“It has a great vibe,” she said eagerly. “I have no doubt from what you’ve shared that her culinary skills will be a hit, especially on the island.”
“And my sister?” Noah asked.
“She loves you so much. That’s evident.” Dahlia got quiet, missing her cousin Kara. She was the closest thing she had to a sister.
“Yeah, she does. She’s a protective mama bear, that’s for sure.” Noah let out a long breath.
“That’s a good thing, Noah,” Dahlia said with conviction. “You’re lucky.”
“Do you have any siblings?” he asked.
“Nope, just me.”
“Your parents? You haven’t mentioned them.”
Dahlia stared into space, unsure if this was the right time to share, but there was a comfort level with Noah. It was something she hadn’t felt with Spence. Even after being married to him for fifteen years, their life together had been one-dimensional. She didn’t have to bend herself inside out or pretend to be someone else with Noah. She was enough just the way she was, and that made her feel connected to him in unexplainable ways.
She drew in the humid, earthy air and said, “Well, my mother was an art historian. That’s why I went into gallery work, I suppose.” She lifted her shoulders. “She was beautiful. My dad said she had Bo Derek’s looks and Goldie Hawn’s wit. She never took herself too seriously, which is a rare combination these days.”
“I don’t think so,” he said, meeting her with a tender glance.
“And my dad was a professor at MIT. He was tall, thin, and had a great smile. He was a little tough on me at times, but definitely the fun parent growing up.” Dahlia’s nose began to tingle as her smile widened. “There was this one summer at Lil’s. The ice cream truck came to the edge of the property late. I thought my Gran was going to call the cops the way she was yelling. We chased it all the way down the road on our bikes. We could barely see, but we laughed the whole way.” Dahlia let out a lighthearted giggle. “That vanilla soft serve melted quicker than we could eat it. By the time we got home, it was everywhere, even in my hair.”
“Sounds like a great memory.” Noah laughed. “A man after my own heart. And your mom?”
“I just remember always trying to emulate her. She was literally good at everything,” Dahlia said with a shallow sigh. “Good at her job, good at making me feel heard and valued, good at gardening, baking, and being a wife. You name it, she found a way to master it with such ease.” She could feel her face turn beet red.
“What happened to them?” he asked as his brows drew together.
She inhaled. “My parents were killed by a drunk driver when I was thirteen. They didn’t even make it to the hospital.” A shiver ran down her spine. Not many people knew about that part of her life. To her, it needed heavy guarding because it was so layered and painful. Spence had often become dismissive when Dahlia would bring it up, almost as if he were jealous and didn’t want her to get attention for having a sad story.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” His tone lowered.
“No, it was eons ago. I’ve cried an ocean, grieved like I was the only kid to lose her parents, and then moved on. I’m not sad about it anymore, not really.”
“My real dad passed away last year, but we weren’t close.” His voice cracked. “I never had that kind of admiration for my parents. My stepdad, though, he’s the real deal.”
“I’m sorry too.” Dahlia wanted to sit beside him and wrap her arms around him. She wanted him to know she understood heartbreak and the searing pain that came along with it.
He lifted his shoulders. “My biological dad left when I was little.”
“Still. That had to be hard.” Dahlia leaned closer. “And your mom?”
“She passed away when I was young.”
“Oh, Noah.” Their childhoods felt parallel in many ways. “How?”
He stared down at his hands wrapped around his beer.
“Gosh, I’m sorry. Please don’t feel like you have to answer that.”
“It’s okay.” He wiped his eyes. “Ahh, it’s been so long. Not sure why it still gets me.”
She slid her hand over his. “Because some wounds are harder to heal than others. Maybe you can tell me another time.”
Noah nodded. “Fair enough.”
“Let’s change the mood and make a toast.” Dahlia held up her glass. “Here’s to unexpected friendships and a summer of our making.”
