Chapter 8
CHAPTER EIGHT
“Yes, that’s perfect. Thank you so much.”
Julia hung up her phone and breathed a sigh of relief.
She was sitting at a booth at The Lighthouse Grill, and there was a half-eaten plate of a cheeseburger and waffle fries in front of her.
She’d decided to come out into the dining room during her lunch break that day, since the energetic atmosphere of the restaurant often helped her focus.
Next to her plate of food was her trusty planner, and after triumphantly popping a waffle fry in her mouth, she scratched “order flowers” off her wedding to-do list.
So far my plan of preparing for the wedding during my lunch break is going beautifully, she thought contentedly. That florist is a dream. She’s getting me the exact bouquets that I want, and for such a reasonable price.
She sighed in satisfaction and took a bite out of her juicy cheeseburger.
She was hoping to get more things done before her break was over.
She was starting to feel more on track with all of the wedding planning, and it made her feel immensely relieved.
She was a highly organized person, and there was nothing she hated more than feeling as though she was behind in her workload.
“Hey there, young lady.”
Julia looked up to see Sally approaching her booth with a smile.
The café owner was sporting sparkling turquoise hair clips that day, and even though Julia herself wouldn’t have worn clips like that past the age of ten, they made her happy and she was glad that Sally felt confident enough to wear whatever she thought was beautiful.
I love that she wears fun things in her hair like that, Julia thought warmly. Those clips are the kind of thing I could stare at for hours at a time. Look at how they sparkle in the light!
“Hey, Sally. I love your hair clips.”
Sally touched her hairdo appreciatively. “Thank you. I love them too. I’ve had them for ten years.”
Julia smiled. “They look beautiful on you. What brings you into the pub today? Are you here for lunch?”
Sally shook her head. “I might grab some coffee or a milkshake or something, but I’m here to talk with your mom. We’ve been swapping business strategies. She’s a very clever woman, that mother of yours.”
“That she is.” Julia grinned proudly. “And from what I hear, you’re pretty clever yourself.”
“Aww shucks.” Sally looked down and noticed Julia’s planner. “Ah, doing some wedding planning, huh? How’s that going?”
“It’s going well.” Julia laughed breathlessly. “I love doing it, but it’s definitely a lot to juggle.”
“I can imagine. One of my friends from college got married fifteen years ago, and she told me all about how much hassle it was. And from what I can tell, weddings are even more of a big to-do now than they were then.”
Julia chuckled. “You might be right about that. I really want a special day with Cooper so that we can celebrate with all of our friends and relatives, but sometimes I get overwhelmed by how much work there is to do, and I wish we were just showing up to a cute little justice of the peace’s house like they used to do in old black and white movies.
You know, just walk in and make the vows and walk out again. ”
Sally laughed. “I can understand the appeal of something seeming so simple. But I know that your wedding is going to be just beautiful—and then all of this hard work that you’ve been putting in is going to be worth it.”
“You’re right.” Julia smiled warmly at the older woman. “It’s going to be so worth it.”
“Hey, Sally!” Vivian approached their table, looking excited to see her friend.
“Hi, Vivian.” Sally gave Vivian a hug. “How’s business today?”
“Great.” Vivian grinned, looking pleased. “Busy but never too busy. How have things been on your end, Julia?”
“Good.” Julia swirled another waffle fry through a small dish of the Owens family’s secret sauce, which she had resting next to her plate. “Our budget is looking great, and I’m reorganizing the receipts folders.”
Vivian chuckled. “Sally, Julia took our marketing and our finances and did absolute wonders with both of them. She’s got quite a head on her shoulders. Cooper is a very lucky man.”
Julia grinned. “I’m a lucky girl.”
“I’m so happy for you both,” Sally said, sounding sincere.
“It’s so heartwarming to think about the two of you getting married.
As soon as Cooper came to town, I knew he was somebody special.
And then you came back—when I heard that the two of you were dating, at first I was surprised.
On a surface level, you seem like such different people. But your love for each other is clear.”
Julia’s eyes shone as she thought about her fiancé. “We are very different, you’re right. At first, that took some getting used to, but it’s become so clear to both of us that our differences make us good for each other. We kind of balance each other out, you know?”
