Chapter 18
Lucy opened the pristine glass doors and stepped onto a balcony overlooking the ocean. The mid-day sun danced across the turquoise water, creating a mesmerizing illusion of glitter sprinkled across the surface.
“This is breathtaking!”
“I told you,” Abbey said, leaning on the rail beside her sister.
“It sure beats the dreary Irish winter,” Lucy said.
“It’s the break we all need. Sun, beach, and no commitments, aside from a few excursions I’ll need to explore.”
Lucy stared at the ocean, hypnotized by the waves growing and peaking before crashing onto the shore. “I always wanted to visit Spain. I’ve heard of its beauty, but this is far beyond what I imagined. And this balcony, with this view, I’ll be spending every morning out here with my coffee and a good book.”
“This whole place is heaven.” Abbey headed back into the house. “It’s three bedrooms with a fully equipped kitchen. We’ll put the girls together, and you can have your own room for a change.”
“That will be nice.”
“We better unpack. Lola is dying to swim; I’ll bet she’s already in her suit.”
“Really? Isn’t the ocean freezing?” Lucy laughed. “It’s warm here, but not that warm.”
Abbey rolled her eyes. “Kids don’t care? Remember how cold the Pacific Ocean is? When we were kids, it didn’t matter if it was the dead of winter; if we were at the beach, we were leaving soaked.”
“True.”
In the living room, Rob lounged on one of the two couches, his feet hanging off one end.
“You look comfortable,” Lucy commented. “You coming to the beach with us?”
“I may join in after resting my eyes for a few minutes.”
Abbey didn’t say a word, hardly acknowledging her husband as she headed toward the primary suite down the hall.
Once Abbey was out of sight, Lucy playfully punched his arm. “You should come with us. It would mean the world to Abbey. You two can spend some quality time together.”
“Her words?” Rob asked, opening one eye.
“You’ve been working a lot lately,” Lucy continued, trying to sound indifferent. “We’ve all noticed your absence. Take a break and hang out with your family.”
Rob sighed. “They’ll have a much better time with you and Kaylee.”
“They’ll have a better time with you.” Lucy raised her brows. “You can nap on the beach. Now get ready.”
Rob moaned and groaned as he sat up, giving her a playful smirk.
“Now, that’s a good boy,” she teased as if talking to a dog.
He tossed a pillow at her as she grabbed her suitcase from where it sat near the front door and hurried out of the line of fire.
She passed Kaylee and Lola’s shared room and peeked inside. The girls were setting out and showing off their outfits for the week.
“Beach in ten,” Lucy told them.
The next room was all hers for an entire week. The double bed with its fluffy goose-down comforter invited her to climb in and snuggle up, but if she lay down now, it would be well after dark before she got back up again.
Placing the suitcase on its side, she opened the lid and searched out her beachwear. Although she would not be going in the water, it was time to exchange her jeans and hoodie for a flowing skirt, breezy shirt, and sandals.
As she changed, she thought about Abbey and hoped this holiday would help heal the rift between Rob and her sister. The tension between them could be cut with a butter knife. Abbey and Rob had always been the epitome of the perfect couple. From the moment she met Rob, he had been the perfect gentleman. Lucy had been so jealous back then; no man ever looked at her like Rob looked at Abbey.
Rob and Abbey had been her heroes during the darkest moments of her life. Pregnant, alone, and forced to live with her mother again; Lucy fell into a deep depression. What should have been the happiest time of her life, bringing a child into the world, turned into the opposite.
Lucy’s father had died years before finally releasing her mother from his hold on her. Her mother quit drinking but remained a bitter shell of the woman she had once been. All the hurt, anger, and disappointment seemed to be pushed directly onto Lucy. It was not the ideal situation for bringing new life into the world.
After a tense week in her childhood home, the contractions began. Without a word, Lucy packed a bag and checked herself into the hospital. She would rather do it alone than deal with her nagging mom while in labor.
Abbey appeared out of the blue within an hour of Lucy’s admission.
“I can’t believe you moved back and didn’t even call me.” Abbey tossed her jacket on a chair and sat on the bed beside Lucy. “And you’re pregnant? I’m a little insulted you went to Mom before me.”
“I didn’t want to be a burden,” Lucy said, breathing through a contraction. “You’ve got your own life now. Thank goodness.”
Abbey waved away the comment. “Please, there’s plenty of room for you. Where is that asshat, anyway?”
Lucy shrugged. “Gone. Haven’t seen or heard from him weeks.”
“Dick.”
Lucy grabbed Abbey’s hand, squeezing as another contraction ripped through her.
“Ok, I’ve been watching videos on childbirth,” Abbey said, sliding off the bed, still holding Lucy’s hand. “I’m not a pro, but I’ll be your birthing coach. I’m not leaving your side until this baby is born.”
