Gift of Friends

Chapter Nineteen

“Surprise!”

Lynette threw her hands up in the air, pretending to be shocked over the noises and sights before her. Folding tables and chairs, bright decorations, and far too many people all littered the expanse of lawn between the resort’s main firepit area and the beach. She didn’t even recognize everyone. A gold tablecloth draped over one long table at the edge of the grass. Neatly stacked black paper plates and napkins stood ready at one end. A black-and-gold garland draped across the front and read Happy Birthday! There were even lights strung up high between a few trees. She didn’t remember them being there before; they’d make this area glow when night fell.

Despite the vast differences between party venues, it reminded her of the surprise birthday party Owen and Jackie’s mother, Charlotte, had thrown for her friend’s fiftieth a year and a half ago.

As if she could read her mind, Jackie wrapped an arm around her shoulders with a laugh. “Yes, you might recognize some decorations. Apparently, Mom threw everything in a box after my party and saved it. When Donna came up with this hair-brained idea to throw this party together so quickly, dear Charlotte offered up most of this. Look, Lynette, I know you weren’t thrilled to find our moms here at the resort when we got back last night, but remember . . . you promised to be a good sport.”

Lynette squeezed Jackie’s hand, then pushed her arm away. “I’ll behave,” she whispered before turning to the larger crowd. “All of you do realize that the surprise came last night, right? You already told me to expect cake and balloons today.”

Donna finished setting a tray of treats on the table, then approached Lynette with her hands extended. “Thank you for humoring me, dear.” She clasped both of her daughter’s hands in her own. “You know how I like surprises. And I couldn’t bear the thought of missing your birthday.”

While still a little irritated over Donna’s completely unexpected appearance at the resort, Lynette knew her mother meant well. She hadn’t even realized the two had never spent one of Lynette’s birthdays apart until Donna had pointed it out. Lynette might not have many people in her life, but Donna had always been there for her, and she needed to do a better job of feeling grateful for that fact.

She pulled her mother into a quick hug, then stepped back. “I don’t even know who some of these people are!”

Donna laughed, then swept her arm toward the mingling crowd. “Whoever could make it from Renee’s family is here, and I know you haven’t met all of them. Plus, we opened it up to other resort guests. We didn’t want anyone to feel excluded. Now, come on, let me introduce you to some of my new friends!”

Lynette sighed, but allowed herself to be dragged from person to person and group to group. Donna had always been the more outgoing of the two of them, and since moving back to Ruby Shores, Lynette’s circle had shrunk significantly. But she’d promised to play along, so she put on a brave smile and accepted birthday wishes from friends and strangers alike over the next hour.

Once they’d spoken with everyone, Donna pulled her toward a ring of lawn chairs in front of the food table.

Renee’s mother patted the chair next to her. “We saved this one for the birthday girl. Have a seat.”

Before releasing her hand, Donna took a closer look at her fingers. “Lynette, I just noticed you aren’t wearing your ring. Did you leave it at home?”

That didn’t take long,Lynette thought, cringing inwardly.

She was still upset about losing her special ring in the lake, but she’d hoped Donna wouldn’t notice. She considered lying, but what would that accomplish? The ring was gone, and there was no way she’d get it back.

“I’m so sorry, Mom . . . I wish I would have thought to leave it at home for safekeeping, but you know how neither of us likes to take it off. Well, we were boating out on the lake, and the sunscreen I’d put on must have gotten under it, because it slipped off. We were in deep water, and . . . I’m afraid it’s gone.”

Maybe if she didn’t know her mother almost as well as she knew herself, she’d have missed the shadow that passed over her expression. Donna shook her head. “Oh dear. That’s a shame. But accidents happen. I’m only glad it was just the ring that you lost. Remember, you aren’t the strongest swimmer, Lynette.”

Donna was right. There’d never been time or money for swimming lessons, though Lynette liked to think her abilities in the water were sufficient enough to at least keep herself alive. She also suspected her mother’s comment was meant to divert attention away from her disappointment over Lynette carelessly losing such a special piece of jewelry.

“Maybe we can have a duplicate made using yours as the pattern—we could even have that one blessed, too,” Lynette suggested.

