Chapter 32
CHAPTER 32
T he following Saturday dawned clear and calm, perfect beach weather for early June. Rachel had been watching the tide charts all week, knowing they had precious little time before the piping plovers would return to nest at Hatches Harbor.
She reached for her phone, smiling at the early hour. Her sisters would either love her or hate her for this, but some moments were worth waking up early for.
She sent a text to Lucy and Hannah. "Hatches Harbor before the plovers come back? The tide's perfect, and the forecast is showing light winds." She added a sea glass emoji, knowing it would catch their attention.
Hannah responded almost immediately: "YES! Need this after the week I've had sorting inventory at the shop." A string of heart emojis followed. Lucy's response came a few minutes later: "Already brewing coffee for all of us. Extra shot in mine—was up late working on Jenna's manuscript. Meet at Race Point lot at 6:30?"
Rachel moved quietly through her morning routine, careful not to wake Everly. After the hectic week of wedding planning and vineyard work, the thought of a peaceful morning with her sisters felt like a gift.
She packed her beach bag with practiced care—blankets, sunscreen, water bottles, and of course, their sea glass collecting jars. These early morning excursions had become even more precious since Everly was born, rare moments when she could just be a sister again, part of the trio they'd always been.
Rachel heard a gentle knock at the back door. Carolyn stood there in her gardening clothes, already prepared for a day of adventure with Everly.
"Ready for some fairy garden building?" Rachel asked, hugging her neighbor hello.
"Got all the supplies in my car." Carolyn winked, her silver hair caught up in a cheerful scarf. "And Jack mentioned something about heading into Boston?"
"Yes. He might be back before I am, I’m not sure but he’ll text you when he’s on his way. You're an angel, Carolyn," Rachel said warmly. "With the plovers coming back soon, we might not get another chance at Hatches Harbor this season. I just…I need this. Sister time."
"Go." Carolyn smiled, her eyes catching the sparkle of Rachel's engagement ring. "Make some memories. Everly and I have grand plans for that fairy garden."
Rachel left a note for Jack, though he already knew her plans, then headed out in her Jeep. The early morning air was crisp with salt and promise as she drove, mentally going through the beach checklist their mother had drilled into them years ago. Tire pressure gauge, check. Tow rope, check. Emergency kit, check. Some lessons you never forgot.
She found her sisters already waiting in the Race Point parking lot, Hannah perched on the hood of her car with an oversized coffee cup while Lucy organized their collection jars and beach chairs. The sight of them—so familiar yet somehow always new—made her heart swell. Hannah's hair was tied up in her signature messy bun, while Lucy had her writer's notebook tucked under one arm, probably already composing in her head.
"The Sea Glass Girls ride again," Hannah called out with a grin, using the nickname that had followed them since childhood. She slid off her car's hood, bringing a bag that smelled suspiciously like fresh cinnamon rolls from Mary's Bakery.
Together, they transferred their supplies into Rachel's Jeep—the only vehicle suitable for beach driving. It was a familiar dance, each sister knowing their role in this well-practiced routine. Lucy claimed shotgun while Hannah sprawled in the backseat among their bags and chairs, already starting to tell them about her week at the shop.
The drive out onto the beach was an adventure in itself. Rachel navigated the sand with confidence, following the tracks of earlier vehicles. The morning sun painted the dunes in shades of rose and gold, and clusters of beach grass swayed in the salty breeze.
"There's your lucky spot, Han." Lucy pointed as they passed a distinctive spot. "Remember when you found that perfect piece of dark pink sea glass there?"
"Still have it," Hannah confirmed. "I don’t have the heart to do anything with it except admire it.”
They parked in their usual spot, where the beach curved gently and the morning sun would warm their backs as they searched. The tide was going out, revealing fresh treasures with each retreating wave.
"Breakfast picnic first," Hannah declared, spreading out their blanket while Lucy arranged the beach chairs. "I brought those cinnamon rolls from the new bakery in town."
Rachel added her contribution—a container of fresh strawberries from the farmers’ market. "And I stopped by Mary's farm stand for her honey butter."
Lucy completed their feast with still-warm hardboiled eggs sprinkled with sea salt. "Just like Mom used to make for our beach mornings."
They settled into their breakfast ritual, watching the sun climb higher over the water. A pair of seals bobbed in the waves, curious about these early morning visitors to their domain.
"So," Hannah said, licking honey butter from her fingers, "Aurora has agreed to let Taryn sell her jewelry in the shop. She’s so excited.”
"That’s great," Rachel said. "You both should collaborate on some stuff. She seems like a kindred creative spirit."
Hannah nodded, her expression thoughtful. "She is. And Sam…" A slight blush colored her cheeks. "He's been helping us redesign the shop's window display area. He has these ideas about incorporating driftwood sculptures as display pieces…"
"Just the display pieces he's helping with?" Lucy teased gently.
