Chapter 7
CHAPTER SEVEN
In another life, one where she didn’t own the best boutique in the Northeast, Diana could have been an event planner.
She was, after all, a spectacular hostess.
She looked out over her display with satisfaction, even as she found a few details to fuss over.
Her centerpiece popped with pink gerbera daisies, and she’d used the colors from the bright flowers to influence her cocktails, bright pomegranate mojitos, available both with and without alcohol.
She’d then used the pomegranate to seek complimentary flavors, which had led her to make the peppery arugula and crumbled goat cheese salad, which had bright orange chunks of grilled squash, walnuts, and cherry tomatoes.
The dressing was homemade, naturally, with labneh and several large handfuls of herbs, which Diana had chopped as finely as possible before mixing it in with the labneh and lemon juice to make a tart, fresh sauce.
Once all those Mediterranean flavors were in play, Diana had seen it as a logical leap to lay out falafel as her appetizer, with tahini she’d gotten from a nearby restaurant. For the main dish, she’d fired up her grill and made lamb skewers.
It was, she admitted, a little fancier than she usually went for a dinner with the girls, but tonight was special, as Cadence had texted to let her know she’d made a new friend who had just moved to town and had invited her along.
That was all the incentive Diana needed to spruce things up a bit.
She was just laying out the last stack of plates on the table, since she also always took the opportunity to use her best dishware, when the doorbell rang.
Diana quickly wiped her hands and headed to the door to let in June, who was holding up a bottle of wine.
“Hi, honey,” Diana greeted. “Thanks for coming.”
“Oh, stop,” June said with a laugh as she returned Diana’s embrace.
“You know I’m not going to miss one of your dinners.
Not only do I get to see you, but I get to eat a dinner that I didn’t make myself, and that doesn’t take a kid’s palate into account?
That’s my version of heaven, and you know it. ”
Diana smiled as she took the bottle from her friend, but it was a touch bittersweet.
June Caldwell was one of Diana’s closest friends. Like Cadence, she’d grown up in Magnolia Shore and had married on the younger side. In June’s case, it was to her high school sweetheart, Keith. The two of them had had a son, Benjamin, and all in all seemed well poised to have a perfect life.
And then, two years ago, Keith had been diagnosed with and quickly passed away from a rare health condition.
It had been hard on June, not only losing her husband, but spending a few months not knowing if the condition was inherited and might affect their son too.
Fortunately, they’d learned that Keith’s diagnosis was just a stroke of bad luck, not anything that he could have inadvertently passed on to their son.
Still, it had left a heavy burden on June and Benjamin.
June had gone from being a stay-at-home mom to being her family’s sole breadwinner in a matter of weeks, all while trying to process her grief over losing her husband so young.
“Well,” Diana said, putting brightness into her tone, because she knew that June liked to treat evenings out as a break from her troubles, rather than spending that time dwelling on them, “dare I flatter myself and say you’re going to be impressed?”
“Unless we’re having hot dogs chopped up in mac n’ cheese out of a box, you definitely dare,” June said, ease returning swiftly to her expression.
“Oh, shoot, that’s exactly what I made,” Diana joked.
June pantomimed looking at her wrist, which did not even sport a watch. “Oh, drat, I, uh, think I have to go then…” she teased back.
Glad to see her friend laughing again, Diana seized June’s arm in hers and pulled her further into the condo.
“Come here, you dork. Let me pour you a drink. Want some of your wine or the cocktail I made?”
“Cocktail, please!”
Cadence was the next to arrive. Although Isabella often spent time with her father, Cadence was also finding her feet doing solo parenting, and she made June laugh when she expressed similar excitement about “adult foods.”
“Izzy is adjusting as well as possible,” she said as she too, accepted a mojito from Diana.
“But apparently, it’s common for kids to want a little babying when there’s a big upheaval.
So she’s been just a touch picky in her foods recently, and honestly, I don’t mind coddling her a little.
This is hard for me, so I can only imagine what it’s like for her. ”
“Benjamin was the same when we lost Keith,” June commiserated.
The two moms exchanged a serious glance. “But, like, adult foods,” Cadence said solemnly. “They’re so good, right?”
“They’re so good,” June affirmed.
Diana smiled along, trying to keep up with the lighthearted energy, instead of letting the twinge of sadness overtake her. Would she ever have kids of her own? She wanted to have the opportunity to complain about their boring dietary preferences!
