Chapter 9 #2
Bay wipes her face with her T-shirt. “Okay, no more freaking crying!” We both laugh, because she knows once I start, I can’t stop. I watch her stand up. “Drink your coffee, and then I want to show you around.” Her face is so giddy with excitement from that statement.
I let her lead me around her home, showing me each room, every nook and cranny. Secret doors and a dumbwaiter. The home is breathtaking, and I can see Baylee throughout it with each thrifted piece she has placed in her home.
“Want to see my favorite part?” Her smile is so wide that it shows her side teeth.
“Yes.”
She puts out her hand, and I grab a hold of it. Within seconds, she has us running up her stairs to another staircase leading to the attic. Once we enter the huge attic, we turn left to the wall; she pushes on the wood and a door pops open.
“What the?”
She cuts me off. “My secret room!” A small spiral staircase leads us up, entering a small room at the tip of the house. The window gives you a perfect spot to look out at the ocean, even though the house is three blocks from it. “It’s a lookout tower.”
Walking closer to the window, I say, “This is absolutely beautiful, Bay.” I’m in awe.
“I never want to leave this house, August,” she tells me honestly.
We spend a few minutes up there before she leads me back downstairs, stopping at a closed door.
“Can I show you one more thing?”
Giving her a duh look, I say, “Yeah.”
Bay pushes the door open, moving to the side, and I gasp when my eyes land on an antique cradle in the middle of the room. “Baylee?” I question her.
Her eyes are watery, and she just nods her head.
I engulf her in a hug. “Congratulations.”
After a moment, I let her loose, walking further into the room, and she follows. Her hand trails the cradle, her finger lightly touching it before looking at me. “We haven’t announced our pregnancy yet.” Her smile is sad.
“Why?” I can’t help but ask.
My eyes follow her as she walks to the window that overlooks the backyard. “Kai and I have had a few losses in the past three years. I’m newly pregnant, but I couldn’t let you leave and not tell you. I needed you to know.” She turns to look at me.
“Thank you,” I breathe out to her, feeling so much gratitude for her letting me in on their secret. Even though that’s the last thing I believe I deserve. Bay smiles at me, and in that brief moment, I say a little prayer to whoever is listening, for her and Kai.
Once downstairs, we head into her kitchen, where she pours me a mug of coffee.
Sitting at her table, talking for what only felt like minutes, but turned into hours.
When Kai walks in, that’s when we realize just how long we’ve been sitting.
I wanted to know everything that had happened in her life up until this moment.
I needed to know how happy she truly is.
“Congratulations,” I tell him as he leans over to give Bay a kiss. His face lights up, his lopsided smile showing the Kai that we’d sit at bonfires with and gossip about the vacationers. Even though I was one, they always saw me as someone who’s always been in Driftwood Bay.
Kai sits next to Bay. “I’m excited, even though I keep telling myself to wait. I just feel like this is the one.” He puts his arm around her.
“It is,” is all I can say.
“August had a run-in with Molly while getting coffee this morning. And it didn’t go so great.”
Kai’s head snaps to me. “Are you good?” It has more meaning than just what happened this morning.
I nod my head, “It makes sense.” I can’t keep living in the past, and coming to Driftwood Bay has shown me that. We’re all grown now, living our lives, and it is what it is. “And life goes on.” And it does. I’m seeing it for a fact with them sitting in front of me, married and pregnant.
“I’m sorry that you and Bohdi aren’t as close as you were,” I tell him truthfully. I don’t want to tiptoe around things, so I’m saying what I need to say.
His lips turn down. “Never thought my brother and I would be practically strangers. I could blame it all on Molly and her family, but Bohdi lets it happen. When we do speak, it’s only about jobs.” Kai frowns.
My face must show confusion. But I don’t voice why.
“Molly runs Bohdi. What she says goes. If she told him to jump, he’d ask her how high.
He doesn’t visit our parents. Hell, this is Driftwood Bay; it’s small.
Can you imagine staying away from your parents here?
It’s impossible. My mom sees him around, and it breaks her heart.
Dad is running the Marina on his own, barely able to do so with his age and other things.
I help when I can, but I’m also running my own business. So, it’s hard.”
This Bohdi he’s talking about isn’t the Bohdi I knew. There is no way he’d let his father run the business on his own or ignore his own mother. I’m so confused.
Kai sits up straighter, pulling my focus to him and away from Bohdi. “Speaking of the marina, I have to head over there. Do you want to go with us?”
I look to Baylee, then to Kai. “Umm.”
