Epilogue
EPILOGUE
T he sun shone brightly on the empty lot off Main Street. Ivy stood at the edge of the gathered crowd, taking in a sea of familiar faces assembled for the groundbreaking ceremony. A buzz of anticipation filled the air. She looked around, pleased with the turnout.
Darla, Louise, and Paige had rallied the book clubs. Gilda toted Pixie in a pink doggie backpack while Imani and Clark chatted nearby with Jen and George.
Mitch’s Java Beach patrons and Hallie and her husband from the Oceanview Café were there. Many others had arrived for the celebration, too. With encouragement from their teachers, children and their families poured in to celebrate the groundbreaking.
“Nervous?” Bennett asked, appearing at Ivy’s side in a crisp white shirt and khakis that still made her look twice.
“Grateful for everything,” she replied. Her ivory linen dress and colorful scarf fluttered in the ocean breeze.
People stood in line for her friend Marina’s Coral Cafe food truck parked on the street for the event. Marina served refreshments and book-themed treats; the Mondrian-styled cake with bright color-blocked layers was popular. The red-and-white striped hat-shaped cookies inspired by Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat were also going fast, as were the artist palette-shaped cookies with colorful paint-like splotches.
He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost time, but we should wait a little longer.”
Today was almost perfect. “I wish the girls could?—”
Suddenly, a commotion at the back of the gathering interrupted her, and Misty and Sunny raced toward her. “Mom!”
Beside her, Bennett laughed, looking relieved.
“What a wonderful surprise,” Ivy said. She held out her arms to them, and they quickly enveloped her in a tangle of arms. “I didn’t think you could make it.”
“We wanted to surprise you earlier,” Sunny said. “The traffic was heavy, but Bennett said he’d stall for us.”
Misty grinned. “It’s not every day your mother discovers a lost fortune and breaks ground on a new cultural center.”
Her eldest daughter had been rehearsing for a new television pilot. Sunny had been busy with fieldwork for her course of study. They both looked happy, with a sprinkling of freckles across their noses the sunshine always brought out.
They spoke for a few minutes, and then a bell rang, signaling the start of the event. Poppy stepped up with a microphone for Bennett and switched it on. As mayor, he would introduce this new project to Summer Beach residents.
Ivy stood beside him, her heartbeat quickening with excitement.
“Welcome, friends,” he began. “We stand today on this vacant lot. Some of you might think the city is behind this new project. But like many things in Summer Beach, appearances can be deceiving.”
Laughter rippled through the audience.
“None of this would have been possible without Amelia Erickson’s extraordinary gift that remained hidden for nearly a century,” Bennett said. “That might have been lost forever if not for the tenacity and vision of one person who began lobbying the city for a library even before this discovery. Most of you know Ivy, my wonderful wife.”
She smiled as applause rose in the air.
Bennett paused before going on. “Ivy connected threads nearly severed by time, refusing to let Amelia Erickson’s vision fade into history. As a result, today we break ground on a new cultural center for the community.”
Ivy felt a curious sensation, as if Amelia was watching from just beyond the visible crowd, finally witnessing her dream taking shape.
Bennett held his hand to Ivy, and the admiration in his eyes flooded her with emotion. She took the microphone from him and thanked him.
“I’m far from alone in this effort,” she said, turning to Lea. “None of this would be possible without our dear friend Lea Martin, the great-niece of Amelia Erickson.”
She gestured to Lea and her husband, who had recently arrived. Lea had made an additional donation to purchase this land, ensuring Amelia’s vision would have the perfect spot in the center of town.
Lea inclined her head in acknowledgment.
“As it turns out,” Ivy said, “the Gutierrez family purchased this land from the Erickson estate years ago. We’ve discovered this is the property the library and art museum had been designed for. That means we’ve come full circle to realize Amelia Erickson’s original dream for the community. Please show Lea how much we appreciate this incredible gift.”
Cheers and applause rang out, and Ivy touched her heart in gratitude. She had been thrilled to discover that bit of history from Boz in the planning department.
Ivy went on to express her appreciation to those who had been instrumental in helping to secure Libby’s bookmobile in the interim, including Celia and Tyler, who made a generous donation for new books, and Carol and Hal, who funded computers for the bookmobile.
Amidst more applause, Ivy’s brother Forrest stepped up with a shiny ceremonial shovel festooned with a red bow. He handed it to Bennett, who said, “And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for.”
