Chapter Twenty-One
Tug walked her to her door, which Rosemary thought was really sweet. A complete gentleman.
That was the most fun she’d had in a long time. It was just her speed. Quiet and no expectations. Inside, she plopped down on the couch, enjoying feeling so good.
She’d almost forgotten this feeling.
It wasn’t even eight o’clock yet, so she turned on the television to the game show channel. It was one of those trivia games, and she surprised herself at how many answers she guessed.
During the commercial, she got up and fed Prissy. Taking care of a cat was a piece of cake. Prissy barely came out from hiding except to eat. No sooner had Rosemary dropped the little scoop of food into the bowl than Prissy sashayed around the corner, tail in the air, like a performer taking the stage.
“It doesn’t look all that appealing, Prissy. I believe if you were my cat, I’d make you something tastier, but this is what we’ve got.”
Prissy dipped her face into the bowl and ate.
The insurance adjuster had taken pictures of the fence this morning, so all of Rosemary’s responsibilities were done.
It was sort of nice being here alone with nothing hanging over her head.
Her phone pinged. It was Kathleen.
Kathleen
Are you home?
Rosemary
Yes.
We’re having a ball. We are tempted to stay longer if you don’t mind cat sitting.
Don’t mind at all.
Prissy walked into the room, stared at Rosemary for a long moment, and then walked right over and curled up beside her on the couch.
Well, I think we’ve finally become friends. “It’s you and me for a few more days.” Was Prissy just sucking up for the promise of a home-cooked meal? Rosemary sank her fingers into the cat’s soft fur. When Prissy started purring, Rosemary couldn’t stop grinning. She’d heard nothing like it. And who knew cats vibrated like that?
“And all along I thought I was a dog person,” she said.
Rosemary soon fell asleep on the couch, with Prissy at her side.
She dreamed of sunny days of walking the beach and woke up excited to relax in the sun. But the weather had taken a turn.
It was a drizzly gray morning again, and that put a damper on her good mood. A peek at the weather forecast didn’t look too promising.
She wondered how Tug was doing. When he was driving her back last night, he’d glanced over to where the diner had once been. He didn’t say a word, but she noticed the hitch in his breath and the set of his jaw. He had a lot on his mind.
Prissy jumped down and disappeared, probably to find another cozy spot to sleep.
That afternoon, being cooped up in the house was making her a little crazy, so she tucked the shell in her purse and went for a drive. She stopped at the library to see if they had the local newspapers available for research.
“Are you looking for anything in particular?” the librarian inquired.
“Um, well…” This woman probably knew everything there was to know about these shells, but Rosemary wasn’t sure she wanted to share it with her. “Just looking up some of the town legends. I’d heard something about shells with messages in them.”
The woman nodded. “That’s true. People come in here all the time thinking it’s just an old wives’ tale, but I’ve seen some shells on display. I’ve never found one, but I know people who have.”
“That must be pretty special.”
“I’d say so.” The librarian led Rosemary over to a small table in the corner. “Here, I’ll get you set up. There are quite a few stories in the local paper about the findings. Some with pictures even. I’d have sent you down to the diner to talk to Tug. He’s sort of the unofficial historian of them. He’s been displaying them for years. Unfortunately, the diner didn’t make it through the hurricane.”
“That’s terrible.”
“It is. He built it from the ground up. It was the heartbeat of this town. The locals’ favorite. It’s heartbreaking, really.”
Rosemary knew how hard it was to accept an unplanned change in your life. She said a silent prayer for Tug, then pored over the old-style microfiche articles until her eyes were weary. Some messages had been direct quotes from the Bible, others famous quotes, and a few were like a personal note someone might leave for a friend. Not fancy, but thought provoking and somehow promising at the same time.
In not one article was anyone speculating about how the shells appeared or the reasons behind who found them or where they were found.
Some had been found in the water. Amanda said she found hers near her house. One lady in an article said she found hers next to her mailbox, miles from the water. One thing they all had in common was that the words in those shells led those people in a positive direction during a challenging time.
