Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Michelle’s eyelids fluttered open and she groaned, feeling disoriented from sleepiness.
She saw patterns of sunlight flickering across the ceiling of her apartment, and she stared at them for a moment, wondering if she was still dreaming.
She couldn’t remember seeing something so beautiful first thing in the morning ever before.
She rolled over and looked at her clock, noticing that it was very late in the morning. No wonder she’d never seen light patterns like that on her ceiling before—she’d hadn’t slept in so late since she was in high school!
She let out a chuckle, thinking that it was a little nice to not have any responsibilities that day. She didn’t have to spring up in a panic and rush off to work. Her body had clearly needed the sleep, and she’d been able to just rest as long as she’d needed to.
She watched the light as it shone through a glass orb that rested on her windowsill.
That was what was making the light dance on her ceiling, she realized.
The sunlight filled the orb with a breathtaking glow, and she stared at it for a few moments, wanting to simply appreciate its beauty before facing her reality.
But try as she might, she couldn’t keep thoughts about the day before from her mind for long.
The news about her father had been even worse than the gut-punch of losing her job, and she shut her eyes tightly for a moment, hardly able to process the idea that he would leave her mother for another woman.
I thought we could trust him, she thought, her heart sinking. And I thought I could trust my bosses at work too.
She pulled back the covers and got out of bed, her heart heavy. She padded into her kitchen on bare feet, feeling groggy and distressed.
What do I do with myself? she wondered as she listened to her coffee machine gurgle. It let out a rich, nutty aroma that she found soothing. Normally I would be at work right now.
She sighed. Getting to sleep in might have been nice, but she didn’t like not having a purpose for her day. She didn’t want to simply sit around and do nothing.
All at once, she remembered the conversation she’d had with her mother the night before, about starting over somewhere new.
A spark lit up in her, and she felt a rush of excitement.
She grabbed her laptop off her desk and sat down on the couch with it, opening it and beginning to type rapidly into the search engine.
I could go anywhere, she thought, smiling a little. Anywhere at all.
The choice felt overwhelming but also thrilling.
She looked up Nashville, and then New Orleans.
Feeling intrepid, she even typed in Hawaii.
She thought that all of those places seemed wonderful, and she was intrigued by them, but she wanted something in her to click when she looked at a potential location.
She had an inkling that her gut would just know when she’d found the right place for her.
She got up to get herself a cup of coffee and returned to the couch. She searched for other cities, but nothing seemed to click for her.
Maybe I need to go somewhere in person first, she thought.
She glanced at her phone, wondering if it was a good time to call her mom. She hadn’t wanted to wake up her mother in case she was also getting much-needed sleep, but she knew that since it was now nearly noon, her mother was almost certain to be awake.
She dialed Audrey’s number and listened to it ring. She closed her eyes, hoping that her mother was feeling better and had gotten good rest. She couldn’t even imagine going through what Audrey was going through.
“Hey, hon!” Audrey answered after just two rings.
Michelle froze. Her mother sounded energetic, even excited. Michelle was thrilled her mother was feeling better, but she was confused by her sudden enthusiasm.
“Hey! Are you doing okay?”
“Yes. I am. I—well, how would you feel about coming over? I can make us some chocolate chip waffles and we can use up the last of that whipped cream.”
Michelle’s stomach, filled with only coffee and anxiety, grumbled loudly at the thought of waffles. “That sounds amazing. Did you want to talk about something? You sound excited.”
There was a pause on the other line, and somehow Michelle knew that her mother was smiling.
“Yeah, there’s something I think we should chat about. When should I start making the waffles?”
“Uh—” Michelle considered for a moment. “Better say I’ll get there in half an hour. I’m still in my pajamas and I look like a zombie.”
“I’m sure you look beautiful. Half an hour it is!”
They said goodbye and hung up, and Michelle shook her head, marveling that her mother was feeling so much better.
I’m so thankful, she thought, feeling an ache in her chest for her mom. She didn’t want Audrey to be going through this terrible time, and it meant a lot to her that her mother was able to be excited about something. I wonder what’s making her so happy right now?
Shaking her head with curiosity, she set down her laptop on her coffee table and stood up. She took one last swig out of her mug of coffee and then hurried into the bathroom to take a shower.
Fifteen minutes later, clean and wearing a cute outfit of boots, a sweater, and a sundress, she was driving along the highway toward her mother’s house, going as fast as the speed limit would allow.
She had a strange feeling that something wonderful was about to happen.
She wondered if it was a trick of the stress, or a real premonition.
She parked at the top of the driveway and got out. She looked up at her parents’ big, beautiful house and bit her lip.
Dad, she thought. How could you?
Pushing painful, confusing thoughts of her father aside, she hurried up to the front door. She was about to ring the doorbell, but before she could, Audrey tugged open the door, making it clear that she’d been watching for her daughter.
“Hey.” Audrey pulled her into a big hug. “Thanks for coming over.”
“Thanks for making breakfast.” Michelle half-shut her eyes, breathing deeply of the wonderful aroma that was wafting their way from the kitchen. She could smell chocolate and buttery waffles, as well as a faint whiff of whipped cream. “It smells incredible.”
“The waffles turned out great,” Audrey said proudly. “Come on into the kitchen with me, we should eat them while they’re hot.”
Audrey and Michelle sat down at the kitchen table together. Michelle smiled, seeing the glasses of orange juice that her mother had set out. Having breakfast with her mother like this reminded her of her childhood, when they’d had fancy breakfasts together whenever Michelle had off from school.
