Moonlight Beach

by Tammy L Grace

  She smiled as she listened to her son explain the best way to tackle the tree, sounding just like Gary when he had taught Kevin. She glanced at Gary’s urn and her throat tightened. Oh, how she wished he was here to see Kevin growing into such a fine young man. She brushed her hand over the cool dark container and crawled into bed.

  As she leaned back against her pillows it dawned on her. While she hadn’t done much physically, all day she had been relegating her memories, her emotions, any comparisons from this year to others, to the dark recesses of her mind. She hadn’t yet found that delicate balance of living her new life and embracing the past without letting it engulf her.

  Friday had been a quiet day, with Lily making a trip downtown to pick up a few bargains, Mel working, and Kevin sleeping late. Mac had been called into work for a couple of patients with serious problems, but texted and promised to be at Lily’s around five o’clock, when Mel was due to arrive with the order of Chinese food.

  While Lily had been at the computer after lunch, Kevin’s cell phone rang and he went out to the deck to take the call. Lily watched her son’s smile light up as he chatted with Brooke via video. It didn’t take long to understand Brooke was much more than just a nice girl from school. His laughter filled the air as he paced around the deck, his phone in front of him. He talked to her for almost an hour before returning to the kitchen. Her heart filled, knowing he had someone special, someone who made him so happy. She didn’t want to make a big deal of it and embarrass him, so opted to keep quiet.

  “You know,” he said, leaning against her desk. “Earlier, Mel and I found a bunch of boxes of holiday decorations your uncle must have stored in the garage. They’re labeled outdoor lights and decorations. What do you think about putting some lights on the deck and the front of the house?”

  “I’m game. Just don’t go too crazy so we have a bunch of work after Christmas, but the deck would be lovely.”

  He hurried to the garage and came back with two huge totes. They unearthed greenery with pre-strung white lights, ideal for draping across the railing, then tested each of the lengths to make sure the lights worked. Lily guessed they hadn’t been used in several years. To her surprise, they were all in working order.

  Once they attached those, they tackled the net of icicle lights across the roof of the deck. Lily assured Kevin she would not be opening the roof anytime soon and agreed the lights would be perfect. Kevin handled all the ladder work, while Lily untangled the lights. They found hooks along the roof line, which were perfect for attaching the lights.

  “Uncle Leo must have done this a time or two,” said Lily, handing Kevin the next section.

  The doorbell rang and she hurried to answer it, finding Andy. His huge smile was contagious. “Come in, Andy. We’re doing some decorating and the dogs are outside.”

  He greeted Kevin with a hearty handshake and the dogs smothered him with affection. “Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?” Lily asked, working to find the end of a section of lights.

  He spoke and signed, assuring her their Thanksgiving had been terrific, and he was just stopping by since he had part of the day off and wanted to visit and snuggle with the dogs. He watched Kevin and held up a hand. “Be right back. Let me in the gate?”

  Minutes later, he appeared with another ladder and his tool belt. Lily held the gate as he muscled it through and up to the deck. “You are too sweet, Andy. Thank you.”

  Between the two of them they were faster at attaching the lights than Lily was at unraveling them. Andy told them he and his dad had been busy with light installations for customers and they put up the lights for Uncle Leo every Christmas, so he was familiar with the process. It took no time for him to guide Kevin and Lily in transforming the deck and adding a few lights to the front of the house, lighting up the sign and entryway.

  Andy had such a kind heart and brightened when he was with the dogs. The way the dogs stuck to him, following and watching him, it was clear their feelings were mutual. Lily made some tea and cocoa, reminding herself she had to find some better-quality mix like the cafe used so she’d have it as a winter treat. As they sat around the patio table, sipping and enjoying a few leftover cookies and brownies, Andy stroked Bodie. “I can hardly wait for the day Bodie will be certified and be my hearing dog.”

  Whenever Lily’s heart hurt thinking about having to give Bodie up at the end of his puppy training period, she would imagine the twinkle in Andy’s eyes and the love there for Bodie. He would be so much more to Andy than just a wonderful pet or companion. She had been in awe of learning how much the dogs did for their owners and although she would miss Bodie, she couldn’t wait to see Andy’s life change.

