Fireflies & Family Ties

by Rachel Hanna

  But, when she watched the interactions between Christian and Meg, and knowing that he had come across the ocean and uprooted his entire life for her, it warmed her heart. Maybe there was true love after all.

  Tonight, she was thinking even more about true love as William said he had a big surprise for her. He had picked her up at Julie's house and was driving her over the bridge, forcing her to wear a blindfold.

  "You know, if we're just going to dinner, this is going to be a really big let down," Janine said with a laugh.

  "Don't worry. We're not just going to dinner."

  As they drove over the bridge, he started making turns. Janine was totally confused. He seemed to be going in circles, and she tried to pay attention to figure out where they were going.

  "Are we lost?”

  William chuckled. "No, but I know what kind of brain you have, and I'm pretty sure you're trying to figure out where we're going. So I'm purposely driving in circles to confuse you. You might as well give up."

  They continued driving for another few minutes before he finally parked the car.

  "Don't take off the blindfold," he said. "And don't even try to peek."

  She had to laugh inside thinking about all of the trouble he had gone to for whatever the surprise was.

  In reality, she had wanted to just go home and melt into her bed. Teaching three yoga classes a day, six days a week was starting to wear on her a bit. Before long, because of the popularity of her classes, she might even have to hire another yoga teacher to help her. Once she did her accounting at the end of the month, she would know where she was and whether she had the funds to do that.

  But she loved it. She was so happy that she had opened the studio. It had done things beyond her wildest dreams. Every day, she looked out at the faces of her students and saw the changes that they were making. She felt like she was really helping their lives. Her new grief yoga classes had been a godsend for so many people, and she was able to offer a discount package for those students, which made her heart smile.

  Still, she was tired tonight. And she really wanted to go take a nice long nap, but there was no way she was going to tell William he couldn't take her out for a surprise. Maybe she could get a strong cup of coffee wherever they were going.

  He came around to the other side of the car, opened the door and took her hand. He had told her to dress up a bit, so she had on a long, flowy black sundress. It was now spring time, and the weather was starting to warm. She was so glad to get out of the cooler temperatures. Being a petite, thin person, she didn't have a whole lot of body heat to spare.

  He walked her from the car up onto a sidewalk. She had absolutely no idea where she was at this point.

  "Don't let me fall,. These sandals are slick," she said, struggling to keep her balance. She had a new appreciation for people who were blind. How in the world did they manage to get around without being terrified all the time?

  "Don't worry. I've got you." The more time they spent together, the more serious their relationship became. And she knew he really did have her. He had her back. And that was more than she could say for any other guy she’d dated.

  She heard him open the door and they walked inside. Something about this place felt familiar, but she couldn't put her finger on it. Maybe it was the smell? Or just the feeling?

  “Okay, here we go," he said. She felt him reach behind her head and untie the blindfold. As it fell from her eyes, she looked around to see all of her friends and family standing in the middle of her studio.

  Decorations were everywhere, music was playing and everybody yelled surprise.

  "What is this? It's not my birthday," she said under her breath to William.

  "Well, this is your grand opening party. We never got to do anything special when you opened this place, and now that you're so successful, I thought we should celebrate that."

  She grinned from ear to ear, amazed that anyone had done something so nice like this for her. She hugged him and planted a kiss on his lips. Then she looked around at the faces of all of her friends and family. Julie, Colleen, Meg, Dixie and even Dawson was standing in the corner. He smiled and waved.

  "I can't believe you guys did this!" Janine said, smiling as big as she had ever smiled.

  There was catered food on tables, a DJ and a makeshift dance floor in the middle of her studio. Other vendors and business owners from town were there, and she had a chance to mingle with each of them.

  Every time she looked around, she was so thankful for the people in her life. The relationship with her sister, her nieces and the new man in her life were all such big blessings that she had never anticipated.

  As she mingled and chatted with everyone throughout the night, Janine felt like the most blessed person on the planet.

  Julie was so happy for her sister, but she also felt incredibly uncomfortable that Dawson was there. It had only been a couple of weeks since their conversation at the bookstore, and she missed him more than she could have imagined.

  Thoughts of him spending his time with Tiffany were stuck in her head, playing on repeat like some sort of scratched record.

  She hadn't seen them around town, and honestly she hadn't seen Tiffany either. Maybe they had gone on a romantic getaway. Why was she doing this to herself? Why was she allowing these upsetting thoughts to overwhelm her brain when she needed to be strong for her daughter?

  Her only focus had been on Meg over the last couple of weeks. Their bond had grown stronger, and she had attended another doctor’s appointment with her daughter. This time, Christian also came, and he got to listen to the baby's heartbeat. Julie saw tears in his eyes, which he quickly wiped away before Meg could see them.

  Life was starting to get into some kind of routine, although it was still different. Meg being up in the air about what to do about the adoption was something that seemed to always be hanging over her head. Nobody could get really excited about the baby or have a baby shower because the decision just hadn't been made.

