Page 20 of Sunset on the Solstice

Valerie laughed. “It gets easier every day.”

“I was just telling her she’s like a fairy godmother,” Bethany said.

Valerie blushed. “It’s a pleasure to bring these fantasies to life, especially for people in my family.”

Rebecca felt her father’s eyes upon her, heavy and urgent. When her sisters were busy discussing something else, she forced herself to meet his gaze. “How’s it going, Dad?”

Victor smiled. Always, she knew when he had something on his mind. “How did it go up in Bar Harbor? I haven’t talked to you much since.”

“It was wonderful,” she said. “It’s always good for our souls, I think.”

Victor nodded. “We’ve had a busy few weeks at our place. I don’t know if he told you, but Kade decided on his university. Harvard.” Victor’s eyes swelled with pride.

“That’s fantastic,” Rebecca said. “He must be thrilled.”

“We all are,” Victor said. “A Harvard grad in the Sutton family! It’s really something.”

Of course, every time Harvard came up, Rebecca was yanked back to the fall of 2026, when she and Lily had sped off the island to the hospital nearest the Harvard campus. There, they’d found their darling Shelby, her heart broken and her eyes fierce, as she’d waited for her ex-boyfriend Jared to wake up from his coma. Of course, Rebecca herself had been in and out of that hospital over the coming months, praying that she’d find a way to get Shelby out of there.

It was as though Victor could read her mind. “It makes me think of Shelby, of course. Esme tells me that she was invited to the wedding.”

Rebecca felt a sharp pain in her stomach. She tried to laugh it off. “I don’t think she’ll be able to make it, Dad.”

Victor sniffed. “Don’t you remember how this all started?”

Rebecca was quiet, trying to figure out what on earth he meant.

“Don’t you remember when I came to see you in Bar Harbor?” Victor asked.

Rebecca remembered. Of course she did, although it had been nearly ten years ago. Back then she’d been reeling, grieving the death of Fred, unsure of how she was going to push forward in her life. Victor, too, had been a mess. He’d been newly divorced and unmoored. He’d recently learned that Esme’s second husband Larry was dead. His suggestion had been for them to drive to Nantucket Island, see Esme, reunite the family, and see what happened. Of course, none of it had been so simple. But since then, miraculously, they’d all moved their lives back to Nantucket. Esme and Victor had gotten back together. Rebecca, Bethany, and Valerie had all found their own versions of happily ever afters—Valerie with her first husband, and Bethany and Rebecca with their seconds.

The only one missing from that story was, of course, Shelby. She’d slipped through the cracks.

“Why don’t you go get her?” Victor demanded now, his hands in fists.

Rebecca’s chin quivered. “I already tried, Dad.”

Victor’s face opened like a window. “I don’t understand.”

Rebecca folded her hands. Was she really going to share this story, one of the worst of her life? But she was tired of people thinking she hadn’t done everything she could have.

“It was right after their first baby was born,” Rebecca said tentatively. “I flew out to Montana, rented a car, and drove right up to their house.”

“How did you figure out where they lived?” Victor asked.

“Shelby did tell me that,” Rebecca said. “I told her I wanted to send supplies to the baby, and she gave me the address. I don’t think Jared was too happy about that, especially when I appeared at his door. Shelby was upstairs, asleep, and Jared had the baby in his arms. Billy was screaming. He was so upset. I reached out to take him. I tried to tell Jared to go upstairs and take a nap. I was willing to stay out in Montana with them for a while, to help them get back on their feet. Having a baby is no joke, obviously. I knew Shelby was in over her head. But Jared told me to go.”

Victor was now leaning back in his chair, as though the story was something he wanted to get away from.

“Obviously I didn’t leave,” Rebecca went on. “I went to the hotel and regrouped, telling myself that eventually, I could get through to them. I could show them that I meant them no harm. The following morning, I went over there. This time, Shelby answered the door. She’d only just given birth, but she looked so skinny and gaunt. It scared me. The baby was sleeping, and she let me in. I couldn’t stop crying, even though I told myself over and over again to keep it together. She told me that Jared was at work and wouldn’t be there till later. So we sat together in the kitchen, drinking tea and watching the baby sleep. I asked her if she was all right, and she told me she was fine. Just tired.”

Rebecca began to stumble over her words. The story was one she’d only told twice, once to Lily and another time to Ben. She hated it more than anything.

“I told Shelby I wanted to stay in Montana for a while to help her,” Rebecca continued. “I could see from her expression that she really wanted that. Obviously, she knew she was in over her head. She knew better than to tell Jared that. I explained to her that I wouldn’t have to stay at the house. I could rent a little place nearby. I’ll never forget what she said. She asked if we could try to keep it a secret from Jared.”

“How would that work?” Victor asked, shaking his head.

“I wasn’t sure, either. How could I live close by without Jared knowing? He’s no dummy. I told Shelby that we could tell him together. We could make a case for how much better his life would be with me close by. But Shelby just kept saying, ‘Jared won’t like it. Jared won’t like it.’ I couldn’t understand why.