldn’t—nothing worked. It put a strain on our relationship. I went to the doctor and we found out it was me. I can’t have them. So every day after that, things got worse. We tried to make a go of it, but I could see the disappointment in his eyes whenever he looked at me, and it made me feel broken. I couldn’t take it anymore, so I left. I feel whole here. If I go back, that bro
kenness will overtake me.”
Sasha was visibly stricken by Melly’s confession, and Alice knew it was because of her own recent loss. Alice worried about Sasha, hoping she was well enough right now to handle this conversation, but she seemed to be finding the strength for Melly.
“There are other ways to have a family,” Sasha said, patiently trying to help talk her through it. “Would you two have ever considered adoption?”
Melly’s mouth turned down, her pain obvious. “I suggested that, but he wasn’t interested. That was when I knew what we had wasn’t really as strong as I thought. We just started to exist in the house—two people with different expectations in life. I wanted a family just like he did, but when he wouldn’t contemplate adoption, I felt his disappointment and his blame; I had to get out.”
Sasha’s phone lit up on the little table beside their beach chairs, pulling them all from the moment. She swiped the screen. “It’s a text from Jack.” She held the phone up for Alice to see. “He said he’s been trying to call you, but you won’t answer. Maybe we could ask him about Melly’s job.”
“No.” They needed to be there for Melly. And Alice did not want Jack in on this conversation—it was for the three of them to discuss. He might not sympathize with her since he was one of the senior doctors. “I don’t want to talk to him. I have nothing to say.”
“He knows I’ve opened the text. How should I respond?”
“Just tell him that, I guess.”
“Don’t mention me,” Melly said. “I don’t want to get anyone in trouble for letting the news slip before it should’ve come out.”