Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
With people honking and weaving their cars in and out of the pickup lane, I barely had a minute to pop the hatch and help load all of the suitcases into the back. We definitely didn’t have time to make introductions, other than saying hello.
Heather and Alicia slid into the back seat, Rita turned to welcome them home, and I focused on finding the right exit that would take us over the Walt Whitman Bridge. For the most part, Rita carried the conversation, for which I was very grateful.
“Do you remember me?” Rita asked Alicia. “As a little girl, you’d help me bake cookies and weed my garden.”
“I think I do,” she replied hesitantly. “That was a long time ago.”
Rita chuckled. “To me, it seems like only yesterday. I can hardly believe you’re a senior in college. Pardon me, Cambridge University.”
“Oxford,” she corrected, “but I guess that has ended for me since I’ll be dead by next year.”
Heather gasped. “Stop talking like that.”
Alicia replied curtly. “Well, it’s true, Mom, and you might as well accept it.”
Rita interrupted. “We could all be gone in the blink of an eye, honey, so don’t be burying yourself before it’s your time. Tell us what you did for the summer.”
She hesitated a moment before saying, “I backpacked to Spain, France, and Italy.”
“What does that mean?” Rita asked. “Did you literally carry all of your belongings on your back?”
“Not exactly. I mean, you travel light and stay in hostels so it’s not so expensive, although we chose to rent an Air B&B if we wanted something a little nicer. Do you know what that is?”
“Actually, I do, though I’ve never stayed in one. I preferred the accommodations of hotels whenever I traveled to Europe.”
I had to give Rita credit for not overreacting to Alicia’s bait. Heather’s daughter had a certain snootiness that I didn’t like. It made me wonder if that was something she picked up from her father or the friends she made during her Study Abroad.
Heather intervened. “Ali and I are so grateful to you both for coming to the airport. I thought about renting a car, but I knew we’d be exhausted after the long flight. Thank you so much.”
“We wanted to come,” I said with sincerity. “Besides, you helped me conquer another fear.”
“I know it wasn’t easy for you.”
I smiled, glancing at her in the rear-view mirror. “But it’s what friends are for. Did you tell Alicia how we met?”
“Only snippets,” she said, returning my smile. “You should tell her from your point of view.”
We were across the bridge and past the congested part of our drive, so I felt able to tell the story. I told Alicia about meeting her mother at Charlie’s Diner, then going with her to Aunt Bertha’s consignment shop.
“Who’s Aunt Bertha?” she asked her mother.
“My grandmother’s sister, but she was treated like the black sheep of the family. I didn’t know her at all, so it shocked me to receive news that she’d bequeathed everything she owned to me after her death.”
“That must have been weird,” Ali replied. “Was the estate worth any money?”
“Lots of it,” Heather replied with a giggle. “Tell her about the amount of money you found hidden in things.”
I chuckled. “Oh, yeah. That night I went through all of her purses before I gave them away, I found a windfall. I was afraid to have that much money in the house, so I drove all the way to Stone Harbor and we deposited it in your mother’s account the next day.”
“Does Dad know you inherited all of that?” Alicia asked.
The awkward silence surrounded us. Eventually, Heather said, “It’s not any of his business, honey.”
“I’d say it is,” she contended. “After all, you made him give you the beach house and a generous stipend to pay the taxes and insurance. Then, you turn around and inherit a bundle?” She left it at that.
I wanted to smack her. Rita, in her quiet way, simply said, “People in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.”
“What’s that’s supposed to mean?” Alicia shot back.
“Just think on it, honey.” After a moment, she added, “Why don’t you tell us why you’ve decided to stay with your mother for a while.”
Alicia paused, gathering her thoughts. “Apparently, I need some medical tests that I’d have to wait a long time for in England, so the campus doctor suggested I might want to come back to the States for those.”
“I’m sorry to hear that,” Rita said. “That must be scary.”
“Yeah, kind of, but I get these terrible headaches and they drive me crazy. I mean, like, I can barely think, let alone attend classes at Oxford.”
“Right,” Rita agreed. “I think you made the right decision. Besides getting medical appraisals and treatments, you’ll be by the ocean. And that, my dear, is the best medicine in the world.”
Alicia didn’t respond, but I couldn’t help thinking that Rita hit the nail on the head. I knew, without a doubt, that the shore had healed me.
Heather and Alicia were tired when we arrived in Stone Harbor, but also hungry after their trip. Rita and I hadn’t thought about a meal for four when we shopped the day before, so I suggested we just order pizza. Everyone agreed.
I dropped the travelers off at Heather’s driveway and gave a hand to unload their baggage, then drove to Rita’s driveway to park my car. “You’re an angel for coming with me,” I told her.
“I’m glad I did,” she replied with a concerned expression. “I think Heather’s going to have to deal with a lot of emotions this week.”
“I know what you mean,” I agreed, pausing to wonder how my friend would handle it all. “I’ll call in our pizza order now, then see you in a bit.” We had decided to meet on Rita’s front porch at seven o’clock.
Upstairs, I tossed my purse to the kitchen table, and ran to the bathroom. Shortly after, Brad called. “Are you back in Stone Harbor yet?” he asked, and I sensed his concern.
“Yes, we just arrived home. The plane was on time, it took a little more than two hours to get home, and I’ve ordered pizza.”
“Are you okay?”
I chuckled, mostly because I hadn’t yet determined how I felt about the situation.
“The drive was fine, although the airport was crazy. Regardless, I wonder how Heather will be able to deal with everything. Her daughter seems upset or angry which, I suppose, would be expected after a serious medical diagnosis.”
“Probably,” he agreed. “Do you think Heather can handle the emotions?”
“I hope so. How did your meetings go today?”
“Perfectly. I got all of those contracts, which I’ll work up tomorrow. I’m heading to poker night with Angela and Mike, but I wanted to touch base with you before I go. I miss you, honey.”
“I miss you, too, but I think I should stay here for the rest of the week. I have a feeling Heather will need some support.”
He paused a slight moment. “Do whatever you need to do. I’ll be here when you want to talk.”
“I love you,” I told him.
He replied with a kiss through the phone, which made me laugh. “I love you, too,” he returned in his sexy voice, making me wish we didn’t have to disconnect.
With my money in hand for our pizza delivery, I met Rita on her porch. “I just told Brad I’d decided to stay for the week.”
“Good,” she said. “I think Heather might need you here.”
“Me, too,” I agreed.
We watched as the sky became a watercolor canvas of red, magenta, and pink, but Heather and Alicia hadn’t yet arrived.
The delivery guy came, and I paid for our supper, but we still didn’t have my friend and her daughter.
I texted Heather: Pizza’s here. Where r u guys?
She returned: We’ll take a raincheck.
“This doesn’t bode well,” I told Rita, showing her the texts.
She shrugged. “I’m hungry enough to eat a whale, so let’s get started.” She opened the box, took a slice and said, “I have two bottles of beer in the refrigerator with our names on them. Do you mind going to get them?”
I didn’t mind at all.