by Nancy Naigle
“That’s half the fun.”
“Dreams are good.” When had she quit longing to see Charleston? She hadn’t thought about that in years, although still now she could see the silvery moss in her mind. “I always thought some Spanish moss would look pretty hanging from the huge water oak in my backyard. Or maybe it would just look out of place.”
“It probably would look pretty.”
“Have you seen Spanish moss before?”
“Only in pictures.”
“Me too. I’ve always wondered what it would feel like in my hand. Soft or stiff? Does it have a smell? Would it grow if you brought some home? I bet it would match the weathered gray of my house.” When had she become such a talker? “Enough about me. What about Paws Town Square? Was it as neat as everyone says?”
“Yes. It was so much more than I expected. Walking trails. Dogs everywhere. Some playing together, some doing their own thing. And there were tons of handlers. They have indoor and outdoor trails too.”
“I’ve heard most of those handlers start as volunteers. Some kind of coordinated effort between PTSD patients and the facility. I think they subsidize therapy for the veterans. I’m not really certain how it all works, but it’s really neat. Takes a special man to build something like that.” Maeve was pressing, wondering if Paul had told Amanda that he owned it. Knowing he and Jack had been friends filled in some blanks around the personal suffering that had driven him to do these good things. Lives touching lives.
“Even the facility design was an elaborate undertaking. I picked up a pass to give it a try. Denali doesn’t do well in the heat, but he needs the exercise. The indoor trails are really beautiful. It’s like walking in a park. You should come with us.”
“I’d love to see it.”
“You could even bring Lala,” Jesse said.
“Only if they have a wagon.” Maeve laughed. “That dog will be much happier left to his own routines. He’s sort of a creature of habit, like me. I think I’ll just tag along with y’all, if you don’t mind.”
“That works too,” Amanda said.
“We’re hungry, Mom.” Jesse and Hailey stood at Amanda’s side, looking like a couple of threatening seagulls begging for french fries.
“Aren’t you always? I better get these guys fed.”
“Why don’t y’all come up to the house and have lunch with me?” Maeve asked. “I made a big tub of tuna salad last night. Not the canned stuff. Tug gave me fresh tuna that he’d grilled. It’s such a treat. I’d love to share it with y’all.”
“Can we, please, Mom?”
“That’s very nice. Thank you, Maeve. You said you were headed down to see Tug. We hate to ruin your plans.”
“Don’t be silly. Tug didn’t even know I was coming.”
“Great! Our things will be fine until we get back. Come on, kids. We’re going to picnic at Maeve’s house.”
They got to Maeve’s and hosed off their sandy feet before going inside. “Amanda and Jesse, you make yourselves comfortable on the deck. Hailey and I will bring the sandwiches out to you,” Maeve said.
As Maeve made the sandwiches, Hailey hung at her hip. “Hailey, I’m going to go grab a platter. I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Yes ma’am.”
Maeve went across the hall into the sunroom, her favorite room of the house. When she was a child, it had been off-limits. The furniture had never even been sat on, not once that she’d ever seen. She’d cleared the room out and made it her own the first day she’d moved back in. It had been a work in progress ever since, growing and changing with Maeve’s every trip to the beach.
The platter she’d been looking for was right there where she’d left it on the desk by the window.
She turned back to the door. Startled, she stopped. “Hailey? I didn’t hear you come in.”
“I got lonely waiting.” Her head swiveled from one side of the three-windowed walls to the other. Not floor-to-ceiling windows like you might see in newer homes, but small individual panels, one framed above the other, each one a perfect three foot wide by two foot tall. Maeve knew because she’d used the deep wooden frames as shelves for her treasures.
At that moment, light hung around the child as though an angel had dropped her from the heavens. Hailey stood there mesmerized. “This is the prettiest room in the whole wide world.”
The discovery of beauty from a child’s eyes overwhelmed Maeve. She turned and looked at the treasures she’d collected. Her life’s work.
“This is my sunroom,” Maeve explained. “I like to come in here and relax while enjoying all the special things I’ve found.”
Hailey’s blond brows set in a straight line. “This isn’t a sunroom. This is a shell room. Look at ’em all.” She pointed her finger, air-tracing her way around each window. Taking it all in, and in no hurry at all. “They are everywhere.” The last statement was barely above a whisper.
“Yes, they most certainly are.” Maeve smiled at this little one. “Maybe more than my fair share.”
“It’s sparkly in here.” Hailey blinked, then started toward the window that Maeve treasured the most. The one full of her most precious pieces of sea glass. “Look at these. They are like Christmas lights.” She reached out and touched the outside of a tall apothecary jar filled with pieces of sea glass in shades of red, and she placed her finger over a brilliant orange piece. “Wow! That’s the prettiest one.”
“You have excellent taste. That’s my most treasured piece.”
Her eyes lifted.
“You can touch it. It’s okay.”
“Can I hold it?”
“Sure.” Maeve walked closer and watched Hailey dip her hand into the jar to reach the dazzling nugget. She knelt down next to her. “It’s the rarest color of all sea glass. My second favorite is this one.” In a separate glass canning jar, Maeve picked up a cobalt-blue piece. “Look, it’s the exact color of your eyes.”
