"You're not going to believe what happened," Carrie said.
Jen pulled her visor down more tightly over her eyes against the sun that had begun to set.
"Dirk stopped by the clinic today, right?"
Carrie stopped in her tracks for a second, then jogged to catch up with Jen and Daisy as Jen laughed.
"Well, yes, how did you know that?"
"Just a hunch."
"Okay, but that's not what I was going to tell you."
"Wow, something bigger than that? That's pretty big in my book."
Carrie nudged Jen with her elbow. "Stop. He's a friend. We went out for lunch."
"Oh, give me details."
"Stop. That's not the story."
Jen looked over at Carrie and smiled, but stopped teasing. "Okay, what then?"
"Bethany is coming to live with me. For a month."
It was Jen's turn to stop in her tracks and stare at Carrie. "What? You're kidding."
"No, I'm not," Carrie said as they both acquiesced to Daisy's tugging and started walking again. She spent a few minutes giving Jen all the details, and when she was done, Jen shook her head slowly.
"I would never in a million years have guessed that's what you were going to say."
"I know, right? I've been discombobulated all afternoon. Very excited. And nervous."
Jen looked at Carrie out of the corner of her eye. "That explains why you're wearing plaid shorts and a flowered shirt, I guess."
Carrie looked down at her outfit and shrugged. "I wasn't paying attention. What's wrong with it, anyway?"
Jen laughed. "Nothing. So when is she coming?"
"Sunday evening. Rob's going to drop her off on their way to the airport. I can't believe he agreed to this. I almost don't know what to do."
"I'm so happy for you, Carrie. For all of us. It'll be great to spend time with her. Get to know her again. She'll be in school, mostly, and at tennis practice, no? Fall is tennis season."
Carrie bounced along on the sand. “Right. I suppose there'll be lots of tournaments. I can't wait to go watch. She was so good, even when she was little."
"Well, you taught her. Remember?"
Carrie did remember. They'd spent hours on the courts—chasing balls, mostly. It had been fun to be outside, but she eventually grew into a very strong player. Even Carrie's mother had said so—once.
"Um, there's something else. I've got to clean out the spare bedroom. It's become a storage room over the years. Dang. And I only have the rest of this week. I told her it was already cleaned out and ready for her," Carrie said as the heat rose in her cheeks. But Jen just laughed, as Carrie knew her friend would.
"I can help. And Faith'll be here this weekend. We can spruce it up a little bit if you want, too. I haven't seen it in a long time. What does it look like?"
Carrie thought for a moment. She'd been in the condo for years, but never really paid attention to that room. She just stored stuff in it.
"It's white."
Jen paused for a minute. "White?"
"Yeah, white. You know, just white paint. What am I supposed to do?"
Jen shook her head. "For somebody who dresses so colorfully, your condo sure is bland."
Carrie hadn't really noticed. She had some family pictures up—well, of her dad and Bethany—and a couple of colorful dishtowels. And Faith had given her some awesome pillows that she'd sewn over the summer. They even had beads around the edges.
"Okay. Guess maybe I need a little bit of an overhaul. Maybe we could do that this weekend?"
"Sure. Let's talk about it at Friday night happy hour on the deck. Faith'll have great ideas, I'm sure. Meantime, “I’ll just box things up and put them in your garage.”
“Thank you. You’re a lifesaver. I can help at night.” Carrie thought for the millionth time how grateful she was for her friends. What she couldn't do, they could help with—and vice versa.
"I guess I'll need to go to the grocery store, too. I don't have much to eat at my house, either."
"I'm stunned," Jen teased as they passed through the gate of Jen's beach house. Jen let Daisy off her leash and Carrie followed her into the house.
"Oh, wow. What are you cooking? It smells great."
Jen pointed to the slow cooker. "Mrs. Russo and Joe and coming for dinner, and I knew we were walking so I threw together one of Nana's old slow cooker recipes. Want to stay?"
Carrie took in a deep breath and peered into the slow cooker. Jen laughed when her stomach growled.
"I guess that's a yes."
