Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
T he dark clouds gathering overhead signaled an approaching storm, and Maggie felt a deep, unsettling foreboding within her bones, sensing trouble ahead in more ways than one.
The air was warm, but not enough to chase away the chill from her body. Pulling her sweater close, she curled up in her chair and watched the dark clouds swirl in the sky. Soon, rain would hit her window and obscure her view.
Paolo came inside from the garden, bringing with him a gust of wind that made it difficult to close the door.
“I tied up several plants and covered some for protection. I hope it’s enough to keep them safe.”
Maggie continued to stare out the window, not responding.
“I thought I’d make a pot of tea. Would you like some?” he asked.
Maggie shook her head. “No, thanks.”
As Paolo went into the kitchen, Maggie reached for a blanket draped over the back of her chair. Although it was only six o’clock in the evening, the darkness outside made it look like the middle of the night. She glanced at the clock on the mantel and sighed.
It’s too late now for the doctor to call.
She stared at the painting above her, remembering how it had hung on the wall of her family home when she was a child. Whenever she was sick, her mother would let her sleep on the sofa near her parents’ bedroom, which made her feel safe.
The painting, depicting a farm with four white sheep grazing in front of an old farmhouse, was at the foot of the sofa. Maggie had decided early on that it belonged to her. She’d never understood why that painting comforted her, but it was such an important part of her childhood that she had kept it all these years.
Now, as she looked at the painting, she smiled, realizing it still had the power to soothe her anxiety.
Just as Paolo returned to the living room, Maggie’s cellphone rang. She sat up and quickly grabbed it. “Hello?”
“Maggie, I’m so sorry to call you this late, but it’s been pretty hectic the last few days. I think everyone is trying to get in here before the holiday. My assistant told me you called and the reason. So, you’ve found another lump?”
“Yes, thank you so much for getting back to me, Dr. Renolt. I’ve been a bit frantic as you can imagine.”
“I understand. Well, let’s get you in here for an exam and possible biopsy. I can tell you that worrying won’t help, but I know it’s impossible not to worry. We’re running close to Christmas as you know, but I’ll see if I can get you in the day after tomorrow. Will that work for you?”
“Absolutely, just tell me what time and I’ll be there.”
“All right. I’ll have my assistant call you back with the details. In the meantime, try to relax. I’ve had women in your situation whose lumps turned out to be nothing at all. You hang in there, okay?”
“I will. Thank you, Doctor.”
Maggie ended the call and sat back in her chair.
Paolo had been sitting on the sofa anxiously, waiting to hear what the doctor said.
“Well?”
“He’s going to get me in for an exam and possible biopsy the day after tomorrow.”
“That’s great.”
Maggie smiled. “I know. At least we’ll know what this thing is before Christmas. He said he’d have his assistant call me to schedule the appointment. I don’t think we have anything on our calendar, although I do have to call Oliver and offer him the job.”
Paolo knelt in front of her and took her hands in his. “I don’t care if we do have something on our calendar. It will get moved. Nothing is more important than this. And, no matter what the results are, we’re going to have a wonderful Christmas. I promise you.”
Maggie nodded. “You’re right, we are.”
It wasn’t the first time she’d forced herself to think positively in the face of terrifying news. Maggie was determined to make this holiday, with all her family together, the best one yet.
The next morning, Maggie decided to walk to Oliver’s bungalow on the beach instead of calling him. She knew exactly where his place was and had walked by the tiny structure several times on her morning walk over the years.
The rain had stopped hours earlier, but left a cool, wet covering on the sand, making it easier to walk. The sky was clear and promised to be another beautiful Captiva sunny day.
As she approached the house, she saw Oliver sitting on a beach blanket. His legs crossed, he was writing something in a leather-bound book.
“Good morning, Oliver.”
“Maggie, hello.” He started to get up but Maggie stopped him.
“Please, sit. I’ll join you if you don’t mind?”
“I don’t mind at all. Would you rather a chair?”
Maggie shook her head. “Not at all. I love sitting on a blanket now and then. It reminds me of when I was a teenager. We didn’t have the luxury of beach chairs back then.”
He laughed. “I hear you. I had the same experience as a kid. I’m surprised to see you. I didn’t expect to see anyone on the beach this early.”
“There are days when I walk the beach earlier than this. I wanted to talk to you in person about the job, rather than on the phone.”
“You’re here to deliver the bad news?”
“No bad news. I…we all want to offer you the job.”
He smiled. “Thank you, Maggie. I’m happy to accept. It’s what I’ve been praying for.”
“You’ve heard people say, be careful what you pray for? Well, I should tell you that I’m going to need serious help this holiday. My entire family is coming to Captiva. That means children, grandchildren, and my mother, who is someone you’ll come to know well.”
“Sounds wonderful,” he said.
“I have five children with families of their own. I counted the number of visitors we’re going to have, and I think it’s somewhere around twenty to twenty-five people coming in and out of the kitchen day and night. Iris will stay with us this Christmas, but she’s going to need help. I was going to ask you to start after the holiday, but I thought I would ask you what your plans are first.”
He shook his head and then smiled again. “I’m not going anywhere for Christmas, so if you want me to start right away, I will.”
“Wonderful, welcome to the Key Lime Garden Inn. I’m honestly thrilled you’re joining our family. I hope you’ll come to think of us as such.”
