A Beach Wish

by Shelley Noble

  Chris and Eve returned with the last serving plates and the extra chair, and the unease was covered over by the passing of dishes, the pouring of wine—seltzer for Eli and Mel, about which neither complained.

  Eve raised her glass. “To Noelle’s new job and a bright future.”

  “Here, here,” said Chris.

  They all joined in and drank the toast, then dug into their meals.

  Conversation gradually began again once the initial bites and compliments subsided. It did remind Zoe of the scene where Scrooge comes to dine with his nephew. She hoped their dinner tonight had as happy an outcome.

  After dessert, Chris and Zoe cleared the table and Eve made coffee. When they returned from the kitchen, Mel and Eli were getting ready to leave.

  “Sorry to eat and run, but I have studying to do,” Eli said.

  “Sure, so glad you came,” Eve said, and walked them to the door.

  “I’m just going to walk him home, but I thought since Noelle and all . . .” Mel trailed off.

  “You’re coming home?”

  Zoe couldn’t hear the answer, but she saw the red hat bob up and down. And then Eve gave her daughter a hug.

  Zoe let out the breath she’d been holding unconsciously. She turned and caught Lee watching her. She smiled tentatively, but when Eve came back in, he stood and took her aside.

  She looked startled, then nodded and took him into her bedroom. A few minutes later she came out alone.

  “He apologizes, but he wants to read Jenny’s letters.” Eve’s mouth worked. She looked at Zoe.

  Suddenly, it was all happening fast, maybe too fast. Noelle’s job, Mel’s return home, Lee making an overture to both daughters. Now if Zoe could just resolve the problem of her mother’s ashes. She immediately felt contrite. It wasn’t a problem. It was an honor that her mother chose her to send her on her final journey.

  And she realized with a jolt of blinding clarity that she wanted her brothers to join her for the ceremony. No matter if she had to keep the ashes in the hotel room closet for however long it took. Jenny should get her wish, but her family should be there to send her off.

  “We’ll leave you two alone,” Zoe said, standing up. “Call if you need us.”

  “Where’s Noelle?” Chris asked, looking around. “I’ll just tell her to meet us in the bar downstairs.” He pulled out his phone to text her.

  Noelle stepped out of the kitchen, licking her fingers. “What’s up?”

  “We’re going out,” Chris said, and trundled both her and Zoe toward the door.

  Chapter 24

  Eve watched them go. When the door closed behind them, she tiptoed over to the hallway and listened for any sound coming from her bedroom. Nothing. The only thing she could hear was the hum of the dishwasher.

  She went into the kitchen and turned it off.

  She poured herself half a glass of wine and went back into the living room to wait. She began to wonder if he was ever coming out. She imagined dozens of things as time dragged by: That he’d managed to sneak out of the cottage while she’d been in the kitchen. Or climbed out the window, too angry—too sad, too humiliated—to face her. Destroyed all the letters while she sat here waiting. Been so shocked to read them that his heart failed and he was lying on the floor near death.

  The last thought had her up and knocking on the door of her bedroom.

  When she didn’t get an answer, she turned the knob and peeked inside.

  He was sitting on the bed, her mother’s cards and letters spread out across the coverlet. His head was bent, and she saw that the hair on the top of his head had begun to thin. It was a heart-melting realization. Her father was getting older. They’d wasted too many years caught in a web of regret and blame.

  It was time to reclaim him and her mother.

  Eve stepped inside and closed the door.

  He looked up, and she realized that his cheeks were wet with tears. “I’m sorry,” he said.

  She rushed to the bed and sat down beside him, wrapped her arms around him. “I’m sorry, too.”

  “You? You have nothing to be sorry about.”

  “I do. Don’t be sad. I shouldn’t have told you about them.” She reached for them, meaning to gather them up and put them away, but he stopped her.

  Picked up a card with pink and green balloons on the front. Happy birthday, six-year-old!

  “How did she know?” he asked.