“Don’t be silly. The ring did its trick, and that darn cancer of mine is long gone. Now, sit by Lavonne here and enjoy your party. I’ll go get us both something to drink. What would you like?”

Lynette glanced around the lawn and at all the people there to celebrate with her, and she felt that old familiar craving for a gin and tonic. Light on the tonic. But she’d already had one the night before, and she didn’t feel like tempting fate with more alcohol at the moment. “If there’s iced tea, that would be perfect. Thanks, Mom.”

Donna finally released her hand and headed for the refreshments.

“Your mother is a delight,” Lavonne said as Lynette sank into the chair beside her. “I feel so lucky to finally meet all the mothers of the infamous Kaleidoscope Girls. It always felt a little strange to me, not to have ever met any of them. I always made it a point to get to know the parents of my children’s friends.”

Lynette was about to point out that Kit’s mother wasn’t in attendance when a boy ran by and tripped over Lavonne’s foot. Lynette noticed a knee brace on the woman’s extended right leg. The boy, who looked to be around ten, skidded to a stop.

“I’m sorry, Grandma! I hope I didn’t hurt you,” he said. His concern appeared real to Lynette.

Lavonne reached out and snagged the boy’s hand. “Jake, you need to slow down. I’m fine. But what are you doing, running through the middle of the birthday party? If you want to run, go run in the sand. By the way, have you met Lynette, our guest of honor? Lynette, this is Jake. Val’s youngest.”

“And Grandma’s favorite,” the boy added with a teasing grin, revealing a mouth full of metal. “Actually, I’m everyone’s favorite, since I’m the baby of the family.”

Based on the grimace that replaced his smile, Lynette guessed Lavonne must be giving the boy’s hand a reprimanding squeeze. But she also suspected the charming kid probably was indeed a family favorite.

“Jake, we don’t play favorites around here.”

Young Jake bent over his grandmother and dropped a quick kiss on her forehead before jogging off with a wave and a smile.

“He is totally your favorite,” Lynette whispered to Jake’s grandmother.

“He is an awful lot like his Grandpa George,” Lavonne replied with a wink.

Lynette took this to be an indirect affirmation of Lavonne’s true feelings for the boy. Then she remembered that this was the woman who’d so graciously held on to the letters she’d sent to Renee. “Say, Lavonne, I wanted to thank you for keeping those letters I exchanged with Renee when we were kids. And to think to give them to her so we could read through them here. They were the catalyst for such a fun trip down memory lane. I wish I’d have kept Renee’s letters to complete the set.”

Lavonne gave one last shake of her head as she watched her youngest grandchild disappear from view before returning her full attention back to Lynette. “I’m delighted to hear that. We still live in the same house we raised the kids in, and every closet, nook, and cranny in the place feels so stuffed with junk that I sometimes consider purging most of it. But then something happens, like the joy you girls found from reading through the letters, and it reminds me how important some of that old stuff really is. The value of it lies in the memories they can spur. It’s only junk if there are no important memories attached.”

Lynette’s mind flitted back to the old wooden box she’d pulled out of the shed. The things inside must have held a similar kind of value for Sybil to lock them away like that.

Donna returned with three plastic cups of iced tea, handing them each one. A woman in the chair on the other side of Lynette excused herself and Donna took the seat before anyone else could claim it.

“Who was that?” Lynette didn’t recognize the departing woman.

“One of the resort guests,” Donna said. She settled into the chair and took a sip of the ice-cold tea. “Oh, that’s good. It’s hot today.”

It was hot again. Lynette thought it was perfect lake weather. “I still can’t believe you pulled this off, Donna,” she said, looking around them. “How did you manage it?”

Donna paused for one more sip before responding. “Well, I guess it started last week when I had a coffee date with Charlotte.”

Lavonne shifted in her chair to better face the birthday girl and her mother. “Is that something you do often? Get together, I mean.”

“No,” Donna admitted. “I’ve thought of reaching out to both Charlotte and Patsy since we moved back, but then it was difficult because of the pandemic. It wasn’t until more recently that it was even possible.”

“The months of isolation were horrible, weren’t they? And to think, a year ago we were all still stuck at home,” Lavonne said. “Now, remind me again what Kit’s mother’s name is, would you? When I said earlier how nice it’s been to meet the other mothers, I forgot she isn’t here. Were all of you close through the years?”

