Good luck! I’m cheering you on from here. Text me afterwards, unless it goes so well you’re up late. You know I’m lights out at ten.
Vance
You know you’re not in the Navy any longer, right?
Dorian
Tell my body that because it still thinks we’re on a strict schedule.
Vance
I’ll let you know how it goes. Have a great day!
An hour later, I pulled into the parking lot at Seabrook Gardens, the retirement community perched on the bluffs north of town. The grounds were immaculate—rolling lawns, walking paths lined with lavender and rosemary, hydrangeas in every shade of blue and purple. It looked more like a resort than a place for people over fifty-six, which was exactly why my mom had chosen it.
I found Mom in her apartment—a bright, airy space with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the ocean. She was arranging flowers in a vase, classical music playing softly in the background.
“There’s my boy,” she said, pulling me into a hug.
“Hi, Mama. You’re looking beautiful.”
“I’m a mess, but thank you.” She stepped back, studying my face with that x-ray vision mothers seem to possess. Whatever she saw there, she didn’t comment. “Let’s take a walk. It’s a gorgeous day.”
“Lead the way,” I said.
The morning air carried the scent of jasmine and fresh-cut grass as my mother and I strolled the walking path that curled through her new place of residence. Perched on a bluff overlooking the Pacific, the grounds rolled gently with walking paths shaded by olive trees and bordered by lavender and rosemary. The herbs released their fragrance with everybreeze, mixing with the salt air that drifted up from the ocean below. Hydrangeas bloomed in every hue imaginable—deep purples, soft pinks, brilliant blues—while koi ponds and quiet stone benches invited conversation or contemplation. The main building had the feel of an old inn crossed with a boutique spa, with whitewashed walls, cedar-shingled roofs, and flowering vines curling around every post.
We strolled one of the meandering paths, passing beneath the dappled shade of olive branches. In the distance, I could see the Pacific stretching endlessly, its surface catching the morning light like scattered diamonds. The sound of waves far below provided a steady rhythm, punctuated by the gentle splash of fountains and the occasional call of seabirds.
But I’d come not just for the view, but to tell my mother the incredible news about the house.
“You’re not going to believe this,” I said. “But a new design show has chosen our house for a televised renovation.”
She stopped in the middle of the path. “What? No. Really?”
I chuckled. “Yes, I just got the confirmation that it’s a go. I’m meeting with the production crew tomorrow.” I went on to tell her what I knew, which wasn’t much.
“How did they find you?” Mama asked.
“They said they were looking for people with interesting personal stories. I guess moving into your childhood home is interesting to them. Plus, my wine app and how it sold—kind of a great American story.”
“The whole ‘starting over’ concept mixed with restoring your childhood home,” Mom said. “People will love your story.” She paused for a moment. “Think of all the women who will see it. Maybe one of them will be your future wife.”
“As a matter of fact, I have a date tonight.”
She clasped hands over her heart. “I’ve been praying.”
“The big guy must be listening,” I said. “That and I joined a dating app.”
“How unexpected.” Her eyes sparkled with gentle amusement. “You’re ready, finally?”
“I don’t know if I’m ready, but I’m going to try.”
“Tell me about her,” Mama said.
“She has a daughter,” I said. “Fourteen. Her ex-husband left them five years ago.”
Mom’s expression shifted—something knowing and sad passing across her face. “So she understands what it’s like to go through something so hard.”