“Did you find everything you needed?” The librarian approached her, smiling.
“Yes. It’s so interesting. I was just finishing up.”
“I’ll put that away for you.”
Rosemary got up and pushed her chair in. “Thank you so much for your help.”
“Stop in anytime.”
She walked outside and pulled her phone out. At least the rain had stopped, but it was still overcast. Rosemary scrolled through her phone, then tapped on Amanda’s name to call her. She walked in a circle, relieved when Amanda answered.
“Hi? Amanda. It’s Rosemary.”
“Hello. It’s good to hear from you.”
“Are you busy?” Rosemary crossed her fingers.
“No. I’m just trying to keep these kids from bouncing off the walls. Rainy days are the pits around here.”
“Want some company?”
“I’m dying for some adult conversation! Please come over.”
“I’m on my way.” Rosemary got back in her car. It was a quick trip to Amanda’s, but if she remembered correctly, she’d go right past that little market.
Delighted when she spotted the market, she ran inside to pick up four Drumstick cones. Who didn’t like ice cream? Hopefully, the extra sugar wouldn’t make the kids any more ramped up than they already were.
With her little bag of treats, she drove to Amanda’s and parked in front of The Shell Collector sign. The shell on the sign was much like the one on Tug’s beach house sign. Probably designed and sandblasted by the same local artist.
Rosemary climbed the stairs. All these stilted beach houses had a ton of stairs, but it probably kept folks in shape. As soon as she knocked, there was a woof, followed by what sounded like a stampede toward the door.
The door swung open. Hailey, Jesse, and a huge black-and-white bulldog stood there staring at her.
“Miss Rosemary!” Hailey opened the screen door. “Mom didn’t tell us you were coming.”
“Mom! Miss Rosemary is here!” Jesse yelled at the top of his lungs, then turned to her. “You don’t have to be scared of Denali. He’s a marshmallow.”
“Is that a fact? He looks like he might have eaten a lot of marshmallows.” She held her hand flat in front of him. He lifted his nose, sniffing the surrounding air, then slowly lowered his head.
“Hi there, Denali. My name is Rosemary.” She patted his solid head. “So nice to meet you, big boy.”
Denali’s nub of a tail started helicoptering.
“Oh, he likes you,” Hailey said.
“I like him too. Only, I think he might like what he’s smelling more than me.” She bent down. “Sorry, sir. I didn’t bring you one.”
“Did you bring us something?” Jesse nudged Hailey in excitement.
“I did.”
Amanda joined them at the door. “Come in, Rosemary. Welcome. I see you’ve met Denali.”
“He’s quite handsome. Looks like he could pull your car.”
“I know, right? He’s really sweet and so good with the kids.”
“I brought a little treat for everyone. Hope you don’t mind.”
“Not at all.”
Rosemary handed Hailey the bag, which she immediately opened. “Ice cream cones for everyone! Can we have them now, Mom?”
“Sure. I’m going to wait on mine. Rosemary, would you like yours now?”
“I’ll wait and have mine later too.”
“We’re playing a game. Want to play?” Jesse asked.
“You two,” Amanda said, “go play. Take Denali. Rosemary and I are going to have a grown-up visit. Mommy needs it.”
“Oh gosh, when she says that, she means it.” Hailey rolled her eyes. “It means she’s just about to get stressed out.”
Amanda seemed to force a grin. “If she doesn’t grow up to be a psychologist or a mind reader, I’ll be shocked.”
“Going on thirty. Little girls are like that. I bet your mom said the same about you.”
“Probably.” Amanda led Rosemary inside. “Come on. I’ll show you our favorite room in the house. I made some tea. I hope that’s okay.”
“It’s lovely. You didn’t have to do that. I did sort of invite myself over. But I’m glad you did, and I see why you wanted to wait on the ice cream.”
