Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
E mma Thurston Graham walked up the familiar path to Sarah and Trevor’s front door. She was excited to see her best friend and college roommate, and how Sarah’s children had grown since her last visit.
Her hand instinctively cradled her growing belly, a gesture she found herself making more often these days. The sound of waves crashing in the distance brought back memories of her first days on Captiva Island, where she sought solace and clarity. Now, nearly two years later, she returned with a different purpose and heart full of hope.
Sarah opened the door before Emma knocked, her face lighting up with a broad smile.
“Emma!” she yelled, pulling her friend into a gentle embrace. “You look radiant.”
Emma laughed, stepping back to allow Sarah a better look at her round belly.
“Well, I certainly feel different,” she said, a hint of amusement in her voice. “Can you believe this?” she said, pointing to her stomach.
Sarah laughed. “Actually, no, I can’t. National Geographic photographer, world traveler, never getting married, never having children, best friend? Nope, I didn’t see this coming.”
Emma shrugged her shoulders. “Neither did I. Funny the things love makes you do.”
“Well, get in here and let’s have a visit. I want to hear everything. Have a seat in the living room. Would you like some lemonade?”
“That sounds heavenly. It’s already hot outside and I’m thirsty.”
Sarah ushered her inside, the cool air conditioning a welcome relief from the heat outside. They made their way to the living room, where Sophia played in the corner of the room.
“Hey Sophia, remember your Aunt Emma?” Sarah asked.
“Hi Sophia,” Emma said as the little girl looked up and smiled.
“Oh. Sarah, she’s beautiful. I can’t believe how much she’s grown. Are Noah and little Maggie around?”
Sarah shook her head. “No, Trevor took them to his parents’ for a visit. Now that you’re home for good, you’ll have plenty of chances to see them.”
Sarah went to the refrigerator and reached for the pitcher of lemonade.
While she poured it into two glasses, Emma sat on the living room sofa.
“About that…” Emma made a face. “Well…”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Don’t tell me, you’re not staying?”
“It’s not that bad, I’m staying for another four months. That’s longer than I usually stay.”
Clearly disappointed, Sarah said, “Em…come on, I thought you were moving to Florida.”
“Don’t be mad,” she pleaded. “You wouldn’t believe it if I told you why.”
“Well, tell me, for heaven’s sake, and you better have a good reason.”
“Gareth and I found this old ruin in Tuscany, a beautiful, crumbling villa that’s been abandoned for years. We’re planning to renovate it and turn it into our home.”
Sarah’s eyebrows shot up in surprise. “A ruin in Tuscany? That sounds like something out of a romance novel.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” Emma agreed, her smile widening. “But it’s real, and it’s ours. We’ve been going back and forth on plans, talking with architects, and figuring out how to make it livable. It’s a huge project, but we’re both excited about it. It feels like the perfect place to raise our child.”
Sarah shook her head. “Emma, you amaze me, you never take the easy path.”
Emma shrugged. “I guess not. Anyway, I wanted to have my baby near my parents, so I'm here until after the baby comes, and then off to Tuscany.”
“We’re going to have to cram in as much time together as possible while you’re here.”
Sarah joined Emma on the sofa and put the tray of lemonade on the coffee table.
Emma put her hand on Sarah’s arm. “There’s another reason I wanted to see you today. Gareth and I would like you to be our baby’s Godmother.”
“Oh Emma, what a gift. Of course, I’d be honored.”
“I would have asked my sister Jillian but I decided to wait and ask her when we have our second baby.”
Sarah laughed. “Really? This is the funniest situation. You and I were so against having children and getting married, and now look at us. It’s crazy.”
Emma nodded. “I was always focused on my career, and…then, there was Timothy. When I lost him, I think I lost myself a bit. All I wanted to do was escape in my work.”
Emma’s eyes softened, memories of the past flooding her mind. “It’s been a long journey to get here,” she admitted. “There were times when I didn’t think I’d ever find peace again. After losing Timothy…and then, walking the Camino, I thought becoming a nun might be my only path to healing.”
Sarah nodded. “I understand how the weight of those memories made life unbearable. But you found another path.”
“Yes,” Emma said. “Meeting Gareth changed everything. He understood the pain I carried because he had his own. We helped each other heal, and in doing so, we found love. I never expected to find it again. I’m so grateful.”
Sarah smiled, squeezing Emma’s hand. “And now you’re having a baby.”