Hailey’s eyes opened wide, and she pressed her face next to Maeve’s hand as she held the sea glass, offering her the chance to compare the two. “I love this room.”
“I do too. It’s my happy place.” The overstuffed white chair in the middle looked lonely now, but she’d never been lonely in this room. There was one other chair—a smaller one that she’d put a slipcover over—and then her momma’s old Queen Anne ladies’ writing desk.
For the first time, she pictured herself in this room differently: not alone but rather with Hailey and Jesse at her feet. It would be so much more colorful with their light in the room. Like shimmering curtains of sun with their energy and innocence in here.
Hailey leaned forward and whispered, “I can keep a secret. You’re my new best friend.” Hailey zipped her lips and threw away the key.
“You are my most special friend.” Maeve took her by the hand and went back to the kitchen to gather lunch and take it outside.
Amanda and Jesse sang, “Row, row, row your boat gently down the stream.”
Maeve carried the tray of sandwiches and drinks. Hailey opened the door, and the two of them joined in for the finale. “Life is but a dream.”
“To dreams,” Maeve said.
They ate lunch, and the afternoon offered a few puffy clouds that were a welcome relief on the scorching day. The conversation was easy, and the laughter made Maeve feel ten years younger. Thank goodness I lived long enough to experience this.
They finished eating and then Hailey got up. “Me and Jesse will take all the dishes to the kitchen.” She collected plates, and Jesse gathered what he could. “We know how.”
“Well, thank you.” Maeve sat back in her chair, letting the two fuss around her. “That’s quite wonderful. I feel like a queen for a day.”
“Queen mermaid,” Jesse said.
“That’s our secret.” As the two youngsters walked through the door t
oward the kitchen, Maeve sat there enjoying their delight. “Oh, Amanda. Remember when we were talking before and you said you had no gifts?”
“Yes. And I still don’t have any.” She took a sip of water and set her glass down with a bump.
“I beg your pardon. You, my dear, are a gift. Seriously, just the pure joy of being in your presence is a gift.”
Amanda sputtered. “Oh right.”
“No, I’m being serious. There’s a sincere and gentle nature about you. Your honesty comes through, and it’s…refreshing. Yes, you’re refreshing.” She understood exactly what Paul had seen in her the first time he and Amanda had met.
“Refreshing? Like a lemon-lime soda?”
“Ah, with effervescent bubbles. No, wait. Hailey and Jesse would be the effervescent bubbles.” She reached over and took Amanda’s hand into her own and gave it a squeeze. “I’m not trying to flatter you, and this isn’t just some old lady spewing random thoughts.”
Amanda sat back, looking a little uncomfortable.
“Listen to me. You bring light with you. You’re bringing this old lady joy right now, and trust me, people who come into your path feel it too. I saw it when you were at the diner. The waitress. Tug. And even your friend Paul. I saw it in him. You think it has to be more, but what we get is enough. It’s always enough. You just need to be yourself and listen to those brief whispers. Don’t hesitate. Things are changing for you.”
“Oh goodie.” Amanda clearly thought she was joking.
“I’m serious. You wait. There is good change on your path. I feel it.” Maeve sat forward. “I saw you help that woman on the beach that day. The one with the husband who’d left with his cooler while she had to get everything else. That made a difference to her. It wasn’t a craft or art or singing; it was you being you. You bolstered her when she needed help. You didn’t think twice about taking action.”
“Of course not. She needed a hand.”
“The awe you inspire in your children as you share nature’s bounty with them, at the ocean or anywhere—that’s a gift. You have gifts you don’t even recognize yet.”
Amanda’s laughter slowed to a thoughtful smile. “Thank you, Maeve. I hope you’re right, but I will say this. Your friendship, you being on my path, has already touched my life in a very beautiful way, and for that I am grateful.”
19
The next morning, Amanda read another passage from the book Ginny had given her. I should have read it sooner. She picked up the phone and dialed her. “Hey, gal. How are you? Did I catch you on your commute to work?” Amanda asked.
“Yes, lady of leisure, lounging on the beach. Some of us do have to work.”
That was the nice thing about Ginny. No matter how much time passed between their chats, they were always easy. “I’ll be doing it come fall. Of course, my commute is like two miles. I could ride my bike if it weren’t for Hailey needing to get there too.”
“You could get her a bike with a basket and a cute little pink helmet. You two would be adorable. Pink streamers on the handlebars, and playing cards clothespinned to the spokes.”
“Yeah, that went out with our parents’ generation.”
“My dad put them on my bike,” Ginny said. “I thought it was cool.”
“Well, you always were a trendsetter.”
“Thanks. So, what’s new?”
“Settling in. Good routines. We love it here. The kids seem so happy. We spend a lot of time on the beach. It’s heavenly.”
“What’s not to love?” Ginny teased. “Playing on the beach every day? I could suffer through it.”