"Well, if you seriously don't mind, I'll take you up on it. Like I said, not much to eat at my house, and I'm too antsy to think about it. It's been a big day."
Jen poured two glasses of red wine—Carrie's favorite—and said, "We have to have a toast before they get here. This really is a major event, Carrie. I'm thrilled for you. For both of you."
Carrie and Jen clinked glasses, and Carrie knew Jen was right. It really was a big deal. And to think that this morning when she'd woken up, she'd had no idea this would happen. Things sure could change quickly.
"How much time do we have before they get here?"
Jen glanced at the clock. "At least half an hour."
Carrie reached for her phone. "Let's call Faith. I want to tell her the news, too, and see how her first day was. We can FaceTime and maybe she'll want to have a glass of wine with us."
"Perfect," Jen said as she filled Daisy's food bowl, grabbed the bottle of wine and followed Carrie onto the deck.
Nineteen
Faith hung up the phone and sighed. She couldn't tell what she was feeling most—thrilled for Carrie, jealous she wasn't with them on the deck or just flat-out exhausted from her first day trying to get her classroom in shape. But there was no doubt about the fact that she was thrilled for Carrie and Bethany.
It had been a long day for Faith. She'd hit tons of traffic on her way home from the beach, which didn't exactly surprise her. The Tuesday after a three-day weekend was always treacherous, but the drive that should have taken an hour took two. She hadn't even had time to unload her car—she'd driven straight to her school site. And even then, she almost missed the staff meeting.
"Welcome back, all of you," her principal had said to all the faces in the cafeteria. As Faith looked around, there were more than a few people she didn't recognize and she felt like she'd been gone for years, not just the summer. Many of them were young and eager-looking, but Faith sat with the older, seasoned teachers she'd become fast friends with over the years.
Faith had heard this “welcome back to school” speech many, many times and her thoughts drifted while her principal spoke. She wondered what shape her classroom was left in after summer school, and how much work it would take to get it ready. She wondered how many of the new teachers with fresh faces would last until the end of the year. And as she looked around the cafeteria, she wondered how many of her friends would declare that this year would be their last.
She loved her job, but she knew she couldn't do it forever. Kindergartners were sweet, eager, interested—and very, very busy. Nonetheless, she was excited for the year to start, and she'd spent the rest of the day looking over her student roster, printing the names neatly on cut-out construction paper shapes and hoping that by the end of the year, they'd all recognize not only the letters of their names, but the entire alphabet.
When she'd gotten home, she'd made herself a cup of tea and sat with her feet up for a little while, not eager to unpack the car. But by the time the sun was a little lower on the horizon, she'd had another burst of energy, unloaded the car and poured a glass of wine. She looked around the kitchen, wishing Jen was cooking for her as she had been all summer. When the phone rang and she got to FaceTime with her friends, she was thrilled. And now that Carrie had shared her good news and they'd hung up, fatigue and loneliness washed over her once more.
She was just thinking she should let Maggy know the news about Bethany when the phone rang—Maggy's ears
must have been burning.
"Hi, sweetheart," Faith said when she picked up.
"Hi, Mom. How are you doing? I thought it might be a big change for you after having been at the beach all summer, hanging out with Jen and Carrie."
"Aw, that's sweet of you. It certainly has been a big change, that's for sure. And we don't even have students yet. But the house here is pretty quiet, I'll say that."
"I bet," Maggy said.
Faith filled her in about Bethany, and she knew Maggy was as surprised as she'd been.
"Wow, I certainly didn't expect that. Not after Carrie's story last night. Things sure can change fast."
"You can say that again," Faith said. "I hope you'll be able to come and visit while she's around."
Maggy paused for a bit. "You said she's going to be there for a month? I'm sure I can make it up to see her. That'll be strange, but great. I'll look forward to it."
"Great. All good with you?"
"Yep. Just checking on you. All good here."
"Thanks for calling, honey. I really appreciate it."
"No problem, Mom. I'm here if you need me."
