Farewell to Cedar Key

by Terri DuLong

  “Open house?” Brandy said. “What open house?”

  I shushed her with my glare and whispered, “Beats the hell outta me,” before heading to my office. I sat down in my chair and laughed. What had I been thinking? Of course the locals would come and want to meet the new doctor. Shame on me for not considering that.

  I looked up as Simon appeared in the doorway. “I just peeked into the waiting room. My God, is there a flu outbreak or something?”

  I let out a chuckle. “Not quite. I’m afraid I neglected to tell you we have a fair number of nosey and inquisitive residents on the island.”

  “So they’re not all sick?”

  “Right. That’s the good news. The bad news is . . . you’re going to have to throw an open house.”

  “Are you serious?” he asked, but I saw the smile that crossed his face.

  “Yup. ’Fraid so.”

  He stepped into my office and closed the door behind him. “Well, I think that can be arranged. With your help, of course. Gosh, I guess I should have thought of that.”

  “You and me both, and yes, I’d be happy to help.”

  “Josie, I heard the news about your mom. I’m so glad to hear she’s agreed to have the surgery. Do you know when it’s scheduled?”

  “Yes, a week from Friday, the sixteenth.”

  “Okay, well, I’m officially giving you Friday off and the following Monday.”

  I began to protest, but he held up his hand. “Doctor’s orders,” he said, and left my office.

  When I returned to the waiting room, I saw that things were more in control, with only about six people sitting there, including Grace with Solange.

  I walked over to her and bent down to take the baby’s hand. “Are you sick?”

  “No,” Grace said. “I’m afraid it’s Solange. I think she might have an ear infection. She’s been up all night crying, pulling at her ear, and she has a fever.”

  I nodded. “Yeah, that’s what it sounds like. It shouldn’t be too long till you’re seen.”

  “Thanks, Josie.” She grabbed my wrist. “And Josie, I’m so sorry. I saw your mom at the coffee café earlier. She’s having surgery next week?”

  “Yeah, but we’re all thinking positive,” I told her.

  The day went pretty smoothly for a first day. We had a steady flow of patients with cold symptoms, concerns about blood pressure, and even two who required sutures from a fishhook laceration and a fall on oyster shells. We closed the office at four. I raced home, popped a meatloaf into the oven for supper, and had just poured myself a cup of coffee when there was a knock at the back door.

  “Hey, Chloe. Come on in. I just brewed a fresh pot of coffee. Would you like some?”

  “That would be great,” she said, settling herself at the counter. “With you not working at the yarn shop anymore, I haven’t seen much of you since you got back from Boston. I wanted to tell you how sorry I am to hear about your mom.”

  I filled another mug and joined her. “Yeah, thanks. It’s been a bit nerve-racking, but we’re all thinking positive. The surgery is a week from Friday.”

  “Right. Well, I had an idea but wanted to discuss it with you first. I thought it might be nice if I designed a cowl for your mother, to wish her well in her recovery and to let her know how much she means to all of us at the yarn shop.”

  “Oh, Chloe. What a great idea. She’d love that. I know she would.”

  “Okay, great. I did a little research and I found out that the color for uterine cancer is peach. I haven’t decided yet what type of yarn I’ll use, but I’ll start working on a design. I’m sure all the women in the knit group will want to make these cowls to sell at the Arts Festival in April, the way they did with the Compassion Shawl that Dora designed. So we can also raise some money for a good cause.”

  “That’s a terrific idea. I know my mom will be so pleased, and you’re right, as soon as the women see your design, I’m sure they’ll want to use it for a fund-raiser.”

  “So you and Orli had a nice time in Boston?”

  “We did. It was great to be back up there again, and it was a special time for Orli.”

  “Have you ever considered relocating up there? After all, Orli’s dad lives in the Boston area, and I know you liked it years ago when you were there for college.”

