by Rachel Hanna
Dawson walked over and put his hands on her shoulders, a feeling that felt unexpectedly welcome and familiar. She remembered when Michael would do that, usually in times of crisis like this. It had always made her feel safe and secure, but now he was doing that to someone else and she was reveling in the touch of a stranger in the middle of the woods.
“I’ll help you.”
She chuckled. “Thanks. I really do appreciate the offer, but I can’t inconvenience you too. This job is just too big.”
Dawson stepped back, cleared his throat and stuck out his hand. “Hi. I’m Dawson Lancaster.”
Julie stared at him. “Yeah, I know…”
“I own Seabreeze Contracting. We have a two o’clock appointment. Sorry I’m a little early.”
“Wait. What?”
Dawson smiled. “The card I gave you was mine. I hope that was okay?”
“Yes, of course it was. And I appreciate you coming over here, but please don’t feel obligated…”
“Julie?”
“Yes?”
“Can I at least look around and give you my estimate before you try to say no?”
She laughed. “Yes. Sorry. Why don’t we start in the kitchen?”
For the next half hour, she walked him around the inside and outside of the house, pointing out every flaw and sighing so much she felt light headed. When they finished, they took a seat on the back porch on the old cast iron bench and stared at the marshland.
“So, here’s my estimate,” he said, handing her a piece of paper he’d been writing on the whole time they walked. “And I figure we’ll need about three months.”
She stared at the paper, her eyes wide. “Dawson, this is half of what the other contractors quoted me. I can’t let you take such a hit on this job.”
He smiled. “Then those guys were crooks. This is a fair bid, and I hope you’ll consider it.”
“Consider it? Are you kidding me? I’m struggling not to stand up and do a little dance right now!”
“I don’t have great rhythm, but let’s do it!” he said, standing up and doing some disco moves.
“Yikes, don’t do that,” she said, laughing. She stood and looked up at him. “Seriously, thank you. I was really thinking of walking away. But now I have a little hope that this place could really be something.”
“Like a new beginning?”
“Yeah. I suppose so.”
“Well, I like you, Julie, and I think you’d be a great addition to our little island. So, welcome home.”
She looked out at the marsh again, and suddenly it didn’t look so bad. Maybe she could get used to this new life after all.
Sleeping in a house that should have probably been condemned years ago wasn’t easy, Julie decided, as she crawled out of her tent and back into her personal money pit. She wasn’t feeling quite as worried and tormented this morning as she had been yesterday. Dawson seemed so sure of himself and his ability to turn the place into an actual home. She was thankful to have found a friend like him. Otherwise, the loneliness would be overwhelming.
She shuffled to the kitchen counter, her fuzzy slippers catching occasionally on the jagged parts of her hardwood floors. If she had gone barefoot for even a moment, she’d have been covered in splinters. It seemed every part of her new home needed TLC. Dawson was definitely going to earn every cent she paid him.
As she opened the cooler to retrieve the bottle of iced coffee she’d purchased in town the day before, she heard a knock at the front door.
“I didn’t think you’d be here so early…” she said as she swung open the door, expecting to see Dawson there. Instead, her stomach knotted up as she stared into a face she wasn’t expecting to see. “Mom?”
SuAnn, the biggest neat freak she’d ever known, looked around Julie into the house, her mouth agape. “Oh my goodness… what in the world?” She didn’t even look at her daughter. Instead, she pulled her perfectly manicured hand up to her face and covered her mouth like she’d just seen the preacher shacking up with a local prostitute or something.
“What are you doing here, Mom? How’d you even know…”
“Colleen called me. And it’s a good thing she did! You’re homeless? Oh my goodness, what would your father think? Thank God he’s dead because this would kill him!”
“Okay, that didn’t really make any sense. And I’m not homeless, Mother. I bought this house, and I’m renovating it.”
SuAnn chuckled. “Honey, you don’t know the first thing about renovating a house.”
“She doesn’t, but I do,” Dawson said from behind her.
Startled, Julie turned around. Was everybody trying to scare the crap out of her this morning? “Dawson, how’d you get in here?”
“I came through the back. I saw you had company and didn’t want to interrupt.”
“But I locked the door?”
He laughed. “The lock’s broken. I’ll fix that first.”
She smiled, the same kind of smile someone gives when a kidnapper is holding them hostage and they’re trying to give a signal.
“I’ll start in the kitchen if that’s okay?” he said. Julie nodded.
She turned back to her mother. SuAnn shook her head. “Julie, isn’t it a little soon to be…”
“To be what?”
“Shacking up with a n’er do well? I mean, I know Michael jilted you, but who is this man? A plumber or something?”
Julie stepped out onto the porch and shut the door behind her. “Mother! Honestly! He’s my contractor. Renovations start today. I’m sorry Colleen called you… believe me, we’ll be having a conversation about that… but I’m fine. And I really don’t have time to entertain a guest right now.”
SuAnn put her hand on her heart. “Good Lord, I wouldn’t want to stay here anyway. I’m staying over at the Cambridge House. It’s a lovely place, very historical. Pack your things and come with me. This is no place to live, sweetheart.”