Faith sighed when they ended the call. It was so nice to be able to talk to Maggy now, just like two normal people. And she remembered that it hadn't always been that way.
Her mind drifted to the time when Maggy was Bethany's age. It seemed to her that months had gone by when they'd barely spoken, and Faith couldn't do anything right, according to Maggy. But they'd made it through those teenage years, and when Faith and Maggy's dad had finally parted ways—which had been long overdue—she and Maggy were able to weather the storm without too much damage.
She hadn't thought about that for ages, and she hoped that Carrie and Bethany could enjoy good times together over the next month and heal some of their older wounds. And that the teenage years for them were smoother than they had been for Maggy and Faith. All she could do, though, was keep her fingers crossed. And help whenever she was able.
Twenty
Jen set down the phone and leaned back in her chair on the deck. "Faith looked tired, don't you think?"
Carrie nodded. "Yes, she did. But she had a pretty long day."
"I guess we all did. But I can't imagine working in a classroom with kindergartners, can you? Getting the classroom ready, planning for the year. It sounds overwhelming."
"It does to me, too. It's much easier to just take X-rays and meet with patients all day. You wouldn't think so, but it is."
"Yeah, but both of you guys love your jobs."
"We do, and you get to go through your Nana's stuff and figure out what to do here. And we know Faith loves what she does."
"I suppose everything is pretty good right now, if you think about it."
"What a nice thing to hear," Mrs. Russo said as Joe opened the gate for her. "That's how life should be. Happy."
Jen gave Mrs. Russo a quick hug and took the bottle of Chianti Joe held out to her. "Thanks, Mrs. Russo. We were just thinking the same thing."
"Something smells delicious, Jen."
"Thanks. It's one of Nana's recipes and I have to say, it's made the house smell great all day."
"I think Mrs. Grover might agree," Joe said, his thumb gesturing toward the neighbor's window just as the curtain fell shut again.
"Oh, good grief. She's something else," Carrie said with a laugh. "Mind if I invite her? She's sweet."
Jen nodded as she opened the door and ushered everybody in. "Absolutely not. Go get her."
Joe helped set the table as Mrs. Russo poured the chianti. "Thanks for the invitation. I'm sorry I couldn't come last night. We had that big shindig over at Back Bay Village. Good grief, those people are something else."
Jen started plating the pot roast and handed Joe a spoon to add the broccoli and mashed potatoes. He knew exactly what to do, and it was turning out that they worked well together in the kitchen. "What do you mean?"
Mrs. Russo waved her hand. "Well, it's just an interesting senior community. They're small homes, and a lot of them right on the water. It's been there forever. None of them would be able to afford houses in Newport now, but some of them have been there for thirty, forty years. There are tennis courts, a pool, a big community center. And they all have Duffys, those little electric boats, that they take out in the bay. They even have races. And one lady told me she takes hers out and they have Farkle parties on it."
"Farkle?" Jen asked, her eyebrows raised.
"Oh, it's a dice game. And I think it involves drinks."
Jen laughed. "I love those electric boats," Jen said. "We have one, but it's not working at the moment."
"I'd be happy to take a look at it," Joe said as they set the plates down on the table.
"Thanks, that would be awesome." Jen set the gravy down on the table and glanced out the window, looking for Carrie and Mrs. Grover.
"Not sure what happened to them."
Joe poked his head out the door, then held it open wide. "Here they are. Just in time, you two.”
"Thanks. We got hung up for a minute. Mrs. Grover was showing me her vintage jewelry collection. I'm not all that knowledgeable about those things, but she had some gorgeous pieces."
Mrs. Russo's ears perked up and she leaned closer toward Mrs. Grover. "We were just talking about Back Bay Village. They're having a fundraiser, and we're looking for donations of vintage clothes, jewelry and the like. They want to do a fashion show and call it 'Bold not Old'. What do you think?"
Mrs. Grover gripped her sweater and buttoned it tightly at the top. She pursed her lips and looked down at her plate. "Those people over there are pretty racy. Don't they do that naked polar bear swim? I heard about that somewhere."