Next to arrive, her knock a bit cautious at the door, was Cadence’s new friend, who introduced herself as Eleanor Ridley.
“Hi,” she said shyly after Cadence performed introductions to Diana and June. “Thanks so much for welcoming me tonight. Cadence might have mentioned that I’m new to town.”
“Oh, honey, we know,” June said smilingly. “A new arrival in Magnolia Shore is, like, what, a once-in-a-year event? We were all frankly very jealous that Cadence got to meet you first.”
Cadence nudged June with her elbow. “In a normal, chill way that’s not going to scare off our new friend,” she added pointedly.
June adopted an extremely somber look. “Yes, of course. Very normal. So chill.”
Fortunately, this did not seem to scare off their new friend in the least. By contrast, Eleanor’s aspect lightened when she saw this good-natured ribbing, She smiled and playfully fluffed her hair.
“Oh, I didn’t realize I was a celebrity,” she said, fluttering her eyelashes. “I did bring these fancy chocolates as a thank you, but if my presence is the present…”
“We’ll take them,” Diana said hurriedly, as everyone laughed.
The last of their group to arrive was Miriam Landers.
The older woman, who sported her typical stylish silver pixie cut, bustled in.
She’d long since given up on knocking, at least at Diana’s house.
Despite the decades between them, Diana and Miriam were particularly close, since they didn’t have kids keeping them busy.
Diana also privately thought that Miriam, who had lost her beloved husband years ago and was retired, might sometimes get just a bit lonely.
“Oh, drat,” she said by way of greeting. “I lost track of the time and now my new friend will think I’m one of those batty old ladies who is always late.” She shook her head at herself. “You never get a second chance to make a first impression, Miriam!”
Contrary to Miriam’s proclamation, Eleanor was looking intrigued and delighted by the little cannonball that had just burst her way into the scene.
Diminutive Miriam had soft features that made her look like the stereotypical grandmother…
right up until you took in her vibrant clothing choices and the way mischief perpetually sparked in her bright gray eyes.
Without waiting for an answer, Miriam bustled over to Eleanor.
“Hello, darling,” she said. “I’m Miriam, and it is entirely Diana’s fault that I am late.”
“Hey!” Diana protested without any real heat.
“I like the look of you,” Miriam went on, waving a finger up and down Eleanor’s form. “Yes. You have a good energy. We’re going to have to keep you. You’re one of us now.”
Eleanor, Diana could see, was fighting back a smile. June and Cadence didn’t bother with trying to hide their own grins and were chuckling into their mojitos.
“I see my evil scheme is working, then,” Eleanor said seriously, which made Miriam cackle with delight.
“Oh yes,” she repeated. “We shall be keeping you. Anyway, I’m Miriam, town elder extraordinaire.”
“Miriam is a fixture around here,” June chimed in. “And she’s got the most gorgeous garden in town.”
“Flatterer!” Miriam accused the younger woman, although she looked simply thrilled by the praise.
“Okay, you crazy kids,” Diana said fondly… and partially because she knew it would make Miriam squawk in playful outrage over being called a kid. “Let’s eat before everything gets cold.”
Cheerful chaos briefly reigned as everyone filled plates and glasses and took a seat around Diana’s expertly festooned table.
“Still glad I invited you?” Cadence teased when she nearly bumped into Eleanor. The newcomer assured the group that she was having a great time, something echoed in her smile.
It was not until after dinner, however, when Diana and Eleanor were tidying in the kitchen while the other women worked around the dining room table, that Diana saw another side to her new friend.
Diana was washing the glasses that couldn’t go in the dishwasher, Eleanor drying them neatly, when Diana’s phone chimed in her pocket. She glanced at it to find a text from her sister.
KYLIE: Scoping dates for a possible dress shopping jaunt to Boston. Do you have anything major coming up? Astrid says she has a work trip the second week of July, so I’m hoping to get us booked before that. What do you think?
Diana fought back the instinctive grimace that crossed her face. Whenever she felt anything other than complete happiness for Kylie, she felt like she was the worst sister in the world. Distracted with self-recrimination, she let her gaze drift over to a large empty spot on her wall.
Maybe Cadence was right, she decided suddenly. Maybe treating her house like a way station instead of a real home was holding her back. She would buy a statement piece for that wall. Maybe even this weekend.