"We're taking it slow," Hannah said, but her smile was warm. "After Oliver…I need to be sure. But Sam understands that. He has his own past too."
"Speaking of taking it slow," Rachel added, reaching for another strawberry, "Jack and I set a date. October 15th, when the vines are turning gold and red. Small ceremony at the vineyard, dinner under the stars…"
"And a flower girl in fairy wings?" Lucy asked with a knowing smile.
"You bet. It will be an excuse to shop for a new princess dress." Rachel laughed. "Though she's now added that Jack needs to ride in on a white horse."
They all chuckled, understanding the particular logic of three-year-olds.
"And you, Lucy?" Hannah asked softly. "How are you doing with everything? With Ethan, with Romy, with Jenna's story?"
Lucy was quiet for a moment, watching the waves. "It's…healing. All of it. Ethan understands that I need to see this through, to finally tell Jenna's story properly. And Romy…working together on the manuscript, it's helping us both find peace with the past."
Rachel reached over to squeeze her sister's hand. "That's what Mom always said about sea glass, remember? That every broken piece has the potential to become something beautiful, if you just give it time and treat it gently."
They let that truth settle between them as they finished their breakfast, then began their traditional hunt. Each sister had her own method—Hannah working methodically along the waterline, Lucy following her intuition to specific spots, Rachel scanning the area where waves met sand. They called out to each other when they found something special, sharing their treasures and their stories.
"Look at this," Hannah called out midmorning, holding up a perfect heart-shaped piece of pale blue sea glass. "Rachel, this needs to be part of your wedding bouquet."
"And this," Lucy added, discovering a piece of rare purple glass. "Something old, something blue…"
"Something borrowed," Rachel said, pointing to the sea glass pendant she wore—a piece their mother had found years ago.
They spent the next hour sharing ideas for incorporating sea glass into the wedding—centerpieces with elegant driftwood sculptures holding Hannah's wire-wrapped pieces, small jars of sea glass as favors, Lucy writing custom poems about sea glass and love for the ceremony.
As the sun climbed higher and other beachgoers began to arrive, they knew many would try to steal whatever sea glass they could find.
The sisters understood the excitement when a new beautiful piece was found and didn’t mind sharing what they considered their beach with others. No one bothered to wear a watch or check their phones. They spent the rest of the day swimming, telling stories and enjoying the day without any care for the time.
They sorted through their finds, each sister having favorite colors and shapes they sought. Rachel collected the soft greens that matched the vineyard's leaves, Hannah gravitated toward the blues and aquas that reminded her of summer skies, and Lucy loved the rare colors—the purples and reds that held stories in their scarcity.
"One last walk?" Hannah suggested, and they linked arms as they strolled along the water's edge.
"The Sea Glass Girls," Lucy said softly. "Mom would love that we still do this."
"She's here with us," Rachel said, touching the sea glass pendant at her throat. "In every piece we find, every story we tell, every moment we share."
They made their way back to the Jeep, carefully packing their treasures. The tide was coming in now, slowly erasing their footprints from the sand, but the memories they'd made would remain. As Rachel drove them back across the beach, they were quiet, each lost in their own thoughts about the past they honored and the future they were building.
Back at the parking lot, transferring their finds to their separate cars, they made plans for next week's beach trip.
"Same time?" Hannah asked, carefully cradling her jar of sea glass.
"Wouldn't miss it," Lucy agreed, her notebook already full of new inspiration.
“Keep me updated on your progress at school, Hannah. Remember, Jack and I are ready whenever you are to meet with Aurora,” Rachel added.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Lucy said. “Now that Ethan is back, I think it would be great if we all got together for dinner.”
Rachel nodded as she watched her sisters get in their cars and drive away.
She filled the Jeep’s tires with air and then took one last look back at the dunes. The day had been a good one, and she couldn’t wait until they could do it again. They were the Sea Glass Girls, shaped by time and tide into something beautiful and strong, just like the treasures they sought.
Some things changed—relationships grew, dreams evolved, lives transformed. But some things remained constant—like the tide, like their bond as sisters, like their connection to this beach and the memories it held.
Each of them had found their path now—Rachel with her vineyard and growing family, Hannah with her art and newfound confidence, Lucy with her writing and healing heart. And their friend Romy, who now had a desire to move forward and make new memories. But they would always have this—these precious mornings, these shared adventures, this unbreakable bond.
Rachel smiled as she started her Jeep for the drive home. They were their mother's daughters after all—collectors of beauty, keepers of stories, sisters in all ways that mattered. They were women first and foremost, and the Sea Glass Girls, always and forever.
THE END