Chapter 10
CHAPTER 10
Sean and Ben were so thrilled to be out, having gotten a sitter for baby Ollie, that they were the first ones to arrive at Murphy’s and had secured a table for all of them before they got there. They’d missed this cozy neighborhood place, right down to the red checkered tablecloths.
Once they all have their drinks of choice, Ben raises his glass. He clears his throat, “Huh, I’m feeling very emotional about this,” he says, choking up a little. “I’ll be honest, when you first started talking about this, it felt impossible-”
“It hasn’t been built yet, my friend,” Jack jokes.
Ben laughs. “True, but the fact that you got it this far, past all the people who never want anything to change, the Billys and Buds, and the last-ones-over-the-bridge who want to live in the image that has been their fantasy of Cranberry Harbor forever, it’s really unbelievable. But as excited as I am to have Terra Marique become a reality, I am by far more excited about having my old friends back in town for what I hope is a long, long time. So, to Jack, Lizzie, Alexis, Leah, here’s to many more gatherings, time spent together, and growing Cranberry Harbor in a positive way.”
They all clink glasses, “Thank goodness you wrapped that up, I was getting ready to grab the hook!” Sean teases, as only a spouse can. Ben looks sad. “I’m kidding, honey, I felt like we were all going to dissolve into tears and I had to lighten things up.”
“Well I thought it was lovely,” Lizzie says. “And I feel very emotional too. I’m so grateful both those projects passed, and I’m excited for the future of Cranberry Harbor, for you Jack, for the paper, and for all of us. But I'm also really happy and feel so lucky to have come back here. It’s the last thing I ever envisioned for my life, but here we are! And I couldn't be happier.”
“To Cranberry Harbor, old friends and new, and to the future!” Alexis toasts. They all clink glasses again.
“Wow, we really have become our parents, haven’t we?” Jack laughs. “We’re all squishy, and emotional…”
“Hey, there are worse things, all our families are pretty darn great,” Lizzie mock protests.
“Yes, they are,” Jack agrees.
Their food all arrives, a smattering of many items on the menu - everything from cheeseburgers to chowder to fish tacos, and some of Murphy’s famous fries and onion rings as well, and while they eat things fall silent for a little bit.
“I haven’t eaten an entire meal for at least two weeks,” Jack says, finishing up his fish tacos. “I don’t think I completely realized just how stressed out I've been.” He sits back in his chair and sighs. “That tasted so good.”
“Yeah, I’ve been living on coffee and scones from Sea Coast,” Leah says. “Occupational hazard,” she jokes. “I know I’m not as invested as you three,” she says, speaking to Jack, Lizzie, and Alexis, “but I wanted this to happen so much. I want to stay here, I want to run the shop, I also want to maybe someday get married, have a family, and have my kids grow up here. The way things have been going, it's been looking more and more like a total pipe dream. Now though, maybe not so much. I can’t thank you enough, Jack, for giving me something I haven’t had a lot of since I moved back here, hope.”
“Wow, Leah, thank you,” Jack says, now he’s choked up. “All you’ve been doing, all on your own, making your business more sustainable, pushing the town to think in new ways environmentally, that all paved the way for what we're going to be doing. Honestly, if you hadn’t done all you have, this never would have passed. So thank you for all your hard work.”
They all toast again, and Jack leans over and kisses Lizzie. “I love you so much,” he says quietly. “You have no idea how much,” he kisses her again.
Everyone is so emotional, it’s been a long year of planning, researching, writing, meeting, praying and some begging too, to get them to this very moment.
“Does anyone else feel like they could sleep for a week?” Alexis asks, looking around the table. “Well, you two probably always feel that way,” she says, pointing to Ben and Sean, “I don’t have a baby but I kind of feel like this project has been kind of a collective baby for all of us, and I am ready to take a couple of days off and rest!”
Just then Jack’s phone rings, it’s an unfamiliar number so he lets it go to voicemail. A minute later his phone alerts him to a message. He presses the phone to his ear to listen above the din of Murphy’s.
Hi Mr. Cahoon, this is Sam Blackburn from the Boston Sentinel. Rumor has it you are breaking down some barriers there building a new green community on the outskirts of Cranberry Harbor, We’d love to do a story about it. Please call me, my number is 323-555-2313. I look forward to hearing from you.
“Well that’s weird, a reporter from the Sentinel just called me, they want to do a story, but he gave me an L.A. area code,” Jack says, putting his phone down on the table.
“They could have moved from California to work at the Sentinel,” Leah says. “Lots of my friends here don’t have a local number.”
“Yeah, it could be,” Lizzie says, ‘but I know they have no local reporters at the Boston office. Chances are pretty good this person-”
“Sam Blackburn,” Jack says.
“...that Sam is living in California, freelancing and writing stories about Massachusetts,” Lizzie says, shrugging her shoulders.