  “Actually, I haven’t said anything, but Orli is thinking she might like to attend Emerson. So . . . who knows what might happen. I do love that area, but I’ve never given any thought to leaving Cedar Key.”

  “No, I didn’t either when I first came here after my marriage with Parker broke up. And I love being so close to Grace and her family and Aunt Maude, but . . . sometimes things change in life. Sometimes we’re given an opportunity to move on and begin a new chapter.”

  I leaned across the counter. “What are you saying? Are you thinking of moving?”

  Chloe laughed and waved a hand in the air. “No. Not at the moment anyway, but . . . well, Gabe has asked me to go away with him for a weekend.”

  “That sounds promising. I take it the two of you are getting serious?”

  “He’s a really nice guy, Josie. We’ve spent a lot of time together the past few months, and I love being with him. That doesn’t happen all the time. Hey, everybody has flaws, but it’s so nice to meet somebody and truly enjoy their company and discover you have a lot of things in common.”

  Hmm, I knew what she was saying.

  “That’s great, Chloe, and I’m happy for you. Is he still leaving Cedar Key in April? Does he want you to go to Philly with him?”

  “I think he will return to Philly, at least for a while. He’d like me to visit Ormond Beach with him for a weekend.”

  “Oh, on the east coast. I was there a few years ago. Orli and I went over for a few days. It’s a nice, small town. Well, not as small as Cedar Key,” I said, then smiled. “But it’s also a coastal town, though on the Atlantic rather than the Gulf. Why Ormond Beach?”

  “Gabe has been there a number of times, and he’s fallen in love with it. He wanted to spend the winter here to give himself some time to consider his long-term plans.”

  I raised my eyebrows and waited for her to go on.

  “I’ve discussed it with Grace but not Aunt Maude yet, although knowing her, I have no doubt that she’d encourage me. Ormond Beach doesn’t have a yarn shop, so . . .”

  “Oh, wow, Gabe is such an expert knitter. Is he considering opening a yarn shop over there?”

  Chloe laughed. “Well, that’s one of the plans, yeah. But the bigger one is that he’d like to purchase a farm along with a few alpacas and spin the fiber to sell at the shop.”

  “Oh, my gosh, that’s quite a venture. But are there farms over there? I thought it was pretty much city.”

  “Just off SR 40, before you get to the downtown area, there’s still a country setting with some farms, yet it’s only a ten-minute drive to where the yarn shop would be located.”

  “That really sounds ideal,” I said, and then it hit me. “Oh! And he’d like you to live there, too, and help him run the shop?”

  Chloe nodded. “Nothing is definite. I mean, he hasn’t even found property with a house or business space. It’s just something that we’ve been discussing, so that’s why he’d like me to spend a weekend there with him.”

  “Well, I think it’s a great idea and you should at least go for the weekend. Have you ever been to Ormond Beach?”

  She shook her head. “No, never been over there. Grace said the same thing, that I should at least go and check it out.”

  “I agree, and I think you’re right about Aunt Maude. I have no doubt that she’d encourage you. Remember when Grace went to Paris for those months with Lucas? Both you and Maude supported her, and I know they’ll do the same for you now.”

  “You’re probably right, and Ormond Beach is certainly a lot closer than Paris. It’s not quite a three-hour drive from here, so we’d be able to visit frequently.”

  “Of course you w
ould. I’m excited for you, and like you said, it could be a whole new chapter opening up.”

  After Chloe left, I began peeling potatoes to go with the meatloaf and gave some thought to her news. I was genuinely happy for Chloe, but her situation only intensified my realization that my own life was definitely in a state of limbo.

  In the week since I’d returned home, I’d seen Simon twice: the New Year’s Eve dinner and today at work. On his part, nothing seemed to have changed. Even at the office earlier, he’d seemed attentive to me, friendly. We’d joked back and forth a bit. So what was nagging at me?

  I had to be honest. I liked Simon. I liked him a lot, as a friend and as my employer, but that was as far as it would go. I knew that now—because it was Grant whom I couldn’t seem to get out of my mind. And it was Grant I missed.

