by Terri DuLong
“Hey, sweetie,” I said, opening the door to release my little bundle of black fur. No doubt about it, I was a proud dog owner and Brit was the best gift that Saxton could have given me.
“Let me get your leash and we’ll take a walk,” I told her before scooping her up and heading back downstairs.
As we strolled along Second Street, thoughts of my mother floated into my mind. She had walked this very street, lived where I did, and had even met some of the people that I now knew. Once again, doubts nagged at me. Would I be sorry for delving into the past? Her past. Or would my mind finally be at ease with something that had haunted me for so long? No matter what, within eight weeks I’d have my answers.
38
On a Saturday morning in mid-February residents of the community came together to work on Leigh Sallenger’s new day care center.
I arrived on the golf cart with Saxton to find quite a crowd had already assembled, and I saw Doyle and another man hanging the brightly colored wooden sign SUGAR AND SPICE DAY CARE from the porch eave.
“Looks like the work is well under way,” I said, getting out of the golf cart and balancing a box of muffins while Saxton grabbed the second box.
“Mornin’,” Doyle said. “How’s the sign look?”
I nodded. “Terrific. I think you earned yourself a muffin and some coffee. We stopped at Island Girl Cakes to pick these up for the crowd.”
Leigh greeted us at the door with a huge smile. “Lord, did I hear you say Island Girl Cakes? You mean to tell me I get all this help plus those yummy muffins?”
“You do,” I said, walking in and placing them on a table. “Coffee ready?”
She pointed to the large coffee urn and nodded.
I looked around and saw people painting walls, hanging border print, and doing other assorted tasks.
“Hey, Berkley,” Chloe said, coming from a back room and spying the box of muffins. “Oh, tell me those are from Island Girl Cakes!”
I laughed. “Yup, they are. Come and help yourself.”
“Everybody,” Leigh hollered. “Time for a coffee break before we continue working.”
I marveled at how many people had showed up to help both inside and out. I saw Dora through the window with Maude. They were busy planting some flowers and bushes between the two cottages. I rapped on the window and motioned for them to come inside.
“Grace and Lucas will be along shortly,” Maude said, reaching for a muffin. “Berkley, you have to come and see the beautiful mural that Josie’s working on in one of the back rooms.”
I grabbed a muffin, filled a cup with coffee, and followed her.
“Oh, wow,” I said as my eyes took in the pastel colors of what was going to be a meadow filled with lambs. “Josie, this is gorgeous. I had no idea you were such an artist.”
She laughed as she brushed a strand of hair from her face. “Yeah, my mother might be the author but I got my creativity with drawing and painting. I think this wall will look great when I finish. Leigh said this is the room where the cribs will be for the babies, so she wanted the softer colors in here.”
“It’s going to look super. Go grab a muffin and some coffee though. Everybody’s taking a break.”
I wandered into another room and saw somebody at work using primary colors to paint numbers and letters on the wall. And on the other wall Suellen was painting the animals from Winnie the Pooh.
“I’m amazed at the talent here,” I said. “Suellen, you’re a born artist.”
She stood up from kneeling to work on Pooh’s honey pot and stretched. “Oh, not really. I’ve been drawing all my life, but I wouldn’t consider it prize material.”
I shook my head. “I don’t agree with you. Geez, I’m not sure what I can contribute. I can’t even draw a straight line.”
“You said you can swing a paintbrush. Your job is to paint the other two walls in here. Leigh wants one in a bright red and the other one yellow. Paint cans and brushes are in the corner.”
I took the last bite of my muffin and nodded. “That I can do,” I told her, and set to work.
I was halfway through the second wall when I felt Saxton come up behind me and place a kiss on my neck.
“How’re you doing here? The walls look great. But it’s going on two o’clock. Ready for lunch?”
“Two o’clock? I’ve been working for five hours? No wonder I’m hungry.”
He laughed. “I’ve been helping the guys put the fence up in the backyard. We have it just about finished. Let’s go grab something at the Pelican and then come back for a couple more hours.”