“This is my home.”
SuAnn waved her hand like she was swatting a mosquito. “Oh, please, Julie. We both know you’re just having a little mental breakdown. Now, I know it was hard when Michael left you, but you must confess there had to be a reason.”
Julie seethed with rage inside. Her mother had always had a fondness for Michael, mostly because he made good money. In SuAnn’s world, the man was supposed to bring in the money, and the woman was supposed to keep him happy no matter what. When Julie had started her boutique business, SuAnn had cautioned her not to let things slip at home.
“Let’s not do this, Mother.”
“You know I love you, dear. But I tried to tell you that, as a good wife, you needed to focus on your husband’s needs.”
“Well, my husband’s needs were apparently between the legs of a woman in Boston.”
“Julie Ann! Watch your mouth. My goodness, you’re becoming like a swamp person.”
“What does that even mean?”
“Just you never mind. Please, Julie, come back to the hotel with me. We can sort this out. We’ll find you a nice place near me in the mountains.”
“No, Mom. I’m not leaving here. I made a commitment to a new life and to this little island. It’s my dream.”
“My friend Cicely’s daughter, Patricia, had a nervous breakdown last year after her husband ran off with that woman who played the ukulele down by the ice cream parlor. Anyway, the doctor gave her this medication that made her feel so much better. I can find out the name…”
“Stop! Dear God, why are you like this?”
“Like what?” SuAnn asked, her eyes wide. The sad part was that her mother really didn’t know that how she acted was perceived badly by other people. She just was who she was. Which was why Julie distanced herself as much as possible, only coming around on holidays and calling a couple of times a month to check in. It was the only way to save her sanity.
"Nothing. Listen, Mom, I appreciate that you drove all the way here to check on me. But I'm fine. I just needed some time to myse
lf and a new beginning. Hopefully, you can understand that one day."
"Julie, I didn't just come here to check on you."
"What? Then why did you come here?"
"When Colleen called me, I could tell that she was really worried. I didn't want her to have to fly all the way back from California to check on you. She’s doing great things, that one. I sure hope she finds a nice boy out there who will treat her well. But there was another reason why I came. Look, I'm getting older. And the one thing that I would want more than anything in this world is to have my whole family together at the holidays."
Oh. Julie knew what that meant. She was referring to the estranged relationship that Julie and Janine had with one another. She’d brought it up many times over the years, never understanding why Julie wouldn't come to Christmas if Janine was there. And most of the time that worked out because Janine traveled all over the place, never staying in any one spot very long.
"Mom, I know what you're getting at and nothing has changed. I'm going through a really difficult time in my life, and the last thing I need is more complications. I'm sorry, but the answer is no."
"Well, then, make room for Mommy,” she said as she brushed past Julie and walked into the house. Julie turned around and watched her mother walk across the living room, her arms hugging her body like she was about to get the plague.
"Mom, what are you doing? "
"I'm staying here with you. I can't be sure that you're okay here by yourself on this little godforsaken island in this trash pit of a house, so I'm staying with you. I'm your mother, and I will take care of you."
Julie felt like she was going to throw up. How had this turned so abruptly? "Are you all right? You don't seem like yourself. And you just got finished telling me you didn't even want to come into the house, much less stay here."
"I don't. But you should know better than anyone, my dear sweet daughter, that I get what I want. I want my family together at the holidays, and I'm not leaving here until you agree."
"Mom, you're much more frustrating than normal today. Why are you bringing this up now? It's not even near the holidays?"
SuAnn looked around the room, her upper lip curling like she smelled something bad. "Because, if you and your sister are going to mend fences, you can't do it over the Christmas ham. You have to start now. You have to forge a relationship."
"I'm getting a really bad feeling about this.”
SuAnn walked across the room, poked her head out the front door and waved her hand in the air.
"Mother, what are you doing?" Julie didn't feel like she had ever been this confused in her entire life, including the moment where her husband explained he had a baby with another woman.
"I'm doing what mothers always do. I'm taking charge and fixing a situation that needs to be repaired." She stood there, her chin upturned in defiance. The only problem was, Julie had no idea what the defiance was all about.
Before she could say another word, she saw the person she never thought she'd see standing at the bottom of her front steps. Her sister.
Chapter 6
The last person she had expected to see was her sister. Janine looked much the same, maybe a little thinner. Her once long, dark brown hair was lighter now, flecks of gray streaking through her thick mane. Julie had always been a bit jealous of her hair. Truth be told, she’d been jealous about a lot of things over the years, like Janine’s bubbly personality, her ability to meet new people like it was a sport and her tiny little waist. It was tinier now, which didn’t seem fair at all.
“Hey, sis,” Janine said, finally making eye contact.
“Janine,” Julie said back, her tone very expressive of how she felt right now. “Mom, what’s going on here?”
“Julie, invite your sister in. Didn’t I teach you anything about hospitality?”
Julie sighed and stepped back, opening the door for both of them. Her mother barged right back into the house with Janine behind her, barely looking up until she got inside. She looked around, although her facial expression didn’t give anything away. And why was she carrying luggage… like she was staying?
