The Summer She Stayed (The Morro Bay #1)

Chapter 1

Sofia saw by the widening of her eyes that she was impressed by the landscape, and who wouldn’t be? Amanda put on her noise-canceling headphones. Sofia didn’t like being downgraded to “noise.” She snapped the device to get Amanda’s attention.

“Yes?”

“We’re going to be spending a lot of time together this summer. Do you think we can thaw the ice bridge that divides us?” Sofia asked.

Amanda inhaled heavily. "I'm committed to trying, but it's not easy being somewhere I'd rather not be.”

Sofia smiled softly. Trying was a lot more than she would have gotten a year ago.

Amanda was in therapy when her father first started serving his thirty-year prison sentence ten years ago.

She stopped going at fifteen because she thought she was cured, and Amanda’s social life kicked into high gear.

Sofia found out pretty quickly that you can’t force a person into therapy, even if they were below the age of consent.

If anyone needed therapy, it was Amanda Baxter.

She started seeing Dr. Eileen Ward again a year ago, and things were improving slowly.

Her father was sentenced to thirty years in prison, and her mother wasn’t in her life.

Sofia tried to find her, but her mother died as a result of the lifestyle she chose.

Her young life was chaotic, and Sofia was appointed her guardian during a difficult time in her own life.

Losing her husband to a sudden illness didn’t make her a very steady parent.

“I’m pleasantly surprised that you’re trying. I can’t ask for much more, and please know I love grouchy Amanda as much as I love cheerful Amanda.”

Amanda laughed. “I hear Dr. Eileen. You’re mimicking her talking points from the joint session we had last month, but you're not the only one. I hear her words come out of my mouth daily.”

“Look at us, just a pair of therapy junkies,” Sofia said jokingly.

The mountains and the ocean cliffs were breathtaking, and it was impossible to drive along the highway and not think of nature’s power.

Vince and Sofia drove to Big Sur for their honeymoon.

His parents bought them a couple of nights at a hotel with an awe-inspiring view.

They were struggling kids, so all they could afford was camping, and after that, they had the time of their lives.

It didn’t matter whether it was a four-star hotel or a tent; Vince and Sofia were happy just being together.

The Central Coast of California was their happy place.

Vince had been gone for ten years, and Sofia was relieved that her thoughts of him were sweet and that the horrible ending was beginning to fade from memory.

She could feel him nudging her, as if to say it was time.

It was time to enjoy life with another person.

Sofia could just hear him say, “Enough with the mourning; you’ve spent plenty of time as a widow. ”

“Sofia,” Amanda shouted. “You're swerving, and it's a good thing no one is coming in the opposite direction.” She grabbed the wheel and corrected her daydreaming aunt.

“Oh my gosh.” Sofia pulled into a nearby lookout point. "Of all the stretches of road on Highway 1, I chose the worst. A reverie had a hold on me, and my mind was far away. I’m so sorry, and it won't happen again."

“Are you ready for me to take the wheel for a while?” Amanda asked.

“Yeah, I think it’ll be best. I’m a better sightseer than driver while in Big Sur. This place holds too many memories to concentrate on the road.”

“I gotcha, no problem.”

Once Amanda took over, Sofia’s daydreams turned into actual dreams because she fell asleep.

Her dreams were bizarre and didn't make much sense, which was par for the course.

She had heard of crazy drug-induced hallucinations and seen them portrayed on film.

Sofia never had to take a drug because hers were wild enough.

Sofia woke to find them parked, and Amanda had a burger in her mouth. She shrugged.

“I was hungry, and I knew this place was in Cambria. I thought you could drive into Morro Bay since you’ve been there before.”

Sofia wiped the sleep out of her eyes. “Did you get one of those for me?”

"Of course I did. I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a monster.” Amanda laughed and climbed out of the car so they could switch places.

“I’ve been to see Aunt Janet twice. The house was totally transformed with new artwork from her travels the second time I went. I imagine it’s been changed again because she travels so much.”

“I saw her a couple of times when she was in town for my dad’s trial. She must have been close to my dad because she paid for his defense, which I don't get. After all, Vince said he was doing everything for free,” Amanda said.

“He donated his services, which was never a question since Vince was your father’s brother-in-law. Even that generous donation left some hefty bills. There are fees and court costs that she paid and…” Sofia’s voice trailed off.

“It’s all good. I know it was Aunt Janet who paid for my upbringing.

If it was supposed to be a secret, no one did a good job of keeping it.

I knew someone was behind my college fund, especially since I could afford to attend any school I chose.

It’s still messed up that I’m going to college at all when all I like to do is sing.

It may not be the old stuff you listen to or opera, but I like it,” Amanda said.

“I like what you sing, and I’ve always encouraged it.

It’s my belief that you should keep your options open.

Being able to support yourself might seem like it's a long way off, but it's not, and it's always best to be prepared.

Up until this point, you haven't had many paying gigs," Sofia said. She braced for a bad reaction since they didn’t see eye to eye on that.

Amanda's eyes narrowed. "I wouldn't expect you to understand. This parenting thing isn't your strong suit. Taking me on was something that fell into your lap, and it wasn't your choice."