  37

  The following evening at the yarn shop, we had a full house for our knitting group. I was very happy that both my mother and Lily had decided to attend.

  I glanced over and saw that Leo was curled up beside Lily’s feet as she knitted away and answered questions from the group.

  “So what you’re saying,” I heard Dora comment, “is that all of your patterns have been converted to Braille? And you read a portion and then knit a portion?”

  “Exactly,” Lily said. “I can download books through the National Library System, but I can also access many free patterns, just like all of you, from Ravelry and other sites. I then convert text documents into Braille for my personal use.”

  “Do any of the patterns already come in Braille form?” Chloe asked.

  Lily nodded. “Yes, there’s a wonderful lady in Arizona, Marjorie Arnott, who has a small Braille embossing business, and she produces knitting and crochet pattern books and I can read them in hard-copy Braille.”

  “Well, I think that’s just wonderful,” Dora said.

  I agreed, but what impressed me the most was the fact that despite Lily’s independent attitude, she also understood the need to depend on others when it was required.

  The conversation shifted to my mother, and I heard Sydney say, “So the surgery is a week from tomorrow?”

  My mother nodded and let out a deep sigh. “Yeah. The doctor wanted to move on it as soon as possible.”

  “Oh, I agree. And you’ll be back home the next evening?”

  “That’s the plan,” my mother said. “Josie wants to go with us, so we’ve decided the three of us will drive to Gainesville on Thursday, book a hotel, and be there for my early check-in on Friday morning.”

  “That’s a very good idea,” Dora said. “And how nice to have a nurse in the family.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot,” Chloe said, looking up from her knitting. “As soon as you have any information, Josie, please call me. We have a telephone tree in place. Then I’ll call Dora, and she’ll call the next person on the list. This way, you won’t get all the calls to find out how Shelby is doing, but we’ll all know what’s going on.”

  I felt a smile cross my face. “Sounds like a plan to me.”

  “What’s this I heard about an open house at the doctor’s office?” Raylene questioned.

  “Yes, Dr. Mancini has decided an open house might be a good way for him to meet his patients. We’re working on the details, but I think it’ll be held the end of the month.”

  “Oh, that is a good idea,” Sydney said. “I heard you were overflowing on opening day, and many were curiosity seekers.”

  I shot a glance at Raylene and laughed. “Yeah, you could say that.”

  “Well, I’m very happy to have him here on the island,” Grace said. “He saved me a trip to Gainesville for Solange and her ear infection. She’s already feeling much better.”

  Just before nine Sydney helped Dora prepare the coffee and carrot cake for the evening’s snack, and Chloe appeared from the back room carrying a basket, which she presented to my mother.

  “This is for you, Shelby. All of us baked something, and we added some chocolate, jams, and other goodies to help you recuperate from your surgery.” She leaned over to place a kiss on my mom’s cheek.

  I saw the moisture in my mother’s eyes as she hugged the basket to her chest. “Thank you so much. You guys are just the best.”

  They were. The knitting group embodied the kind of female friendship and community that became even more important during times of difficulty.

  The following week at work brought a steady stream of patients, and Simon continued to be friendly. We had just closed the office for the day on Wednesday afternoon and I was going over some patient charts in my office when I looked up to see him standing in the doorway.

  “Have you got a minute?” he asked.

  “Sure,” I said, waving to a chair. “What’s up?”

  “I hoped maybe we could discuss the open house. I was thinking late afternoon on the thirtieth?”

  I glanced at the calendar on my desk. “Yeah, that sounds good. My mother’s surgery will be out of the way, and a Friday is good.”

  He nodded. “We should have some food. What do you suggest?”

  “Well, probably pastry would be best with coffee and tea. I know if I put the word out, the women will all want to donate something.” I looked at the appointment book. “We have patients only till noon, so that’ll give us some time to set up and get organized.”