“Is someone going to tell me what’s going on?”
SuAnn jutted her chin out again. “I’m your mother, and I know what’s best for you. You can’t be out here alone, Julie. That’s simply not an option.”
“Mother, I’m forty-three years old. I can do what I want. And I’m not alone. I have my friend, Dawson, if I need anything.”
“Honestly, darling, you’re far too trusting,” she said. She wasn’t totally wrong. She’d trusted Michael, and where had that gotten her? “When the chips are down… and they’re most assuredly down right now… the only people you can count on are family.”
“My chips are just fine.”
"I told you this wasn't a good idea," Janine suddenly said. Up until that time, she hadn't uttered a word. She had just stood there, shoulders down, eyes looking at the floor, what there was of it. It wasn't like her to be so low energy. She seemed beaten down, although Julie couldn't put her finger on just what was going on. A part of her was curious but the larger part of her really didn't want to know. She didn't want to get involved in this whole thing, whatever it was.
"For once, we agree on something," Julie said. She looked over at her mother. "I appreciate that you're concerned about me, but I'm fine. And even if I'm not fine, I will be. Yes, I've gone through a very difficult time recently, but this is my new beginning, and I'm actually starting to get excited about it."
"Julie, you've always been the type to just run into something without thinking. I think that's probably how we ended up in this position."
"We?"
"Family is family. And you girls have been separated for far too long. This is a great opportunity for you to spend some time together. Get to know each other again. You were so close when you were little."
Julie chuckled. "Mom, I think you're remembering things far differently than they actually were. Janine and I couldn't be more different, and that has only gotten worse as we’ve gotten older."
It was weird to talk about Janine as if she wasn't there, but it was like she wasn't. She was barely looking up. Just from a human standpoint, Julie was getting a little concerned.
"You two are sisters, and you need each other right now. And, I didn't want to tell you this…"
"Tell us what?” Julie asked.
SuAnn took in a deep breath and then turned toward one of the windows, looking out into the distance. "Dr. Archer gave me some unsettling news recently. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want it to become a big deal. But in a few months, it would really make me happy if both of my daughters were sitting across from each other at the Christmas dinner table, laughing and getting along.” She turned and looked at her daughters. "I hate to use mom guilt, but it's all I have left."
"Mom, you didn't tell me anything was wrong. What did Dr. Archer say?" Janine asked, a look of worry on her face.
"Yes, Mom, you have to tell us."
SuAnn smiled sadly. "It's no big deal. There were just some anomalies on my blood work. They're going to retest it around Thanksgiving."
"What kind of anomalies?" Janine asked.
"I don't really understand all of that. But it could point to something concerning. We just are going to watch it for a while."
"Why are you being so evasive about this? Do you want us to just worry for the next few months? Why aren’t we doing something sooner? I have a great doctor that I know in Atlanta…"
"Julie, I love Dr. Archer. He knows what he's doing. And I don't want to talk about this anymore. I just want you girls to do me this one favor. Spend some time together. Let Janine help you work on this house. She's got great design skills.”
Julie struggled not to laugh. The last time she had seen Janine's design skills, it looked like a flower child had landed right in the middle of her bedroom. She definitely wasn't interested in that look for her cottage.
"What are you asking us to
do?" Julie finally asked, worried about the answer.
"Let Janine stay here. Spend a few weeks together. Get past all of these issues that have kept you apart. Do you know what I would give to have my sister back? She died so young, and we were best friends . It breaks my heart that my own two daughters can't get along. When I'm gone, you are all you're going to have left."
"Mom, there's a lot of water under the bridge."
"I agree. I don't think our relationship is salvageable," Janine said, a hint of irritation in her voice.
"Julie, how would you feel if Meg and Colleen stopped speaking? What would it feel like at the holidays for you, as their mother?”
Julie stopped for a moment and thought about it. It would be heartbreaking. She loved her daughters so much, and they were so close. It would destroy the holidays if they weren't speaking or only one of them came to family functions. She couldn't believe what she was about to say.
"Fine. This is about new beginnings and taking chances, so I'm willing to take a chance on letting Janine stay here temporarily. Of course, she has to be willing."
Janine looked up at the ceiling and sighed. "I guess anything is possible. So, yes, I'll stay here for a little while and we can see how it goes."
Neither woman looked particularly happy about their decision, but SuAnn was over the moon excited. She jumped up and down until she realized that the floor beneath her might give way and stopped, looking around her feet like she was about to be sucked up by a sinkhole.
"Oh, thank you, girls! You don't know how much this eases my mind. Now I can go home to my beloved Buddy and rest easy that both of you are taken care of."
Again, Julie got the feeling that something was going on with Janine she was unaware of.
"Janine, why don't you take your things and put them in the kitchen."
"The kitchen?"
"Well, as you can see I don't exactly have guest rooms set up. We'll figure it out after mom leaves. Let me just walk her out."
Janine nodded and walked toward the kitchen.
Julie pointed for her mother to join her on the front porch and closed the door behind them. When she was sure that Janine couldn't hear their conversation, she turned back to her mother.