“Oh, come on. They’ll love to see you,” Bay says.
My stomach knots, but I would love to see them, even if it’ll be uncomfortable. “Sure,” I say with a weak smile.
The drive to the marina takes no time, as I sit in the back seat of their car. The short ride is quiet, not uncomfortable. I watch Main Street pass by, people milling around; the town is alive.
Turning onto Driftwood Lane brings back so many memories of us coming and taking the boat, hanging at the marina, fishing off the pier. Days of simplicity. I’d work two days a week here with Baylee during the summer, helping to sign customers in and check them out.
The gravel drive bumps us along until Kai parks in front of the shack. It’s not a shack, but that’s what we’d call it. Where the customers would come to pay to fill up their boats, buy bait, or just hang around and talk.
The red, rust-colored wood still looks like it did years ago, just a little lighter now from the sun.
Kai opens the door for us, the bell sounding to announce our arrival. Walking in, the fish smell is still strong as ever, familiar.
“Hey Mom,” Kai calls from behind us, walking around to get to his mom, who stands at the counter.
Mrs. Julie still looks the same, but her hair is gray now, and she’s donning glasses these days. I follow behind Bay and Kai, my stomach flipping a bit from nervousness. Scared of the reception I’ll get.
“I brought someone to see you.” Kai laughs out. Knowing I’m feeling uncomfortable but not caring.
“Who’s that?” Mrs. Julie asks.
I step out from behind Bay, a small smile on my face. Mrs. Julie looks at me and immediately lets out a small, excited scream. “August! Oh, my goodness, come here.” She yells while coming around the counter, hands raised for a hug.
Her arms engulf me, squeezing me to her slight frame, and I melt into her touch.
A mother’s touch that I haven’t felt in so long.
We stand there for a minute as her hands rub up and down my back, whispering, “I’m so sorry about your daddy, baby.
” Leaning back, she takes in my features, more grown now than the last time she saw me.
“I missed you.” And I can feel it radiating from her; she isn’t just saying it to say it.
My eyes water, but I wipe them quickly, whispering, “Hi.” My voice allows me only that one word, because if I speak more, I might cry.
“Come, come.” She grabs my arm, pulling me with her as she passes Baylee, giving her a quick peck on her cheek.
I look behind me, and Bay smiles so wide and winks at me.
Mrs. Julie leads me to the small section of tables at the back of the shack where you can eat your lunch or just take a moment.
We all sit, Mrs. Julie's face overtaken with so much joy.
“Tell me everything. How have you been?” she asks excitedly.
I tell her about everything: my plans for the cottage, and then opening my own bakery.
“I’m so proud of you, August. A bakery. Ugh, I miss those red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese and vanilla frosting.” She sighs, and we all laugh.
We sat and talked for over an hour, all of us catching up, and it felt like the old days.
Kai offers to take us on the boat, and I can’t say no.
The ride down the coast is slow and peaceful, as Kai drives and Bay and I lie together on the front of the boat. Just talking. She pulls out her cell phone and says, “Smile.” And we take a few pictures. And then it reminds me.
“Can I follow you on Instagram?” I hold out my phone.
Bay sits up. “Umm, yeah.” She looks at me like I’m nuts.
After I hit the follow button, it tells me Baylee needs to approve my request, and immediately I’m approved.
I lay there blocking the sun with my free hand, scrolling through her feed. Moments captured forever, showing me what I missed all these years.
“We’re going to head back to the marina,” Kai screams at us.
Baylee and I both hold up our thumbs at the same time and bust out in a belly laugh.
Docking, Kai helps us off the boat, and I see a few more that weren’t here before we left. That’s good to know they’re getting business.
“We’ll drive you back to your car,” Baylee tells me.
Smiling, “Thanks.”
Heading to their car, “I don’t think so,” is called out behind us. Turning around, Mrs. Julie is standing on the pier and starts walking toward us. “You’re not leaving again without telling me goodbye, young lady.”
I give her a sad smile because she isn’t wrong.
Mrs. Julie hugs me, rocking back and forth. “He hasn’t been the same.” She quietly tells me; I freeze. Because she doesn’t have to elaborate on who he is.
“Stay in touch, August. You still have family.” Her words pierce right through my heart, but they mend something at the same time.
“I will, I promise.” And I plan to keep that promise.
“What time are you leaving tomorrow?” Baylee asks me as she’s pulling out of our hug in the parking lot of Sippy’s.
“Late morning, I have to get back to Luna.”
She raises her eyebrows, “Luna?”
Laughing, “My cat.”