  Lily cradled her warm cup in her hands. “Would you like to stay and have Chinese with us tonight? We’re going to decorate the tree.”

  “Nah, I better get going. I promised Mom I’d help her and I’ve been gone longer than I said already. She’ll be worried.”

  Lily made him call his mom, then Kevin helped him take the ladder back to his truck while Lily made him promise to come and visit during Kevin’s break.

  Mel and Mac, along with Sherlock, arrived within minutes of each other and were surprised to see the festive lights. “Wow, you guys have been busy today,” said Mac, offering to carry some of the bags from Mel’s car.

  “Kevin and I started, but Andy stopped by and helped us finish.” Lily motioned them inside. “Wait until you see the deck.”

  Lily organized plates for everyone and situated the dozens of oyster pails making a buffet atop the counter. Kevin scooted the dogs outside to the deck to let them run off some energy, since they were on overload at seeing Sherlock.

  Once dinner had been eaten and the leftovers stored, Kevin opened the box of lights. He solicited Mel’s help as he showed her the art of tucking in the lights so they filled the inner and outer branches. Lily and Mac tuned in the classic movie, White Christmas, and supervised the placement of the lights, letting them know when they needed to adjust.

  The pair worked in tandem and put all ten strands of lights on the tree in the time it took to watch the entire movie. Kevin was particular about the lights and with Mel’s inherent love of details, it made for a symmetrical display of white lights perfectly distributed across the green foliage. Next came the boxes of ornaments.

  First, Lily gave Kevin a small bag. He unwrapped a cute ornament depicting Olympic National Park and smiled at her. “Each year, I give Kevin a special ornament with the promise that when he starts his own household, he can take them with him.” She turned and plucked a small box, wrapped with glittery ribbon, and handed it to Mel. “Here’s a little something for you.”

  Mel’s eyes darted from Lily’s to the box. “For me?”

  “Yes, open it. I thought you should also have some of your own ornaments to start a collection.”

  Mel unwrapped four ornaments and smiled as she examined each one. Two of them were book themed, one was an artist’s palette, and the other was a cute coffee cup to celebrate her first job as a barista. “I love these,” she said, tears pooling in her eyes. She hugged Lily and whispered, “Thank you for making me feel like I belong.”

  Kevin helped Mel hang her new ornaments, while Lily turned her attention to the boxes and wiped a tear from her cheek. She unwrapped each one from the tissue she had used when she had taken down the tree last time. That had been before Gary had been killed. She hadn’t been able to muster the strength to decorate or put up the tree until now. Her hands shook as she unwrapped an old-style police car ornament that Kevin had given Gary years ago. She swallowed the lump in her throat and kept going.

  The tote of carefully stored novelties held more than cherished decorations. The box held pieces of her whole life and now the only connection to her parents and Gary. Seeing each ornament stirred memories. Some made Lily smile and others clouded her eyes with tears. She handed Kevin the crystal heart her parents had given them so many years ago, on their first Christmas as a married couple
. Everyone, except her, that was connected to the beautifully engraved heart was gone.

  She smiled at the sight of the golden retriever ornament and glanced at Fritz, who was sprawled out with the other two, sleeping. She would have to look for a golden puppy ornament so she would always remember Bodie. Through tears, she hung the two mercury glass ornaments she had from her mom’s collection. She remembered decorating the entire tree with boxes of them when she and Wendy had been young.

  Next came a satin ornament decorated with beads and sequins. She grinned, remembering the day her mom bought two of them, one for her and one for Wendy, from the craft fair at her school. Wendy’s had been red and gold and Lily held the aqua and silver one in her hand. It was a similar color to the sea glass she was drawn to in Aunt Maggie’s mosaics. She wondered if Wendy still had hers.

  There were several theme-park characters from when Kevin was younger and they had trekked to Florida to spend Christmas with Gary’s parents. She unwrapped another reminder of his parents in the set of palm tree ornaments. At least they didn’t make her cry.

