2
Charlotte
My suitcase weighs twenty pounds at least, but it has wheels, so I easily roll it down the hallway.
“Are you sure you don’t want to check that?” asks Sage when I reach the living room. She’s lying on the couch, scrolling on her phone.
“Do you know how many suitcases the airlines lose each year? I’m not taking the chance of wearing the same underwear all week.”
She tilts her head and I’m certain a lewd suggestion is ready on her lips, but she presses them together instead.
Looking around, I ask. “Jane’s not here yet?”
“She texted that she’s on her way.”
“Okay, good. I need to stop by the pharmacy to pick up an extra tube of Charlie’s eczema cream.”
“You’ve already packed two. He’ll be fine, and you gave Jane the prescription if somehow he goes through it all in a week.”
It sounds reasonable, but I’m still not satisfied. “Oh, I almost forgot his favorite blanket.” I rush toward Charlie’s room, but Sage stops me.
“He already said he’s not bringing it. He told us he’s grown now.” She smirks. “I think he’s just afraid Anthony will judge him.”
“Me, too. I’ll pack it for him just in case.”
Before I can do that, Charlie walks out of his room rolling a small carry-on Sage lent him. “Ready, Mom?” he asks.
“Um… I just need to grab one more thing.”
“Don’t do it,” warns Sage, and I pause. Am I being overbearing? Should I just take his word for it?
The doorbell rings, and Charlie runs toward the door. “Aunt Jane’s here. Let’s go!”
His enthusiasm makes my heart leap, and I follow him to the front door. He unlocks it quickly and greets Jane with a high-pitched, “Is Anthony here?”
Jane’s wearing Austin’s jacket and her hair is in a ponytail. But I’ve rarely seen Jane without her light brown hair up. “He’s setting up the tent in the living room, but said it’ll be ready when we get back from the airport.”
“A tent? Man, this is gonna be the best week ever!”
I smile but secretly feel a little hurt that Charlie won’t miss me. My heart’s already aching thinking about saying goodbye to him at the airport. But I keep my thoughts to myself and place our black carry-ons in the truck of Jane’s car.
“So, where are you going exactly, Mom? ”
We fasten our seat belts in the back, while Sage puts hers on in the passenger side.
“That’s a good question. I know the resort’s in St. Kitts, but I don’t remember the name.”
“Ora Villas Resort & Spa,” says Jane as she drives out of our street. “Casey recommended it to Austin when we asked for suggestions for a premium resort in the Caribbean.”
Sage sighs dramatically in her seat. “I still can’t believe you know Casey Tucker. He pitched a perfect game two years ago and almost did it again last season. He’s incredible.”
“It’s ironic how you’re his biggest fan, and yet you’ve never met him,” says Jane.
“Ironic or unlucky?” Sage groans. “Every time I visited Cedar Brook with my family, he was away on travel-ball tournaments.”
Before moving here after college, Sage and her family would vacation at Cedar Brook every year. They would travel from Niagara Falls, Ontario to upstate New York every summer and stay for a couple of weeks. It was how we met and got to know each other better. Jane, Sage, and I were inseparable those summers before college and later became roommates. We’ve been together since.
“It’s sad that he hasn’t been back since senior year. I miss him,” I say .
Jane nods. “Me, too. And while Austin won’t admit it, he misses his brother the most.”
After a few moments of silence, Charlie chimes back in. “Does the resort have a pool?”
“It does,” says Jane.
“And a water park with slides?”
“No. I don’t think so,” confirms Jane. “It’s geared toward relaxing. There’s a Spa, though.”
Charlie’s face falls, and he looks up at me with a frown. “That sucks, Mom. I’m sure you’ll make the best of it,” he whispers, but not nearly low enough for just the two of us because I catch Jane’s smile in the rearview mirror.
A few minutes later, we drive by signs for the airport and various airlines along the highway and I squeeze Charlie’s hand tighter.
A big part of me wants Jane to keep driving past the departures drop-off and take me back home with Charlie. But a small part, one that is difficult to ignore, wonders what it will be like to lie on a beach and not think about anything or anyone for hours. It’s an image that is both exciting and fills me with guilt at the same time.
There is traffic up ahead, and I take the extra time to pull Charlie closer. His hair feels soft under my chin, and I close my eyes, inhaling the scent of his shampoo and committing it to memory.
