HOLDING ON (The Destiny Series Book 2)

by Karen Stivali

  Arnold

  Daniel put his bag down and headed to the kitchen. He was relieved to see food and water bowls on a paw print shaped placemat. “Oh, good, you do live here.” The cat trotted past him and began to drink.

  The rest of the kitchen made Daniel laugh out loud. Pig salt and pepper shakers. Pig clock. The potholders, kitchen towels, vase, napkin holder, all pigs. Even the knobs on the cabinets were silver pigs. He pulled out a chair and took a seat. The bright pink cookie jar in the center of the table was a shiny, round pig. He read the message scrawled across its head: Go ahead, make a pig of yourself. He chuckled as he lifted the pig’s head. The scent of Oreos wafted out of the jar, and he helped himself to four.

  As he munched he opened the yellow envelope and flipped through the listings. Some were houses he and Marienne had seen online, but others were new. How on earth am I going to describe these adequately to Marienne? It seemed insane for him to be making such an enormous decision without her.

  He glanced at the pig clock and realized how late it was. The realtor was picking him up at nine in the morning, and he knew he needed to get some sleep. He made his way up the stairs, looking at the photos that lined the wall. Arnold’s wedding photos, showing a much younger, thinner version of the man Daniel had known the past decade. Photos of his children at all different ages. At the top of the stairs was a baby picture, most likely Arnold’s new grandchild.

  This is the hallway I hope to have some day. A wall full of memories of my wife and kids, and their kids.

  It was all he’d ever wanted, but something he’d never had. A big family.

  He flopped down on the bed in the guest room, breathing in the fresh night air that wafted in through the open window, and was asleep within seconds.

  Daniel awoke to the sound of birds chirping. Sunlight streamed through the window, across his face. For a moment he had no idea where he was. He stretched and remembered. He squinted at the bedside clock. It was only eight in the morning. Yawning broadly he gave strong consideration to the idea of going back to sleep for another half hour, but he decided he’d better get up and try to be presentable when the realtor arrived.

  He showered and trotted down the stairs. Arnold was right. Daniel figured out the coffeemaker without any trouble. He found the fridge stocked with half and half and a bowl of fruit. He grabbed a handful of grapes and sat at the table while he waited for the coffee to brew.

  The house looked much different in daylight. Bright and airy. The rear deck was surrounded by flowers, and there was an enormous garden in the back yard, complete with rows of apple trees along one side.

  This is amazing.

  The plate of muffins beckoned to him from the counter. He lifted the domed cover, and his stomach growled. Besides the Oreos and grapes he hadn’t eaten since dinner the night before. He bit into the muffin, feeling its buttery texture melt on his tongue. Lemon poppy seed, filled, to his surprise, with raspberry jam. Marienne is going to want this recipe. If Arnold’s wife could bake that well she and Marienne would already have something in common. He hoped they could be friends. Knowing how worried Marienne was about fitting in made Daniel feel that much more nervous about the move. He wanted her to be happy.

  His phone buzzed, and he looked at the screen. “I was just thinking about you.”

  “Oh really?” Marienne’s voice floated through the phone. “What about me?”

  “Lots of things, but primarily that you’d love to have one of the muffins I’m eating.”

  “What?”

  “Arnold’s wife left them for me. They’re wonderful. Not as good as yours, of course.”

  “I let you out of my sight for a few hours, and you’re already raving about another woman’s muffins. I don’t know what I’m going to do with you.”

  “I have some ideas….” He was thrilled to hear her in such a good mood. “How are the kids? Any better?”

  “Much. Ella says her ear is barely sore, so the antibiotic must have kicked in, and Drew actually slept five straight hours last night.”

  “Wonderful. That’s about an hour more than I slept, and I’m not even teething.”

  Daniel closed his eyes for a moment, to concentrate on her voice. He pictured her in their kitchen, head tilted to the side, phone cradled between her chin and shoulder.

  “That’s what I figured. I called to make sure you got up in time for the realtor.”