  She gasped at the beautiful blown glass balls she and Kevin had bought at the local nursery one year. They were always a favorite of hers, especially when the lights reflected in them. She couldn’t wait to see them on the tree. Next, came the set of iridescent glass snowflake ornaments Kevin had brought her. He had gone to a training class in New York City one year and paid a small fortune for the box of precious snowflakes. The lump in her throat grew and she excused herself to get a cup of tea.

  Mel and Kevin continued hanging ornaments, but Mac and the dogs followed her into the kitchen. He placed a hand on her shoulder. “Are you okay?”

  She didn’t trust her voice and nodded, pressing her lips into a tight line. She made a production of filling the kettle and turning it on and retrieving a selection of teabags. She did a double-take when she looked in the cupboard and noticed a canister of premium hot chocolate mix. A tiny Christmas tag on the top said it was a gift for Lily from Santa. The sweet gesture from Mel induced a flood of tears.

  Lily buried her head in Mac’s handy shoulder. Blubbering, she tried to reassure him she was fine. He patted her back and grabbed a few tissues, which he tucked between her face and his shirt, then eased her toward the door to the deck. In a loud voice, he hollered, “We’re going to take the dogs outside. Do you kids want some tea or hot chocolate when we get back?”

  Mel and Kevin both hollered out their orders for hot chocolate, and Mac ushered Lily out the door. “The deck is gorgeous,” he said, as she turned her head to gaze at the light above.

  She wiped at her eyes and blew her nose. “It really is. Andy was a lifesaver. He said Uncle Leo had him put up lights every year. They do make me happy, just looking at them.”

  He hugged her closer. “Holidays are tough. I’m sorry this is turning into a hard trip down memory lane for you.”

  She nodded. “I knew it would be, but didn’t think I would melt into an inconsolable puddle.” She shrugged. “I’ll be okay. It’s just the first time we’ve decorated since Gary.”

  “Believe me, I understand. Luckily, I had Cyndy and she made sure we always had the holidays covered, and then some.” He chuckled, which made Lily smile. The dogs returned from their jaunt around the yard and stood by the door, ready to return to the action. “Ready to go back and have some hot chocolate?”

  She nodded and whispered, “Thank you.”

  They got to work heating some milk and mixing in the dark and sinful smelling chocolate. Lily found a can of whipping cream, which would have to suffice for homemade, and topped each cup. Mac sprinkled a bit of cinnamon on each one and Lily put them on a tray.

  Kevin and Mel took a break and sipped from their cups. Kevin’s eyes widened and he took another sip. “This is really good. Did you make this, Mom?”

  She laughed and raised her brows at Mel. “Well, a sneaky elf brought me a gift of some high-end hot chocolate mix. It’s so much better than those envelopes we’re used to using.” She met Mel’s eyes with a conspiratorial wink.

  The ornament boxes were empty and the huge tree shimmered in the window, lights dancing off the glittery ornaments. The only thing left was the tree topper. That had always been Gary’s job, but Kevin found the Moravian star that they had always placed on top of the tree and climbed the ladder to install it. He plugged it into the outlet he had left vacant for it in the branches nearest the top, and then adjusted the position until Lily was happy. The warm white star was a magnificent focal point of the tree.

  “That’s stunning,” said Mac, moving to turn off the overhead lights.

  Mel and Lily gasped as the glow from the tree filled the room. Mel stepped closer to examine the glass snowflakes. “I’ve never seen a tree so beautiful.”

  Lily noticed the tears in Mel’s eyes and risked putting an arm around her. “It’s my favorite part of Christmas. I love sitting in the dark with only the lights from the tree. It’s magical.”

  19

  Saturday morning, Lily couldn’t resist getting up early to sit by the tree and sip a cup of tea. Her usual buddies had turned into traitors. Fritz and Bodie had taken to sleeping in Kevin’s room and she missed their sweet faces greeting her when she woke. She slipped into her cardigan and tiptoed into the living room.

  She brought her hand to her mouth, stifling a scream when she noticed Mel bundled in blankets, sitting on the couch, staring at the tree. She winced at Lily. “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.”

