“Mom is Mom. Staying busy. She took up gardening in the last couple of years after she semi-retired.”
“Wow! She retired? I never thought she’d ever give up working.”
I chose my words carefully and refuse to get intowhyshe retired. I think it’s best for another time. “She has kept busy. She enjoys volunteering at the local senior center,” I say, keeping it simple. “Do you have plans after this?”
“Kendall meets the wedding planner later today, so I’ll be going to that meeting right after I get back to the resort.”
“Charlie is the best. She’s detail-oriented and a visionary. She’s great at bringing the bride’s wedding dream to life.”
Faith shakes her head. “Well, Kendall planned her wedding a few years ago. She just needed the groom. And now she has one.”
“Don’t all girls have their wedding planned?”
Did I just stick my foot in my mouth?
My hand scrapes down my face. Shit. Why on earth would I even say something like this? It’s like,Hey Jude, open your mouth and let me stick your own foot in it.Faith had our whole wedding planned out. Actually, there was a five-year plan that included our dream wedding right down to the flowers and centerpieces.
“Yeah.” She looks away, but not before I see her eyes get watery.
I totally screwed it all up.
Damn.
I leave her words hanging in the air to let them dissipate.
“It’s been a long time. Do you stay in touch with anyone from high school?” I shift the conversation away from the landmine of my own making.
“Not too many. I see some people here and there, but after high school, I immersed myself in college life. Emily is the only one I talk to frequently, but she stayed in North Carolina after graduating college. I met the friends I’m here with this week in college. How about you?”
“When I’m back home, I call a few friends and grab a beer. We aren’t as close as we used to be. Everyone is moving on with their lives, getting married, having kids—life changes after that. They have more responsibilities. I mostly visit my family. They’ve been hounding me about moving back home for the past couple of years. I’ve thought about it a lot, made some plans, but haven’t pulled the trigger.”
“Oh, moving back home,” she says with a curious look as she searches my face.
“It’s been in the works, but when I travel so much, the logistics of moving get put on the back burner.” What I won’t say is part of my hesitation to move back is her.
“I can see how that could happen. I’m sure they would love to have you closer.” She touches my forearm. The affection she is giving me and the heat from her touch spreads throughout my body.
“They would. So your friend is thinking about getting married here?”
“Yes. Kendall will be the first of us to get married. It’s exciting to be a part of her life and share these moments.”
“Max and Klara are my closest friends, and they’ve been waiting almost two years to do this. It is truly an honor to be part of their big day. I’d love to hear about what you’ve been up to.” I want every detail from the moment we weren’t together until now, but I’ll settle for brief glimpses.
She stares out at the horizon. I wonder what she is thinking about as she turns back to me and says, “I’m living back in Saxville after getting out of school. My friends ended up coming back with me when my great aunt willed me her house. After being part of city life while in college, it was nice to settle down in our hometown. Talk about adulting. All of us own our homes within thirty minutes of each other. It’s convenient.”
“They seem like an amazing group of friends. You said this is a girls’ trip?” I lean closer to the table, wanting to devour every word that comes out of her mouth. I want every ounce of what she is putting down. It’s like I can’t get enough of her and getting to know her better. The smile on her face when she talks about her friends is incredible. They are special to her, and it’s heartwarming to see her like this.
“We take one every year. It’s great to be out of the routine of life and business. We take the time to relax and have fun whenwe are together. We always choose warmer climates to get away from the New England winter.”
“Well, you picked the one resort I come to frequently,” I say, peppering in some fun facts.
“Oh, you don’t say,” she replies with a smirk, her eyes narrowing playfully. “I was trying to figure out the odds of seeing you here. But since you come often, I guess the odds increase significantly.” Her voice drips with sarcasm. Is she trying to be funny?
“They must have,” I reply, trying to match her playful tone. “Whatever the odds, I’m glad we are here.” Before I can let the conversation awkwardly fizzle out, I shift direction. “And what are you taking a break from back home? You mentioned life and business.” I’m hoping it comes up naturally, but I’m dying to know if she’s single.
Her entire face brightens, her eyes sparkling with pride. “I have my therapy practice that I run. I took a leap to become a business owner. It was scary, but it’s paying off.”
“Tell me more,” I urge, genuinely intrigued. “How did you get into therapy? Last I knew, you wanted to be a researcher.” She’s full of surprises, and I want to soak up every detail. I’m mentally jotting down all these new facts.