“Sounds good, but I’ll probably need a massage after all this bending and stretching.”
He grabbed my hand as we walked outside to the golf cart. “I think that can be arranged for later this evening,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.
After a quick lunch we returned back to Third Street, where Leigh greeted us with the news that Ava had delivered her baby that morning.
“Did you hear?” she asked. “Ava had her baby boy this morning.”
“Are they okay? Isn’t she too early?”
“Just two weeks early, and both mother and little Jonah are just fine. He might have to stay a day or so longer, but he’s in good health.”
“I’m so happy to hear that. And I love the name Jonah. Ava must be so thrilled.”
“She is,” Grace said, coming from a back room. “I just got off the phone with her. She assures me childbirth is a piece of cake.”
I looked up to see Dora, Chloe, Maude, and Leigh exchange a glance.
“Right,” Grace said. “I know enough to know that all new mothers say that. I think once that baby is put into your arms all thoughts of the labor and delivery seem to vanish.”
Lucas put his arm around her. “You’ll do just fine, ma chérie. I’ll be there with you for all of it.”
Seeing the love that they shared made me realize that maybe there was something to this parenthood stuff after all.
“Congrats to Ava and Tom,” I said, heading back to my wall. “But I have to get that painting finished up.”
By the time all of us returned to the day care center on Sunday morning, we had made quite a dent in the remodeling. The rooms looked cozy and inviting for babies and toddlers alike. Somebody had built a window seat in one of the rooms with bookshelves to each side. Floors had been sanded and polished, and in the toddler room Doyle and Saxton were helping to lay the tile. I had managed to help with the border print that now hung around the top of the various walls. All with a baby or storybook theme.
“This looks incredible,” I told Leigh.
“It does, and I never could have accomplished any of this without all the help.”
“When does the furniture and stuff arrive?”
“I still have a lot to get done here on my own, so there’s no rush yet. I’ll have my inspection in May and then hopefully open in June as I planned. But I’m thrilled that I was approved for my small business loan. I’ve managed to get some cribs and things from people in the community. That’s been a big help financially. I have to go to Toys R Us and get toys and games and that sort of thing.”
“How many children are you planning to have?”
“I’ll be approved for ten, but that won’t be for a while, until I can hire more help. Paula will be able to help me only part time while she’s working on her degree. So when I open I’ll start with just four or five. A couple of the girls who are graduating in June approached me about working as an assistant. I could use the help, but first I’ll have to see if I’ll be able to afford their salaries.”
“So it’ll all take time,” I told her. “But I’d say you’re on your way. A year from now . . .”
I was interrupted by the sound of Dora crying in the next room. “Oh, dear Lord,” she screamed.
Leigh and I ran in to see Dora clutching her cell phone, surrounded by Monica, Sydney, and Grace.
By the look on their faces, I knew it wasn’t good news.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“That was Marin on the phone,” Sydney explained. “She’s at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. Andrew was rushed there about an hour ago . . . and . . . they lost him. A heart attack.”
My hand flew to my mouth as Sydney escorted Dora to a chair.
“Oh, my God! What can we do?”
The room began filling with other volunteers who heard the commotion.
Dora took a deep breath as tears streamed down her face. “Marin. I have to get to Shands and be with Marin.”
“None of you are in any condition to drive,” Doyle said. “Come on, I’ll drive you.”
“I’ll call Noah. Monica, can you go with Aunt Dora? Noah and I will be right behind you.”
“Yes. I’ll call Adam on the way to let him know what’s going on.”
We watched helplessly as they rushed out to Doyle’s car. Within minutes Noah pulled up to get Sydney.
“Here,” she said, passing me a set of keys. “Could you do me a huge favor and go to Aunt Dora’s and feed Oliver?”
“Of course I can,” I assured her, giving her a hug. “Just go. We’ll take care of Oliver.”
