Chapter 20
Kitty Hawk, NC
With my life in pieces and nowhere to turn, I drove east until I ran out of road. The choice to leave Sims Chapel, especially with my mother in poor health, was a difficult one, but I knew it was necessary. Otherwise, I would have drowned in a sea of my own despair.
As the sun broke the horizon, setting ablaze a thinning fog, I found myself at the edge of a forgotten coastal town, its name barely legible on the crooked wooden sign that swayed gently in the salty sea breeze.
I parked the car and sat on the hood, taking a few minutes to clear my head.
Before me lay a vast expanse of ocean, its deep blue depths as turbulent as the emotions within me.
As waves crashed against the shore, my thoughts drifted toward happier times. The laughter-filled afternoons, the warm summer nights, and the tender promises of forever echoed through my mind. But now they were nothing but distant memories.
The early morning fog took its time to roll away, allowing me a moment of solitude before the town began to stir. Standing at the edge of the world, I felt insignificant and lost, my troubles swallowed up by the ocean before me.
A lighthouse stood tall and solitary in the distance, reminding me of my own isolation, my own need for guidance.
I ripped a page from the notebook I’d brought with me and began to write, my thoughts spilling onto the paper as freely as the waves on the shore.
I wrote of love and loss, of dreams dashed and hopes unfulfilled.
My pen moved in time with my heartbeat, the words evidence of my despair.
Amidst my melancholy prose, I penned lines of resilience, whispers of strength I didn't know I possessed.
When I was finished, I closed my eyes and let the breeze catch the paper, carrying it out over the ocean.
The letter was only a speck against the seascape, but it was my speck, a part of me set free to be embraced by the unending azure.
As it drifted out of view, an inexplicable lightness came over me, a small burden lifted off my heavy heart.
Tired and hungry, I turned back, leaving traces of my sorrow behind. The town was beginning to wake. Lights were coming on in the beachside row houses while the smell of biscuits and bacon wafted from the restaurant on the pier. My stomach grumbled at the familiar scent.
The restaurant was a small, cozy building in the center of the pier.
It had a thatched roof and a welcome sign above the door that read, “Hawks Haven.” Stepping inside, I was immediately enveloped in warmth and the comforting smell of coffee brewing somewhere in the back.
The place was already bustling with life.
Early risers sat at the counter nursing cups of coffee and reading newspapers, while others were gathered at tables, devouring plates of pancakes and eggs.
Behind the counter, a young woman hurried about, her face lighting up as soon as she spotted me.
“Morning!” she called, her voice as warm as the aroma wafting from the kitchen. “Have a seat anywhere you like, and I’ll be with you in a minute.”
I chose a booth by the window where I could still see the expanse of the ocean. It was exactly as I had imagined it, the view dotted by distant sailing ships, their white sails billowing in the wind.
The woman, her name tag cheerfully announcing her as “Judy,” came over, a worn-out notebook in hand, to take my order.
She was tall, with a shock of red hair and freckles that dotted her cheeks like fallen stars.
Her eyes were a striking shade of blue, similar to the color of the ocean just outside the window, and she had an easy-going charm about her that was instantly likable.
“What'll it be this morning?” she asked as she smacked her gum. “We’ve got biscuits and gravy, or perhaps some scrambled eggs and bacon?”
“I’ll have the scrambled eggs, please. And a cup of black coffee.”
She nodded and hurried off toward the kitchen.
Left alone, I turned my attention back out to the ocean.
The last twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind of emotions, and I felt as though I had been carried adrift by the ferocious storm that was my life.
Watching the steady ebb and flow of the waves calmed my spirit and, for a moment, I forgot about the chaos of yesterday.
Judy returned promptly with a steaming cup of coffee and placed it in front of me. “Your breakfast will be up shortly,” she said, before moving off to attend to another patron.
I wrapped my hands around the warm cup, drawing comfort from its heat. I took a sip and savored the bitter, rich taste as it slipped down my throat. The coffee seeped its warmth into me, thawing the chill that had settled in my bones.
Outside, the sun climbed higher in the sky, spreading a warm glow over the slate-gray of the ocean.
The seagulls were wheeling about now, squawking and nosediving into the water, their white bodies stark against the blue of the sky.