  “I’m ready and waiting.” He poured himself coffee and watched as the cream made tie-dye swirls in the mug. Sugar….he looked around for a second before spotting the pig-shaped sugar bowl. “You and the kids will get a big kick out of Arnold’s pig-themed kitchen. Apparently one of them has a thing for porcine porcelain.”

  Marienne laughed. “Good to know.”

  “The realtor left me some photos to look at. They must be houses that aren’t online yet.”

  “Take lots of pictures if anything looks promising.”

  “I will. I’ll email them to you as soon as I get back from looking.” He took a sip of coffee then went back to work on the muffin.

  “Find us a good house, okay?”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  Chapter 23

  Marienne turned the volume on her computer up so she would hear the minute her email notified her of new messages. Daniel had called and said he’d be sending her pictures of the houses he’d seen. She fed Ella an early dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup then settled her in with her coloring supplies. Marienne scrubbed the stove top, looking over her shoulder every two minutes to check and make sure her inbox wasn’t flashing. She struggled to remember every detail about their trip to Hanover, what the streets looked like, what stores they had driven past. The ding of her email sent her flying to the computer. She wiped her hands on a kitchen towel and sat down, one leg tucked beneath her.

  Two messages from the realtor and six from Daniel, all with attachments. One of Daniel’s was entitled Read Me, so she opened it first.

  I’ve sent you photos of each of the houses I liked best. Call me when you’ve looked at them so we can discuss.

  Love you,

  Chapter 24

  She clicked on Constance’s emails and opened the listings to read the technical details. Since the houses weren’t multiply listed yet there wasn’t even a picture, just room dimensions and a description. This tells me next to nothing, I need to see it.

  She opened Daniel’s next message and found four attachments. Lovely tree-lined street, huge family room with fireplace, tiny kitchen with outdated appliances, small back yard. Wouldn’t be my first choice.

  The next one had another five attachments. The house looked very close to the street but the interior was beautiful. Large rooms with high ceilings, including a big kitchen. Looks nice.

  The third had taken longest to load. Marienne noticed there were six attachments and Daniel had written a note that there were more in the following message. This must be the one he likes best.

  She held her breath as she clicked the first image. The grey clapboard and black shutters were the backdrop for a beautifully landscaped front yard. Azalea and rhododendron bushes lined one side of the twisting driveway, and shrubs of various shapes and colors adorned the dark mulch in front of the house. A cobblestone path led the way to the granite front steps. No front porch, though.

  She clicked through the rest of the photos. Two story inlaid stone fireplace in the family room. Wood burning stove in the living room. Enormous kitchen with smoky grey granite counters, cherry wood cabinets, a six burner gas cooktop and double wall oven. I’ve always wanted wall ovens. The bedrooms were large and each had a unique feature, an alcove with built-in bookcases, a bay window with what appeared to be a built-in toy box beneath it. The master bedroom had a tray ceiling and a dark wood ceiling fan.

  She moved on to the next batch of photos wondering what else he’d wanted to show her. The bathrooms had been remodeled and featured deep tubs, including a jetted one in the master bath. The back y
ard was surrounded by towering trees and there were already tire swings, plus what appeared to be a small play cottage. The last photo was taken through French doors and showed some sort of enclosed porch.

  Her heart beat faster as she dialed Daniel’s cell phone. He answered on the first ring.

  “Did you get the pictures?” He sounded excited.

  “I just looked at them.”

  “What do you think?”

  “They all look nice, but the last one, the one you sent the most photos of, looked the nicest.”

  She heard him sigh. “It’s perfect.”

  “Perfect?” She wondered what had him so sold.

  “The house was built in the 1920s so it has a very classic feel to it, but it was a custom home so it has all these quirky little features. I have more photos I didn’t send, but there’s a butler’s pantry off the kitchen, there’s a fifth bedroom upstairs, and there are two extra rooms downstairs that could be offices. One is a den now and the other is being used as a sewing room but it would make a beautiful studio for you. There’s a whole wall of windows looking out at the garden in the back yard. Did I send you a picture of the garden?”

