“Cora, we needed to leave for the airport fifteen minutes ago.”
I glanced at the clock and realized just how late it was. “Okay, so let’s go. I’ll apologize when we get there.”
“To them or me?”
I lifted up on my toes and placed a kiss on his jaw since it was the only thing I could reach. “Them of course. You already know I love you.”
His inability to stay irritated with me always played in my favor—not that I took advantage of it. As I lowered my feet, his arm snuck around my waist, and his face nestled into the crook of my neck when he bent down. His whiskers were rough on my skin, although coupled with his fingers tickling my side, I broke out in gales of laughter. The harder I tried to escape, the more brutal his assault became until I wasn’t convinced I’d walk away without peeing in my pants. “James—” His name was a breathless syllable between two giggles.
“Say it.” The humor in his voice only spurred my silliness.
“Uncle.”
“Try again.”
“I surrender.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I love you?” I knew what he wanted, but this was so much more fun. Even if it just made us later to pick up our friends.
“Nice, but no.”
As my back arched and he didn’t relent, I finally gave him what he silently demanded. “I’m sorry.”
He immediately ceased fire and secured me in his embrace. With a quick peck to the nose, he let me go and grabbed my hand to pull me out the door. “I love you, too.”
The smile hadn’t left my lips since the first poke in the ribs, still, hearing those three words from James Carpenter’s mouth never ceased to make me feel like a teenager falling for the first time. I’d keep that goofy, love-struck grin plastered to my face until my cheeks hurt and the muscle refused to maintain it.
It didn’t take all that long to get to the airport. Thankfully, traffic was light, so there would be no more apologizing. Neil and Hannah had no idea we’d been late since their plane hadn’t landed, and we now waited on them.
“Are you excited to see Hannah?” We sat on a bench near the baggage claim.
I loved airports. People from all over the world moved seamlessly through space and time going from one destination to another, completely oblivious they were being watched. I could see people from all walks of life, countries I’d never been to, who spoke languages I didn’t understand, and all had a purpose and a destination.
“Of course. It’s only been a few weeks, but I haven’t talked to her much. It’ll be good to have a few days with them. Are you sad about the business?” I’d asked this question repeatedly and kept getting the same answer, yet I worried James had made a decision he’d regret just to please me. I had to continually remind myself that he made it for Legend.
His mouth twitched just before it opened. “Not really. I mean, I hate that I’m just dumping it on Neil, but a lot’s happened, and it’s just not where we’re meant to be right now. That might change down the road, unfortunately, I have to focus on today.”
“Do you ever think about how odd it is that your story and my dad’s could have been so similar?”
“No, do you?”
The cart carrying elderly people flew past us, honking its horn, and a late passenger was called over the intercom, derailing my thoughts momentarily.
“Yeah.” And it bothered me. My dad, not James.
The man who’d left Chelsea’s mom alone wasn’t the same guy who’d raised me or been the husband to my mother. I hadn’t fathomed any of these things when he was alive and had never even met my half-sister. I couldn’t stop thinking about how odd it was that he’d left a child who ended up having a child who never met him to be raised by my grandmother. And had James decided not to be a part of Legend’s life, Legend would have met the same fate his mother had. Somehow, Gwendolyn was left holding the hands of all those involved.
“Cora!”
Down the escalator came my best friend and her boyfriend. I jumped up, not bothering to elaborate on the topic James and I were discussing, and took off toward them. We met in the middle of baggage claim in an embrace. When she finally pulled back, her hands remained on my forearms like she was appraising me.
“Unemployment looks fantastic on you, and so does that tan. Are you living in the sand and sun?”
When she took my hands in hers, the light bounced off her finger and the giant diamond perched on the fourth one. “Oh. My. God. When did this happen?” I let go of her to use all ten of my fingers to inspect the engagement ring she’d waited so long for.
When I could finally focus on something other than the blinding sparkle from the two carats set in platinum, I glanced at James to show him her hand before meeting her eyes. They glistened with tears of happiness.
“He proposed two days ago. I was going to call you, I swear. Neil thought it would be better to tell you in person so we could all celebrate. Don’t be mad.” She poked out her bottom lip just slightly. I couldn’t have cared less that she hadn’t called—I was just grateful she was here.
James clapped Neil on the shoulder. “It’s about damn time. You’re lucky she waited. How many years has it been? Nine? Ten?”
“Eleven. Eleven years,” Hannah answered for Neil with a chortle. Even if he’d never proposed, she wouldn’t have left. They were as right together as James and I were.
“At least my girl didn’t take a two-year, international hiatus.” This was an ongoing ribbing between James and Neil, and thankfully, they usually left me out of it—even though I was the one who’d left.
“I hate to tell you, Mr. Carpenter, your stats aren’t much better. We had a decade under our belt when you finally got serious.” I loved to jab him.
“High school hardly counts, and again, you left for two years—so by default, those two things take off three and half years. I should get credit for having the ring even if it wasn’t on your finger.”
“Hard to wear a rock without a setting.” Hannah giggled, clearly proud of her smartass insertion into the conversation.