  “Know what?”

  “That pink and green were your favorite colors?”

  “They were? I don’t remember.”

  “They were—every cake from four to seven always had pink icing with pink roses and big green leaves.”

  She remembered. “I always thought that was Floret and Granna’s doing.”

  Lee shook his head. “They made the cakes. But she knew. She was your mother.”

  Eve wasn’t sure she believed that, but if it made Lee feel better, so be it. Would he be able to forgive Jenny now? After all those years? Would Hannah let him?

  “And you really didn’t know about these?” she asked.

  “No. Never. I would have tried one more time. Even though I knew it was too late. She chose the life she knew, instead of giving the one with me a chance. We promised forever.”

  But it didn’t mean the same for you. The words to his song.

  “I loved your mother with all my heart, and when she left I kind of went crazy. Well, I did go on a self-destructive binge. Hannah bullied me through, and she brought me the best gift she could . . . you.”

  Eve’s throat felt about to burst. Her dad had never opened his heart in all these years, had never shared anything with her. But how could he have, when Hannah was manipulating them all even then.

  “But she didn’t show you the letters. Didn’t let me know that my mother loved me. Wanted to know me. Remembered me and always thought about me. I didn’t even get to know who she was while she was alive.”

  She felt her father’s hand on her hair. A soft touch, it helped, but not much.

  “Why did she do that?”

  “She never approved of Jenny. She warned me against her. Said she’d never leave her comfy life for the erratic life of a musician. She was right, as it turned out.”

  “People split up all the time, it doesn’t have to be a fight to the death.”

  “For your grandmother it did.”

  “But why? Was it because of me?”

  “No. She moved heaven and earth to get you.”

  “To use against Jenny?” And to keep you hostage, she added to herself.

  He sighed. “No. It was just Hannah’s way. I think she did it for me at first. At least, I hope she did. But Hannah doesn’t understand love. She can only love what she can own. It’s how she is. It started long before you or even me.”

  Eve pulled away to see his face.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “She married my father when she was fourteen. She’d grown up on the poor side of town in a house full of hate, with parents who blamed others for their own failure. You know the type. I’m one of them,” he added more quietly.

  “No, Dad, you’re not a failure. But it wasn’t Jenny’s fault either. Hannah manipulated you both just like she does everyone.”

  “It’s the only way she knows how to act. She thought she escaped all the poverty and hopelessness when she married your grandfather. He was a handsome guy, a big talker. He swept her off her feet. She took what little love she’d kept alive through her childhood and placed it and all her hope in him, but he was just as bad.

  “And this goes no further, not to the kids, not to anybody. He cheated on her, spent all the money she meticulously saved. They lost the house, and we had to move in with Henry and Floret and the others.

  “When he died, she was determined to make her life a success. And she did. She went to night school. Learned real estate and gradually turned nothing into a lucrative business. Along the way she lost my brother and my sisters married deadbeat mo
ochers just like our father. I pretty much screwed up the rest for her.

  “That’s all on me. I let myself turn into a disillusioned, bitter old man. That’s what Zoe told me. That I was the most bitter person she’d ever met. I guess I am. And I’m sorry.”

  Eve shook her head. Everything he said about himself was true, but it didn’t have to be that way. “It’s because Hannah kept Jenny away from you.”

  He coughed out air. “Jenny could have tried harder.”

  “So could you.”

  “I guess I could have. And I could have done better by you, and I’m sorry for that.”

  “Don’t be. Life is what it is. We’ll just do better from here on out. Deal?”

  “I don’t know if I can. I’m old, with a lot of bad, ingrained habits. But I need you to know that I love you. Hannah at least gave me that—my most precious gift of all.”

  “And what about your other daughter?”

  “What about her?”

  “Will you love her, too?”

  “I don’t know if I can.” Eve was shocked to see tears in his eyes. “I just don’t know if I can.”

