by Nicole Ellis
Tia watched intently as the scenery whizzed by, but when they passed the sign for the Hood Canal Bridge, she turned to him. “Are we not going over the bridge?”
“Nope, but we’re almost to our destination.” After driving through an expanse of forest, they passed some farms, and eventually crested the peak of a hill. Below them, Puget Sound sparkled enticingly in the sunlight. They continued down the hill until they’d almost reached the water, then turned right, driving for about half a mile more before stopping in a small asphalt parking lot.
Tia peered out the window, craning her neck to look up at the tall lighthouse looming over them. “Are we there now?”
“Yep.” Cal grinned. He’d been planning this for over a week, ever since his sister Emily had emailed him back with the genealogy research she’d performed on Davina Carlsen.
Tia released her seatbelt and shifted in her seat to face him. “A lighthouse? I mean, this is cool and all, but I’m not even sure where we are.”
He gestured to the tower. “That’s the Hansen Point Lighthouse.”
She wrinkled her nose and peered out the window again. “Hansen Point?”
He chuckled at her confusion. “Let’s get out to take a look at it and I’ll explain everything.”
She shrugged. “Sounds good.”
They both donned their winter coats and stepped out of the car. The sun glared off the windows of the lighthouse, and they both shielded their faces as they examined the structures at its base.
“I checked their website, and there should be tours today.” He took her hand in his and led her over to the entrance.
Inside, a petite woman who appeared to be in her eighties greeted them from behind a small desk loaded with stacks of informational pamphlets. “Welcome to Hansen Point,” she said warmly.
Cal flashed her a grin. “Thanks.” He looked around the small space. “Are you doing lighthouse tours today?”
“We sure are.” She glanced at her watch. “You’re right on time. I’ll be starting one in five minutes if you’d like to join me.”
Tia smiled. “Perfect timing. That would be wonderful, thank you.” She started to move over to examine a framed print of a schooner on the wall, but Cal reached for her arm.
“I wanted to tell you something before the tour.”
She cocked her head to the side and gave him a puzzled glance, but dutifully followed him outside. They walked over to the side of the building to shield them from the wind that was whipping through the beach grass.
He faced her. “I did some research on Davina.” He shuffled his feet and corrected himself. “Well, my sister researched her.”
“Okay?” Tia’s studied his face intently. “Did you find anything out?”
“I did.” He rested his hand on the lighthouse. “This is where she and Matthias ended up.”
“What?” Tia’s mouth had dropped open in shock.
“It seems like she and Matthias were married soon after the summer she wrote about in the journal. Erik Jensen had given up his career as a dentist in Seattle to become the Hansen Point lighthouse keeper. Shortly afterward, Erik’s wife and son, Matthias, joined him, along with his son’s new wife, Davina. From what Emily found, Davina lived in this area until she died in the 1990s.”
“Wow.” Tia was quiet for a moment, then looked up at him. “So she was here in Washington all along? Her family could have easily come to see her?”
He sighed. “I don’t know how easy it would have been in those days to get from Willa Bay to Hansen Point, but yeah. They could have come to visit her.”
“But they never did,” she said slowly. “Or at least it doesn’t seem like they did, since Lorraine Carlsen never mentioned having a sister the entire time Celia knew her.”
He shook his head. “I guess not.” With how close Cal’s family was, he couldn’t imagine being suddenly cut off from them, but Tia could probably relate. While she’d voluntarily put distance between herself and her family, she’d most likely experienced similar feelings of homesickness as Davina would have felt.
“If you’re here for a tour of the lighthouse, please join me inside,” a woman’s voice blared out from a speaker affixed to the exterior of the building.
“We’d better get back in there.” Tia looked pale, and Cal wondered if he’d made a mistake in bringing her to Hansen Point.
Inside, the elderly woman they’d talked to earlier stood alone at the foot of the stairs leading up into the lighthouse tower.
She beamed at Tia and Cal. “Looks like it’s just going to be you two this morning. We don’t get many tourists during the winter, although I do have a group coming in later today.“ She stuck her hand out to them. “I’m Lorra.”
