Unraveling the Pieces

by Terri DuLong

  “Oh, gee, and where would that leave you? Would you put your aunt’s house up for sale?”

  “I just don’t know. I think Grace is trying to go easy with me right now. She doesn’t want to add any more pressure, but it’s not fair of me to hold them back if that’s what they want. Besides, in this economy, property just isn’t selling on the island. My building downtown has been on the market for ten months.”

  “Yeah, true. Well, listen, Chloe, I need to get going here. You take care and keep in touch.”

  “Will do, and give Haley a hug from me.”

  I disconnected and looked down at Basil, who had his head on his paws but was looking up at me with his sweet brown eyes.

  “Well, fellow, time for us to get moving too.”

  He jumped up, tail wagging, ready for whatever I suggested.

  I headed into the house for a shower and breakfast before we opened the yarn shop at ten.

  Dora and I took turns opening the shop, and today she wouldn’t be in till noon.

  “Come on, Basil. Time for coffee first,” I said, unclipping his leash and heading to the coffeemaker.

  Dora had her own dog, Oliver, who was now elderly and didn’t come to the shop with her anymore, so she was more than happy to have Basil with us during work hours. He was a good boy and enjoyed greeting customers, and I think he was a hit with them as well.

  Very well mannered, he had just turned two years old. Gabe had gotten him as a puppy from a rescue group. His ancestry was of unknown origin, but he strongly resembled a cross between a Scottish terrier and a poodle. When designer dogs became popular and Gabe was questioned on Basil’s breed, he’d jokingly refer to him as a Scottiepoo.

  I had just poured the water into the coffeemaker when the door chimes tinkled and I turned around to see Shelby Sullivan enter the shop.

  “Hey, Shelby. Just in time for coffee. It’ll be ready shortly.”

  “Great. I found a nice pattern to make Orli a sweater, so I need to get some yarn.”

  Shelby Sullivan was a best-selling romance author, born and raised on Cedar Key, and an addicted knitter, especially when she was between novels.

  “How’re Josie and Orli doing? I imagine they appreciate the sweaters to keep them warm in the Boston area.”

  Shelby laughed as she fingered some yummy lavender alpaca yarn. “They’re doing great and they seem to have survived their first winter up there and all the snow. Although I’m told it’s not unusual to get some even in April.”

  Shelby’s daughter, Josie Sullivan Cooper, had married the love of her life and the father of her daughter, Orli, the previous October. The wedding had been the event of the year on the island and thanks to Shelby’s expert guidance, it had been on par with many celebrity weddings. Josie’s husband, Grant, was an attorney in Boston and the three of them resided on the North Shore of the city.

  “I saw on the national weather that the temps are still pretty chilly up there,” I said, handing her a mug of coffee. “I’m sure it’s quite a change from the tropical climate they’re used to.”

  Shelby nodded. “Thanks. Yeah, but they both seem to love being in Boston and that’s what matters.”

  I smiled as I recalled the control freak that Shelby used to be. But a scare with uterine cancer the year before had put life in perspective for her. She truly did seem to be less stressed and more understanding of Josie, allowing their mother-daughter relationship to strengthen.

  “How about you?” she asked. “How are you doing?”

  I let out a sigh. “I’m doing okay. As well as can be expected, I guess, but I’m beginning to feel like my life is on hold. In limbo.”

  “Two major losses in your life within eight months will certainly do that. When the time is right, you’ll know which direction to take.”

  “I hope so,” I said and took a sip of coffee. “I feel fortunate that we had Aunt Maude these extra years. We knew her heart was bad. The house is just so empty without her around.”

  Shelby placed eight skeins of alpaca on the counter and patted my arm. “I’m sure it is. Maybe you should still consider going over to Ormond Beach. You know . . . something different. New beginnings and all that.”

  “It just wouldn’t be the same without Gabe. All of our plans are gone.”

  “Yes, they are, but that’s part of life. It constantly changes whether we want it to or not. Believe me, I found that out last year. But, Chloe, that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Life is always full of surprises, and some of them can be quite wonderful. If we pay attention. Maybe you should go over there for a visit. Allow yourself to chill out and renew your energy.”

  “Alone? You mean go to Ormond Beach alone?”

  Shelby laughed. “First of all, you wouldn’t be alone. You’d have Basil with you. But yeah, find a nice place to stay for a while. No pressure. No commitments. I don’t think women do this nearly enough. It’s good to be alone sometimes. It allows us to reconnect with ourselves. Especially during times of change or confusion.”

  “Hmm,” I said, slowly beginning to warm to the idea. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe a change is what I need for a while.”

  “Give it some thought, Chloe. We just never know what’s around that next corner,” she said, passing me her credit card to pay for her purchase.

  Born and raised north of Boston, Terri DuLong was previously a resident of Cedar Key, Florida. She now resides on the east coast of the state in Ormond Beach with her husband, three dogs, and two cats. A retired registered nurse, she began her writing career as a contributing writer for Bonjour Paris, where she shared her travel experiences to France in more than forty articles with a fictional canine narrator. Terri’s love of knitting provides quiet time to develop her characters and plots as she works on her new Ormond Beach novels.

  You can visit her website at www.terridulong.com or her Facebook fan page, www.facebook.com/TerriDuLongAuthor