Jane pulls up underneath the airline sign. “We’re here.”
I nod, but don’t move just yet. Jane, however, gets out of the car and opens the trunk.
“Listen, Charlie,” I say, turning him by the shoulders to look at me. “If you need anything or just want to talk, you can call me anytime.”
“Okay.”
“And if you get scared or lonely, we can video chat the entire night. In fact, I want you to call me every night before you go to bed so I can say goodnight.”
“Okay, Mom.”
“And—”
“Charlotte, he’ll be fine. More than fine. Don’t worry about him, and just have a good time,” Sage says.
I stare at Charlie and he’s staring at me, a bit confused by the tears building in my eyes.
Shit. This is no way to leave him. I need to be stronger.
“I love you, Charlie, and I’ll miss you, but Aunt Sage is right. You’ll have an amazing time with Anthony, and everyone will take care of you while I’m gone. I’ll see you very soon, okay?”
“Okay, Mom. I love you, too.”
I pull him into my arms and fight back the tears and the sob bursting through my chest. My eyes sting and I want to call this whole thing off, but then Charlie pulls away, and I let him go.
“Have fun, Mom.” He kisses my cheek, and I nearly lose my composure.
“You, too, Charlie.” My voice cracks, but somehow I hold the rest of me together before I fall into pieces.
“Charlotte,” Jane calls softly behind me. She’s holding the door open, and I know it’s time to go. I step out and blow Charlie a kiss just as Jane puts her arm around my shoulder and steers me away. “I know this is hard, but it’ll be good for the both of you. It’s only a week, and you’ll have so much to catch up on when you’re back.”
“You’re right. It’s just we’ve never been apart since he was born. I don’t know what to do without him.”
“Live a little,” Jane smiles. “Not a lot, but enough to make memories that will last you a while. Promise me that.”
I nod while my eyes water. “Thank you.”
“Go on. Have a fabulous time and remember…don’t be responsible.”
We chuckle and I hug her tightly. “I’ll call when I land.”
“Okay, but then I’ll call you only if there’s an emergency. Take a real break so you can relax and enjoy.”
“I will. ”
I wave at Sage and Charlie and squeeze Jane’s hand one more time before she walks back to the car. “Goodbye!”
Charlie waves back from inside the car and Sage blows me a kiss.
My heart is full and breaks at the same time, and I drop my arm only when Jane drives off. Even then, I stand and watch as the car merges into traffic and I lose track of it down the ramp. “Goodbye,” I whisper.
A tear finally falls down my cheek and my bottom lip trembles. I don’t know how long I stand there, but several cars have dropped off passengers and I haven’t moved.
I shut my eyes, take a deep breath, then turn around and search for the airline check-in desk.
*
The plane lands to an eruption of applause, and I clap along with the joyous passengers. Since this is my first time flying, I realize I don’t hate it, but the altitude hurts my ears. If I could have driven to St. Kitts I would have preferred that instead.
As soon as the seat belt sign comes off, people stand and clog the aisle. It’s hard to breathe and I want to jump over them and climb out. Finally, ten minutes later, the line moves, but I wait until everyone is nearly off the plane before I venture out of my seat and retrieve my carry-on from the overhead compartment.
The sun is shining through the open cabin door and I can’t wait to breathe in the fresh air, but when my foot hits the rickety steps leading to the tarmac, the humidity blankets my face. I breathe through my mouth and take a shaky step down the stairs. I expected to exit through a tunnel like when we entered the plane.
I lift my carry-on and hold it against my chest as I climb the rest of the way down. The wind whips my hair across my face, and I shake it out of the way.
Finally, I reach the last step and fall in line with the rest of the passengers waiting to go through customs.
The wait isn’t too bad, and by the time I find my luggage on the carousel, I spot a driver holding a sign with my name on it.
“Ms. Tanner?” he asks when I approach him.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“Good day, ma’am. Please follow me.”
It isn’t a long ride, thirty minutes maybe, before he turns onto a long driveway. Palm trees, bushes, and even a pond surround the paved road. There are flamingos in the garden as we near the building.
There aren’t any doors or windows like a typical hotel, instead it’s all exposed to the elements. A valet opens the car door for me and asks me to follow him.
My sandals click against the cream marble foyer and the large fans from the ceiling send a pleasant breeze into the lobby.