Amanda had set out a shiny silver tea service, sugar cubes, and cream on the glass table between the chairs.
Rosemary stepped into the room, in awe of the color and beauty.
“Isn’t it wonderful? It feels like walking into a warm hug to me,” Amanda said.
“You’re right. It sure does. Look at all the sea glass, and these shells are exotic.”
“Those were mostly Maeve’s collection. The kids have added a few things to it, but we’ve kept this sort of in appreciation of Maeve. She brought so much to our lives. We want to preserve that.”
“She must’ve really been something.”
Amanda pressed her hands together. “I wish you could’ve known her. She was wise and kind and so generous.”
“Sounds like you.”
Amanda held her hand to her heart. “That is the nicest thing you could say to me. I really loved Maeve like family. I hope I can be even half the person she was.”
Amanda poured the tea. They talked about the beach, and Amanda asked her about Hawaii and about Kai.
“Rosemary, you seem like you’re doing really well, but I know no one can know what’s in your heart. None of it’s easy to navigate, losing a spouse.”
“No. They can’t.”
“I used to think it was worse for me because losing Jack was so unexpected and we hadn’t been married that long, but really it’s heartbreaking no matter how or what the circumstances. I can’t imagine watching my husband slowly die from a disease, or losing him after fifty years of marriage. Jack and I were like one person, and we’d only been married five years when he didn’t come back. Hailey wasn’t even in school yet.”
“I don’t know who I am without Kai. We were together my whole adult life,” she said. “I don’t know how to separate it—plus, I love all those memories. I think my imagination is too old to think of a new way to live.”
“You’re vibrant and so capable. And kind. I am glad we met. Crazy timing with the storm and all, and you were so helpful. It’s like you’ve been a part of this community forever. I’m so glad you were still here when I got back. I would’ve hated to miss out on all this.”
“Me too.”
“I believe our paths crossed for a reason,” Amanda said. “Maeve was here for me. I hope I can be there for you. You know, sort of pay it forward. I don’t know—I just feel like I’ve known you forever even though we’ve just met, and if I can help, I’d love that.”
“Isn’t it funny when that happens? I feel it too.” Rosemary ran her hand through her hair. “If you can help me, you’re some kind of magician or an angel, because I can’t get myself figured out, and I’ve known me my whole life.”
Amanda’s laugh was light and genuine. “Maybe that’s why we need help. We’re too close to it. It sort of keeps us from seeing the entire picture when we’re so hemmed in by this sad thing that has happened to us.” She pressed her hand to Rosemary’s arm. “It’s different for everyone. I know that, but for me it was like…Well, it was like losing gravity. I couldn’t grasp anything, no matter how hard I tried. Everything I reached for slipped through my fingers, like deciding what to feed the kids. It felt impossible. Jack had nothing to do with that, of course—it was just…without him, everything felt so much harder for a while.”
“That is a brilliant analogy—like losing gravity. Yes. I totally relate. So, should we switch our tea for Tang? Oh gosh, you’re probably too young to know Tang or that it’s what the astronauts supposedly drank. Maybe if we drink that, we can manage gravity and make some progress,” Rosemary teased.
“Like astronauts. If only it was that easy,” Amanda said. “But really, whatever I can do, please let me be there for you.”
That shell popped into her mind. Rosemary grabbed her purse, then leaned in. “Well, there is something I think you can help me with.”
“Anything. What?”
Rosemary dipped her hand into her purse and withdrew the shell. “I found this—well, it sort of found me. I practically tripped over it walking home yesterday afternoon.” She handed the shell to Amanda.
Amanda’s jaw dropped. “Oh my gosh. You know I found shells too. I told you, right? Oh gosh, profound when it happens, isn’t it?”
Rosemary nodded. “Do you think I was meant to find it?”
“Of course you were. Who else?”
“Well, I wondered if maybe it was one that had been at the diner or something. You know, sort of already claimed.” It sounded stupid saying it out loud. “What does the message written in it even mean?”