The previously distant sailing ships seemed to have drawn closer, their sails catching the sunlight and making them look like ghostly apparitions on the horizon.
A plate clattered onto the table, breaking me out of my reverie.
“There you go,” Judy announced, setting down a heaping plate filled with scrambled eggs and crispy bacon strips.
There was also a side of toast smeared with butter, all golden and glistening under the soft morning light filtering through the window.
The aroma of the food was comforting, homely. My stomach grumbled in anticipation.
“Thank you,” I said, offering her a grateful smile.
“You’re welcome. Say, you’re not from around here, are you?”
I shook my head, feeling the heat touch my cheeks. “How can you tell?”
“It’s not hard to spot a stranger in this town.” Judy tilted her head to the side. “Let me guess… Georgia? Tennessee?”
“East Tennessee.”
“I thought I recognized that accent. I was born in Chattanooga myself.”
“That’s only a couple of hours from my hometown. So, how’d you end up here?”
“Long story. Let’s just say that life has a way of steering you in places you never expected.”
“Isn’t that the truth,” I replied, thinking of my own situation. “I’m Sara, by the way.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Sara. My name’s Judy.”
We fell into an easy conversation after that, discussing our shared southern roots and love of small-town life.
As it turned out, Judy was on her own, having lost her mother a couple of years earlier to cancer.
She’d been left this restaurant and had chosen to keep it running as a way to honor her mother.
“What brings you to Kitty Hawk, Sara?”
The smile ran away from my face. I wasn’t ready to tell anyone the real reason, least of all a complete stranger. “Just needed a fresh start,” I said, hoping that my vague answer would suffice.
She gave me a long, thoughtful look but didn’t push any further. “In that case, let me be the first to welcome you here. Are you planning on staying or are you just passing through?”
“I don’t know. I think I might stay. I like the quietness here,” I said, my gaze drifting toward the window again.
The ships were now mere specks, washed away in the brightening morning light.
“But I’ll need to find a job and a place to stay.
You don’t know who I might talk to about those things, do you? ”
“That depends.” Judy leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table and interlacing her fingers. “What kind of work are you looking for?”
“I was a teacher back home… High school math. So, something in education would be ideal.”
“So you’re educated?”
I nodded in response.
“I’m afraid I don’t know anything about teaching jobs. You’d have to talk to someone at the school board about that. But if you’re interested in working here, I might be able to help. How are your waitressing skills?”
“I’ve never worked in a restaurant before, if that’s what you’re asking. But I’ve poured more cups of coffee and sweet tea than I can count…and I’ve taken orders, too…lots of them. Besides that, I’m a hard worker, and I learn quickly.”
She seemed to be pondering this, her brows furrowing slightly as she looked me over.
“To be honest, I was hoping for someone with a bit more experience, but I guess beggars can’t be choosers, can they?
The truth is, I’m in a bit of a pickle. I happen to be one waitress short right now, and it’s all Rosie and I can do to keep up.
That’s her, over there.” She pointed to a young woman about our age—early thirties—with dark hair pulled back tightly into a bun, balancing a full tray of breakfast plates. “So, if you want it, the job’s yours.”
“You mean it?”
Judy tipped her head in a nod. “Once the breakfast rush dies down, I’ll have Rosie show you around.”
“Thank you,” I said, hardly believing my luck. “Now, I just need to find a place to stay.”
Judy's eyebrows rose slightly, as though she had been expecting this. “This is your lucky day. I have a room upstairs that just happens to be vacant. It’s not much, but the rent is cheap, and it would give you a place to stay until you find something more permanent.”
I wanted to hug her right then and there, but I figured that might be pushing it. So instead, I extended my hand across the table. “I’ll take it.”
“Wonderful. Welcome aboard.” Judy stood and dusted the crumbs from her apron. “Tell you what, why don’t I let you finish your breakfast in peace, then we can discuss next steps.”
I was so excited I could hardly eat, but I managed to finish my meal, my mind spinning with the sudden turn of events.
As I sipped the last of my coffee, I looked around the bustling restaurant.
The clattering of dishes, the hum of conversation, the occasional burst of laughter that cut through it all.
This was more than just a place to eat. It was a haven, a community hub.