Poppy moved into position with her camera.
“Here goes,” Ivy said, raising her voice. The crowd drew closer as she put her espadrille to the shovel. However, the dirt was so hard-packed she made only a slight indentation. She laughed at the absurdity of it. “Oh, my goodness. Looks like I need help with this groundbreaking ceremony.”
Quickly, Bennett stepped up. “How about I take the other side?”
“That’s good; hold that pose again,” Poppy said, adjusting her camera against the sunshine. She snapped a few shots. “Since this new cultural center has been such a long time in the works, let’s make sure we have good photos for posterity.”
Forrest chuckled along with the rest of the family. “Don’t worry about breaking up the dirt. We have heavy equipment for that.”
“Dig, dig,” Shelly called out, cheering them on as Misty and Sunny joined in. Mitch held Daisy on his shoulders, and Reed was standing with Libby. Andrew had also made a special trip from Los Angeles.
“I think we’re making headway,” Bennett said while Ivy laughed. They put their weight onto the shovel. Finally, the earth shifted.
“No wonder,” Bennett said, scooping up a shovelful of dirt. “That looks like old concrete under there.”
“On a vacant lot?” Ivy shook her head. “I didn’t think anything ever existed on this property.”
“Could be buried treasure,” Shelly said, laughing.
“Hold it there,” Poppy said, taking more photos.
“Wait, this isn’t quite right.” Ivy gestured to her niece. “Let’s turn around to get everyone in the photos behind us. Because this library and art museum is for every person here.”
Poppy turned and reframed the photo with the crowd surrounding them. “That looks much better. Hold up the sign, too.”
Residents stretched the banner that read The Amelia Erickson Library and Art Museum.
“One more change,” Andrew said, stepping to Poppy’s side. “You should be in the photos, too. I’ll take them.”
Poppy’s face brightened at his offer, and she took a spot beside Shelly. “Okay, on three, let’s all wave our hands and say sea breeze.” On her count, the crowd erupted in a roar of laughter.
After they finished the photos, Bennett returned the shovel to Forrest while Ivy chatted with her friends and neighbors.
“These cupcakes look yummy,” Shelly said, returning with a cupcake that featured a gummy worm burrowed in the thick icing. Daisy reached for it, cooing with delight.
“What’s that supposed to be?” Ivy asked.
Shelly pinched off a portion for Daisy. “It’s from The Very Hungry Caterpillar book we read to Daisy. And the rest of this is for the very hungry mommy.” She polished off the cupcake in a few bites.
As Ivy laughed, her daughters joined them. She was so happy they’d both made it today.
“I thought you might need something cool,” Misty said, handing her a bottle of water she’d brought from the food truck. “Marina’s menu is so clever.”
“She consulted with Libby on art and literary-inspired offerings,” Ivy said.
The newest resident in Summer Beach was settling into the community and making friends. Libby and Reed were seeing quite a lot of each other now, and Ivy was happy for them.
“I brought an assortment of goodies for us.” Sunny held up a plate of sweet treats, pointing to each one. “This is Bilbo’s Lemon-Glazed Caraway Seed Cakes from The Lord of the Rings , Peach Cobbler from James and the Giant Peach , and Fruit Tarts from Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland .”
“Delicious,” Ivy said, taking a tart and a miniature lemon bar decorated like a book. “It’s so good to see you together again.” Although she’d seen each of her daughters since New Year’s, they hadn’t returned at the same time.
Now, the inn was complete enough for them to stay in the guest rooms again this weekend. Once the final walk-through was signed off, the inn would open to the public with a grand reopening event.
As they were talking, Ivy overheard Andrew approach Poppy and ask her out for dinner for the evening. The smile that bloomed across Poppy’s face was answer enough.
Bennett excused himself and crossed to her side, slipping an arm around her waist with easy affection.
“Happy?” he asked.
“Beyond words,” she said, smiling at her daughters, who were circulating and enjoying themselves.
“They wanted to surprise you. I merely facilitated the conspiracy.”
At that moment, with her daughters and family nearby and her husband and community around her, Ivy understood the richness of Summer Beach wasn’t in buildings or bank accounts but in experiences that connected them. And soon, to every person who would walk through the library doors.
She leaned into Bennett and smiled. Some dreams were patient enough to wait for the right moment to bloom.
Thank you for reading Seabreeze Library , and I hope you enjoyed the excitement of bringing a new library to Summer Beach.