  It was encouraging that Meg hadn’t mentioned it lately, though. Julie hoped that meant that she was thinking about keeping the baby, although she wasn't going to press her daughter. The decision was hard enough without pressure from the family.

  Christian had taken a job at the local university, and he would be starting during the summer semester. Thankfully, the university in France had let him out of his contract so that he could pursue the opportunity in the United States.

  She watched Meg and Christian interact all the time, and she really felt like they were a good match. Instead of worrying that her daughter had made some terrible decision picking an older man, she saw what Meg saw in him. He was kind hearted, laid-back, super intelligent. And best of all, he seemed to really adore her daughter.

  That was really all any mother could ask for. She turned her head and looked at Colleen and Tucker in the other corner. They were standing by the table, plates full of food, laughing. Colleen had been happier than she’d ever seen her since meeting Tucker.

  He had come to their last Sunday dinner, where Dawson's presence was definitely missed, and had kept the table entertained with stories of all of the different toys he had created and tested over the years. Julie didn't even know his job existed, but she found it highly interesting when he talked about it.

  Colleen was starting to look around for another job. Although she liked working at the law firm, the constant domestic violence cases were wearing on her emotionally. She wasn't sure exactly what she wanted to do, but she knew it wasn't that. She didn't want to be what she called a "paper pusher" for the rest of her life, either.

  Julie remembered what it was like to be young and have so many opportunities that it caused analysis paralysis. And then, she ended up raising kids and not having much of a career until they were older.

  She had enjoyed having her online boutique, which she had closed a few months back, and she was really enjoying writing her first novel. But the bookstore was something that was in her hea
rt. She loved working with Dixie, but mostly she just loved being surrounded by books. She had always loved to read, and the place just felt like her home away from home.

  She risked looking across the room at Dawson, who was standing against the wall chatting with the guy who owned the dry cleaning store down the street. Every so often, he would cut his eyes at her, both of them looking away as soon as they made eye contact.

  She wished that it had worked out, that they could have been a couple. He was everything she had ever dreamed of in a man, yet she knew that he had feelings for this woman from his past. She wasn't going to get in the middle of that and risk her heart getting broken all over again, although it felt like it was pretty broken right now.

  She walked over to the table and poured herself some punch. The party was starting to wind down, and she would be glad to get home, put on her yoga pants and veg out in front of the TV.

  "Mind pouring me a cup?" Dawson said from behind her. She would know his voice anywhere, and it made shivers run across her skin.

  "Sure," she said. She poured him a cup and handed it to him, trying not to make too much eye contact.

  “Meg looks like she's doing well."

  "She's doing better. I suppose you met her boyfriend?"

  "I did. Seems like a nice guy."

  "He is. I think he's good for her."

  There was a long pause, both of them unsure of what to say next.

  "I miss you," Dawson finally said.

  Julie didn't know what to say. "I miss you too."

  "I don't know what happened exactly, but I wish you would talk to me."

  She smiled sadly. "I told you that I just need to take a break and focus on my daughter, Dawson. I don't know why you can't understand that."

  "Because I don't believe it. She seems to be doing fine, and couples don't break up just because there's a problem. That's when you're supposed to come together. "

  "Were we really a couple, though?"

  He looked surprised. “I thought we were."

  "Look, it just didn't work out. I wish it did, trust me. But I can't keep rehashing this with you. It hurts too much." She turned and started to walk away. Dawson touched her arm. She turned around and looked up at him.

  "It hurts because we’re supposed to be together, Julie. I can't believe you're just throwing all of this away."

  She turned and looked back at him. "I can't believe I had to."

  As they cleaned up from the party, Julie found herself going over and over her conversation with Dawson. On one hand, she wanted him to get the message – that things were over. On the other hand, she wanted him to show up outside of her window, holding a boom box over his head and professing his undying love for her. Life is about balance.

  Janine continued mingling with the last few people who were there, one from the town council and another woman who was interested in yoga classes. William, who had planned the whole thing, was busy cleaning up, putting folding tables away in the back storage area. Julie felt like the least she could do was help him.

  She had sent Meg home to get some rest, with Christian driving her back across to the island. Colleen and Tucker had decided to take a walk on the beach, probably wanting some alone time. So Julie decided she might as well make herself useful by throwing away trash and taking down decorations.

  "You don't have to do that. I know you must be tired. I'll take care of it," William said. She smiled when she thought about the attitude William had when he first showed up at her door that night. He and Dixie had forged a brand new relationship now, and it was really a miracle to witness.

  "Oh, I don't mind. Gives me something to do." She pulled down some streamers that were hanging over her head and tossed them into the big garbage can beside her.

  "Janine told me about you and Dawson breaking up. I'm sorry to hear that."

  She wiped down a table before he folded it up. "All good things must come to an end."

  "I hope not. Janine and I have a pretty good thing going." He winked at her and smiled.

  "I guess old sayings don't always make a whole lot of sense."

  "Janine didn't tell me why you broke up. Was it something in particular?"

  "I'm just really busy right now with Meg and this whole thing, so I felt like taking a break was the best option."