Just like that—a life was snuffed out, leaving behind sorrow and grief.
An hour later Saxton and I pulled into Dora’s driveway. When I unlocked the door, we were greeted by Oliver.
He sniffed and looked behind us, and I knew he was looking for his beloved Dora.
“Come on, fellow,” I told him, leading the way to the kitchen. “Time for your din din.”
Monica had quickly instructed me on his food before she left, and I got his bowl, dry mix, and a can of Pedigree.
While I got it ready Saxton patted Oliver and tried to make him feel better. “Dora will be back later, buddy. Not to worry. We won’t abandon you.”
Oliver’s curiosity about Dora’s absence didn’t diminish his hunger. He chowed down every morsel and then sat in the middle of the kitchen floor looking at us.
“Let’s get his leash and take him for a walk,” Saxton said.
We walked slowly around Andrews Circle with Oliver sniffing here and there.
“Poor Marin,” I said. “This had to have been such a shock for her.”
Saxton nodded. “Yeah. She knew he wasn’t feeling well, but I’m sure she didn’t expect this. He didn’t even get a chance to get in there for those tests that were scheduled for the end of the month.”
I shook my head. “I know. It’s so sad. Life can change in a heartbeat.”
When we got back to Dora’s the phone was ringing. I grabbed it to hear Monica’s voice.
“I thought I might catch you there. Thank you so much, Berkley, for going to take care of Oliver.”
“I’m glad I could help. How’s Marin holding up?”
“Not good, I’m afraid. It all happened so fast. We’ll be leaving here shortly. Marin is coming back to Aunt Dora’s to stay. So I wanted to let you know we’re on our way and you don’t have to stay there.”
“Okay. We fed Oliver and took him for a walk, so I think he’s all set.”
“We really appreciate your help. We’ll be in touch soon.”
I hung up the phone and realized that this was what being part of a community was all about. Something as simple as helping out with a dog during a time of crisis.
39
There was a large group of people from Cedar Key who made the drive to Gainesville for the funeral of Andrew Kane. It was an unseasonably warm day, and the sunshine somehow made a difficult time a little easier.
Dora had planned an open house back at her home to thank everyone for coming.
When we arrived we saw Marin talking to a group of people and waited our turn to give our condolences.
She was composed, although her face showed the fatigue and sorrow of the past few days.
I gave her a tight hug and tried to find the words that are always so awkward in the loss of a loved one.
“Thank you so much,” Marin said, and I could tell she was struggling to be brave. “Andrew was such a good husband and father. My one comfort is that he didn’t linger or suffer. And now . . . my life has been turned upside down with him gone.”
I nodded. “It has to be so difficult, but I’m sure in time you’ll figure out what you’re doing.”
“I know, and for right now I’ve decided to stay here at my mother’s house. I just can’t bear to go back home . . . without Andrew there.”
That made sense to me. I gave her another hug, and Saxton and I moved away to allow others to offer their sympathy.
We mingled in the crowd, offering our condolences to Monica, and then I spied Sydney talking with a woman about her age. Tall and slim, with a salt and pepper braid hanging down her back, she looked vaguely familiar.
Sydney turned around, saw me, and motioned for me to join them.
“Berkley, I’m not sure if you’ve met my best friend, Alison Marks. Ali owns the B and B here on the island, but she and Paul have been off traveling for almost a year.”
I extended my hand in greeting. “It’s so nice to finally meet you. I’ve heard about you from Monica and Sydney.”
“Yes,” Sydney said with a smile covering her face. “Believe me, Ali was my salvation when I first came to Cedar Key. Took me in and allowed me to heal.”
Alison laughed. “Well, I may have taken you in, but the healing. . . you had to do that on your own.”
“Are you planning to stay around here now?” I asked.
“I’m not entirely sure. Paul and I have a place in the historic district, but I think I’ve finally made the decision to put the bed and breakfast up for sale. I know it’s not a great time in the home market, but I’m not in any rush. And I’m very fortunate to have such a great staff to run it while I’ve been away.”
