Chapter 1
Sydney
Present Day
The drive had been long, but I was getting closer. I’d only stopped a few times at rest stops or gas stations to grab a snack, get gas, do my business, or catch an hour of sleep. Sleep had pretty much been pointless, and I really wasn’t all that tired.
It was a warm, gorgeous, late morning in July, almost noonday in Maine. Well, maybe not as warm as a July day in St. Louis, but warm here for Maine.
I conjured up so many memories as I was driving up I-95 toward the coastal town of Kittery in my tattered Chevy Malibu. It’s probably time for a new car, but this one is paid off. That’s a big plus. Besides, this baby is still purring like she should be.
I love the scenery. Right now, the tourist season is probably at its peak.
History has it that Kittery is known to be Maine’s oldest town.
Settled between the Atlantic and Piscataqua River, tourists have century-old homes and interesting architecture to keep them busy, along with tons of shopping, seafood, and the never-ending sea.
The seaside town seems like a place with endless possibilities to me, and I’m grateful to begin this new adventure all on my own.
Nana Mabel left everything to Mom and I.
The house though? My favorite place to be while growing up was left solely to me.
Sadly, I had to leave my best friend, Holly, behind with the promise of visiting each other as often as we could.
I know a friendship like ours is hard to come by.
It’s unlikely I’ll find another again in a new place, if at all.
Honestly, I wish Holly would have agreed to come along so that I wouldn’t have to live by myself in Nana’s big, old house.
I understand though. Holly has a great boyfriend and a wonderful family that she just couldn’t bear to leave behind.
I have two things to look forward to. First, I will live a lot closer to Mom and Jim, my stepdad, who live in New Hampshire.
Secondly, I will get a clean slate, which will be refreshing.
Maybe I will write a book this year and try to do something different and creative for myself, even if it doesn’t get finished.
If it does, then that would be an accomplishment.
I smile to myself as I pass the “Welcome to Kittery” sign, venturing into what will be my new life.
Kittery definitely takes pride in keeping its historical, New England-style architecture.
It’s quite beautiful. I consider it peaceful and homey, which is good considering it’s now mine to call home.
I’m traveling along Whipple Rd, enjoying the long-missed sights of Portsmouth Harbor and the islands that rise from its waters.
It really seems like a magnificent place to live.
No wonder it attracts famous artists and writers.
There is just so much inspiration everywhere you look to draw from.
After some hundreds of miles later, I finally find myself pulling into the driveway of a beautiful home, sheltered and backlit by gorgeous trees and foliage.
Behind the house holds the breathtaking sight of a small, private beach with a dock overlooking the Atlantic and its nearby lighthouse.
I get to live in the best of both worlds.
I step out of the car and pop my trunk, noting the gorgeous bay window overlooking the small, wooded area to the left side of the house.
To the right side of the house, there’s a second bay window overlooking the harbor.
I remember sitting at the one on the right-hand side many times, just daydreaming of sailing out to sea.
That is something I’ve promised myself to do before the summer is over, even if it only amounts to a day trip to one of the nearby lighthouses for a picnic and back.
This place will be wonderful. Just what I need.
“Thank you, Nana,” I whisper aloud, hoping that she can hear me.
I find the key exactly where Mom and the estate executor said it would be, and without any trouble, I get my belongings into the house.
There will be more to unpack, but the moving truck won’t be here until tomorrow.
Mom came by herself a few weeks ago after Nana’s cremation to retrieve her ashes and deal with some paperwork.
Nana was never keen on having a huge funeral.
She wanted zero fuss. She was even great about having all of her affairs in order.
That was beyond wonderful, because some of the horror stories I’ve heard from friends that have lost grandparents, or sadly their own parents, early that had not had things in order, had me nervous.
Even though the idea of burning her body absolutely drove Mom crazy, she followed her wishes.
I just try to imagine it like the old days when Vikings had honored their fallen with a beautiful pyre to help send off their souls to Valhalla.
It helps a little. Nana sure would’ve loved that idea.
She likely would have said it was a proper “send off” to God.
Since there’s not a whole lot for me to get started with unpacking yet, I have time to look around at what might need immediate attention before I get settled in.
The living room looks so cozy with Nana’s crocheted blankets and homemade quilts resting on-top of the sofa and rocking chair.
The view from the bay window bench is even more spectacular than I remember as a child.
I look forward to resting on the cushioned bench reading a…
No, scratch that, writing that book I’ve dreamt of writing so much…
during a snowy winter day. The fireplace on the wall to the right of the window is still in great condition, only needing a good mantel dusting.
A cleaning will be a must before the cold weather comes.
Nana must have been working on something new because there is a pattern book open with the yarn and needle set out next to it on the end table.
I check the dining room, bathroom, guest bedroom, laundry room, and library, noting that everything downstairs is perfect with the exception of a leaky faucet in the kitchen. Surely I can figure that out.
As I climb up the steps, I smirk, remembering all the times I got scolded for trying to slide down the banister I now run my hand across.
At the top of the stairs, there is a vase on a small table that needs some fresh flowers.
There are two guest bedrooms, a small bathroom to the right of the house, and a master bath connected to the master bedroom on the left.
Thankfully, there’s no leaks in either bathroom.
The master bedroom holds a gracious amount of space and has a breathtaking view of the ocean through a set of French doors that open up to a small balcony.
I’m going to need a small chair and side table out there for coffee.
Waking up to this view, plus the heavenly sound of the waves crashing along the little strip of shoreline, will be wonderful.
There is absolutely no way that anyone could look out across that water and think that all of this beauty was created by some big bang.
It looks so flawless, it could only have been orchestrated by God, Himself.
The vanity across the room still has Nana’s perfumes and lotions set out.
I walk over and skim the bottles with my fingertips.
I pick up the bottle of perfume and spritz it into the air.
It smells like lilacs. It’s so Mabel that it brings tears to my eyes.
Opening the French doors, I step out onto the balcony, taking in the beauty of the sea.
A breeze lifts the hair off of my shoulders, and I inhale the salty air, suddenly feeling more at ease.
Is that you, Nana? I wonder as a waft of the perfume and sea overwhelm me.
Man, I missed this. I love the smell of the sea, and deep down, I know Nana is with me.
I step back inside, looking over at the beautiful, dark wood sleigh bed, and just know this is the room I'll live in. It doesn’t weird me out that this is where they found her.
It was Nana. The executor said that her bed had been covered in a waterproof mattress cover, so the mattress had been spared.
I’ll get a new one anyway since this one has had many years of use, but it will do for now.
So I gather the bed sheets that Mom slept on when she was here, taking them down to the small laundry room for a good wash.
After getting the bed remade and unpacking the little bit of clothes I brought with me, it’s almost mid- afternoon.
Time for a break… Maybe I’ll even take a quick dip in the water.
I decide on my red triangle bikini. Nana always loved the color red on me.
I assess myself in the full-length antique mirror.
Gorgeous, long, natural, light golden brown hair gleams back at me, one of my favorite attributes next to my bright green eyes.
My peaches and cream complexion compliments a heart-shaped face and a set of pearly whites behind full lips.
I’d thankfully been blessed with a good metabolism, but I still work hard to keep my body lean and toned.
I refuse to deny myself some good food though.
I took up jogging after high school since my source of sports was gone.
I didn’t care a lot for it in the beginning, but now jogging is one of my favorite parts of my mornings.
As I view myself, I try to appreciate what I’ve been given, but still only see a plain Jane.
I sigh and throw my tousled hair up into a messy bun, grab my sunscreen and a towel, and walk out to the patio.
I follow a landscaped path that leads down to the private beach at the rear of the house.