Cal shook her hand and found her grip to be surprisingly firm. “I’m Cal, and this is Tia.”
Tia shook Lorra’s hand as well.
“Nice to meet you both,” Lorra said. “You’re in luck – it’s a beautiful day, so you should have a wonderful view of Puget Sound and the island.” She motioned for them to follow her up the stairs.
Tia went second, with Cal bringing up the rear. Lorra moved faster than he’d expected for a woman of her age. When they reached the top of the stairs, they emerged into a small circular room surrounded by glass windows. In the center of the room, the old lamp and lens were situated behind a protective barrier made of thick plastic.
Lorra told them all about the history of the lighthouse history. She spoke with enthusiasm, barely pausing between facts. When they had finished looking at everything in the room, she opened a narrow door in one of the glass walls, and they exited onto a catwalk-like platform that Lorra called the gallery.
She pointed at the landmass across the Sound. “In front of you is Whidbey Island, and off to your right is the mainland. Seattle is just south of here, but you can’t quite see it.”
“Wow, the island looks huge.” Tia seemed to have finally found her voice. “I can actually see a different side of it from my house, but it must be much bigger than I thought if we can see it from here too.”
“Oh really?” Lorra fixed her clear blue eyes on Tia. “Are the two of you from around here?”
“We both live in Willa Bay, about an hour north of Seattle.” Cal walked over to the east side of the platform and peered through the telescope attached to the top of the railing. Willa Bay was too far north to be visible from Hansen Point, but he could make out the tip of Everton poking out into the water.
When he looked back at Lorra and Tia, the older woman had gone pale.
“Did you say Willa Bay?” Lorra asked.
Tia nodded. “Yes, why?”
“My mother was from Willa Bay.” Lorra shook her head. “I’ve never been there, but I’ve heard it’s very pretty. My father always wanted to take a trip up there to show us where they’d met, but Mother always said that part of her life was best kept in the past.”
The short hairs on Cal’s arm prickled and he couldn’t help but stare at Lorra, trying to calculate the woman’s age.
Tia must have been doing the same, because she asked in a soft voice, “Was your mother Davina Carlsen, by any chance?”
Lorra looked at her in amazement. “Yes! How did you know?”
“I live and work at the Inn at Willa Bay – the resort your mother’s parents owned.” Tia shaded her eyes from the sun and peered at Lorra.
Lorra leaned against the railing, her mouth agape. “The Inn at Willa Bay,” she repeated.
“Did your mom ever talk about her life in Willa Bay?” Tia asked.
Lorra shook her head. “No. She was estranged from her family. I really only knew the basics about her life before she met my father.” The wrinkles in her face deepened. “How do you know about my mother?”
“The resort was recently renovated, and my co-worker and I came across two of her journals.” Tia smiled. “I’m actually living in her old bedroom in one of the cottages on the property.”
“You don’t say.” Lorra was
so dazed that Cal worried she’d collapse.
“Maybe we should take a seat.” Cal gestured to the metal bench that ran along one side of the gallery.
Lorra sat down heavily on the bench. Tia perched on the edge of it, and Cal stood nearby, blocking the sun’s glare for them.
“Do you have the journals with you?” Lorra’s keen eyes searched them, filled with hope.
Tia gave her an apologetic smile. “No, I’m sorry, they’re back at the Inn.” She glanced at Cal. “Today’s destination was kind of a surprise for me.”
Cal winced, even though she hadn’t meant anything unkindly. He hadn’t anticipated meeting any of Davina’s descendants today, or he would have urged Tia to bring the journals. He faced Lorra. “We’d be happy to bring them back to Hansen Point some other time.”
Tia nodded vigorously. “Or, you’re welcome to come to the Inn at Willa Bay anytime and see where your mom grew up. I know the current owners would love to meet you.”
Lorra smiled weakly at her. “I’d like that very much. I don’t drive long distances anymore, but maybe one of my daughters would be willing to take me up there.” Her voice strengthened. “Do you know anything about my mother’s younger sister, Lorraine? I’m named after her, and I always wondered what happened to her.”