Lynette searched the crowd for Kit, finding her seated at the edge of the grass with Annie and Jackie. The three were laughing about something. “Her name is Mia. Kit’s mom, I mean. She was never a big part of Kit’s life, at least when we were all in school together. Kit’s grandparents raised her. But Mia is back in Ruby Shores now.”

“That’s right,” Donna confirmed. “To be honest, I was a little nervous to call Mia, but I actually did reach out to her.”

“You did?” This surprised Lynette.

Donna nodded. “Well, I didn’t have Mia’s number, but I had Hazel’s. Hazel is Kit’s grandmother,” she explained to Lavonne. “She’s in her nineties and still as spunky as ever. To answer your earlier question, I’d term all of us mothers as more of acquaintances versus friends. In Kit’s case, Hazel was always our contact person, not Mia. The woman suffered substance abuse problems and was absent for most of Kit’s growing-up years.”

“Did you end up talking to Mia, then?” Lynette asked.

“I did. And I actually feel like she might have agreed to come with us to Whispering Pines. But Hazel had an important doctor’s appointment. Mia didn’t feel she should miss it.”

Lavonne looked around the crowded lawn. “It seemed as if you were having lots of fun with Charlotte and Patsy last night, though. By the way, thank you for allowing me to bunk with the three of you in the duplex.”

Lynette swirled the tea in her plastic cup to distribute the melting ice. “I still want to hear the story behind how you worked this out with Renee to make this party happen.”

Donna nodded. “As I was saying, I grabbed coffee with Charlotte last week. It was something we’d meant to do for some time. We found so many things to talk about, and two hours passed quickly. It was so nice to get out of the house and visit with another woman again.”

“Do you mean it was great to talk to someone other than just me?” Lynette asked pointedly.

“You know I love you, dear,” Donna said. “We wouldn’t be here if I didn’t. But if you want to hear this, quit interrupting.”

“Fine.” Lynette felt like a scolded child instead of a woman turning fifty-one.

“We started talking about how lucky the five of you girls are to have each other. About how much fun it would be to travel with friends again. I used to do that when we still lived in New York and I had a couple girlfriends nearby, but we’ve fallen out of touch. I also realized that this might have been the first time I’d be apart from you on your birthday.”

“Which is baffling for me to think about,” Lavonne interjected. “But I suppose I haven’t missed many of my four kids’ birthdays either.”

“See,” Donna said, holding a hand out toward Renee’s mother. “I started thinking that maybe it was high time I travel again, and it might even be fun if the mothers of the Kaleidoscope Girls looked into some trips of our own. But then Charlotte dropped me back at the house after coffee, and we had that whole mess with the water in the basement. I forgot about my idea until later that night.”

“Let me guess. You called Charlotte back and got this thing rolling,” Lynette said.

“I sure did. Charlotte was game, but before I even called Patsy, I thought I better check with someone here at the resort. Renee would have been the obvious person to call, but I didn’t have her phone number. So I went online and found a contact number for the resort. I reached Julie, Renee’s daughter, and told her what I was thinking. It just so happened that some guests had to check out early last week, which left the duplex free. And here we are.”

Lynette considered the abbreviated recap of the timeline. “When did Renee find out about this, then? She obviously knew you were here when we got back to the resort last night. And she never said a word.”

“You can blame me for Renee’s secrecy,” Lavonne said. “Julie thought Donna’s idea sounded fun, but since she’d never actually met her—or any of the other mothers, for that matter—she called me to see what I thought. We looped Renee in a couple days ago, but I swore her to secrecy. I’m glad to see she can keep a secret.”

“Oh, she kept it, all right. It floored me to find you all here,” Lynette said. “But I’m honored. Donna, you’ve always made my birthdays special, but this is over the top. I’ve never had such a big party thrown in my honor.”

Donna held up her cup of tea and tapped it against Lynette’s. “I’d say it’s about time, then.”

Lynette’s birthday party wound down by early evening. Resort guests had wandered back to their cabins or other activities, and Renee’s extended family had scattered, except for Lavonne.

Lynette picked up a half-eaten bag of chips and a nearly empty tray of cookies from the food table.