  “So should we say three till five?”

  “Yeah, that would be good. Oh, how about if I do up a flyer and we have it posted around town at the Market and other shops?”

  “Good idea.”

  I recalled the telephone tree that Chloe had mentioned. “What I’ll do is call Chloe about the women donating baked items and I’ll get a list put together, so we don’t end up with too many of the same things.”

  Simon chuckled. “Not only did I not think to even have an open house, but I would have no idea how to get it together. So thanks, Josie. I really appreciate your input.”

  I smiled. “It’ll be fun. Hey,” I said as an idea struck me. “Why don’t you and Lily come for dinner Monday evening, and then you and I can go over the list of things we need to get done.”

  “Oh, that’s great, but Lily is leaving on Saturday for a few days with her mother. I can come solo though, if that’s okay.”

  “Of course it is.” I glanced at my watch and saw it was almost five. “Well, if you don’t have anything else for me to do, I think I’ll head home.”

  “I’m all set,” he said, walking around my desk to lean down and give me a quick hug. “And Josie, I’m wishing your mother all the best with the surgery. You’re leaving tomorrow afternoon for Gainesville, right?”

  I nodded. “Yeah, and I won’t lie, I’ll be damn glad when this is all over with.”

  He squeezed my arm. “It’s pretty nerve-racking but keep thinking positive, and do me a favor . . . could you call me after the surgery to let me know how it went?”

  “Absolutely. Thanks, Simon.”

  I walked in the back door at home to find Orli on the telephone, and I heard her say, “Oh, here she is now.”

  “It’s Dad,” she said, passing me the phone.

  “Hey, Grant. What’s up?”

  “I just wanted to make sure everything was on track with your mother. You’re going to the hotel tomorrow afternoon, right?”

  “Yeah, that made more sense than leaving so early Friday morning. Orli is going to be spending the night at Laura’s house, so that’s all been arranged.”

  “Good. And yes, it’s better to do that rather than rushing. Maybe you can chill out tomorrow evening at the hotel. Okay, well, I’ll be in touch. And Josie . . . stay strong.”

  I hung up the phone and smiled. Grant always did have the utmost trust in me. Although I’ve never considered myself a strong person, I knew that right now I had to be for my mother’s sake.

  38

  The alarm clock woke me at five Friday morning. Before I hit the shower, I brewed myself a cup of coffee and stood gazing out the hotel window
at the dark parking lot. I was scared. Damn scared. Not just about my mother’s diagnosis, but because none of us had any control over the outcome. There I was trying to explain this to my mother when in truth I hated the fact as much as she did. I let out a deep breath. This was one of those times when I realized that no matter what, it was out of our hands.

  I met my parents downstairs in the lobby at six-thirty as we’d planned.

  I saw my mother and had to smile. She looked more like she was heading to one of her book signings than to a hospital for surgery. Her hair looked great, makeup perfect, and she was wearing black slacks with a gorgeous, pale blue cashmere pullover. I had opted for jeans and a sweatshirt.

  I walked up to give her a hug and heard her say, “Oh, Josie. Really? Didn’t you pack more appropriate . . .”

  She didn’t finish her sentence but waved a hand in the air, a sheepish expression covering her face, and kissed my cheek. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s get this show on the road.”

  My dad dropped my mother and me off at the front door of the hospital while he went to park the car.

  When he returned, the three of us headed to the elevator that the receptionist indicated and ascended to the designated floor. I found a seat in the waiting room while my parents tended to the admitting paperwork. They returned a short time later with a woman leading the way.

  She explained that she’d escort my mother to the surgical floor and show my father and me where we could wait. Another elevator took us to that area, and she indicated a large room already crowded with waiting loved ones.

  “Now, one of you may come with us to the holding area before Mrs. Sullivan is taken into surgery.”

  “I’ll wait here,” I said.

  The woman nodded. “Very good, and your father will return here. This is where Dr. Girone will come to find you when he finishes.”