  Lily giggled. “It’s okay. I didn’t expect anyone to be here.”

  Mel grinned at her. “You were right. It’s magical.”

  “I’m going to get a cup of tea. Do you want one?”

  Mel nodded and snuggled deeper into the blanket. Seeing a smile on Mel’s face and a bit of wonder in her eyes, filled Lily with happiness. As she waited for the kettle, she thought back to that day when Donna and Jeff suggested Mel stay with her. Lily had been so unsure, but a few short months later, she couldn’t imagine not having Mel in the house. Being alone, especially now with no guests to keep her occupied, was not what she wanted. Mel had been placed in her path for a reason and in opening her home and part of her heart to the young woman, she had given Lily a purpose.

  She delivered Mel’s steaming cup to the living room and sank into her recliner, then pulled the soft throw blanket around herself. Mel sighed and put her cup on a coaster. “Thank you for giving me a place to stay, a real home, and all of this.” She gestured to the tree and then reached for her cup and put it to her mouth.

  “You’re welcome, but I should really thank you.”

  Mel glanced at her with a frown.

  “I have a home, but it was empty and you and Bodie helped me fill it. You’ve helped give me hope.” A happy tear slid down Lily’s cheek as Mel smiled.

  Sunday brought gray skies and a drizzly rain. The gloomy weather matched Lily’s mood as she drove home after dropping Kevin at the early shuttle. She hated goodbyes and wouldn’t rest easy until she heard from him that he was safely on the ground in Virginia.

  She tried to fill her mind with the fun she and Kevin had yesterday, taking the ferry to Whidbey Island and watching the tree lighting. Mac had been sweet enough to take charge of the dogs, letting them spend the day at his house, since he was still on call.

  She and Kevin had done some Christmas shopping and he even solicited her help in choosing a lovely necklace for Brooke. She picked up a few varieties of hot chocolate mix from the chocolate shop, and they had enjoyed a delicious lunch with a waterfront view. The entire town was decked out in lights. Shop windows were painted with festive snowmen and reindeer, and cookies and cocoa stations were situated throughout the square. It had been like stepping back in time. A perfect, fun, and relaxing day.

  She thought of all that as the wiper blades whisked the rain from her window, but did nothing for the tears that clouded her vision before rolling down her cheeks. She hated feeling so weak and had put on a goo
d front for Kevin, but once she turned her back on the van, she was done pretending. Thankful the streets were clear and the good people of Driftwood Bay were still sleeping, she pulled into the garage.

  Her faithful dogs greeted her and followed her downstairs, where she knocked on Mel’s door to make sure she was awake. She worked the early shift today, and had to be there before eight o’clock.

  Mel opened her door, her hair a mess and her eyes groggy. She glanced at Lily and her eyes widened. “Are you okay?”

  Lily nodded and held up her hand. Before she could turn to leave, Mel reached for her and hugged her. Lily couldn’t stop the sobs that followed. “I’m sorry, Lily. I know you’re sad to see Kevin leave, but he’ll be back in just a few weeks.”

  Lily nodded as she listened to the young woman console her. Feeling like a fool for getting so weepy and emotional, she squeezed Mel tighter. “Thank you, sweet girl.” Lily separated from Mel’s embrace. “You go jump in the shower, so you aren’t late for work.”

  Lily wiped her eyes and stripped Kevin’s bed. The dogs watched her every move as she carried the bedding into the laundry room and started a load. “I’ll get your breakfast, just a minute.” Their ears perked at the mention of the meal they were awaiting.

  She trudged upstairs and filled their bowls, then made some scrambled eggs and toast for Mel, dusted her own toast with cinnamon and sugar, and sat down with a cup of hot tea. The toast always made her think of her mom and of Kevin when he was young. She still thought her mom made the best cinnamon toast and craved that comfort today.

  Mel came into the kitchen and eyed the plate with the steam rolling off the eggs. “Oh, that looks great. Thanks for making it. I wasn’t sure I’d have time to eat this morning.” She scarfed down her food, then gathered her things and headed for the door.