“Oh, no, you don’t,” Jackie’s mother said. She took both items from Lynette’s hands. “This is your party. That means you don’t have to clean up.”

“But I can help. What else am I going to do?”

Charlotte shook her head. “No. I insist. Lynette, we are at a beautiful little lake resort on an even more beautiful summer evening. Don’t tell me you can’t find something to keep yourself occupied.”

Charlotte wasn’t going to give up.

Lynette glanced around. Renee stood on the path leading back to their house, discussing something with Matt; he was in uniform and likely headed to work. She spied Kit and Jackie breaking down tables while Annie lugged away an armful of collapsible lawn chairs.

That morning they’d discussed making an early night of it, since they’d all stayed up late the night before, catching up with their mothers. Maybe she’d head back to her cabin and find something to do. It was too early to go to sleep, but she could read. She’d already finished the one novel she brought on the trip, but she was struggling to get into the murder mystery Jackie had lent her.

“All right. Well, thanks, Charlotte. Thank you for not only giving me a pass on cleanup duty, but for helping with this whole surprise visit. I think I’ll head up to the library then and find a new book to read.”

“That sounds perfect,” Charlotte said. “I’ve had so much time alone lately, I’ve gotten back into reading, too. First we moved my husband, Glen, into a memory care unit. Then everyone was stuck at home for all those months. I’d forgotten how relaxing it can be to get lost in a good book. Enjoy.”

Charlotte loaded her arms up with as many party things as she could carry. Once she was out of sight, Lynette did the same thing. If she was going to the lodge anyhow, there was no reason to go empty-handed.

“Thanks again for everything, Donna,” Lynette said when she found her mother in the lodge kitchen. She deposited the leftover paper products onto a space on the island. “I tried to help clean up, but Charlotte told me that wasn’t allowed.”

“Yet you brought things back here anyhow, I see,” Charlotte said with a laugh.

Lynette shrugged. “But that’s it. I’m going to go up to the library and find that book, then I plan to go read in my cabin. I just hope it isn’t too hot in there tonight.”

“Doesn’t your cabin have air?” Lavonne asked as she piled leftover buns back into their original plastic bag.

“Yes, but it’s not working, so it’s been warm the last night or two. Don’t worry. It’s fine. I like hot weather.”

Lynette left the kitchen just as Jackie stepped out of a nearby closet, wiping her hands. “There, we’ve got all the tables put away. Did I hear you say your cabin is hot?”

“It has been. Remember when I blew that fuse a few nights ago? It might have been a power surge. Something damaged the unit. But I don’t want to bother Renee with it. I told Julie, and she’ll get it handled.”

Kit joined them in the hallway leading to the stairs. “Come stay with us if your cabin is too hot.”

Lynette shook her head. “There’s a fan right over my bed. I’ll manage. But thanks. I’m going to grab a book and do some reading. I am peopled out for the day.”

They both laughed.

With one foot on the bottom step, Lynette turned back to her two friends. “I’ll tell you what. If it’s uncomfortable inside my cabin and I’m not ready to sleep yet, I’ll come read in your screened-in porch for a while. But I’ll be so quiet that you won’t even know I’m there.”

“Sounds good,” Kit agreed. “My plan is a cool soak in our clawfoot tub and an early bedtime.”

Jackie closed the closet door. “And I have to do some online bookkeeping. Did I tell you guys I have two part-timers working for me now? They won’t be happy if they don’t get their paychecks on time. Funny that it doesn’t matter if I’m on vacation. People still need to get paid.”

“One perk of business ownership,” Lynette laughed. “I’ll see you both tomorrow.”

Lynette headed upstairs to the library and picked out a promising paperback. She also stumbled across a thick scrapbook of old pictures. Renee had mentioned they’d put one together with the extra pictures that didn’t make it back up on the wall in their new photo gallery. This must be the album. She was sure Renee wouldn’t mind if she borrowed it, so she took that back downstairs with her, too.

She’d reached the bottom of the stairs when the kitchen door swung open. Both Charlotte and Donna came through with arms full of bags and tubs.

“I wish you’d let me help,” Lynette said when she saw their struggle.

“Nonsense,” Donna said. “It’s still your birthday. Tomorrow you can help.”