  He was talking so fast she could barely keep up. “No, I didn’t see the garden yet.”

  “I’ll send that now. And the studio shot.”

  She could hear the keys clicking on his laptop as he typed. She wished she could be there, looking over his shoulder rather than hearing his voice over the phone.

  “On its way.” He took a breath. “There are built-ins of some sort in every bedroom. You saw the French doors?”

  “Yes, is that an enclosed porch?”

  “It’s something they call an all-season room. It’s basically a sun room, the top and sides are entirely glass. I guess it stays warm enough for part of the year, but for the cooler months there’s a potbelly stove and you can heat the room with that. It’s right off the dining part of the kitchen. You’d love it.”

  “Sounds wonderful.” I wish I could see it with you. The computer alerted her she had new mail.

  “Did it open?” Daniel’s voice had an anxious edge to it.

  He really likes this house. “Wow.” Now that she’d heard Daniel’s descriptions the images had more impact. The windows, the garden, it was all just as he said: beautiful. “I don’t know what to ask first. What’s the neighborhood like? Is it near the University? How much is it? When can they be out?”

  Daniel chuckled. “The location is great, a short drive or long walk to campus, very near shops and town. The neighborhood is quaint with mostly older homes and some new construction. Huge trees everywhere. The yard backs up to a wooded area that’s so dense it looks like an enchanted forest.”

  She imagined Daniel, eyes glittering with excitement, phone cradled on his shoulder as he tried to talk and type at the same time. “Are we going to bid on it?”

  “Do you like it?”

  “I think so.”

  “It feels insane to be doing this without you.”

  Marienne heard Drew starting to fuss. She picked him up, feeling his warm sleepy head nestle against her neck. “It’ll be great. I trust you.”

  Chapter 25

  The whirlwind of packing overwhelmed Marienne. She couldn’t believe how much stuff they had accumulated. Every spare moment of her time was devoted to sorting, boxing and E-baying. Daniel helped when he could, but he seemed equally consumed by wrapping up everything at NYU.

  With two days left until the movers were due to arrive Marienne had to confront the one task she was dreading most—saying goodbye to Ruth. She’d invited Ruth to come for the day, in part so she could spend a last day with Ella but also because she needed someone to watch her.

  Ruth arrived with a cooler full of food. “I knew you’d be too busy with all the last minute stuff so I made dinner for us and brought you things you can have for lunch the next few days.” She unpacked Tupperware containers into the fridge and set a plate of cookies and a coffee cake on the countertop.

  Marienne remembered how Ruth had always brought meals when she was pregnant with Ella. It made her sad to watch what was likely the last time she’d ever show up with baskets of food. “You’re so good to us.”

  Ruth smiled and waved her hand. “It’s nothing.”

  “No, it’s not. You know my mother would never do anything like this. Thank you for always looking after me.”

  Ruth ran her hand over Marienne’s hair. “It’s my pleasure, sweetie. You and Ella will always be my family.”

  Marienne’s eyes filled with tears, and she blinked them away. “I thought maybe after lunch you could take Ella to the park.”

  “A last trip to the park would be nice.”

  Last trip. The words broke her heart.

  After lunch Ruth headed out with Ella, and Marienne tried to finish packing the linen closet before Drew woke from his nap. Daniel called and she picked up on the first ring, holding her breath as she checked to make sure Drew hadn’t awakened.

  “How’s it going?” Daniel asked.

  “Good, just the kids’ stuff left to pack at this point.”

  “I meant with Ruth. Is it as hard as you expected?”

  Marienne felt the tears stinging again. “Worse.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  Marienne knew he was, he’d been nothing but sympathetic to how she was feeling, but it didn’t make it hurt any less. “We’ll be fine, I know. I just feel like she’s the only other family we have. She’s the only grandparent the kids have.”

  “I know. I’m sorry I didn’t contribute to the family tree in that regard.”

  Guilt swept over Marienne. “That’s not what I meant. God knows I don’t bring anything to the table family-wise. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be complaining.”

  “Complain all you want. That’s what I’m here for.”