“I wish you all the best,” I told her, and then offered my sympathy to Sydney.
“Thank you. I’m really hoping my cousin will decide to live here permanently. I think it would be good for her with her family and friends here.”
I agreed, but I also knew that sometimes it’s very difficult trying to make a life changing decision after the death of a loved one. Had it not been for finding the postcards, I’d probably still be living in Salem, running the chocolate shop there. But I was convinced that fate had other plans for me.
I turned around to catch the wink and smile that Saxton threw my way and I had no doubt that no matter what I discovered in Maine, I was meant to be here on Cedar Key with him.
I walked into Yarning Together a couple of weeks later to find Dora alone, stocking shelves with some delicious-looking new yarn.
“Just what I’m looking for,” I told her. “A new project to take on my flight tomorrow.”
She turned around and smiled. “I just got this order in, and I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. What do you have in mind?”
I wandered over and began fingering the soft fibers as my eyes took in the various colors.
“Well, I have six Cedar Key scarves done, so I’m a little tired of working on scarves.”
Dora laughed. “You’ll probably want something that will be small enough to knit on the plane. How about an ascot?”
“Oh, good idea. I have a great pattern for one and it’s very simple with mostly knits and purls. Okay, I think I’ll take some of this dusty rose lace merino and maybe the turquoise cotton pima.”
“Good choices,” Dora said, taking them to ring up at the counter.
“How’s Marin doing?” I asked.
Dora let out a sigh. “Well, as to be expected, she has her good days and bad days. When I lost my Henry, it was different. He’d been sick for well over a year, so I had some time to prepare myself. But poor Marin. It all happened so fast. It’s going to take a while for her to come to grips with all of it.”
I nodded. “It’s wonderful that she has you. I’m sure staying with you is a comfort to her.”
“I like to think so, but no matte
r how much family or friends try to help, I’m afraid this is a journey each of us has to walk alone. People mean well, but losing a loved one is something we just have to experience on our own.”
“I’m sure in time Marin will make some decisions and go forward.”
Dora passed me the bag of yarn. “That’s one good thing. She’s already trying to make some plans. It seems she might put her house in Gainesville up for sale and live here permanently.”
I recalled what Sydney had said. “That would make some people very happy.”
“Well, the thing is, she had retired from teaching at the university last year. With Andrew due to retire this year, they had lots of plans for travel and being together. So she’s a little concerned about finding something to keep her busy. She’s fortunate that financially she’ll be fine, but it’s the empty hours she’s worried about.”
“Yeah, I can understand that,” I said, knowing full well that I welcomed the work in my chocolate shop and the additional time spent with filling orders for my spun yarn.
“So you’re off for Beantown tomorrow.”
“I am, and I’m happy to hear the temps are in the sixties and no snow in sight.”
Dora laughed. “Nervous?”
“A little, but also excited to finally be able to fit all the missing pieces into my puzzle.”
“So you’re not sorry you came here last year and decided to find your answers?”
Without hesitating, I said, “Oh, no. Not at all. No matter what, I have no doubt that I was meant to come to Cedar Key. Living here has surpassed my expectations and Saxton . . . I know now that I’d been searching for him all my life and I didn’t even realize it.”
Dora patted my hand and smiled. “Nothing can be better than not only finding that one special person, but also being able to be together. Enjoy the moments, Berkley, because I’m afraid the older we get, the less those kinds of moments come to us.”
Once again, I detected a wistful tone to her voice.
The 737 circled and made its final descent into Boston’s Logan Airport. I felt Saxton squeeze my hand as I looked out the window and saw the Prudential Center, State Street Bank, Boston Harbor, and Georges Island. Moisture filled my eyes as it always did when looking down on my roots from the air. I felt the soft bump as the wheels hit the tarmac a few seconds before hearing the flight attendant announce, “Welcome to Boston. Please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until we reach the gate, and thank you for flying with us today.”