“She married a very nice man and they ran the resort together for a long time after her parents passed away.” Tia covered Lorra’s hand with her own. “They never had any children though, so they left the property to a woman named Celia who worked at the resort and had become like family to them.”
Lorra looked between Tia and Cal. “Is this Celia still alive? If so, it would be nice to meet her and see what she knows about my grandparents and aunt.”
Tia laughed. “Very much so. And I’m sure she’d love to meet you too.”
“That would be wonderful,” Lorra said. “Not knowing anything about that side of my family has always left me feeling like something was missing. I may be eighty-five already, but finding out about them now is better than never.”
Voices drifted upward from the base of the lighthouse and Lorra glanced at her watch. “There’s a group of tourists scheduled for a tour in five minutes, so I should get back downstairs.” With tears in her eyes, she gave both of them hugs. “Thank you so much for coming here.”
Cal nodded. “Thank you for the wonderful tour. I don’t know about Tia, but I’d like to come back in the summer and see everything when it’s not so cold.”
Tia grinned. “Ditto.” She removed her wallet from the leather purse hanging around her neck, plucked a small card out of a plastic case, and handed it to Lorra. “Here’s my business card. When you have a chance, please e-mail or call me and we can set up to a time for you to come to Willa Bay.”
“Thank you, dear.” Lorra tucked the card into her jacket pocket, pulling out a Kleenex at the same time, which she used to wipe away the tears in the corners of her eyes. “I’m looking forward to seeing the two of you again and reading my mother’s journals.” She shook her head. “I still can’t believe that after all these years, I’m finally going to see Willa Bay.”
Lorra opened the door leading to the gallery and they walked down the stairs to the main room. She’d locked the door to the lighthouse, so the busload of tourists that had just arrived roamed around outside.
Cal raised his eyebrows. “Looks like you’re going to be busy this afternoon.”
Lorra smiled with a deep satisfaction. “Just the way I like it. I’ve lived here all my life and I love sharing the history of my hometown with so many people from around the world.”
She unlocked the door, and they barely had a chance to say goodbye before they were almost overrun by the incoming crowd.
When Cal and Tia were safely outside, they walked without speaking toward the beach. A light breeze rustled the grass on either side of the path that had been cut through the beach logs. They walked single file until they came out onto the sand.
He reached for her hand. “So, how are you feeling about all this?”
“A little shell-shocked,” Tia admitted. “I think I was at the point where I’d accepted never knowing what happened to Davina.”
“Now that we do know, what do you think?” he asked.
She took a deep breath. “I still feel bad that she had to give up all of her family ties to marry Matthias. But…it seems like she had a good life here. I really hope Lorra gets in touch with me, because I want to know more about her mother’s life here in Hansen Point.”
“I think that would be great.” He stopped and turned toward her, still holding her hand. “Did it make you reconsider things with your own parents?”
She stared at him, then pressed her lips together as if trying to decide what to say. “Look, I know you want me to be on good terms with my parents, but that’s easier said than done. Not everyone has the same family dynamic as yours.”
He looked out at the waves lapping at the pebbled beach below the high tide mark. He hadn’t meant to offend Tia, but he hoped that she’d give her parents a chance while they were in Willa Bay. “I was just trying to help.”
“I know.” She placed a soft hand on his shoulder. “You can’t control everything though. Some things evolve with time, but there’s always the possibility that a relationship can’t be fixed.” She met his gaze and sighed. “I don’t think that’s the case with my family, but communication between us has become so strained over the years that it may take a while to repair things.”
He brushed her hair back from her face, feeling the softness of her cheek against the pad of his thumb. He gazed into her eyes. Tia was right. There were some relationships that couldn’t be fixed in a healthy manner. His marriage to Marci had ended in divorce, and he’d left several toxic friendships behind when he’d walked away from his former life – but he couldn’t be happier than he was now.
“You’re right. I hope you’ll be able to reconcile with your parents because I want to see you happy, but that’s up to you.” He searched her face. “Are we still okay?”