Amanda had thought to keep it to herself about Paul showing up, but she couldn’t hold it in. “Guess who I ran into on the beach right in front of my house? You’ll never guess. It was so unexpected.”
“Don’t tell me your parents finally came down.”
“No. Not in a million years. Paul.”
“Paul Grant, Paul?”
“Yep. Almost jogged right by us near the water one day. I was shocked.” She didn’t go into the whole we-thought-he-was-Jack part. That just made it sound a little too weird, even in her own head.
“You didn’t bury him in the sand, did you? Is this the hey-best-friend-we-need-to-hide-the-body call? I’ve heard of those.”
“No. I apologized for the way I acted.”
“Thank goodness,” Ginny said. “You needed to apologize. You were horrible to that man. I really felt bad for him.”
“Misplaced anger. I know.”
“I was just thankful it wasn’t me you were shouting at. I’d never seen you like that.”
“I can’t believe he even wanted to talk to me.”
“Especially after you told him he was just as dead to you as Jack was.” Ginny sighed. “He knew you were hurting. I’m more surprised he never tried to contact you.”
“No, he promised, and one thing about Paul—that man doesn’t break promises.”
“Even the promise to keep Jack alive?”
“Jack made that decision. Paul begged him to move over to another division with him, but Jack thought getting deployed for a shorter stint was a better trade-off. If he’d gone, maybe they’d both be here today, or maybe I’d have lost them both. I’ve made peace with that now. I knew it then, but I needed to blame someone.”
“Honey, you’ve been through so much. I’m glad he’s around. Paul’s a great guy, and he was always a good friend to you.”
“It’s been really nice to see him.” The words came out a little more wistful than she’d meant.
“Amanda, you deserve something nice. Something fun and happy. You’re okay, right?”
“Yeah. I’m great. A little cautious maybe, but I’m fine.”
“How’d he look?”
Like Jack. “Amazing. Better even, if that’s possible.”
“That’s just wrong. How can a man be that good looking, and nice? And single?”
“He’s just the same ol’ Paul. Fun, sweet, thoughtful Paul.” And I can’t wait to see him again, even though that feels so wrong.
“Oh, sweetie. This is good. A big step. I’m really proud of you, although I feel slightly threatened about losing my position as best friend. I always thought he was sweet on you. This could be your second chance.”
“Ginny! Stop that. I’m not looking for someone to fill a gap. I have the children to think of. Paul is a friend, but you’ll always be my best friend. No one can take that from you.”
“I’m holding you to that promise.”
“You can. As long as you promise to come stay at the beach with me this year. Even if it’s off-season and only two days.”
“I will do that. I promise. Look, I’ve got to run. I’m in the parking lot. I can call you back when I get home from work if you need me to.”
“No, no, I’m fine. I just wanted to tell you, and to thank you for always being there for me. I also wanted to thank you for the book you sent me.”
“I didn’t send you anything.”
“Yeah, you did. Not recently, but back when Jack died. Honestly, I couldn’t even bring myself to get through the whole inscription then.”
“Girl, that was two years ago. I can’t even tell you what the title of that book was if my life depended on it. I just didn’t know what else to do.”
“Yeah, well I couldn’t bear to read it then, but it has been helpful lately. I’ve been reading a page a day. Thank you. It’s been a long time coming. Might’ve been helpful if I’d read it when you gave it to me.”
“You probably weren’t ready then. Books are funny like that. If it doesn’t seem right, set it aside and it’ll be there when you’re ready to hear the message.”
“Thank you for the sweet words inside. They really mean a lot.”
“I love you, Amanda. I’m so glad it helped, eve
n if it did take two years to kick in.”
Amanda disconnected the call and sat there curled at the end of the couch. She was lucky to have such good people in her life.
Hailey walked into the living room, wearing her polka-dot bathing suit and a pair of star-shaped sunglasses she’d begged for at the pharmacy checkout.
“Hey, glamour girl.”
“Hello, dahling,” Hailey said, dragging out the words in the most Southern of drawls.
“Oh my. Is it like that?” Amanda pretended to blow on drying nails. “I see. What can I do for you, Ms. Hailey Whittier?”
“I’m here to see if we shall go to the sandy beach today.”
“Why, sugar, I do think that would be lovely. As soon as my nails dry.”
“Your nails aren’t wet,” she said.
“Oh. So they aren’t.”
“Can we take our nail polish off like Miss Maeve’s?”
“Sure. Go get the polish remover. It’s under the bathroom sink. And some cotton balls.”
Hailey went down the hall and came running back with the items. At the same time, Jesse came into the living room and lay on the couch beside her.
Amanda removed all the color from Hailey’s nails and did Jesse’s toes even though they were naked already. His feet were so ticklish he could hardly stand it. She cleared the polish from her own nails and then put the remover away.
“Beach?”
“Finally!” Jesse hopped to his feet.
* * *
—
They’d been on the beach about an hour when Paul showed up carrying a big bag.
“What are you up to?” she asked. “I didn’t know you were going to be around today.”
“I hope that’s okay. How are you?” His smile reminded her of better days.
She raised her hand over her eyes, straining against the sun. “We’re good.”