“I’m wounded, Hannah. Here I thought we were pals, amigos, compadres—the first chance you get, you throw me to the wolves.” James was so melodramatic.
However, it all felt so normal. The four of us. Together. I’d have a hard time when they left, but I was determined to enjoy them while they were here.
By the time we’d grabbed their bags and driven back to Geneva Key, the afternoon had gotten away from us. Together, with our best friends, we strolled the beach and picked up shells. We had dinner on the patio of a restaurant I didn’t know existed even though I’d walked by a dozen times. With dessert and drinks, we ended the perfect evening listening to the waves crash against the shore and the few lone gulls cry into the night. As the breeze blew strands of hair against my face, I watched the tiny flame in the centerpiece flicker, yet never go out. The sounds of friendship lingered around the table, and my heart was full.
The next day, James sold his half of the company to Neil. They’d spent the morning with the Carpenters’ attorney, and we hadn’t heard from them. I worried what frame of mind James would be in when he and Neil got back. Although, I had to admit I hadn’t been prepared for the smiles and overall joy that lit up his features.
When I got a second to pull him aside, I whispered, “Are you really all right with this?”
He kissed my lips and smacked my ass. “Baby, I’m thrilled. Life is good.” And the truth was written on his face.
***
“So when do we get to meet the little urchin?” Neil was excited to meet his best friend’s son.
“Cora’s grandmother is bringing him home around lunch.”
“How’s that going, Cora?” The concern on Neil’s face was endearing.
“Really well. It’s not going to fix itself overnight, even so, I think we’re both trying. And that’s about all we can do right now. Legend makes it a lot easier.”
“Does anyone have any idea why h
is mom gave him such an…odd name?” Hannah had chosen her words carefully as not to offend James, but he’d wondered the same thing.
“We haven’t asked.” I wanted to. However, with everything else going on, it seemed to be at the bottom of the list of things to question.
Before the conversation of namesakes could continue, the front door flew open as the doorbell rang. Gwendolyn tried to respect the Carpenters, while Legend had already made himself at home.
“Daddy, look what Dottie got me.” He flew through the foyer and into the breakfast area where the four of us sat, bypassing Neil, Hannah, and me, in favor of launching himself into his father’s lap.
I realized when I saw Neil’s expression change how odd it must be for other people to hear Legend call James “Daddy,” but it didn’t sound foreign to my ears—it sounded like magic.
“What is it?” James stared at the toy as though he’d never seen one before, playing into the wonder of his son’s amazement.
“A Nerf gun!”
Before anyone could warn him not to shoot it in the house, he popped off three right in a row, one of which bounced off my chair.
He bowed his head as though he were ashamed. “I’m sorry, Cora.” He wasn’t able to hide the grin that made his cheeks round, and I could tell he was trying to disguise his amusement.
It was easier to laugh and see him smile than to try to scold him when he was so cute. Thankfully, Gwendolyn had joined us, and she had no problems telling him not to shoot the gun at anyone or in the house. I mouthed, “Thank you,” in her direction, and she waved me off as though it was nothing.
Remembering my manners, I jumped from my seat. “Hannah, Neil, this is my grandmother, Gwendolyn Chase—affectionately referred to as Dottie.” The words had come out before I realized who bore witness to them.
No one else noticed, except Legend. “Hey,” he dragged out the word the way only kids could. “I didn’t know my Dottie is your grandma. That means you’re in my family.” And as quickly as he’d considered it, he’d moved on to another subject. “Is my grandma here? I wanna show her my gun.”
“She’s upstairs, Legend,” I said, trying to lead him away from the conversation we weren’t ready to have, and he took off in compliance.
“It was nice to meet you both. I hope you enjoy your stay.”
I showed Gwendolyn out with an unexpected hug and returned to the table to a conversation already underway.
“He doesn’t look anything like you. Other than the fact he clearly got your height and weight issues.” Neil and James had been friends their entire lives, and he apparently remembered him as a child. “You look way better as a redhead,” he joked.
“You just said he didn’t look a thing like me. Make up your mind, man.”
“Well, DNA doesn’t lie.”
James threw a dish towel at his friend while Hannah and I merely observed their stupidity. We’d all known each other for a lot of years, and some things never changed—I wouldn’t have it any other way. When I’d been in Paris, Hannah had painted a mental picture of a James I never cared to see, and I’d feared that was who I would find when he came to France. Thankfully, we’d healed, and their friendships had mended.
Four days hadn’t been nearly enough time to soak in each other’s company. They were completely enamored with Legend by the time they left and begged us to bring him with us when we sold the house. I never thought I’d see a day when any of us had wanted to spend time with kids. Life had a funny way of throwing curveballs that ended up being the perfect pitch.
When the three of us said goodbye to Neil and Hannah at the airport, it was with the assumption we’d see them again soon, nevertheless, the pain was still staggering. We only had one more thing to do before our lives had come full circle—and that was sell our house. I refused to consider that we needed to buy one here or pack or move—those were all chores for another day. I had a hard enough time saying goodbye to the only girlfriend I had. I loved James and Legend both, but Geneva Key was a far cry from New York City, and making friends would be a challenge.
