My chest softened. For all her teenage sass, my daughter could be so thoughtful. I’d noticed it back at Barb’s store, the way she quietly slipped that outfit back on the rack without a word. And in California, she rarely asked for money, never complained if I said no. She just made do with what she had, while her friends lived the kind of teenage lifestyle she could only watch from the sidelines.
“Of course it’s okay,” I said, smiling. “Get whatever you want.”
Having Clare put my name on her account had eased so much of my financial strain. I could cover the cost of her funeral. I could pay Bernie. And I could take my time, really think about what needed to be done with her estate instead of rushing into decisions.
The urgency I’d carried around like a stone in my chest had finally lifted. It was amazing how much lighter life felt. How freeing financial independence could be, not just in my wallet, but in my state of mind.
“Will you split it with me?”
“You can have your own.” I placed my hand over hers. “Seriously, it’s okay.”
The server returned with our drinks, and Ocean rattled off her order while I explained I was waiting for a friend to join us.
The urge to glance over my shoulder, to see if Caleb’s eyes were still on me, pressed hard. Almost unbearable. But I restrained myself. The last thing I wanted was to draw attention—to where I was or the mess of a conversation that might unfold if he and I actually spoke.
Well, he clearly had a different idea of how this meeting was going to unfold.
“Hello, Skye.” His voice, low and familiar, was barely a brush of sound, but it tightened something in my chest. His fingers grazed my shoulder.
I had to keep it together.
“While my boss isn’t watching, can I join you ladies for a second?”
I looked up, and my treasonous stomach flipped. “Caleb. Good to see you. I had no idea you worked here.”
“Small world, isn’t it?” His smile tilted and widened. “Are you going to introduce us?”
“Caleb Reed, my daughter Ocean.”
He leaned down a little and offered his hand like she was the very reason he’d come over. “Ocean? That’s an awesome name. Way cool. Nice to meet you.”
Ocean’s lips curved, trying not to show she was pleased, but I caught the flicker in her eyes.
“May I?” he asked my daughter, motioning to the chair.
“Please,” she said. “So long as you don’t expect me to share my lobster roll with you.”
“I wouldn’t think of it.”
“That’s what they all say.”
He pressed a hand to his chest in mock offense. “You wound me. I’ve never stolen food from anyone in my life.”
Ocean arched a brow. “Uh-huh. Bet the fries tell a different story.”
Caleb chuckled. “Guilty, but only if you ordered the seasoned fries.”
I watched the two of them volley back and forth, their banter effortless. The ease of it made something twist inside me. My daughter, sparring with Caleb Reed like they’d known each other forever. And that wasn’t like her. If anything, Ocean kept herself guarded with people she was meeting for the first time.
“Hey, I’m sorry about your mom,” he said, turning to me. Then he looked at Ocean. “And your grandma.”
Ocean and I nodded in unison, no words ready, nothing that would make the loss any smaller.
For a beat, the air at the table thickened, heavy with everything unsaid. Ocean lowered her gaze to the place settings, tracing the edge of her napkin as if it held the answer. I managed a quiet, “Thank you,” though my voice came out thinner, more fragile, than I wanted it to.
I could already guess what would come next. How long are you staying? What’s going on with you? What’s California like? The usual questions people reached for when they didn’t know what else to say. Or maybe I was just bracing myself, assuming that’s where he’d go.
I decided to steer the conversation before he could. Better to be the one asking than sitting here waiting.