After they’d enjoyed the delicious meal in companionable silence for a few minutes, Audrey cleared her throat. “I do have some news,” she admitted with a grin. “I’ve decided on where I’m going to move.”
Michelle hurriedly swallowed her bite of waffle and blinked at her mother. “Where?”
Audrey’s eyes danced. “Coral Sands.”
Michelle’s eyes widened. She remembered visiting her mother’s hometown in the south of Maine when she was little, and she remembered it being quaint and charming. She hadn’t expected it to be the place her mother would pick to live in, however.
“Really?” she said. “I mean, it’s cute, but… wouldn’t you want to move somewhere new, and a little more exciting? I mean, what about New York? Or California, even. Or Seattle! You loved Seattle when you went there.”
Audrey shook her head, quietly smiling. “I’m sure. I need to be in a calm, nostalgic setting right now. I want to be home.”
For a moment, the women exchanged eye contact. Michelle understood what her mother was saying. Since the house they were sitting in could no longer be Audrey’s home, she wanted to go somewhere that felt safe and familiar.
“And it would be great to live by my mother. I’ve really missed her, living out here like this,” Audrey added.
Michelle’s expression softened with understanding. Elaine Sutton still lived in Coral Sands, and she was a wonderful, kind person. They often spoke on the phone, although Michelle hadn’t seen her grandmother in a long time because they lived so far away from her.
“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” she said. She paused for a moment, and then her face lit up with a smile. “I might just come along.”
“Do you really mean that?” Audrey asked, leaning forward. “I know you said that last night, but I’d convinced myself you were just saying that to cheer me up. You really want to leave the city?”
Michelle shrugged. “I mean, I lost my job. And lately I’ve been in a slump when it comes to my social circle.
I’ve been feeling more and more as though my friends aren’t really my friends, you know?
They just want to go out to bars and post cute pictures on Instagram.
If I ever really needed one of them, they wouldn’t be there for me.
Honestly, maybe losing my job was good for me.
Maybe I need this chance to start over as well. ”
For a moment, mother and daughter looked at each other and smiled. Michelle felt her heart beating faster, and she could hardly believe they were really considering taking a giant step of faith like this.
But at least we’re taking it together, she thought. That makes it all seem better.
“Are you absolutely sure that you’re ready to leave everything behind?” Michelle asked her mother gently. “I mean, I know you love this house.”
Audrey’s eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, Michelle thought that her mother was starting to cry at the thought of leaving behind the beautiful home that she’d lovingly tended to for years.
“I can’t stay here,” Audrey said, her voice barely more than a whisper. She shook her head and reached into the pocket of her sweater, taking out a letter. She set it on the table beside Michelle, who began to read it hurriedly.
“I got it this morning,” Audrey said, watching Michelle’s face as she glanced between her mother and the letter.
A few moments later, Michelle’s jaw dropped as she grasped the contents of the letter. “Foreclosure?” she gasped, appalled. “Dad stopped paying the mortgage?”
“Some time ago, it seems,” Audrey said grimly.
“I guess he’s been planning on leaving our life behind for a while.
He called this morning, before the letter even arrived.
Told me his lawyer would handle the divorce and he wanted it over with quickly.
” She gave a short, humorless laugh. “I said fine. There’s nothing left to say to him—nothing worth saving. ”
Michelle grit her teeth, battling a slew of negative emotions.
What she wanted to do was break down crying and then call up her father and give him a piece of her mind.
She wanted to be strong for her mother, however.
Audrey was going through things Michelle couldn’t even imagine.
She was determined to be her mother’s rock in the midst of her tough time.
“Well, then we’ll make the best with what we’ve got,” Michelle said briskly. “We can get a place together in Coral Sands, and I know of a cheap agency that we can hire for the moving process. They’ll sell anything you no longer need, which will give you some extra money.”
“Oh, that’s fantastic,” Audrey said, looking relieved. “That would be a huge help.” Her eyes danced with a sudden eager light. “And I love the idea of finding a place with you. I’ll contact Red Spruce Realty in Coral Sands and see about finding a house that’s available.”
They finished their breakfast, and Michelle felt a surge of hope rise up in her despite their circumstances. Audrey stood up briskly as soon as they were done eating, smiling with determination.
“I think I’m going to start packing,” she said, sounding almost cheerful. “Only the stuff I intend to keep, and I can load it into my car. I can have this moving company you mentioned deal with everything else. I want to seize the moment, I think.”
“Packing?” Michelle echoed, surprised. “Right now?”
Audrey nodded eagerly. “Why not? I want to keep moving. It’ll help keep my mind on the future.” She grinned at her daughter. “Want to help me? And then later we can drive over to your place and start packing up your stuff.”
Michelle found herself laughing. “Why not? No time like the present—and besides, I have nothing else to do.”
“I’ve still got a bunch of boxes in the basement,” Audrey said. “We can bring those upstairs and then start filling them. It shouldn’t take too long—I don’t want to keep all that much. Some photo albums and then my personal belongings, but that’s about it.”
Michelle wrapped her arms around her mother. She knew that despite Audrey’s brave demeanor, this must be terribly hard for her.
“Sounds great. We’ll blast some girly rock music and turn it into a dance party.”
Soon they were upstairs in Audrey and Clark’s bedroom, blasting some of their favorite iconic songs and stuffing most of Audrey’s wardrobe into her suitcases and some of the boxes. Michelle felt a wave of love as she looked at her mother.
What a strong, brave, resilient woman she is, she thought. Whatever comes next, I’m so grateful that she and I are going to go through it side by side.