“Nick Thatcher.” Charlie Grace told them about his background in Los Angeles and his passion for photography. “I’ve never met anyone who loves a camera like that man.” She recited everything she remembered about the early morning he had invited her to the river’s edge and how they’d taken photographs of the moose and her baby.
“Something happened inside of me that I can’t even explain,” Charlie Grace told them. “It’s as if my insides had taken a long nap and the time with Nick woke up feelings I’d forgotten how to experience.”
“Feelings?” Capri prompted.
“Yearnings. Dissatisfaction with the status quo.” She waved off her clouded explanation. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”
Reva tapped her long, painted fingernail against the coffee table. “Sounds like you’re falling for him to me.”
“No, it’s not that exactly.” Charlie Grace wasn’t ready to admit what was going on inside her. She fidgeted nervously, her gaze fixated on her hands, trying to find the right words to convey the inexplicable whirlwind of emotions within her. Deep down, she knew Reva may be right, but admitting the fact felt like an admission of vulnerability. How could she explain the flutter in her chest whenever he was near, the way her heart skipped a beat at the sound of his voice?
She struggled to articulate the enchantment that enveloped her being, fearing that her girlfriends might see through her carefully constructed façade. She yearned for their understanding and support, yet the words remained trapped within her, tangled in a web of uncertainty. Was she even ready to confront the truth?
With a comforting touch on her hand, Reva looked her in the eyes. “Charlie Grace, love has a language of its own. Sometimes, love is meant to be felt before it can be fully understood. It’s okay to be uncertain and hesitant; it’s part of the journey. Trust your heart. It knows what it feels, even if your words struggle to catch up.”
“Yeah, and we’ll all be here, ready to listen and support you every step of the way,” Lila added.
The wise words washed over her, easing her worries and kindling a glimmer of hope. In that moment, she realized she didn’t need perfect eloquence. These women understood the language of her heart, even when she couldn’t find the words to express it.
“But, what do I do about Jason?” she asked. “The last thing I want is to act like Gibbs and play fast and loose with someone’s feelings. I’m not a female philanderer.”
“Honesty is good,” Reva offered.
“Yeah, and besides…it’s time you move on. We all know your relationship with Jason isn’t going anywhere. You’re just not that into him.”
Charlie Grace reached for her beer. “I don’t want to hurt him. No doubt he’s going to feel dumped.”
Reva wagged her finger. “Girl, you aren’t responsible for everyone’s happiness.”
“He’s a big boy,” Lila added. “It’s more cruel to continue to lead him on. You need to get out of that relationship.”
Charlie Grace took a deep breath. They were right, of course.
She knew deep down that it was time to let go, to release herself from the chains of complacency. But doubt gnawed at her, whispering false promises of familiarity and comfort.
With a trembling resolve, she mustered the strength to confront the inevitable truth. It was time to untangle herself from her stagnant relationship with Jason, to embrace the uncertainty that awaited her.
If she was with the wrong man…she was alone anyway.
Charlie Grace closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and repeated the mantra playing in her mind out loud. “I deserve more. I deserve to find a love that ignites my soul and propels me forward. It’s time to let go of Jason and embark on a new path, even if it means walking away from what’s comfortable.”
And, at that moment, amidst the echoes of doubt and the concurrence of her girlfriends, she found the courage to break free and reclaim her own happiness.
24
Reva hated being late. To anything. Yet, here she was slipping into the AA meeting nearly twenty minutes after it started.
A number of town residents had stormed her office just as she was leaving. Apparently, the electricity in the town square wasn’t working. With the annual oyster fry planned for tomorrow night, the issue couldn’t wait.
When Brewster Findley, their local electrician, admitted the problem was beyond his capability, a company from Jackson was willing to send someone right out. What was initially thought to be defective wiring installed by Brewster turned out to simply be a rodent problem. Apparently, mice liked to chew on plastic.
By tomorrow night, the problem would be resolved. Emergency diverted.
Reva quietly slipped into a plastic chair at the back of the room and turned her attention to the front where Capri’s stepfather had stepped to the podium.
The tension in the air was palpable as Dick Jacobs clutched a piece of paper, his hands trembling. He took a deep breath, preparing himself to share. “Cancer is for the birds,” he began.
His voice, filled with a mixture of sorrow and determination, resonated through the room as he unveiled the news of his recent cancer finding. Waves of shock and sympathy rippled across the faces of his fellow AA members, their expressions reflecting a deep understanding of the weight of such a diagnosis.
