“Well,” Aggie said, “let’s just say that bird lived a great life for its last few days. Too bad it choked on that martini olive, though.”
They all burst out laughing, the sound filling the café and chasing away any lingering tension. As Cora wiped tears from her eyes, she noticed Jack looking at her, his expression thoughtful. Her heart did a quick flip, and she looked away, trying to steady her racing pulse.
“Okay,” she said, once they had calmed down. “Maybe not a seagull float. Any other ideas?”
“What if we based the float on one of Lolly’s favorite recipes?” Jack suggested. “In her honor.”
Lolly’s recipes were legendary—warm, comforting, and a little unconventional. Just like her.
“That’s perfect,” Bea said, clapping her hands together. “But which recipe? She had so many good ones.”
Cora felt a renewed sense of purpose. “Why don’t we look through her recipe book? That’s where all her secrets are.”
Aggie nodded. “Go on, Cora. Grab it. Let’s see what the old girl has in store for us.”
Jack stood too. A little too quickly. “I’ll come with you. You know, in case you need help carrying it or something.”
Aggie snorted. “Sure, honey. You go ‘help carry’ it.”
Cora’s face burned as she hurried to the bookshelves in Lolly’s apartment, very aware of Jack following close behind. Once they were alone, he gently caught her arm, stopping her in her tracks.
“Hey, are you okay?”
She nodded, but she couldn’t quite meet his gaze. “Yeah, I just miss her. It seems like there are always new stories. Newthings I never knew about her. And every time I hear one, it reminds me of how much I missed. How many stories about her life I still haven’t heard.”
Jack’s hand moved from her arm to her cheek, tilting her face up until she had no choice but to look at him. “Then we’ll have to make sure you hear them all.” His thumb brushed lightly against her cheek. “About earlier, in the kitchen. I’m sorry if I?—”
“Don’t worry about it,” she cut him off, forcing a light laugh. “It was nothing. We were just caught up in the moment, that’s all.”
They stood there, the air between them practically crackling. Then a burst of laughter from the dining room downstairs shattered the spell, and Cora stepped back, clearing her throat.
“Right. Recipe book. Let’s find it.” She pulled it from the shelf, running her fingers over the cover. Lolly had always been so protective of it, never letting her peek inside. Now, opening it felt like crossing an invisible line.
“Ready?” Jack asked softly.
She nodded, and they headed back to the others.
The chatter in the dining room quieted as they approached, everyone eyeing the book with a mix of excitement and nostalgia. Cora set it on the table. No one moved, as if they were in the presence of something sacred.
“Well,” Aggie prompted, finally breaking the silence, “are you going to open it, or are we just going to stare at it?”
Cora glanced at Jack, and his nod gave her the push she needed. She took a deep breath and carefully cracked open the cover. The familiar scent of vanilla and old paper hit her, and a lump formed in her throat. It was like Lolly was still there, her presence lingering on every page.
As Cora turned the first page, a photograph slipped out and fluttered onto the table. It landed face up, and they all leaned in to get a better look.
The photo was black and white, faded with age, but the image was clear. A young Lolly stood in the center, her smile dazzling. Beside her was a man Cora didn’t recognize, tall and handsome, with a mischievous glint in his eyes that matched hers. They looked happy, and the way Lolly was looking at him was different from how Cora had ever seen her look at anyone.
“Who’s that?” she asked, picking up the photo and studying it closely. “I’ve never seen him before.”
Aggie, Bea, and Winston exchanged puzzled glances, just as stumped as she was.
“Your guess is as good as ours,” Aggie said, squinting at the photo. “Lolly never mentioned him, and he’s certainly not your grandpa.”
Bea slipped on her reading glasses. “He looks familiar, though, doesn’t he? Do we know him?”
Winston nodded, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses. “There’s definitely something about him, but I can’t place it.”
They all stared at the photo in silence, each trying to piece together the mystery. It felt like they were on the brink of uncovering something big, something Lolly had kept hidden for years.