Sofia breathed in and paused before responding.

Amanda was wrong, but also nineteen. Her frontal cortex wasn't fully formed, and she was impetuous. That was parenting advice from the pro, Vera Stanski. She had four kids and had read just about every parenting book. She was Sofia’s sister-in-law and best friend.

Vera had the wisdom of someone twice her age and generously shared it with Sofia.

“We have all summer to hash this out. Decisions can’t be made when you and I are emotional. Want a fry?” Sofia asked.

Amanda half-smiled and took one of the grease-laden potatoes from Sofia. Food never failed to distract either one of them when things got too intense.

They pulled into Morro Bay, where the weather was much like it had been in San Francisco when they left.

They were going from one bay to another, so that was to be expected.

They passed through the Embarcadero and the many small hotels that dotted the area.

There were gift shops, unique boutiques, and many art galleries.

Janet's home was on the south side of the bay, where the touristy feel was less pronounced.

It was a four-bedroom postmodern house built in the 1960s.

Aunt Janet’s neighbor could have looked in on the house, but it was her two dogs that needed the most care.

Oscar and Otto were a pair of labradoodles.

Each had a lot of energy and didn't much like being left alone.

Janet gave up having decorative pillows because the boys shredded them to bits on several occasions.

Who could blame them, since they resembled the toys the dogs were allowed to chew on?

The dogs had separation anxiety, and it would take them a few days to acclimate to Janet being gone.

Oscar and Otto were spending time with Lottie Carter next door.

Sofia pulled onto Landing Lane. Neighbors waved, even though they didn’t know who she was, as they tended their front yards.

Aunt Janet’s blue house came into view, a shade more subdued than she had originally chosen.

There was no official HOA, but the neighbors commented, and she respected their opinions.

Fluorescent colors didn’t blend with the town’s natural landscape, so it stood out like a sore thumb.

Morro Bay already had to deal with three concrete towers in its view.

They were part of the now-shuttered electrical plant, and attempts to reuse the structures failed.

They were finally scheduled for demolition sometime before 2030.

Janet’s house was the straw that broke the camel’s back as far as aesthetics went.

The neighbors offered to help with the repainting, but Janet politely declined.

She understood and changed the color, but her eccentric personality didn’t fade.

"There are two bedrooms with a view of the rock, if I remember correctly.

I'll take the primary. When we get to the house, the first thing I'm going to do is get the dogs from Lottie.

The key should be under the mat," Sofia said as she pulled into the driveway and popped the trunk.

"There's a lot to unpack, so don't go in empty-handed. I feel relaxed already having gotten out of Pacifica,” Sofia said as she stretched.

“Oh, I feel downright giddy," Amanda said. "You could have had a relaxing summer without me, and I would have been fine staying home. I'm not a child, and I can take care of myself. If that wasn’t an option, I could have couch surfed at friends’ houses."

"I went to Sedona with friends for a week last year, and the place was a mess when I got back. It wasn't just a messy house; there was damage to some of the furniture, and my flower bed was trampled. Couch surfing is unreliable, and I don’t want you ending up on the street."

"Things got out of hand when you were in Arizona. I had recently graduated from high school, and there was a celebratory vibe in the air. Once that gets going, I can't do much about it. It’s been decades since you had any fun, so I don’t expect you to understand.

I'll take in a load, and then I'm gonna nap until…

" Amanda paused. "I'll probably see you tomorrow. "

Sofia told Amanda she loved her and shrugged. They didn’t have a major disagreement on the trip, and she was tired, so their summer together was so far a success.

Kenny was sent to prison when Amanda was nine.

She didn't even understand the accusations against him.

What nine-year-old has ever heard of a Ponzi scheme?

She began to dislike the law and thought all cops and lawyers were bad people.

Kenny saw this and wanted Amanda's visits to be once, maybe twice, a year.

Having Amanda growing up with visions of prison in her head was not what Kenny had in mind.

He pleaded innocent to all charges and never wavered, but he wouldn’t be able to parent from prison.

He maintained that nothing good came of her visits.

Kenny went from scared to bitter, and now he was sad and resigned.

He wasn’t sent to a club-like white-collar prison but instead to a hard-core facility.

Kenny spent his time among rapists and murderers.

After ten years, he began to think he was no better than them and developed a thick skin to survive.

Sofia wasn't sure whether the reduction of visits helped her niece.

Amanda had piercings on her nose, above her eye, and six or seven on her ears.

Black was her favorite color, and she dyed her hair dark.

It was spikey and shaved around the ears.

Sofia tried not to overreact to the look because she thought it would only drive Amanda to go even further.

Despite the mood swings and Goth appearance, Sofia never wavered in her absolute love and adoration for Amanda.

Kenny knew his sister better than anyone and chose well when he appointed Sofia as Amanda’s guardian.

Her desire to have a child of her own went unfulfilled when her husband Vince died.

Amanda wasn’t meant to fill the void, but in many ways, she had.

Sofia heard the dogs playing behind Lottie’s fence. She pushed open the door and looked away immediately. She hadn’t expected to see what was there.