She grinned widely, wrapped her arms around his neck, and planted a firm kiss on his mouth. “We’re good. I appreciate how much you care about me and I know you just want me to be happy.” Her hands drifted down his arms until they were clasping his hands. “Do you want to take a walk before we head home?”
“I’d love to.” He squeezed her hand, and they continued on down the beach, away from the lighthouse.
As they passed an aging fishing resort, Tia looked up at him. “What do you think Hansen Point was like when Davina moved here? Do you think she was lonely?” Her expression turned troubled. “I know I was when I moved to Willa Bay.”
He shrugged. “She had Matthias and his family, but I bet she missed her sister and parents terribly.”
“I hope she found happiness here.” Tia glanced at the fishing resort’s cabins, which vaguely resembled those at the Inn at Willa Bay.
“I hope so too.” He released her hand and pulled her close. “If you don’t mind, when Lorra comes to visit you, I’d like to talk to her too.” He chuckled. “I feel oddly invested in Davina’s life at this point.”
Her fingers pressed firmly against the back of his winter jacket as she looked deeply into his eyes. “Oh, you’re a part of this now, whether you like it or not.”
His heart beat faster as she kissed him again, longer and deeper than she had before. He closed his eyes and savored the feeling of her lips against his, the sweet scent of her floral perfume, and the sound of the gulls flying overhead as the waves danced against the shore.
When Shawn had asked him to give a message to Tia last month, Cal couldn’t have foreseen that he and Tia would be standing here now, on a beach so far away from home. Davina’s journal had brought the two of them together, and he truly hoped she’d been as happy with Matthias as he was with Tia.
20
Debbie
Debbie surveyed her living room with pleasure. Like every Christmas Eve si
nce her kids were young, it was filled with love and family. In one corner, a seven-foot tall noble fir sagged under the weight of ornaments she’d collected over the last five decades. They were a hodgepodge of colors, shapes, and sizes – some made by her kids or grandkids, and others she’d acquired along the way. Her mismatched tree, displaying treasured pieces of her family’s history, would never be featured in a magazine spread, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.
Their living room was big enough for her and her husband, but once they packed in eight adults and five kids, there wouldn’t be much room to spare. Only Libby, Gabe, and their four children had arrived for the annual Christmas Eve celebration so far, and space was already at a premium. Debbie wasn’t sure where they’d put everyone when Meg and Samantha eventually had kids of their own, but they’d figure it out.
Knowing Sam’s concern about being good with little kids, let alone being in charge of them as a housemother, Debbie had been surprised when Sam had asked to bring Kimmy, one of the little girls who lived in her dorm at the preparatory school, to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with the Briggs family, since Kimmy’s parents were out of the country for the year and unable to return to see their daughter for the holidays. Debbie couldn’t imagine not wanting to spend the holidays with her kids when they were small, but perhaps Kimmy’s parents were truly unable to get back to the United States at present. Whatever the case, Debbie intended to make the child’s time with the Briggs family a joyful one.
Libby’s older kids ran around the house, playing a lively game of hide and seek. Kaya, the youngest of the bunch, pretended to make hot cocoa at the plastic toy kitchen Debbie kept in another corner of the living room.
Kaya caught Debbie’s eye. She filled a cup with her make-believe cocoa from the teapot and ran over to Debbie, handing her the cup. “Here you go, Grandma!” She then rushed back to the kitchen to prepare another drink.
Debbie took several fake sips from the cup as she peered at Kaya over its plastic rim. All the kids had loved playing with the pretend kitchen. A pang of sadness hit her as she realized she needed to enjoy this moment while it lasted. Not only was Kaya growing up, but Libby, Gabe, and their kids may be moving to Idaho soon. Libby hadn’t yet confirmed anything to her one way or the other, but Gabe taking a job in Boise was a possibility that clung to the edge of every conversation she’d had with her eldest daughter since she’d found out about it. But that wasn’t something Debbie wanted to think about on this joyous occasion.