“Wow, how can they do that and get any kind of feel for the community?” Sean asks.
“They can’t. They may be brilliant writers, but they don’t get what the community is all about, who the people are who are involved, the impacts, and what it means. It’s incredibly generic newspaper writing that has lost all sense of local journalism. It’s really sad,” Lizzie says. “And even sadder is how rare it is that people are doing what my dad and I are. If we didn’t have the angel investors we do, we wouldn’t still be here. It’s sad, but it’s going to take people with money and a commitment to journalism to make an investment in communities like ours”.
She looks at Jack. “So what are you going to do?”
“I don’t want to talk to a guy in L.A., but I suppose I should call and see what’s up. I also don’t like that paper at all since they laid you off, so I’m already biased.”
“This guy probably isn’t going to be the last reporter calling you,” Ben says, “so you’d better get used to being in demand. This is a big deal, and as the country begins to pivot more and more green, this project is going to be an example of what communities can do.”
“Yikes, like I didn’t already feel a lot of pressure! Now I’m going to be the face of this project?” Jack says, looking a little worried. “I’m a tech guy, I’m not someone who ever aspired to be on morning television or the front page of a national newspaper.”
Lizzie puts her arm around his shoulders. “No one is expecting you to do that, as the project gets going you can have other people do the press for you, take care of social media, and just manage all of that for you. You won’t have time to be posting on Instagram or fielding calls. We’ll all help you, so don’t think you’re doing this all by yourself. You’re not. You’ve got a team, and we’re the first line of defense. Okay?”
For the first time in several minutes Jack smiles. He lets out a deep breath. “Okay, you’re right. I just kind of panicked a little bit.”
The evening winds down pretty early. Everyone is exhausted from the stress of the evening, not to mention the build up to it.
“We have definitely lost our ability to stay out late,” says Sean, glancing at the clock on the wall which says 10:02.” He sighs, “Ah, the reality of parenthood.”
“And we wouldn't trade it for anything,” Ben says, putting his arm around Sean. “It’s exhausting, but it is the best thing we’ve ever done.”
They all gather their coats, Jack has paid the tab, despite many protests that it’s his night and he shouldn’t pay, so they make up for it by all putting down cash and leaving an enormous tip for their server.
The group spills out of Murphy’s and heads to their cars, after saying their goodnights and sharing hugs. Jack walks Lizzie to her car.
“Well that was quite an evening. If I kept a diary I’d go home and write about it,” Jack says, leaning against her car.
“Well, I think today most people call them ‘journals?’” she laughs, “and I do have a journal, not a diary, and will make sure to make note of the date and time when all this came to fruition, lest we get so busy we forget.”
“I’m so grateful to have you,” Jack says, pulling her close to him. “I know there’s a lot to do in the next weeks, months,-”
“Years,” Lizzie interrupts, “Sorry, you were saying…”
He laughs, “Yeah, you’re probably right. But now the funding will begin to kick in and I’ll be able to get more help, and spread some of the tasks around. First order of business is going to be hiring an assistant. Someone I can delegate things to. That will help.”
“Maybe then we’ll finally be able to get away for a weekend!” Lizzie posits, hopeful.
“Yes! We need a couple of nights away for sure,” he agrees.
“Though, it’s hard to think of being too far away because, well, stuff keeps happening and we’re both in charge of so much, and I’d worry-”
“I know, me too.” he says. They stand there in the chilly March air, both leaning on her car. “I know, what if we went to the Cape’s End Inn, in Provincetown? This time of year it’s not too crowded, and it’s close enough that if either of us was really needed we could be back here in 40 minutes.”
“But it also feels like a different world...I think that’s perfect! This weekend?” Lizzie asks, hopeful. She could really use a break.
“Yeah! I think before things get really crazy we should just go for it,” he says.
“I’ll call tomorrow and see if they have any rooms available,” Lizzie says. She’s getting cold and as much as she loves Jack, she wants to get home and in her pajamas, so she reaches for the door handle.
“I can call, you don’t have to,” Jack says.
“That’s okay, I kind of know the guy at the front desk, he’s super nice, and maybe he can make sure we get in,” she says, smiling.
“Ah, always the one with the connections,” he says, kissing her on the cheek.
“It’s all about relationships,” she opens the car door and before she gets in, kisses Jack. “Good night, my love, I will talk to you in the morning.”
“Good night. I love you, Lizzie Martin. You are the best.”
“Well, I’m not so sure about that, but I’m glad you think so.”
With that she closes the door, starts the car, fastens her seatbelt and drives off giving Jack a wave.
“This is going to be the best weekend getaway ever, Miss Martin, just you wait,” he says, smiling to himself, as he watches her drive off. “I am going to make this something for that journal, that’s for sure.”