Lucy grimaced. “You don’t––.”
“Hush.” Abbey cut her off. “You’re right; I don’t have to be here. I want to be here. I’m going to be an aunt!”
“What about Rob? Is he okay with you being here?”
“He’s the one who practically shoved me out the door,” Abbey gushed. “Mom called. She was worried about you and had the common sense to know when she isn’t wanted.”
Lucy clenched her jaw through the pain.
“And I’ve already told her you and the baby are coming home with me.” Abbey looked at the small table beside the bed. “Do you need ice chips or something?”
“Drugs,” Lucy moaned. “I need drugs.”
Ten hours later, Abbey held Kaylee for the first time. Twenty-four hours after that, Lucy and Kaylee went to live with Abbey and Rob.
Rob was over the moon to have a baby in the house. He continually surprised Lucy, always offering to help with Kaylee. He changed diapers, rocked her to sleep, and catered to Lucy hand and foot until she fully recovered.
How had Abbey found this gem of a man? Kaylee was Jeremy’s child, yet he was nowhere to be seen. Instead, Rob stepped up and heaped affection on Kaylee.
It was Rob who introduced Lucy to the tech world. He taught her basic skills and helped her enroll in technical college, ensuring she took suitable courses.
Abbey and Rob cared for Kaylee so Lucy could earn a certificate in computer science. Then, Rob helped get her a job at his company. It was the first time in her life Lucy felt she was growing up and working in an actual career.
For four years, Lucy and Kaylee lived with Abbey and Rob; it was the happiest she had been in a long time. Not only could she create a stable life for the first time, but she also mended fences with her mother. Their relationship was far from perfect, but having a grandchild brought out a side of her mother Lucy had never seen before. She was a horrible mother but a fantastic grandmother.
Lucy had been present for Lola’s entrance into the world. The bond between Lola and Kaylee had begun when they were infants. Lucy and Abbey grew close again, and Rob was a positive male figure in everyone’s lives.
Then Jeremy came back.
For weeks, he begged and pleaded with Lucy to take him back. He made endless promises to change, swearing he had matured and was ready to be a father.
“He hasn’t changed,” Rob warned her. “He’s only after the chase. He wants what he can’t have. Look at you. You have succeeded without him and made something of yourself, which drives him mad.”
Foolishly, Lucy sided with Jeremy. The endless hope and unattainable dream clawed into the back of her mind.
“I think he does want to change,” Lucy said. “I can help him like you helped me. Besides, he’s Kaylee’s father, and I can’t keep him from her.”
Rob scoffed, huffing out a breath. “It’s all a load of crap, Lucy. You are better than that and better than him. He will never change and never amount to anything. He will use you, hurt you, and then he’ll leave you.”
The words stung. Kind, funny, compassionate Rob had driven a stake through her heart. Abbey sided with her husband.
“I hope you find your happy ending,” Abbey told her, a tinge of sadness in her eyes. “Please don’t be a stranger this time, okay? Lola will miss you guys; I’ll miss you.”
Lucy should never have left with Jeremy. She should have listened to Rob. It would have saved her from years of continual heartbreak. But Rob had given her hope; he was different from other men, and she foolishly believed Jeremy could be like him.
On the beach, Lucy lay back on a blanket in the sand. The sun warmed her skin. The girls laughed and screamed as they played in the water, Rob chasing them through the waves.
“He is such a good dad,” Lucy said.
“Mmm-hmm.” Abbey watched the three of them, her chin resting on her knees.
“Are you guys okay?” Lucy looked toward her sister, shielding her eyes with her hand.
Abbey wrapped her arms around her legs, pulling them in tightly. “Just a rough patch. It happens, it sucks, but we’ll get through it.”
“I’m sorry, I haven’t been a better sister,” Lucy admitted. “I’ve been distracted with my own issues and given little attention to anything else. But, Abbey, I need you to know I’m here for you. I hope you know you can talk to me.”
Abbey shrugged. “It’s nothing. I’m being selfish. He’s working hard to give us a great life.”
“But you aren’t happy.” Lucy pushed up on her elbows. “Abs, if you aren’t happy, how great of a life can it be? Don’t sell yourself short. You, of all people, deserve the world.”
“Maybe you can remind Rob,” Abbey muttered. She released her legs and reached down, grasping handfuls of sand and allowing it to drip through her fingers.
“No! You remind him,” Lucy said. “Talk to him about how you’re feeling.”
“He likes you better than me.” Abbey continued playing with the sand. “He always has. I’ve always been jealous of the relationship you two have.”
“Jealous? Of what?”