He nodded and looked down at the sand, and Maggie suddenly realized the word ‘family’ had a completely different meaning to him now. She decided to be straight with him about what she knew.
“I’m sorry about what you’ve been through,” she said softly.
He looked her in the eye and wasn’t smiling.
“You know?”
She nodded. “I didn’t know the day of the interview, but I did a little research before making my final decision and, well…”
He stopped her. “Of course, I should have realized…it was your right to do so. At least you know I don’t have a criminal background.”
“I don’t know what to say, Oliver. We don’t have to talk about this right now…or ever, if you’d prefer. I just wanted you to know that we’re family here at the inn, and everyone who works here knows they are loved and feels safe to share whatever they need without judgment.”
He looked off at the horizon and didn’t say anything for a few minutes. They sat in silence, and Maggie wondered if she should get up and leave. She touched his shoulder and then started to get up off the ground.
“You know where I am if you ever want to talk. In the meantime, I’ll see you tomorrow morning in the kitchen bright and early. Iris gets in at five-thirty. How does that sound?”
He nodded. “I’ll be there.”
She turned to walk away when he called out to her. “Maggie!” he yelled as he got up and walked toward her.
“Thank you, not just for the job, but for reaching out. I always knew I’d have to talk about losing my family when I decided to go back to work. I appreciate what you’ve said, and I want you to know that in time, when I’m ready, I’d like the two of us to sit down and talk about it. Right now, for my health, I need to focus only on my work. I’m just not ready yet.
Maggie nodded. “Understood, is it all right if I hug you?”
He laughed. “I don’t think I’ve ever had an employer ask me that before, but yes, I’d love a hug.”
She put her arms around him and gently rubbed his back, unsure of who needed the hug more.
Trevor Hutchins spread two blankets on the sand, making a comfortable spot for his family. Once the blankets were laid out, his wife, Sarah, began changing their baby’s diaper.
Sarah teased her daughter and tickled her tummy. “Nice timing you’ve got there, little one. I could have changed you upstairs before putting you in this swimsuit.”
Trevor laughed and watched their other two children play in the sand. Their son, Noah, patiently showed his little sister, Sophia, how to use the plastic shovel to get the most sand into the bucket.
“I know you’re chomping at the bit to start working with Steven, but we’ve got to get through the holidays first. Mom, Chelsea and I went shopping the other day and I got tons of stuff for the kids. I’m leaving everything at her place so I can wrap the gifts in peace and they won’t see what I bought.”
“Great idea. This Christmas should be a blast with everyone coming down,” he said.
“Yes and no. Mom found another lump the other day. We’ve been waiting for the doctor to call her back so she can get in there and find out what’s going on. She’s putting on a brave front, but I know she’s scared. I’m scared too.”
“Oh, honey, I’m so sorry. This is terrible news, especially that it’s happening this time of year. The doctor still hasn’t called?”
“I haven’t talked to her since we went shopping. I was going to call her later today to find out.”
“I don’t know much about these things, but is it possible it’s nothing? I mean, people have lumps all the time that aren’t cancer.”
Sarah nodded. “It’s possible, and what I’m praying for, but if her cancer has returned, we’ve all got to rally around her this time. No more keeping information from her family, because she doesn’t want to worry us. She has to fight this thing, and that means she’ll need every one of us for support. As soon as we know for sure, I’m going to call Lauren, Beth, Chris and Michael on a video call. I don’t want Mom to have to repeat this news four more times.”
Trevor nodded. “That’s a good idea.
“Mommy, look!” Sophia yelled as she dumped a huge mound of sand on Noah’s feet.
“Did you put her up to that?” Sarah asked Noah, who was giggling but didn’t answer.
“Sarah, I wanted to talk to you about something that’s been on my mind. It’s about my new job.”
“What about it?”
“First, you are right about me chomping at the bit. Ever since I accepted the job, my mind has been spinning constantly with ideas that I can’t wait to talk to Steven about.”
“That’s great, honey. I know he’s thrilled you accepted the job.”
“I know that some of the people you and Ciara work with at the Outreach Center live in their cars.”
Sarah nodded. “Those are the lucky ones, at least they have a roof over their heads.”
“Exactly. Since my new job is working with someone who constructs sustainable housing, why not collaborate with us to find a way to place these people in homes they can afford?”
Sarah’s eyes lit up with genuine enthusiasm. “Is that even possible? I just assumed that even though these homes are built with unique materials, the company isn’t building them for free. Someone is making money, somewhere.”
“Of course, but Steven has already purchased several acres of closed businesses and abandoned homes to build prefabricated tiny ones with this purpose in mind. He’s talked about me getting the word out, and I think you and the Outreach Center could be a perfect way to reach those who are homeless.”
“And the cost to those people who can’t afford much?” she asked.
“I’m not sure. All I want is for you to think about this. We’ll see Steven at Christmas, won’t we? You, Ciara, and I can talk to him about it then.”
Sarah nodded. “The Outreach Center works with other organizations. We could also pass the word to them. If we can create a program that not only provides housing, but also educates people on sustainable living, that would be wonderful. Imagine a workshop series on sustainable living, gardening, and energy efficiency, alongside providing actual homes.”
“Absolutely. We could work with them on financial planning, home maintenance workshops, and community gardens to encourage self-sufficiency,” he added.
Sarah laughed. “I just said that.”
Trevor took her hand and squeezed it. “See, we’re already on the same page.”