Chapter 23
Chapter Twenty-Three
F rustration filled AJ as she tried to get Asher calm enough so that she could attend the Wednesday luncheon. She didn’t get to go to every one of them, and it felt like their group had been more and more splintered into smaller groups in the past several months than ever before.
But they were all in the house this week: Robin, Alice, Eloise, Kelli, Maddy, Julia, Tessa, Jean, Clara, Kristen, Laurel, and Kristen.
Christmas Eve still sat a few days away, and AJ was anticipating the arrival of Matt’s daughter, Lisa, for their last weekend of festivities before they would lose the holiday house and everyone would have to return to their own homes around Five Island Cove.
Maddy had catered today’s luncheon, to be eaten in the formal dining room, from the Glass Dolphin, which was one of the best restaurants in the cove, and AJ didn’t want to miss a moment of it.
Unfortunately, her three-year-old had been playing in the kitchen with Heidi, and he had gotten his fingers slammed in a cupboard door. She’d held ice to them for as long as he would let her, and then she’d been holding him in her arms while he hiccupped and continued to cry for the last twenty minutes.
She could bring him to the luncheon, but she felt like her attention would be too divided, and she wanted him to go down for a nap so that she could enjoy an adult event without him.
Sometimes she felt guilty about that. But she’d been seeing an online therapist for the last month or two, and she’d decided that it was okay for her, an adult, to want to have adult conversations and time where she didn’t have to worry about anyone but herself.
It wasn’t selfish. It was actually mentally healthy for AJ to take time for herself, outside of being the main caregiver for Asher and the one who held everything together at home for her and Matt.
She started to hum, and Asher quieted, his eyes blinking slower and slower until he finally closed them and went to sleep.
Relief rushed through her, quickly followed by panic that she would have to move him to his crib, where he might wake up and she’d have to start the process all over again.
She had no idea how close they were to having lunch, as Maddy, Alice, and Julia had gone to Diamond Island to pick it up. They were supposed to be back on the twelve-twenty ferry, which would put them at the holiday house probably around a quarter to one.
AJ glanced at her phone on the loveseat next to her and gently reached over to tap it to bring up the time: 12:35.
She probably had a few more minutes, though she wished she could be more helpful in getting out everything they needed to serve lunch—plates, utensils, cups, mocktails. She thought of the many other women who were there who could do such a thing and told herself, It doesn’t matter, AJ. They all know that Asher hurt himself and that you’re taking care of him.
She let a few more minutes pass, and then she eased herself to the edge of the loveseat, then to a standing position with her three-year-old in her arms. She honestly should get a gold medal for such a feat. She took a breath, steadied herself, and then walked through the master bathroom to the closet, and laid him down in his crib-slash-playpen.
He groaned softly and then exhaled as she covered him with his favorite silky blanket. He seemed to smile in his sleep as he pulled it up to his chin, and he went right back to sleep. AJ also released her breath slowly, picked up the baby monitor, turned it on, and then slipped out of the room.
AJ found everyone in the kitchen, but she didn’t smell any evidence of food, which meant Maddy and the others had not returned from the Glass Dolphin yet.
“Go on,” Robin said to Jamie, somewhat crossly. “The adults are having lunch today by ourselves. You guys got your food, and you can entertain yourselves either downstairs in your bunk rooms or at the pool.”
“Fine,” Jamie said, a little sass in her tone. She looked at Billie, and the two of them headed for the stairs that went downstairs.
Robin didn’t apologize for her attitude, and AJ actually found it refreshing, because Robin was one of the best moms that she knew, and even she wanted some time just to herself with her friends.
As the teens went downstairs, AJ clapped her hands together. “What can I do?”
“I think we’re about ready, dear,” Kristen said. “We’re just waiting for Maddy, Julia, and Alice to get back with the food.”
“Oh, Alice just texted,” Robin said, lifting her phone from the island. “We’re having a hard time getting a RideShare,” she read out loud. “We need an XL because we have so much food, it’s like three passengers.” She looked up. “She added a laughing emoji, but I don’t think she’s kidding.”