“But I thought you were going home tomorrow?”

Her mother laughed. “Don’t worry, we are. I just meant that your birthday is over tomorrow and things can go back to normal. Say, that reminds me. Will you follow me out to Patsy’s van? I brought that packet from the lawyer that you’d asked about. If I wait to give it to you before we leave tomorrow, I’ll probably forget.”

Lynette understood Donna’s logic. Personally, she’d already forgotten about the packet. “Will do. That way I can hold the door for you both, too.”

Five minutes later, Charlotte was back inside and Donna stood with Lynette in front of the lodge.

“Thank you again, Mom. Today really was special. I’m sorry if I was a little rude last night. It was just such a shock to see you.”

Donna laughed as she handed her daughter the old leather Louis Vuitton bag Lynette used to take to the office every day. “Here’s that paperwork. I understand your reaction. These trips serve as special times for you and your friends. To be honest, I worried you might stay mad at me for crashing like this.”

Lynette took the bag. The handle felt familiar, comfortable even, in her hand. “Wherever did you find my case?”

“On the top shelf in that little library closet. Finding it brought back so many memories,” Donna said. “I don’t think a day went by when you didn’t carry that thing back and forth between your apartment and the office. I’m glad you kept it.”

Lynette placed the novel and scrapbook she’d borrowed from the library inside the bag, then ran her free hand over the well-worn leather. “Someone recently told me that the only true value of older things are the memories they evoke. I suspect that even applies to a vintage Louis bag.”

Donna nodded. “We made lots of wonderful memories working together over the years, didn’t we, honey?” Then she inhaled deeply. “I love the way the air smells around here.”

Looking around, Lynette agreed with both points. “We made lots of amazing memories. Not just for us, but for our employees, and even our customers. But speaking of work, that reminds me of something else that I wanted to discuss with you.”

Holding up one hand, Donna shook her head. “If it’s about the sale of the company, I’ve suspected for a long time that the buyers might not be paying you on time. I don’t want to talk about anything that will steal any joy from today, though, so why don’t we just wait and discuss this when you get home?”

Lynette let her arm straighten so her bag rested on the ground. “How could you possibly know anything about that, Mother? Only my lawyer knows about the late payments, and he’d never betray client confidentiality.”

Donna’s eyes narrowed. “Need I remind you that no one on this earth, not even your friends here, know you better than I do?”

“I suppose that’s true,” Lynette admitted. “I don’t want you to worry about that, though, because I have it under control. In fact, there should be a copy of the latest payment—which my lawyer told me came in on time for once—in this packet.” She tugged on the strap of her bag.

Donna looked to the bag and then back to Lynette’s face. “If it isn’t about the sale, then what is it?”

“Hopefully it’s nothing serious. But a few nights ago, one of Renee’s nieces, who loves fashion, showed me a very unflattering article that’s circulating about how the new owners treated staff as the pandemic dragged on. It also mentioned quality concerns with their merchandise.”

Her mother crossed her arms and tapped one toe. “Lynette, we sold the business. It sounds like they are back to making their payments on time. With luck, that will continue. Remember how we talked about your need to let go of your attachment? The company isn’t your headache anymore.”

It was Lynette’s turn to take a deep breath. She remembered the early days, when the company was her baby, instead of a headache. She held the fresh, pine-scented air deep in her lungs for an extra beat. “I’m trying, Mother.”

“I suppose that’s the best I can hope for out of you. I know better than anyone how much of your life that endeavor cost you.”

Lynette looped the strap of her bag over her shoulder. “I don’t regret it.”

“Nor should you. You built something to be proud of. But it’s time to move on and enjoy the abundance you earned. Now, I better get back inside before my new friends have everything all cleaned up for the party I invited them to.”

Donna walked toward the door, and Lynette turned to the sidewalk that circled around the lodge.

“Mom, wait. I have to ask. We both worked really hard for a long time on our business. Do you regret any of it?”

As she reached for the doorknob, Donna sighed. “How could you even ask me that, Lynette? Working alongside you was the greatest honor of my life. I think I’m probably the luckiest woman on Earth to have a daughter like you.”

Lynette watched as the door closed behind her mother, considering her parting words. “No, Mom, I’m the lucky one.”