They said their goodbyes and hung up. Eve sat at the kitchentable for a long time afterward, looking out the window at the gray March sky. Her daughter was driving north, toward a new life, a new family, a new beginning. And Eve was here, in the house where she had raised her, learning to let go.
It was the hardest thing she had ever done. But it was also, she knew, the right thing. The more she thought about it, she realized Beth and Gabriel Walker were the next best thing to being with her. She just needed time to get used to her daughter living life on her terms.
Emily arrived at the farm just after noon.
She had expected to feel nervous as she turned into the driveway, but instead she felt something closer to relief. The farmhouse rose before her, white clapboard with black shutters, exactly as Beth had described it in countless phone calls and video chats. The orchard stretched across the hillside behind it, rows of bare trees reaching toward a sky that had brightened from gray to pale blue.
This was real. She was really here.
She parked beside a pickup truck that she assumed belonged to Gabriel and climbed out of the car. The air smelled different here than in Hull, less salt and more earth.
The front door opened before she reached the porch, and Beth appeared in the doorway. She was enormous, her belly straining against the oversized sweater she wore, but her face was bright with joy as she hurried down the steps.
“Emily!” She reached her and pulled her into a hug, or as much of a hug as her belly would allow. “You made it.”
Emily stood stiffly for a moment, then let herself relax into the embrace. “I said I would come.”
“Yes, you did. Your mother called me.” Beth watched Emily’s face for a reaction.”
Emily nodded, unsurprised. “I figured my mother would call you. I'm glad she did. What did you talk about?”
“You, mostly. She wanted to make sure you'd be safe here. Valued. Understood.” Beth took Emily's arm and began guiding her toward the house. “She loves you very much, you know. That's why she worries.”
“I know. The worrying is how she shows love.” Emily paused. “It's suffocating sometimes.”
“That's what mothers do. I know the feeling.” Beth laughed and patted her belly. “I'll probably be the same way. Poor Alexander and Charlotte won't be able to breathe without me analyzing their lung capacity.”
“That’s their names? I love them already.”
They climbed the porch steps and entered the farmhouse. The living room was warm and cluttered, filled with furniture and books and the evidence of lives being lived. Charlie appeared from somewhere and pressed his nose against Emily's hand.
“That's Charlie,” Beth said. “He'll be your best friend if you let him.”
Emily scratched behind Charlie's ears. Dogs were easier than people. They didn't require small talk or social translation. They simply wanted to be petted, and in return, they offered uncomplicated affection.
The next few hours passed in a blur of introductions and orientation. Emily met Gabriel's father Thomas, who shook her hand firmly and talked enthusiastically about the orchard. She met Gabriel's brother James, quieter than the others but equally welcoming. She toured the farmhouse, learning where things were kept and how things worked. She saw the guest room that would be hers, small but comfortable, with a window that looked out over the orchard.
Through it all, Beth stayed close, providing context and explanation, making sure Emily understood not just the physical layout of the farm but the rhythms and routines that governeddaily life. Gabriel was less present but no less attentive, appearing periodically to answer questions.
Emily was happy to see more familiar faces as Maggie, Paolo and Chelsea welcomed her as well.
“How are you feeling?” Paolo asked at one point, finding her alone in the kitchen. “About all of this?”
Emily considered the question. “Overwhelmed. But in a good way. If that makes sense.”
“It makes perfect sense.” Paolo poured himself a glass of water and leaned against the counter. “Starting something new is always overwhelming. The trick is to take it one day at a time. Don't try to figure everything out at once.”
“That's hard for me. I like to have a plan.”
“Plans are good. But so is flexibility.” He smiled. “When I gave you my kidney, I didn't have a plan. I just knew it was the right thing to do. Sometimes you have to trust your instincts.”
“My instincts say this is where I'm supposed to be.”
That evening, after dinner, Emily slipped out the back door and walked to the edge of the orchard.
She pulled out her phone and called her mother.
Eve answered on the first ring. “Emily? Are you okay?”
