Epilogue
Ten Months Later, Mia
Instead of once a year, I got a fresh start each week. But instead of a new week starting every Monday, it now started every Saturday when a new group of weekly renters arrived.
I’d finished up my last year teaching first grade just last week, and I was already up at Agate Harbors. This time for good. I was no longer coming up here to go on vacation; I was coming home.
My hand hurt, but I was finally at the end of the pile of loons I was cutting out of black construction paper.
That was going be our craft this week for Kids Camp.
I already had bits of white paper cut out for their spots and red circles for the eyes sitting in piles on my new desk.
Bower had cleared out one of the small back rooms in the lodge for my office.
Gill had made good on his offer to hire me as the activity director—I’d oversee Kids Camp and take over most of the other guest activities.
Bower was ecstatic that he no longer had to call bingo.
It wasn’t a lot of money, but I was okay with that.
I had free lodging and got to live in my favorite place.
Over the past school year, Bower and I had seen each other whenever we could—mostly on school breaks and on the odd weekend when I’d drive up to Agate Harbors or he’d find time to drive down to the Cities. We’d been taking it slow, learning how to be with each other after years of missed moments.
I couldn’t be happier.
Especially because I’d moved into his cabin. It was small, but I never wanted to be far from Bower. Most of our time was spent outside on the resort grounds, and by the time we were ready for bed, we didn’t need much space.
With a final snip of my scissors, I set the loon down on top of the others.
They weren’t perfectly symmetrical, but the kids wouldn’t care.
I needed to check on the markers. There were always kids who left off the caps, and the markers dried out during the week.
As a goodbye gift, the art teacher at my school had given me her stockpile of student markers from the year—many of which hadn’t been used.
I’d protested, but she’d insisted, telling me she had it in her budget to order new markers for the next school year.
Bower had stayed busy with the resort while I’d been finishing up my last year. Between odd jobs around Agate Harbors, he was going to therapy twice a week and met with a group of veterans once a week on Sundays.
After their first meeting, Bower had showed up followed by two pickup trucks and five guys from the group.
He’d shared his trouble with the resort’s weekly firework show, and the group had jumped in with an immediate solution.
The beds of the trucks had been filled with acoustic foam panels, adhesive, and screws.
It had taken them a few hours to insulate our cabin from sound—this way, every Friday night Bower could retreat to our cabin and relax instead of having to hide in the shower to drown out the noise.
I didn’t mind the aesthetics. The panels kept the sound of the fireworks out—and the sounds we made together at night in.
I still wore my rain boots everywhere, and no one batted an eye.
When I’d accepted the job and officially moved in with Bower, he’d surprised me with a stack of Agate Harbors tank tops, all of them tagless.
They’d become my daily resort uniform. Between those accommodations and my weekly virtual therapy appointments, I was doing better than ever.
Maybe one day I’d be able to stand barefoot on the beach with Bower’s hand in mine.
Betty had remained stable over the past year, a lot less agitated. Gill and Bower had hired an in-home nurse to help keep an eye on her and keep her company while Bower worked and Gill fished. Bower’s grandpa wasn’t handling Betty’s condition well, but we all tried to support him the best we could.
Betty seemed content, even though she no longer recognized me. She’d forgotten who I was shortly after riding in the back seat with me back to the resort. It was like she’d done what she set out to do—get Bower and me together—and now that that was done, she could relax.
As I finished putting away my art supplies, the door to the lodge swung open. I couldn’t see anything but his silhouette as the sun streamed in behind him.
“Are you ready for the week?” Bower asked.
I nodded. I had everything prepped for Kids Camp.
“Come with me to the lake before the guests start arriving.” Bower held out his hand, but I pushed past it, instead reaching up and wrapping my arms around his neck. I took a deep breath in through my nose. I could smell him, smell the lake.
“You mean before my family gets here?” I asked.
This week Ruby was coming up with my parents, who seemed actually excited for me to be working and living here.
My parents were bringing up the rest of my things from their house and were using the trip as an excuse to stay at the resort for an extra week this summer.
I was surprised Ruby was driving up with them—she hadn’t complained or made any off-handed comments about dreading the ride.
Maybe it was because I lived here now and she missed me…
but I suspected there was someone else she was looking forward to seeing.
“Exactly,” Bower said. “I need to squeeze in some more time with you while I can. I have a feeling you’ll want to be with Ruby this week.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure she’s going to have time for me.”
He bent down and brushed the tip of his nose against mine. “What do you mean?”
“There’s something magical about the lake… I have a feeling Ruby’s about to find out.”
Bower smiled, leaning in even closer, this time pressing his lips to mine.
There were only so many summers. We had to choose how we spent them wisely.
This was the first summer I’d chosen to do what made me happy, without the judgment or influence of others.
What made me happy was Agate Harbors and Bower—I was going to spend my entire summer loving both.
Lucky for me, my summer never had to end.