“He talks to you, he jokes with you, and you aren’t afraid to tell him when he’s being a jerk.”
Lucy laughed. “We have a very sibling-esque sort of relationship.”
“I know, and that’s what I’m jealous of. You two are always laughing and joking around. Whenever Rob and I are in the same room, I feel like I’m walking on eggshells.”
“He loves you,” Lucy said softly.
“Does he?”
“Of course.” Lucy sat up, scooting closer to her sister. “Do you honestly think he doesn’t?”
Abbey shrugged as if carrying a hundred pounds on her back; her shoulders hardly moved up before slumping forward again. “I’m not sure anymore. He probably likes me, but I don’t know if he still loves me. It feels like he spends long hours at the office because he can’t stand to be home with me.”
Lucy looked out across the beach, watching Rob splashing Lola and Kaylee. His laugh echoed across the sand, the wholehearted laugh Lucy always remembered. The more she thought about it, the more she realized she hadn’t heard that laugh since moving here.
Lucy put her hand to her chest. “Is this my fault? I’d feel horrible if he was staying away because we moved in. I know we’ve overstayed a bit, and I take all your attention, but––.”
“No!” Abbey grabbed Lucy’s hand. “This all started way before you came. It was part of why I pushed you so hard to move here. I was lonely, and my husband, my best friend, was pulling away from me.”
Abbey exhaled deeply, releasing Lucy’s hand and staring toward the sea. “I can’t put all the blame on Rob though. Our lives have changed over the past few years, and I think it started when I went back to work.
“When I was pregnant with Lola, I only wanted to be a housewife. I loved cooking, cleaning, and being there when Lola and Rob came home. I wanted to be that perfect family you see on TV.
“But, they never show how lonely being a housewife can be. I spent so much time alone once Lola was in school; it felt like no one paid attention to me anymore.”
Abbey dropped her head to her knees. “Geesh, I sound pathetic.”
Lucy shook her head. “You don’t.”
Abbey continued. “I needed something just for me, so I started a part-time job. It was perfect; I worked while Lola was in school and could do it from the kitchen. Then, Maeve had this crazy idea to start a new business and wanted me to help her. Now, I dedicate more time to that than to housework. I lose track of time and don’t always have dinner sorted by the time Rob comes home, and sometimes the house is a mess.”
A scowl creased her lips downward. “I get it; it’s all been a huge change. Rob is used to coming home to a clean house and dinner on the table. Lately, he comes home to find me still engrossed in work. There are still dishes from breakfast in the sink, and sometimes, I haven’t put all the groceries away. I feel his annoyance, but at the same time, is it wrong to ask for some help? I”ve been doing everything since we met, but it’s become mundane and boring. It would be nice if he washed the dishes occasionally.”
Abbey sighed, shaking her head. “I should just quit working; then maybe everything would go back to the way it was.”
“No, you are building something for yourself, which makes you happy,” Lucy protested. “Not to mention, we wouldn’t all be here in Spain without that job. This place is amazing.”
Abbey’s lips cracked with anticipation. “I’m excited about this job; I love building this business. It won’t always be so much work. It will be easy once the databases are set up and some excursions are planned out. I love traveling and want to help people have amazing vacations.”
“I had no idea all the things you are juggling.” Lucy leaned into her sister. “I haven’t noticed a messy house, and you seem to always be in the kitchen, cleaning and cooking. You could have asked me for help; I can help you.”
“You’re a guest in my house,” Abbey sighed.
“No, we are two extra people making you work twice as hard,” Lucy reminded her. “I’m sorry I failed to notice you’re burning the candle at both ends. Maybe Rob doesn’t realize how hard you are working behind the scenes. Does he know how much this business means to you? Because you shouldn’t have to give up on your dreams to make a marriage work.”
Abbey leaned back, resting her head on Lucy’s shoulder. “You know, for someone who seems conflicted in love, you give pretty good relationship advice.”
As if on cue, Lucy’s phone vibrated next to her, making a muffled whirring sound against the blanket and sand.
Abbey glanced down and noticed the name flashing across the screen. “Speaking of love–.”
Lucy ignored the call, focusing on the girls playing in the water.
“Thank you for listening.” Abbey pushed up from the blanket. “I know I need to talk to Rob He may have no idea how I’ve been feeling. But you should take your own advice and talk to Aidan. You may be surprised to find you both want the same thing.”
Lucy glanced at her watch. “That is just a booty call.”
“Doesn’t he know you aren’t home?”
“I haven’t exactly spoken to him for a few weeks,” Lucy said sheepishly. “We want different things.”
“I think you’re wrong,” Abbey said. “And I think you’re making a huge mistake. You are head over heels for that man, and I think he feels the same way.”