Emma laughed. “I often wonder how long I’m going to be in this state of shock. I swear, right up until the birth, I’m going to be like…I’m a mother? What?”
Sarah laughed, and then leaned back on the sofa. “It’s amazing how life changes in the blink of an eye, isn’t it? One minute we’re college roommates worrying about exams, and the next, you’re planning a life in Tuscany with a baby on the way, and I’m married with three children.”
Emma leaned back and slipped her arm under Sarah’s.
“We’re blessed, Sarah. We’re truly blessed.”
They spent the rest of the morning talking about everything and nothing, their conversation flowing effortlessly, as it always had. Emma felt a deep sense of contentment. Her life had taken many unexpected turns, but here, with her best friend by her side and a new life growing inside her, she knew she was exactly where she was meant to be.
And Tuscany? That dream would come in time. For now, she was happy to simply be home.
It wasn’t long after Emma left that Sarah realized she had one more thing on her to-do list. She sent Ciara a text, asking her to stop by when she had a minute.
Since Ciara was already on her way home from the Outreach Center, she stopped by Sarah’s to see what was so important.
“Hey girl. What’s up?” Ciara asked when Sarah opened the door.
“I’m sorry to sound so mysterious, but I completely forgot that I needed to talk to you before Trevor got home. Also, I don’t want to have this conversation at Christmas.”
“Okay, what’s going on?”
“Trevor keeps asking me if I’ve talked to you about this, and I keep forgetting. You know how he’s starting his new job in January?”
“Yeah, what about it?”
“Well, he’s got a great idea about trying to get his new company to work with the Outreach Center to find people in need of affordable housing. He said he wants to talk to the mayor about this. Since the Outreach Center deals with many homeless, Trevor plans to talk to Steven about the two joining forces.”
“I think it’s a great idea,” Ciara said.
“You do? I thought I’d have to convince you.”
“My only concern is that you and I both know how long it takes to get anything done in this state. I’d love to snap my fingers and magically make this happen, but…”
“You and Trevor both. I sometimes think he’s not looking at the big picture. I told him that it’s not going to be that easy, but his head is in the clouds with so much excitement, I’m not sure he’s hearing me.”
“So,” Ciara said, folding her arms as she leaned back in her chair, “what’s the next step? Have you and Trevor talked about how you’re going to approach this?”
Sarah sighed, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “That’s just it. Trevor’s already planning to dive in headfirst. I love his enthusiasm—it’s one of the reasons I fell in love with him—but sometimes I worry he’s setting himself up for disappointment. I don’t know, maybe I’m the problem. Where he sees possibilities, I see roadblocks.”
Ciara laughed, “That’s you, all right. There’s nothing wrong with being cautious. Think of it this way, you two have a balanced marriage when it comes to perspective. If you both were the same, either nothing would get done, or you’d both blow up everything you tried. You’d keep getting up after life knocked you down, but neither of you would stop and plan to not fall down in the first place.”
Sarah laughed at Ciara’s way of explaining her situation.
“Boy, do you have our number. Very well put, but what do we do about it?”
“You need to look at your relationship dynamic in a positive way. You’re Trevor’s grounding force. He’s the dreamer, and you’re the one who helps turn those dreams into reality.”
“I hadn’t thought of it that way. I need to make sure he knows that I’m with him on this, but that we also need to be smart about it.”
“And you will,” Ciara assured her. “Keep in mind that the kind of change Trevor’s talking about doesn’t happen overnight. But if he’s willing to put in the work, and if he can get the right people on board, there’s no reason why this couldn’t be successful.”
Sarah’s expression softened, the weight of her worries beginning to lift. “I think you’re right. I just need to remind myself and Trevor that this is a marathon, not a sprint, as we try to push through his idea.”
“Sarah, let me ask you something. What do you think about Trevor involving you in his work? That’s a special thing. I’m going to help, of course, but he came to you to help him with this. Your part-time job at the Outreach Center could evolve into another full-time career without you realizing it. I know you wanted to be home with your children, and that’s why you’ve chosen part-time work, but what Trevor suggests isn’t part-time.”
“I hadn’t thought about it that way,” Sarah answered.
“Well, I suggest you do. Believe me, I’d love nothing better than to have you working full-time, but you’ll need to think about what is most important to you. From what you’ve told me, full-time work isn’t it.”
Sarah nodded. She desperately wanted to help Trevor, but she couldn’t lose sight of the fact that his dreams weren’t always hers. Supporting him was one thing, losing herself in the process was something completely different.