  “No, it’s not, but I love you for saying that.”

  “And all this time I thought you loved me for my accent.”

  Marienne smiled as one of the tears snuck down her cheek. “The accent’s just a bonus.”

  Chapter 26

  Daniel drove down the winding wooded roads toward Arnold and Cynthia’s house. Marienne was thankful not to have to cook dinner, but she worried how the kids would behave around strangers. The passing scenery helped to calm her. She couldn’t get over how dense the trees were, tall and lush. Ferns covered the forest floor, everything brilliantly green.

  She looked at Daniel, his handsome profile lit from the sunlight that filtered into the car. His hair tousled, his posture relaxed, he seemed at ease for the first time in weeks. He caught her staring and smiled, reaching over to give her leg a reassuring caress.

  “Relax,” he said. “This will be a fun afternoon.”

  “Are you sure they’re prepared to have little kids in their house?”

  “They’ve raised four children and have a grandson who visits regularly. They’re more than prepared. They’re professionals. Don’t worry.” He gave her knee a squeeze then turned into a pebble covered driveway. It seemed to go on forever before she caught sight of the house. It was just as Daniel had described it, nestled deep in the woods like something out of a Disney film.

  Cynthia greeted them at the door. “Come in. It’s so good to see you.” Her face gleamed with friendliness. “Oh my God, look at you. How’d you manage to get your figure back so quickly? I carried baby weight for years.”

  “You’re still carrying it.” Arnold came up behind her, his eyes dancing with laughter.

  “Shut up, you old fool. I wouldn’t talk if I were you. You gained at least ten pounds during each of my pregnancies, and you never lost any of it. Make yourself useful and take that pie out of Daniel’s hand.” She turned back to Marienne. “You didn’t have to bring anything. You must be out of your mind trying to get the house unpacked with these little ones running around.”

  “We’re managing. Sort of.”

  Cynthia set her hand on Marienne’s shoulder. �
��Come into the kitchen so I can get you a drink. Let the men take the kids outside to play for a bit, and you and I can get better acquainted.”

  Daniel took Drew from Marienne’s arms. “That sounds like a great idea. Ella, come, let’s go see the garden.”

  Arnold crouched down to Ella’s height. “Do you like strawberries?”

  Ella nodded.

  “Perfect. We’ve got a bunch that just turned ripe, and we need to pick them before the bunnies eat them all. Do you think you could help with that?”

  She nodded again as Arnold handed her a white basket.

  “Let’s go see what we can find.”

  Marienne watched through the sliding glass door as Ella skipped across the yard. Daniel held Drew and pointed to the butterflies that were swarming around the butterfly trees.

  “Daniel told me your house was lovely. He wasn’t exaggerating.”

  “Thanks.” Cynthia placed a plate of cheese and focaccia in front of Marienne. “Can I get you a drink? Beer, wine, mojito? One of each?”

  “A mojito sounds wonderful. Though one will probably do me in. I’ve barely drunk at all since before the pregnancy.”

  “Then you need a mojito.” Cynthia pulled a vase full of fresh mint out of her refrigerator and went to work shredding leaves of it into a glass pitcher.

  “Would you like me to squeeze the limes?” Marienne asked.

  “Sure.” Cynthia handed her the bag of limes and a wooden citrus reamer. “I’d say four ought to do it.”

  “Daniel tells me you have a grandson?”

  “Yes,” Cynthia pointed to the photos on the fridge. “Ethan is thirteen months. Not that much older than Drew. We should have you all over at the same time. Our son Philip and his wife live in Burlington so they visit often.”

  “That would be great. I have to meet some local people with children. I don’t know anyone.”

  “You will soon, not to worry. This is a very friendly town. Before you know it you’ll know everyone. Small towns are like big families. That reminds me, if you ever need some time to yourself, or you and Daniel want to go out just the two or you, call us. We’d be happy to watch the kids for you. We’re pros at this sort of thing. Arnold’s dying to have more grandkids. It’s his excuse to act like a kid again himself. Exhibit A.”