Carrie snickered as Mrs. Grover's voice trailed off. "I think there's a small group who does. At least it's in the paper every year. But it's hardly much of a risk here in California. It's not even really that cold on New Year's Day."
"I wasn't referring to the risk to their health. It's just—they're naked."
Jen and Mrs. Russo share a glance and a grin. "Well, the fashion show will not include a polar bear dip. It's going to be closer to Halloween, and I promise you, everyone will have their clothes on. Vintage clothes, even."
The color returned to Mrs. Grover's cheeks as they ate and chatted about what it used to be like in Newport. She and Mrs. Russo even shared a laugh or two about when they'd first moved there and how quiet it had been.
Jen knew they were right that it was very different than it had been when she'd grown up there, and she and Joe shared some memories of their own.
"Remember when we could surf or sail all day long, and our parents didn't even look for us until the sun was setting and it was time for dinner?"
"And we'd swim across the bay with no chance of getting hit by a yacht—or a gondola?" Joe added with a smile.
Carrie cleared the dishes when they were finished, and Joe stood and reached into his back pocket for his apron. "I'm ready for dishes," he said as he shooed all the ladies out of the kitchen and into the living room. "You all go talk clothes. I'll bring coffee."
"And bring some of those wedding cookies too, Joey. I made them for Jen, you know."
Jen appreciated Mrs. Russo's thoughtfulness, but couldn't help but smile when she caught Carrie's glance and smirk. "Ooh-la-la," she mouthed as she wiggled her eyebrows.
Jen rolled her eyes and set about showing Mrs. Russo the clothes she'd pulled from Nana's closet.
"I remember that dress," Mrs. Grover said. "It was one of her favorites." She picked it up and held it in front of her, the emerald green sequins sparkling in the lamplight. "Look at these designer labels. Had to have been from the fifties, at least."
"Wow. She was a snappy dresser," Carrie said. "And a petite one, at that."
Mrs. Grover nodded. "Your Nana was really tiny when she was younger. I don't think it'd fit any of us."
"Hm. It certainly wouldn't fit me, that's for sure," Mrs. Russo said, holding another dress in f
ront of her and laughing. "We'll need a wide variety of models to pull this off, it seems. We have to have these in the show. They're gorgeous."
Jen pulled out a Hermes scarf and tied it over her hair again, matching it with a beaded handbag of Nana's.
"You look like Audrey Hepburn," Mrs. Grover and Mrs. Russo said in tandem.
"That's what I said," Joe said from the kitchen.
Mrs. Russo's eyes twinkled. "Oh, Jen, you have to be in the show. You, too, Carrie. It'll be so much fun." She turned to Mrs. Grover. "What about you, Caroline? You game?"
Mrs. Grover twisted her fingers and looked from Carrie to Mrs. Russo to Jen, who all looked at her expectantly.
She looked down at the pile of scarves. "Oh, I don't know. I don't get out much."
"Well, you used to or you wouldn't have so much jewelry, and I've seen you wear it back in the day. It'll be good for you, Caroline. Strap on your dancing shoes. Just say yes," Mrs. Russo said with a kind smile at Mrs. Grover.
Mrs. Grover looked down at her shoes—black and clunky—and over toward Mrs. Russo's strappy sandals and seemed to make a decision. Still with a bit of hesitation in her eyes, she shook her head slowly but said, “No, I can’t.”
“Think it over, Mrs. Grover," Joe said as he folded his apron and put it back in his pocket. He brought out a tray full of coffee mugs and a pitcher of cream with a bowl of sugar. "Who knows? You may have the time of your life."
Jen waved goodbye to Mrs. Grover, Carrie and Mrs. Russo—but not before Mrs. Russo told her it was one of the best pot roasts she'd ever tasted.
Joe hung back for a moment, and as they turned the corner, Joe whispered, "She doesn't ever say that unless she really means it."
"Well, then, it's an extra special compliment.” She was a little proud of Nana for her recipe holding its own against one of the best cooks Jen could think of.
Newport Beginnings Page 8
