Moonlight Beach

by Tammy L Grace

She took out the earrings she was wearing and put in the new ones, giving him a kiss. “I will never forget our night on that moonlit beach.”

  Christmas morning, and the house was quiet, with Mel and Kevin both taking advantage of the holiday and sleeping in. It wasn’t like when Kevin had been a boy, charging through the house at dawn, looking for what Santa had left him under the tree. Memories were tricky and poured out at times like a sweet elixir, and other times, like today, a tart lemonade. Her mom always told her how precious time was, but she never understood it until it was too late.

  She wanted to go back in time and relive those idyllic years, when she had been a child, surrounded by the love and affection of her parents and the magic and wonder of Christmas. She hadn’t appreciated it at the time, but longed for that bubble of security, when nothing tragic had touched her, she hadn’t experienced loss, and all she had known was happiness. She and Gary had done their best to create that type of childhood for Kevin, and as a mother, those loving memories of their early years, when Kevin’s eyes filled with the excitement of the holidays, brought her the most joy.

  Two wet noses against her leg jogged her back into the present. After feeding the two pups, she opened the fridge and went about prepping a special holiday breakfast board she had planned for the three of them before they were due at Mac’s. By the time she had arranged the sliced fruit and mini muffins, plus the almond croissants she had picked up at the bakery yesterday, Kevin had ambled up the stairs.

  “Merry Christmas, Mom,” he said, kissing her on the cheek. “Mel’s in the shower.” He eyed the spread. “Oh, that looks great. I’m starving.”

  “Help yourself. We can open presents when Mel gets up here.” She filled the kettle and added a croissant and fruit to her own plate.

  They were in the midst of eating when Mel came up the stairs. “Oh, fancy,” she said, surveying the selection and helping herself to a plate.

  They weren’t due at Mac’s until two o’clock, so had plenty of time to relax and open their gifts. Lily delighted in watching Mel open the mosaic she had made her. It was in a square frame and depicted one of the cottages, along with Fritz and Bodie in front of it and the blue water behind it. Mel rushed to hug her as soon as she opened it. “I love it. I can’t believe you did this. It’s so pretty.”

  “I wanted you to have something to always remember us by.” Like Kevin, Lily knew at some point Mel would find her own way and perhaps move or get married and have her own family. She hoped she would always remember she had a home here. “You don’t get much sunlight in your bedroom, but you can put it in the window downstairs and when you get a house of your own someday, you can take it with you so you always remember Glass Beach Cottage.”

  “I could never forget you or Fritz and Bodie.” She lifted it toward the window to admire it again then opened her other boxes, revealing new clothes and a pretty bracelet that she promptly put on her wrist. “Thank you, Lily. I love everything.”

  Kevin was excited to open his new tablet and the gift of a year’s worth of a movie streaming service, along with a subscription to a cookie club that would send him homemade cookies each month. He hugged his mom and went about plugging in the tablet so he could charge it up and test it out.

  Lily loved the personalized mug Mel had given her that featured a woman, with hair the color of Lily’s and two goldens beside her, sitting on a dock, looking out over the water. All their names were painted on the mug. Lily embraced Mel. “Thank you. I’m going to have a hard time letting Bodie go when it’s time, so will cherish this.”

  She opened the package from Kevin and found a beautiful silver necklace with charms on it, engraved with Bodie and Fritz’s names, along with a cute tiny paw print. It was perfect and she put it around her neck. Kevin smiled, and added, “I guess this is the year of dog themed gifts for you.”

  “I love them, thank you both very much.” She handed each of them a stocking. “There are a few little gifts from Santa in your stockings.” They tore into them like excited kids, unwrapping candies, toothbrushes, pens, socks, and snacks.

  After another helping of breakfast, Lily put the leftovers away and got ready, making sure she added her new earrings to her outfit. They were stunning with the black sweater she wore.

  The dogs were excited to load into the car and when she mentioned they were going to see Sherlock, their tails swished even faster. She put Mel and Kevin in charge of holding onto the gifts for Mac and Cyndy and they headed down the road.