  Mel wasn’t in a hurry to say good night to Eli, so she’d been stopping to look in shop windows of stores she never went in and would never buy anything from, just to keep what she had for as long as she could. Tonight felt all wonky. Like stuff was changing. Well, it was for Noelle, and definitely for her grandfather. She didn’t like it, but she was afraid she couldn’t stop it.

  “That was just too weird,” she said, stopping to look in a window of picture frames. She wasn’t interested in picture frames. She just wanted to slow things down.

  “What was?” Eli said, looking at her and probably wondering why they’d stopped for the millionth time since they’d left the inn.

  “Granddad showing up like that. And everything,” she added.

  “Yeah, that was kinda weird. I thought he was gonna ream us in front of everybody, for sure, but he didn’t even mention it. He was actually kind of nice to me.”

  Mel huffed out a sigh. “Definitely weird.”

  Eli nudged her onward, but Mel saw a silver Cadillac coming down the street and pushed him back to look at the window.

  “What?”

  “It’s Hannah.” Mel tucked her head down and looked over her shoulder. “Do you think she saw us?”

  “So what?” He gave her a little shake. “Hey, don’t worry. She didn’t see us.”

  Eli put his arm around her shoulders, but Mel thought it might be just to move her faster down the street. She could tell he was anxious to get home, not just because Granna might see them, but because he wanted to read about some process they were going to work on at his science program. He made it sound like something out of Star Wars, but it just sounded like summer school to her.

  Still, she kept her head down and her face hidden by Eli’s university cap until she was sure the Cadillac had driven off down the street. They walked past the diner with its door padlocked and no lights on inside. Maybe that’s why Hannah was out so late. Making sure that they hadn’t reopened. Everybody in town knew that closing it down was Hannah Gordon’s doing. Her grandmother could really be a douche sometimes. Still, she was her granna.

  They turned down the drive to Eli’s house much too soon. They passed the Kellys’ house where they could see the flicker of the television through the front window.

  “Poor Mr. Kelly,” she said.

  “It’s pretty lame what happened, but David says it won’t last.”

  “How can he be sure? You know Granna, she never backs down on anything.”

  “Peer pressure.”

  “Huh?”

  Eli shrugged. “I don’t know. He just said that even this town had its limits.”

  “That sounds scary.”

  “I guess.”

  Dulcie was waiting for them at the gate.

  “How come you’re still out?” Eli said. “It’s past your bedtime.”

  “That’s why,” Mel said, and pointed down to the beach where a couple was standing on the sand looking out to sea. Moonlight washed down on them. “It’s Henry and Floret,” Mel said. “They’re holding hands. It’s so romantic, just like—” She broke off. She’d almost said like figures on a wedding cake. And that would have been lame.

  At the same time, the silhouetted figures raised their arms.

  “What are they—”

  Fabric waved above their heads before dropping to the sand, and they walked toward the waves.

  “OMG, they’re skinny-dipping,” Mel said, and giggled. “It’s true what everybody says.”

  “Yeah,” Eli said, and took Mel’s hand.

  “Wow. That’s amazing. You don’t think about old people . . . you know.”

  “Why not?”

  “I don’t know. It’s nice. Growing old together. Like that.” Mel leaned into him. “That’s what I thought we would be. But it’s different with us, isn’t it? You know what you want. I don’t know what I want or if I want anything at all.”

  “Come on, Mel.”

  “No, really. We’re not like Henry and Floret. Not two halves of the same thing.”

  “We don’t know that yet. We’re teenagers. But if we do have that thing, it’ll last longer than a few years at college. And if we don’t . . .” He trailed off.

  So she finished for him. “Maybe it’s better we find it out now.”

  “Yeah.”

  Mel looked back out to where Floret and Henry floated on the waves as still as the moon itself. Two parts of one thing. Soul mates. “I’d better get back.”

  “You sure you don’t want to stay here tonight?”

  “Yeah. Thanks, but it’s time for me to go home.”

