Truth be told, I was dreading this beach trip. Being in close quarters with Jenny all week already had a knot in my stomach. Add the absence of Sophie and I didn’t know how I was going to do it.
I’d had too many firsts without my best friend in the past three months. Some hard, some amazing. The beach trip had always been my favorite week of the year. But this summer Sophie would be in every room, every memory, every board game we played, without being there at all. It would be low-level torture. I knew that.
Silas and Anna left at five a.m. Silas drove his truck to the ranch, and they rode down to the beach with Bo and Jenny. I thought I’d sleep in, but I lay there staring at the ceiling, wide awake. Recently, the fatigue had completely disappeared. It made sense, I guessed. I was entering the second trimester. So Igot up, fed the chickens, gave the cows a bag of mineral and grain, grabbed my suitcase, and headed to the studio.
When class was over and I got back in the truck, there was a text from Silas.
Silas: We made it. Hurry and get your cute butt down here, you beautiful woman. But don’t drive too fast. I need you to arrive safely. Love you and can’t wait to ogle you from across the room.
Then he sent a separate eye roll emoji.
I giggled.
Me: Ogle away…but only when your mom’s not looking. Eleven days. We got this. Love you too, cowboy. On my way.
My emoji blew him a kiss.
He’d also left a pin for the location of the house.
Two hours into the drive, Momma called. “Don’t forget, I’m in Atlantic City with the girls.” Like I had short-term memory loss or something. The girls were her book club ladies. They hadn’t actually read or discussed a book in years. Book Club was now a cover for going shopping, going out to eat, bowling, or to bingo night. It really depended on the mood they were in. A couple of times a year, they took a “big” trip to Gatlinburg or Nashville—somewhere crowded and touristy. This time it was New Jersey.
“I know, Momma.”
I had run up to her house after the Jenny incident to let her know about me and Silas before she left. To say she was thrilled was an understatement. Said Dad was probably doing a happy dance on the other side. I’d wondered if Sophie was too—or what she thought about the whole thing.
I left Jenny out of it. After her breakdown yesterday, Irealized Sophie had left a hole in her heart as big as the one she’d left in mine. But Jenny wasn’t handling it so well. I needed to give her extra grace.
“And Buford is boarding at Bow Wow Bungaloo. So don’t worry about him.”
“Okay, Momma.”
“Well, if you need me, just call.”
I wasn’t sure why I would “need" her or how she would help even if I did. They’d purchased spots on a charter bus. They weren’t coming back till that trip was over.
“I’ll be fine. I have Silas if I need anything.”
“All right.” I could hear the smile in her voice. “You give him a hug for me, and Anna, too.”
Technically, I couldn’t hug him, but I said, “I will. You have fun and don’t be coming home with a new boyfriend yourself.”
She scoffed. “No, thank you. I spent forty-five years training your daddy. I’m finally retired from that job. This is me time now.”
I laughed. “Okay. Whatever you say. Love you.”
I ran through the Chick-fil-A drive thru in Williamsburg, fully intending to get nuggets, fries, and a cookies and cream milkshake. I’d come to terms with my fast food cravings. But when I got there, a grilled chicken salad and a light lemonade sounded divine. I smiled at my stomach and patted it. “Thank you, little one.” It was nice to eat healthy again. As I cruised down the freeway, enjoying my salad, I reveled in my life now. Anna, this baby, and now Silas? I was finally getting the life I’d always wanted.
Somewhere between the Bay Bridge tunnel and the beach house the Duprees rented every year, my stomach started hurting. I guess I shouldn’t have ordered the salad after all.
When I parked in front of the house, there were three cars in the driveway. One was Jenny’s minivan. Another was Holden's car. I didn’t recognize the other. Maybe Ashton got a new car? As I grabbed my suitcase out of the bed of the truck, Anna flew out the back door, wearing a tank top and board shorts. Her hair was wet and her tan cheeks had a hint of sunburn. She must’ve spent the day in the water. Good for her.
“Aunt Lemon.” Her voice was hushed and anxious like something was wrong. My mind immediately went to Huckleberry. Had something happened to him? He was still so tiny.
I set my suitcase down on the asphalt. “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s not good. It’s really not good.” Was it Silas? Had he gone body surfing and drowned in the undertow? Did Bo have a heart attack like Daddy? Bo ate entirely too much red meat. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility.
I gave her a little shake. “You’re scaring me. Spill it.”