  Mac met them as soon as they pulled into the driveway, Sherlock at his side. Kevin unloaded the dogs and let them run to greet their best furry friend. He studied the house and grounds while Lily gathered the gifts. Mac took Mel’s hand and said, “Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you.”

  She giggled and complied, letting him lead her around the back of the house to the pasture. Kevin and Lily walked behind them, Lily depositing the gifts on the back deck on their way. Kevin’s eyes widened as he took in the huge deck and overlook. “Wow, this is some place. What a great view and it’s so nice and quiet.”

  She nodded. “Wait until you see his llamas.” She watched as Mac positioned Mel at the fence. Two alpacas stood nearby with the larger llamas behind them.

  “Open your eyes,” he said.

  Mel squealed with delight. “Oh, you got them. I was hoping you would find some after seeing those photos you brought back.” She reached to pet them. “They are so cute and soft.”

  “I thought you could do the honors and name them.”

  Her eyes widened. “Really? Wow, I’ll have to give it some thought.”

  “There are a few fruits and veggies I cut up for them, if you want to give them all a treat. Margo and Coco, too.” He pointed at a plastic container.

  Kevin approached the fence line and petted the two new arrivals. “They are super cute.” He helped Mel feed them chunks of carrots and apples, while Mac and Lily made sure the dogs were secured before they headed back to the house.

  He carried the bag of gifts inside, letting the delicious aroma of whatever Cyndy was cooking greet them. She hollered out a cheery “Hello, come on in. Merry Christmas, Lily.”

  “Something smells beyond yummy,” said Lily, selecting a gift bag and putting it on the counter. “Here’s a bit of Christmas cheer for you.”

  Cyndy turned away from the beautiful apple salad she was prepping and wiped her hands on a towel. She appeared unable to resist opening the bag and seemed to love the wine inspired gifts, including a set of wine infused salts for cooking. “I brought you a little something. It’s under the tree.”

  Mac led Lily into the living area, where a huge tree stood, decked out with gorgeous ornaments and draped with sparkling ribbon. It had Cyndy’s fingerprints all over it. Mac handed her a gift.

  “Before I open Cyndy’s, I want you to open mine.” She held out a gift bag.

  He smiled as he took out the large bubble wrapped frame. Once he unwrapped it, he gasped. “Oh, it’s beautiful.” He hugged her close and kissed her cheek. “I love it.” He held it up to the window and the sunlight exposed the beautiful mosaic of Sherlock, his smiling face easy to recognize in the amber sea glass pieces. She had used the aqua and darker blue pieces in the background.

  “I had to cheat and buy some darker glass for his nose and eyes and to define his jawline, plus the pink and red for his tongue, but I thought it captured him.” She smiled as Mac admired the piece.

  “I’m going to hang it right by the back door, so I see it each time I leave and come home.”

  “There’s one more treat in the bag,” she said, shaking it.

  He dug into the bottom and brought out a card. Enclosed with the heartfelt message was a gift card for golf in the San Juan Islands. His eyes lit up when he saw it and he encircled her in a long embrace. “Great minds, huh? We both chose gifts focused on our next trip together. I find that to be a good sign.”

  She laughed and nodded her head. “I’m so looking forward to i
t.”

  Cyndy’s voice echoed through the house. “Tell the kids dinner’s about ready.”

  She felt his lips against the side of her neck and it sent a thrill through her. “I see you’re wearing the earrings. They look gorgeous on you.”

  He took her hand as they made their way back to the kitchen. “This has been my best Christmas in decades and it’s because of you.”

  She rewarded him with a brush of her lips across his cheek. “I feel the same way.”

  Kevin and Mel came through the door, smiling and laughing, talking about the alpacas. While they were all there, she opened Cyndy’s gift. Inside the beautifully wrapped box was a set of customized ornaments, three of them painted with the cottages, one of Fritz, and one of Bodie. “Oh, these are so cute. I love them. That’s so thoughtful of you.” She gave Cyndy a hug.