“You’re a great team,” Vivian agreed, nodding. “All married couples need to be. Sometimes couples make a great team because they’re similar, and other times it’s like how it is with you and Cooper—you both bring different skill sets to the table.”
“You and Terrence also make a great team,” Sally said, winking at her friend. “The love blossoming between the two of you is beautiful.”
Vivian’s cheeks turned pink and Julia laughed.
“Yes, Mom and Terrence are an adorable couple. He’s the carefulness and she’s the fun. I would say they’re even more different than Cooper and I are.”
“You never know how your feelings about someone are going to change,” Vivian said, looking smitten.
“I never would have expected myself to be falling for Terrence like this when I first met him. I thought he was fussy and unreasonable—and he was.” She laughed.
“He was so insistent we change the air vents just before our big Christmas party.” She shook her head.
“But that’s a story for another day. Although it was unexpected, I found myself falling for Terrence when he became such a good friend to me.
I guess love can show up when you’re least expecting it. ”
Sally shook her head. “For some people, maybe. My days for romance have passed me by.” She laughed, but Julia noticed that the café owner looked a little sad.
“Some people like me aren’t lucky enough to find ourselves a life partner.
That I don’t really mind so much, but I do wish I had children to share my days with.
I envy this big, close-knit family of yours, Vivian, I can’t deny it. ”
“I understand.” Vivian hugged Sally around the shoulders.
“But just because you don’t have a family like ours by blood doesn’t mean you can’t have the kind of support system that we do.
Plenty of the best families are found families, groups of people that support and care for each other even though they’re not related by blood.
You’re more than welcome to have me and my kids as your support system. ”
“I second that,” Julia said warmly. “We’re always happy to welcome more people into our circle. The more people that have joined us, the happier we’ve become.”
Sally blinked rapidly a few times as if she had tears in her eyes. “That’s very sweet of you to offer that, both of you.”
“We mean it,” Vivian assured her. “We’re becoming better friends with you, so it’s only a natural invitation. Life has made it clear to all of us that everyone needs someone to lean on. We’re happy for you to start leaning on us.”
Sally looked overjoyed by Vivian’s offer. “I didn’t think I’d get a community like what you’re offering,” she said, wiping away a tear that she hadn’t been able to keep at bay by blinking. “I expected to spend the rest of my life doing things on my own.”
“Don’t ever feel as though you have to go through life alone,” Vivian said.
“No one should feel that way. There’s always opportunities to find or build communities.
And besides! You never know what might be around the corner for you.
I don’t think it’s at all too late for you to find the love of your life.
I certainly wasn’t expecting to fall for Terrence and start dating someone this late in life, but here I am. ”
“I wouldn’t want to get my hopes up,” Sally said with a grimace-like smile. “But I think you’re so sweet to be so encouraging.”
Vivian patted her friend on the back. “You never know what will happen. I’d thought that I knew exactly what my life was going to look like for the rest of my days, but my reality turned out to be very different—and much better—than I’d thought it would be.”
Vivian and Sally went off to the office to chat and drink coffee, and Julia stayed at her booth, chewing her cheeseburger thoughtfully. The conversation she’d shared with her mother and Sally had touched her heart.
I’m so grateful to have my family, she thought. Sally makes a good point that a lot of people don’t have the kind of support system that we Owens do. I’m incredibly lucky. This beautiful but chaotic time in my life just wouldn’t be the same without them.
Julia had just finished her cheeseburger when a familiar face stepped inside The Lighthouse Grill.
“Faith!” Julia called to her cousin eagerly.
Faith Talbot had recently moved to Rosewood Beach after quitting her stressful law career in Boston.
Faith had become so overwhelmed by her emotionally-draining work that she’d mistaken a panic attack for a heart attack, and at the hospital the doctors had made it clear that she needed to reduce her stress in order to live a healthy life.
Faith had showed up to Rosewood Beach on a whim, and even though at first the Owens had been surprised by the arrival of a cousin that they barely remembered, they’d soon welcomed her into their inner circle with open arms.