  “Come sit down for a minute.” He pulled her over to the steps, and they sat down.

  He turned slightly toward her. Took both her hands. “You know I love you, right?”

  Mel nodded. “But we have things to do before we . . . yeah, I get it.”

  “But things are still cool, right? With us. Friends and everything?”

  “Yeah.”

  “You really mean it?”

  “Yes, I really mean it.”

  “Great. And we’ll text and stuff. And . . .”

  “Yeah.” She pulled his new cap off her head. “You’ll be needing this.”

  “You keep it. I’ll get another one.” He took it from her and put it back on her head. “To remember me by.”

  “You’re not going for another three weeks.”

  “I know. I just want you to wear it.”

  A fleeting shadow was all the warning they got before Dulcie careered out of the darkness and butted Mel backward.

  “Dammit, Dulcie. Get off.”

  Dulcie snapped for the bill of the hat, and Mel twisted out of the way.

  Laughing, Eli pulled the goat away. “Red isn’t your color, Dulcie. Go find someone else’s hat to eat.”

  “She is so lame,” Mel said, standing up and holding the cap with both hands. “Gross, Dulcie. Gross.”

  “See you tomorrow?” Eli asked, standing up beside her.

  “Yeah, probably. See ya”—she kissed him, but already it felt different—“mañana.” She turned and walked quickly down to the drive. First Noelle, now Eli. Who would be next?

  She felt something at her leg. Dulcie.

  “How did you get out again? Go home,” Mel hissed at her. “I don’t want you. Go away.”

  A car turned into the drive. A Cadillac. She recognized it even at this distance in the growing night. Granna had seen them in town. She was probably coming to ream out Henry and Floret and then drag Mel home.

  Why couldn’t she just leave things alone? Hadn’t she done enough damage for one day?

  Mel turned back to the house, but Eli had already gone inside. She wouldn’t make it inside before her granna saw her. And she didn’t want to face her alone.

  “Go!” She pushed Dulcie away and raced into the woods. Hid there while sh
e waited for the Cadillac to pass and for Granna to go inside. But the car slowed down.

  “I saw you, Mel! Come out and get in this car. I won’t have you running around in the middle of the night.”

  Mel held her breath and plastered herself against a tree. She was such a coward.

  “Mel!”

  Mel held still, and finally the Cadillac drove on. But instead of stopping at the house, it turned and stopped at the edge of the woods.

  What the—

  The door opened. Hannah got out of the car and reached back in for her cane. “Mel, come out of there!”

  Mel eased back and nearly fell over Dulcie.

  Granna was coming down the path. She’d pass right by Mel. Mel grabbed Dulcie around the neck and dragged her into the trees.

  “Shh,” she said, and held the goat close.

  Hannah moved slowly past them, almost close enough to touch. “I’m not going to ask you again,” she called. “You’re in big enough trouble as it is.”

  Mel’s mouth twisted, and she buried her face in Dulcie’s rough coat. Even her great-grandmother hated her. Please, just go away. Please.

  Hannah disappeared for a minute, and at first Mel thought she had given up and gone back to the car. Then she heard Hannah’s voice from the opposite direction.

  “I know where you’re going. To meet that boy—on the beach. Just like your grandfather and that Jenny.”

  She wasn’t going back to her car; she was going to Mel and Eli’s beach. Because she thought Mel was going there. Then Mel remembered the steps. Granna didn’t know they were rotten and she might try to climb down them.

  “Granna, no!” Mel tried to get up, but Dulcie wanted to play. She butted her back down and nipped at the cap Eli had just given her.

  “No, Dulcie.” She fought to her feet and ran toward the path. “Granna, I’m back here. Behind you! Stop!”

  Mel ran, crashing through the trees until she reached the path. She saw her grandmother ahead, standing at the steps looking over the caution rope at the beach below. “You can’t hide from me. I know you’re down there.”

  “Granna, I’m back here!”