“Good afternoon. May I have your name please?” the gentleman at the check- in desk asks.
“Charlotte Tanner.”
“Very good. One moment, please.”
As I wait for him to pull up my information, a server comes by with a tray of mimosas. “Can I offer you a drink, ma’am?”
I never drink before five, but I’m on vacation, so I take one. The champagne bubbles tickle my tongue, and the cold orange juice cools me down immediately. Ah.
“Here we are,” says the man at the front desk. “You are in room 1088, and these are your keys.” He hands me a brochure with a map of the resort inside and two room keys.
“Thank you. Can you tell me in which direction that is?”
“Javier will show you to your room.”
A man wearing a floral shirt, whom I hadn’t noticed until now, appears next to me and grabs my luggage. “Follow me,” he says with a big, toothy smile.
We walk down a covered path toward the building on the left. But I freeze and stare at the most breathtaking view in front of me. I’d only ever seen water like this in pictures, never imagining how it would blow me away in person. The ocean is a shade of blue and green that shifts effortlessly from one color to the other, and the palm trees on either side frame the scene as though I’m inside a living postcard. Only the view isn’t two dimensional. Everything is right here, in front of me—the wind, the salty air, the—
“Ma’am, right this way,” Javier says.
“Yes, sorry. I just couldn’t take my eyes off this view.”
As we turn the corner, Javier stops in front of a dark wooden door in a corridor with several similar-looking doors. He presses the room key to the silver pad and the lock clicks open with a quick green flash.
I’ve stayed in hotel rooms before, but this one is different. There is a foyer, a living room, and even a kitchen table with a modern chandelier hanging over it. The furniture is a light gray with blue pillows and everything looks brand new.
He brings my suitcase to the bedroom and sets it on a narrow table beneath the television screen.
“Is there anything else I can do for you, ma’am?” he asks, with his arms folded behind his back.
I look around, thinking this bedroom is larger than the one at home. “Oh, no. No, this is all… well, it’s all so beautiful. Thank you.”
He remains standing, and I immediately reach into my purse to tip him. “Thank you again,” I say .
He raises his hand. “Oh, no. We do not accept tips here. The hotel pays us well to help our guests and if there is nothing else I can do for you, I’ll leave you to rest.”
I stand there, holding the cash in hand, and I’m not sure if I should insist on him taking it or if that would offend him. I decide to wait and see what the other guests do, and then I’ll seek him out later if necessary.
“Thank you. Everything is perfect.”
With a nod, he leaves the room, and I walk toward the patio doors in the bedroom. There are two sets of sliding doors in this room and the patio spans across the bedroom all the way to the living room. I shake my head at the grandeur and the view of the pool only a few steps away.
“This is freaking amazing,” I chuckle to myself.
Then, I grab my phone from my purse and FaceTime Jane. “Hey, Char, how’s it going?”
“I don’t know how I’ll ever repay you guys. This suite is spectacular. Here, look at this.” I switch the phone’s view and show her the pool outside my room, then turn around and show her the inside.
“Really, Jane. This is too much.”
“Wow, that is incredible! But, Charlotte, that isn’t the room Sage and I booked. It was a pretty standard room. I think Casey might have upgraded you.”
“Really? Oh, gosh. This is too much. How will I– ”
“Stop fretting, and just enjoy it.”
“I will. And I’ll send Casey a lengthy text thanking him after I speak with Charlie.”
“Oh, Charlie’s not here. Austin took the kids for ice cream, but I’ll have him call you before bed.”
I frown, unable to stop myself, and Jane sees it. “None of that. Your face will only bring him down. Go on, enjoy that incredible room, and then head down to the beach. Don’t forget to take lots of photos.”
“I will. Thanks.”
While the bright blue water of the pool looks inviting, Jane’s right. I can’t wait to put my feet in the Caribbean sand. Unzipping my luggage, I pull out my swimsuit. Sage insisted I buy a new bikini and I’m glad she did. The black and gold pattern is flattering against my olive skin tone, and I give myself a once over in the mirror before opening the bedroom door.
Oh my God!
“Ahh!”
I scream and throw a hand over my chest when I see a man in a three-piece suit sitting on the living room couch typing on a laptop.
“Jesus!” he shouts. “Who the hell are you?”