  “I work with an artist through the shop and she does wonderful work. Mac helped me by taking some photos for me to share with her. I’m so pleased you like them.” She untied the strings from her apron. “Let’s eat while everything is hot.”

  They gathered around the table, decorated like it had come straight from Cyndy’s shop, and enjoyed her delicious glazed ham, applesauce, buttery potatoes, and all the side dishes she had made. While they ate, Mac asked Mel if she had decided on names for the two new additions.

  She smiled and glanced at Kevin. “We think Lucy and Ethel.” Mel loved watching the old episodes of I Love Lucy, so her choice wasn’t a surprise. Everyone laughed, agreeing it was an excellent choice. “This is the best Christmas I’ve ever had,” said Mel, her voice fading as tears filled her eyes. “Thank you for making it so special.”

  Lily noticed there wasn’t a dry eye around the table and didn’t trust her own voice. She glanced at Cyndy, who raised her glass and said, “Here’s to remembering the joys of the season and carrying them with us throughout the coming year. Merry Christmas.”

  26

  Holding on to the fun memories from their time in Victoria, Lily hugged Kevin, not wanting to release him, but knowing she had to let him get into the shuttle. No matter the knot in her stomach and everything in her body screaming at her to hang onto him, she had to let him get on a plane and fly across the country today. It had been a wonderful visit, but like all of them, much too short. Watching him go, brought back all the doubts she had about moving so far away. Her heart ached as she watched her sweet son slide into a seat and wave goodbye.

  He couldn’t hide his excitement at getting to see Brooke and she would never deny him the chance of finding someone special. She waved to him until the van disappeared, tears streaming down her face. If she had stayed in Richmond, he’d still be going to New Hampshire, so that wouldn’t have changed today. She reminded herself, the only difference would have been the geography, making for a shorter distance to see each other.

  Mothers never knew if their decisions were the right ones; they just had to do the best they could and hope their choices wouldn’t scar their children. She had trusted in all the prayers she had uttered and the signs, including the bequest from Uncle Leo that led her to Driftwood Bay. If she had stayed in Richmond, she would still be miserable, trudging along, surrounded by memories of all she had lost. She would have never met Mac or Cyndy or Bodie or Andy…or Mel. Thinking of them comforted her and made her realize she had made the right choice, but it didn’t soothe the pang in her heart that came with Kevin’s absence.

  She got back in the car, where the dogs were anxious to greet her, sensing her sadness. She detoured to get a hot tea and then stopped by the park so the dogs could get some exercise. Tomorrow was New Year’s Eve and she had to shake off this funk so she could enjoy the festivities with Mac. It wasn’t fair to him for her to be down in the dumps.

  With Christmas over, she had expected to hear from Wendy and made a mental note to call her in the afternoon if she hadn’t gotten in touch. Lily had run into Poppy at the market a couple of days ago. With the tea shop cutting back to their normal winter hours and Poppy not offering to extend Wendy’s employment, she’d have to find something else. That wouldn’t be easy during the off-season.

  She cleared her mind, determined to focus on the dogs and nature. There was no point in putting too much effort or concern into what Wendy would do. She hated seeing her sister suffer, but had learned long ago that Wendy would do what she wanted, with or without her input. As she wandered the pathways with the dogs, she avoided focusing on Kevin flying. It never failed to fill her with dread, her mind always happy to play worst case scenario with her. Losing her mom had only amplified her own tendencies to anticipate the worst. That trait served her well in law enforcement, but was a drag in real life.

  Instead, she focused on the wonderful few days they had enjoyed in Victoria. Along with all the gorgeous decorations and millions of festive lights gracing the domes and outlining the massive buildings, plus the private tour she had arranged of the Parliament Building and the fun horse and carriage ride they had enjoyed, Mac had driven them to Butchart Gardens. Instead of the gorgeous flowers they were famous for, during the holiday season they wowed their guests with light displays throughout the fifty acres. Even Kevin was impressed with the stunning effect. She had taken hundreds of photos and couldn’t wait to visit in the spring or summer when the flowers would dominate.

