Chapter 36
ANNA
A quick shower and thirty minutes later, Holly and I make our way to the beachfront restaurant for dinner with the Whitmore family. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this nervous having dinner with them.”
Leo picked up on our apprehension, going so far as to insist on waiting outside our room while we got ready. He was convinced we were a flight risk. It was only after we reassured him that we didn’t want to disappoint the family again that he sped off to his own room to freshen up.
“I’m always nervous around them,” Holly says. “It should be fine, though. Leo said his parents want to apologize.”
I make a face, unsure how convinced I am. What slip on my part will send Charles into another fit?
Changing the subject, I skim my gaze over my friend.
“You look gorgeous tonight.” She’s wearing the blue swirl sundress I bought her in Greece.
The fluid skirt brushes her shins as we walk along the dimly lit path.
Her flip-flops have a touch of sparkle. What I love most is that aside from a matching blue and white scarf headband, Holly’s wearing her hair down. And I didn’t even have to suggest it.
With a touch of natural color from the sun on her cheeks and a friendly glow about her eyes, she’s come a long way in two weeks. My friend is back, and then some.
“So do you.” Holly gestures at the printed FARM Rio wrap minidress I’m wearing.
I threw my hair up into a neat bun since we were pressed for time.
But I stabbed the bun with a hibiscus flower I’d plucked outside our room door.
Of course there’s a lot more dazzle on my flip-flops.
And we’re both wearing the matching necklaces Zoe gifted us on our first trip after college. A trio of stars.
“Feels weird not having her with us.” For the last fourteen days, Zoe’s been between us on every flight and beside us at every meal.
“She’s still with us,” Holly says.
That makes me smile. “She is.” Zoe’s all around us, always will be.
We reach the restaurant, and after we inquire about the Whitmore party, the hostess leads us to a table for six at the far edge of the patio that overlooks the ocean. Leo sees us immediately. He rises and pulls out two empty chairs for us. Noticing, Charles also stands.
“Anna. Holly.” He dips his chin with an olive-branch curve to his mouth.
“Evening,” I greet him. I give Elaine and Grandma Whitmore a little wave.
“Hello,” Holly says.
I take the chair beside Leo, who’s seated opposite Charles.
Elaine is across from me, and Holly settles beside me, across from Grandma Whitmore.
Under the table, Leo clasps my hand. Our fingers twine, and I feel the warmth of his palm all the way to my center.
He winks when our eyes meet, and to my surprise and pleasure, he keeps hold of my hand.
“Thank you for coming,” Elaine breaks the ice. “Leo said you were, but I wasn’t sure. Not after…” She tilts her head, almost imperceptibly, toward Charles.
Before Holly or I can reply, our waiter arrives to take our drink orders. Charles shoos him away, and I duck my head to hide my smile when Holly longingly watches him float over to another table.
I feel you, girl. We could use a glass of liquid courage to get through this meal.
Charles clears his throat and looks pointedly at me. Nerves ricochet off my rib cage, being the center of his focus. I brace myself.
“About earlier, Anna. I was out of line. My apologies, to both of you.”
I blink, stunned he actually apologized. I glance at Leo and his brows lift, his way of saying he told me his dad would.
“Thank you,” Holly says, knocking her knee against mine, which jolts me out of my stunned silence.
My spine straightens. “Yes, thank you,” I pipe up, and Leo brushes his thumb across my knuckles.
“We have a difficult time talking about our girls,” Elaine confesses, her expression pained. “You’ve shown us we need to.”
“Christ, Elaine. About fucking time,” Grandma Whitmore grumbles. Leo, Holly, and my jaws simultaneously clunk onto the table. Leo then hoots, promptly shutting up when his mom shoots him a fierce glare.
Wow. Grandma Whitmore has a sailor’s mouth.
“You two,” she points a weathered finger from Elaine to Charles, “should be ashamed of yourselves. Acting like Ava never existed and expecting my poor grandbabies to do the same.”