AJ was quite sure she wasn’t kidding because they were feeding a multitude of adults, and that required a lot of food.
Matt had gone to work at the golf course today, and Duke wasn’t back from fishing yet. It was Arthur’s first day off for Christmas break and Aaron had been here for weeks, but as far as AJ knew, no one had invited their men to the luncheon. They didn’t during a regular week, and they all happened to be at the holiday house this week, so they wanted their time together.
“If they haven’t even gotten a RideShare yet,” Kelli said. “They’ll be another twenty minutes probably.”
“At least,” Robin said.
AJ never ate much for breakfast, but she could wait another twenty minutes to sit down with her friends.
The time passed quickly, and soon enough, Robin said, “Alice just said they’re here,” and that caused a swarm to head for the front door to help them get the food out of the RideShare.
AJ went with them, and she ended up carrying in two plastic bags filled with salad dressing, sour cream, and other condiments.
Maddy took charge as she laid everything out on the eat-in dining room table in the kitchen. They’d serve themselves from there and then go into the formal dining room to eat.
AJ’s mouth watered as she took in the trays of sesame chicken, braised beef, and vegetarian lasagna. Maddy had ordered steamed vegetables, green salad, tomato and mozzarella salad, corn on the cob, and conch fritters as sides. There were baked potato skins stuffed with bacon and cheese, an order of mussels, and more bread than AJ had seen in a long, long time.
Once everything sat where Maddy wanted it, she looked up and around the group, her blue eyes shining like sapphire stars. “All right,” she said, “I think we’re ready.”
Everyone looked around at one another, because they usually had someone who had initiated the meal, chosen the restaurant, or was hosting at their house, who would lead out for the luncheon. They all looked around at one another, and then Robin started to giggle.
“It’s time for our one-day Wednesday luncheon,” Eloise said over the laughter. “I’m so glad that we could do this once while we’re here in the holiday house.”
She paused for a moment, something burning bright in her dark, dark eyes. “I’m so grateful that all of you were able to come, and so many of us were able to stay here for such a long time together.”
AJ reached over and took Kelli’s hand, squeezing it tightly. The movement caused a ripple throughout the group as others did the same, and they created a connected oval around the table in the kitchen.
“I know sometimes we just sit by the pool and read,” Eloise said, her voice somewhat tight and scratchy. “I know we just put the TV on and don’t even talk, but it’s been so nice for me personally to be here, away from all the busyness of my regular house, to just be here with you guys.”
She nodded, and it took several long seconds before she could continue. “So thank you, and I hope that we’ll be able to have many more lunches like this throughout the new year.”
“And just know,” Robin said. “That you’re always invited to the Wednesday lunch. It’s a standing invitation for anyone here. You don’t need to get a special text or have a particular person invite you. All of us are always invited.”
“That’s right,” Alice murmured.
AJ appreciated them saying so. They were the leaders of the group, whether she liked it or not. She had a somewhat dominant personality, but she usually didn’t show it in her group of friends. She stuck with Kelli, who was far more mild and meek, and AJ had decided that she liked her place in the group where she was.
Sometimes she did feel left out, though, so the blanket invitation meant a lot to her.
“Okay,” Julia said. “Let’s eat before this gets colder than it already is. It’s quite the ways from Diamond up to Rocky Ridge, isn’t it?”
“That it is,” Maddy said. “And now you know why Ben and I want to move to Diamond Island.”
That sparked a whole new round of conversation, though AJ had heard Maddy say such a thing before. They hadn’t made the move yet, but Maddy said, “I think we’ll find a place this spring.”
“This spring?” Tessa asked. “That’s probably a good time to move.”
Robin held up both hands, one of which held a chunk of dark brown bread. “We’ll do news when we sit down,” she said. “Everyone, just get your food first. We’ll do news when we sit down.”
“All right,” AJ said with a smile. “Don’t freak out, Robin.”
Kristen put her hand on Robin’s arm and leaned in to say something more quietly to her, and Robin lowered both of her arms. The intensity in her expression started to lessen.
“I just don’t want to miss any news,” she said much quieter, and AJ could definitely echo that.