  After several loops around the park, she led the dogs back to the car and home. She took refuge at her work table, sorting and finding pieces of glass for a new project. She had ordered a round mirror from the mercantile and had been rifling through her aunt’s collection of glass to make a border around it, starting with shades of brown and sandy tones around the bottom and then gradually changing the colors from lighter aqua to a deep blue. It was a challenge, but a welcome distraction for the winter.

  As she had worked on the pieces for Mac and Mel, it struck her that much like her own life, she was taking bits of broken pieces of glass and putting them together to make something new, something beautiful. While the pieces would never resemble what they used to be, they were transformed into something different, something that would bring joy and happiness to her life. All those broken shapes, smoothed by the power of the sea, were essential and would live on in her new creations. Maybe it was the same way with her memories. She’d never have exactly what she had lost, but she could have something new and wonderful.

  Mel was at work and the house was quiet, save for the sound of the dogs snoring and the scrape of glass against the plastic trays. Lily stretched her shoulders and back and made her way upstairs for a late lunch break. She couldn’t resist taking her snack and a cup of cocoa into the living room to enjoy the tree while she ate. Kevin wouldn’t be here to help her take it down this year. The days after Christmas were always filled with melancholy, but without Kevin it would be worse.

  She felt hot breath on her leg and the weight of Fritz leaning against it reminded her she wasn’t alone. His soulful eyes were full of love and understanding. She reached out to pet the top of his head. “You’re a good boy, Fritzie.” He rested his head on her thigh, relishing the attention.

  Her phone buzzed and she almost toppled her mug, reaching for it. Kevin had landed in Chicago and had a short layover before the final leg to Manchester. She let herself relax a bit, knowing the longest part of his travel was over. Once he took off, it was just over two hours to New Hampshire. He would be there by her dinner time.

  She texted him a reply, reminding him to drink lots of water and to send her photos of the mountains. She finished her lunch and sunk back into her recliner, covering herself with her blanket and petting the dogs until they stretched out next to her. Her finger hovered over Wendy’s name on the screen of her phone. The last week had been nice, without the tension between the two of them. She wished they had a better connection, one that made it easy to be together. One like Mac and Cyndy had. Regardless, she had made up her mind to do the right thing, which meant making sure Wendy knew she could stay with her, as long as it took
to get on her feet. She just hoped that wouldn’t mean forever.

  She hit the green button and after several rings, Wendy’s voice greeted her. “Hey, how are you doing?” asked Lily. “Any news?”

  “I was going to call you. I’ve just been swamped.”

  Lily’s eyebrows rose. “Really, what have you been doing? Did you get to see Chad?”

  “Oh, yes. George set up a couple of visits, so that was good and Chad had asked George to talk to Constance, so that helped. She’s agreed to let me stay in her guest house until Chad’s trial is over. It’s not ideal, but I can’t handle living out there in the backwoods with no conveniences, forced to do some menial job. I honestly don’t know how you do it, Lily. I don’t think I could survive and told Chad that.”

  Her tone and words stung, but Lily focused on the silver lining. “I’m sure you’ll be happier there, closer to Chad, and George can keep you more informed.”

  “And I don’t have to get a job. Constance promised to cover everything while I’m here, so I can just relax. She’s got a pool and she lives in a different area, so I don’t have to face all our friends.”

  Lily could only imagine what she would do if Chad ended up in prison, but the trial wouldn’t be happening anytime soon. “I’m glad things are looking up for you, Wendy. I hope you had a nice Christmas.”

  “Oh, it was wonderful. Constance treated me to a shopping spree and she had a lovely catered affair. She also has one of those blenders I wanted and someone does her shopping and food prep, so it’s so much less stressful. I finally feel like I have my life back.”

  Lily’s eyes rested on the stocking and packages Wendy had left behind, still under the tree waiting for her; one from her and one from Mel. It was hard to fathom how someone raised by parents like hers could be so heartless and self-absorbed. It had crushed Mel when Wendy left so abruptly and didn’t even bother to take the gifts Mel had taken the time to get her. Without any prompting, she had spent her own money on a smoothie recipe book, luxurious foot cream, and fluffy socks.