Leo’s expression shutters. He tries to pull his hand from mine, but my grasp tightens. I won’t let him retreat. He’s buried his emotions far too long. Thankfully, he relaxes and gives my hand a gentle squeeze. Our eyes meet, gratitude reflecting in his.
“My Ava and Zoe were thunderclouds and rainbows,” Grandma Whitmore tells Holly and me.
“There was never a dull moment when those two little girls were around. I hate that they were taken so soon, but they loved and lived loudly. We forgot to do the same after Ava died, and Zoe suffered for it. Well, I’m done with that shit.
” She downs the Manhattan she ordered before Holly and I arrived and slams the glass on the table to prove her point.
“Leo, get that waiter back here and order us a pitcher of margaritas. It’s time to celebrate your sisters.
“Charles, you can pretend you never had daughters all you want, but Anna and Holly are going to tell us all about this trip Zoe sent them on.”
“We are?” Holly and I share a glance.
“I want to hear what my granddaughter put you up to. If I know Zoe, she kept you on your toes. Then we,” she glares pointedly from Charles to Leo and then to Elaine, “are going to share stories about Zoe and Ava. Those two girls shouldn’t be forgotten.”
“Oh, my god. I’m going to cry,” I whisper.
“Those better be happy tears,” Grandma Whitmore orders.
“They are.” Holly laughs, wiping her eyes.
Leo is out of his seat and flagging down the waiter.
Holly and I grin at each other. Turns out, this is going to be a great dinner after all.
A few hours and a couple of pitchers later, after a dinner full of laughter and tears where stories were told and memories shared, Holly and I beach our full bellies on poolside loungers and stare at the starlit sky.
It’s almost midnight, and it’s easy to picture Zoe up there looking down on us, as easy as it is to believe she’s stretched out on the lounger beside us.
“Do you think Zoe knew we’d end up like this?” I muse about Holly’s and my rekindled friendship and the Whitmores confronting their grief.
“I think she hoped,” Holly says.
“Well, whatever she hoped would happen, her magic certainly worked.”
“She really was magical.”
I sigh with longing for my lost friend. But for once, I don’t feel any sadness. I feel at peace. I feel she’s at peace. “I’m going to always miss her.”
“Me too. But how lucky were we to have known her?”
“And to be her best friends.”
“The luckiest,” Holly says.
“One hundred percent lucky.”
“A thousand percent lucky.”
“Infinite percent.” I stretch my arms wide.
“There’s no such thing,” Holly gripes, but I hear the smile in her voice.
For a moment, we’re quiet, content, and I visualize Zoe wearing a long flowing dress, her hair a shimmery silk blanket down her back. She blows us a goodbye kiss.
“Goodbye, Zoe,” I whisper, and blow her a kiss back.
Holly does the same. “Goodbye, Z.”
And together, “We’ll never forget you.”
In my mind’s eye, I see Zoe walking away, her figure fading.
After a moment, Holly yawns, sitting up. “We have an early flight tomorrow. We should probably get some sleep.”
I sit up and stretch, reluctant to have the evening end. “What are you doing when you get home?” I ask. What I really want to know is when we’ll see each other again.
“Prep for the new school year. You?”
I look around. “Setting up a vacation itinerary that includes this resort. Zoe was right. My clients will love it here.”
Holly turns to look at me. “Plan something for the two of us for next summer?”
“Really?” I leap up from the chair, my heart racing with excitement. This trip may be at an end, but I’m ecstatic that our friendship will continue on.
“Where do you want to go?” Holly asks as we leave the pool deck.
“So many places.”
“Can’t wait to hear what you have in mind. Call me when we get home?”
“Because it’s never too early to start planning,” I say, giddy.
Holly scrunches her nose. “We should have started months ago.”
Always the planner.
“Don’t ever change,” I say, giving her a side hug.
“You either.” She returns the hug.
We lean our heads together, and the two of us walk to our room and into a future where we’ll always be the best of friends.
“Hey,” she says after a star streaks across the sky. “I have an idea where we should go…”