Maybe the portal down on Main near the grocery store would spit out some of the girls it had swallowed after high school and shoot them in my direction. It’d be great if one of them had managed to have a kid during their time in the black hole that existed in the population here. James had joked about it for years, and now that I was back, I realized just how truthful he’d been. We’d spent so little time here after graduation that it hadn’t occurred to me that people left and never returned or that there was a generation consistently missing from the census in Geneva Key.
Now that we were here, I had to find a way to make it a home. I couldn’t count the days until I left for college or the number of weeks before I turned eighteen. We’d made a commitment for Legend, and this was our new life. Geneva Key, not the bright lights of the city.
Standing in the airport, watching our friends go through security, James put his arm around my waist, and Legend stood in front of us waving. It wasn’t the life I pictured, yet now, I couldn’t imagine a world without that little boy in it. James bent down and kissed the top of my head.
“You ready?” he asked me.
And I was—for whatever came next.
Epilogue
Legend
I missed my mama every day. She told me she’d have to go to heaven first, but I hadn’t really believed her. Or maybe I didn’t understand what that meant. Everything she told me had been true. My daddy came to take his turn when hers was over, and he brought Cora. My mama hadn’t been able to tell me much about her except that she would love me. And she’d been right.
Daddy and I played when he’d get home from work, but Cora was my best friend. We made scrapbooks together and told stories about our mamas, and when I wanted to cry, she didn’t treat me like a baby. She held me, and she cried, too. I knew she was sad here, even if she never told me, so I took her out every day looking for a friend—not for me, for Cora. And every time I saw a shooting star, I gave Cora my wish.
When I started school, I met lots of kids. My teacher said they were friends—but I didn’t think if someone bit you or hit someone else that made them a friend. I thought it made them mean. Maybe Cora should tell Mrs. White what a friend really is.
“Legend, are you ready?” Cora cracked open my door to peek around it.
“Yep.” I only had to go to school until lunch, then Cora and I got to play until Daddy came home.
I grabbed her hand after she slid the glass door closed on the porch. Our new house wasn’t as big as Grandma and Papa’s. I had my own room, and Daddy and Cora were right across the hall. There were two more rooms, one for Hannah and Neil, and one that didn’t have anything in it—it needed a little brother, but when I asked Cora for one, she laughed.
That room was still empty.
“It’s hot today.” Cora put a baseball hat on my head.
I hated hats. Still, I loved Cora, so I left it.
She grabbed my bag of toys and our towels, and I ran down the path behind our house to the shore.
“Wait for me, Legend,” she called.
One day, I’d be big enough not to have to stop in the sand. One day, I’d be able to run straight into the water and dive in the waves just like my daddy did. Today, as I bound toward the sand and jumped over piles and dodged holes, I almost ran into a little girl who was walking in circles, talking on the phone. When I looked around, her mama wasn’t far away, and then before I could say anything, Cora did.
“She’s cute.”
“Thank you.” The lady smiled at Cora. “I’m Jade, and that’s my daughter, Aria.”
They shook hands, which I thought was silly; I didn’t know why grownups did that—seemed like a fast way to pass germs.
“I’m Cora, and this is Legend. He’s five. How old is your little girl?”
“Oh, she’s two and a half.”
Aria walked in a big eight on the sand going back to her mom and then gave her
the phone before running over to me. I thought she was going to tackle me like a football player. Instead, she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the wet sand.
Cora waved at me when I looked back to make sure she was close by, and she pointed at the bag of toys. I ran back to get them, leaving Aria on her bottom in a puddle. When I grabbed the handles of the bag, Cora smiled while she talked to the lady she’d met.
I’d done my job—Cora had found a friend, and I hadn’t wasted all my wishes on shooting stars.
Later that night, after Cora had read me stories, my daddy came in to kiss me goodnight. Instead of messing up my hair and hugging me like he always did, he kneeled on the floor, and Cora sat up. Both of them took my hands, and I wondered what horrible thing they were going to tell me. My mama and Dottie always did this when something bad happened, and I immediately started to cry. I got five years with my mama; there was no way Daddy and Cora’s turn was up already.
“What’s wrong, little man?” My daddy was worried, but I had to put on a brave face. If he was sick, I’d be a big boy and put on my superhero cape—my mama told me I was a warrior. “Why are you crying?”
I shook my head, unwilling to answer until they told me.
Cora took my chin and turned my head in her direction. Her smile was sweet like my mama’s. “Your daddy and I have something to tell you.”
My chest puffed out as I took a deep breath, and I waited for how bad it would hurt to hear. My eyes squeezed shut, and I heard my mama tell me she loved me in my heart, just as Cora brushed her finger on my cheek and wiped away a tear.
“Don’t cry.” She laughed, and I opened my eyes. “We hope this is something you’ll be happy about.”
I fought my frown, and even as I opened my mouth, I could tell I wasn’t doing a good job of hiding it. “W-what?” I hiccupped.
My dad stood and picked me up before setting me in his lap on the bed. He had big arms, and no one could hurt me when they were around me…but Cora needed to be inside them, so she was safe, too. I pulled on her hand until she landed in the middle of our hug. Once everyone adjusted, my daddy finally told me their secret.
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