  "You know, Dawson’s a great guy. He could be a wonderful support system for you with all of this. I don't want to butt my nose in your business, but I would tell you that he would never let you down."

  She wanted to say something. She wanted to tell him that Dawson had already let her down. That he had been spending time with the high school beauty queen instead of her.

  "Say, can I ask you something?"

  "Sure."

  “Do you remember a girl from high school named Tiffany. Blonde hair, dated a guy named Blaine?"

  He chuckled. "Everybody at our high school knew Tiffany. She was kind of hard to miss. Big, bleached blonde hair, short miniskirts, legs that went on for miles…"

  "Yes, so I've heard."

  "Why do you ask?"

  "She introduced herself to me at the reunion. I was just wondering if you knew her."

  "Oh, yeah, most of the guys in our high school were walking around with their tongues hanging out after her. I thought she was pretty, but I never pursued anything."

  "Dawson said she was his high school crush."

  “Now I remember that. One time he cooked up a plan to ask her out on Valentine's Day, but she had her first date with Blaine. And then they ended up dating for the rest of high school. And then they apparently got married. But I heard through the grapevine that they divorced a year ago."

  Julie's heart sank. That's why she was hanging around with Dawson. She was determined to put her hooks into him, and he was obviously falling for it. He certainly didn't look like he was being kept against as will.

  "You know what? I am a little tired after all. If you don't need anything else, I might head home to check on Meg.”

  "Of course. Janine and I will be here for a while." He looked over at her, laughing. "She hasn't stopped talking in the last two hours. I might have to drag her out of here so she can get up for her classes in the morning."

  Julie smiled, waved at her sister and walked out the door. She just wanted to get home and drown her sorrows in a nice bowl of ice cream with cut up bananas and cherries on top. She might even dig out that hot fudge she saw in the cupboard the last time she needed to drown her sorrows.

  Chapter 11

  Meg stood outside of Janine's yoga studio, staring through the window. She didn't know how her aunt had talked her into this. The class was for pregnant and new mothers, and it was supposed to be pretty gentle.

  She had seen her aunt put herself in all kinds of positions, often looking like a human pretzel. She couldn't imagine a yoga class that wouldn't wear her out, but Janine had promised her that it would give her more energy and help get her pelvic floor in shape for childbirth. Meg didn’t know exactly what that meant, but anything that would help her get through labor was a good plan in her book. She had been reading up about childbirth, and she had even been brave enough to watch a few videos. Now she wished she hadn't.

  From what she could tell, childbirth looked more like a crime scene than a loving moment of bringing a baby into the world. She was definitely going to tell her doctor that she wanted all the drugs. Any drug they would give her. She didn't care what it was.

  She remembered her grandmother telling her a long time ago that when she gave birth to Meg’s mother, they knocked her out and she woke up with a baby in her arms. Meg didn’t understand why they didn't still do things that way. It sure seemed like a much easier way to go about birthing a child.

  "What are you doing out here?" Janine said, poking her head out the front door of the studio as she waved for Meg to come inside.

  "I'm not sure I should try this. I've never done yoga in my life."

  "I'll be gentle," Janine said, reaching out and
pulling her niece through the doorway.

  The place was pretty empty, although class didn't start for another ten minutes. Still, she expected there to be more students, rolling out their yoga mats and chanting or whatever it was that yogis did.

  "Where is everybody?"

  "Actually, this is a newer class, so I think I'm only going to have you and a couple of other students. They should be here shortly."

  "Are they pregnant?"

  "One of them is just a few weeks along, and the other one had her baby eight weeks ago. She’s just now getting back into exercise and wants to tighten up her core muscles."

  Meg looked down at her stomach. "I don't think I have core muscles anymore."

  Janine laughed. "Don't worry. They're under there, and we're going to get them nice and strong before you give birth in a few weeks."

  "Don't remind me. I'm pretty terrified about the whole thing."

  Janine rolled out a yoga mat on the floor and grabbed a couple of foam blocks. She also gave Meg a hand towel and a bottle of water.

  "This is all you should need for your first class. You may not even need those blocks, but just in case any of the poses are too difficult, you can use them for support."

  The other two women walked in shortly after. One woman, apparently the one who was newly pregnant, only had a little tiny baby bump. Meg missed the time that she had those first few weeks when no one could really tell she was pregnant. If she didn't know this woman had a baby growing inside of her, she never would've assumed it.

  But she was surprised when she saw the other woman. She was pushing a stroller with a tiny baby inside, apparently asleep. But the girl didn't look much older than she was, if at all. She was definitely young. For a moment, Meg wondered if this was by design. Had Janine invited her to this class specifically to meet this woman?

  "Welcome, everyone! I'm so glad you ladies can join us. I'd like to go around the room and have everyone introduce themselves."

  They went around the room, and Meg learned that the woman's name was Casey. She was twenty years old, much like Meg, and was getting married in a few months. The baby was unexpected, which was more information than Meg thought someone should give when introducing themselves to a class full of strangers.