The Beach House

by Rachel Hanna

  “I heard you live at the beach.”

  “I do.”

  “Do you like it there?”

  “I love it there.”

  “Good. You deserve happiness, Julie.”

  She didn’t say anything in return. She didn’t care what he thought she deserved. She had what she thought was happiness until he decided to throw it all away.

  “Thank you for being here. I’m sorry I assumed the worst in you. I think these meds are messing me up.”

  Before she could respond, the door opened. A receptionist from the lobby was standing there holding a large box.

  “Is this Michael Pike’s room?”

  “Yes, it is,” Julie said.

  “I have a box for his wife. Is that you?”

  Julie paused and cleared her throat. “I’m Julie.”

  “Great. This delivery came for you. Someone must really care about you,” she said, smiling as she handed it over.

  Julie was confused. She had no idea who would send her something.

  “What is that?” Michael asked.

  “I don’t know.” Julie sat the box on a rolling tray table and opened it as the receptionist left the room.

  Inside were heated containers of food and a note.

  Dear Julie,

  We sure have missed you around here. I know you might be missing your new home too, so I called around until I found a decent Southern cooking restaurant in Boston. Jeez, those people don’t even drink sweet tea! Can you imagine? Anyway, inside you’ll find shrimp and grits, cornbread, fried okra and some peach cobbler. Won’t be nearly as good as Lucy’s, but we’ll fill you up when you get back. Everybody’s praying for you. Dixie said she misses you too. Come home soon!

  Dawson

  Her heart was pounding. No one had ever done something so nice for her. She wanted to go back to Seabreeze even worse now. Struggling not to cry, she folded the letter back up and put it in her pocket.

  “What is that smell?” Michael asked, waving a hand in front of his face.

  “Food,” she said, dryly.

  “Who sent it?”

  “My friend back in Seabreeze.”

  “What’s her name?”

  “Dawson.”

  “A woman named Dawson?” he said with a laugh.

  Julie turned and looked at him. “I never said it was a woman.”

  Michael’s face fell a bit, and Julie almost let out a giggle. But, now wasn’t the time to rub it in his face that she had a new life and a new male friend. After all, nothing romantic was going on with Dawson.

  “Oh,” he said. She expected him to ask more questions, but he didn’t. “Smells bad.”

  Julie rolled her eyes. “Then I’ll take it down to the cafeteria. I need to get a drink anyway.”

  Michael said nothing as she took her purse and her bag of food and headed down the hallway.

  After finding a table and setting up her meal, she dialed Dawson’s number on video chat.

  “Hey there! Long time, no see!” he said, a big smile on his face. She could see the marsh behind him, and it made her miss the wild place she now called home.

  “Thank you so much for the food!” She turned the phone around so he could see it on the table.

  “Oh, you got it! Good. Those Northerners thought I was some kind of hillbilly nutcase asking for sweet tea,” he said with a laugh.

  “I bet. I am going to greatly enjoy this food, though. Hospital food and subs from the corner store just aren’t cutting it anymore.”

  “I hear Janine is on her way back?”

  “Yeah. No need for her to be stuck here too. I think Michael is out of the woods for now.”

  “So you’re coming back soon too?”

  She paused. “I can’t. His supposed fiancee abandoned him. Literally said she couldn’t take care of a disabled person who would need rehab for months or years.”

  “Wow. She sounds like a piece of work.”

  “Yep. So, I’m his next of kin. I just can’t leave him. My daughters would never forgive me.”

  “I get it. Take care of yourself.”

  “Thanks, Dawson,” she said, waving at the screen before ending their call. She felt a sense of homesickness once they hung up. As she took her first bite of the shrimp and grits, she closed her eyes and imagined sitting on her bench near the marsh.

  Dr. Sadler pointed to the X-ray on the screen. “We were able to repair the pelvic bone, but rehab is going to be crucial to your recovery, Mr. Pike. You’ll need to be diligent and work hard to get back full mobility.”

  “When can I leave this place?” Michael asked. He was growing more irritated by the day. Over three weeks in the hospital had made him frustrated and angry at his body and the entire medical community. Julie had tried to tell him that they’d saved his life, but he didn’t seem phased enough not to snap at every doctor and nurse in the place.

  “Actually, that’s what I wanted to talk to you about. We’ve set up a rigorous rehab schedule for you. Everything will be done here at the hospital in our outpatient wing.”

  “So, I can go home?”

  “That depends on whether you have someone to care for you. You’ll need someone to bring you to your appointments and so forth because you’ll be in a wheelchair for quite some time.”

  Julie suddenly felt sick and lightheaded. Realizing that she was the person expected to do all of this, she wracked her brain, trying to figure out a way that she could go home sooner rather than later.

  “Can we hire a private nurse to do this?” she asked the doctor, well aware that Michael was looking at her. “I live in South Carolina.”

  “You could, potentially. But my insurance lady here at the hospital tells me Michael doesn’t have coverage for that sort of thing. That would be out of pocket, and, frankly, it would be quite expensive. We’re talking about months of rehab.”

  “Could he stay in the hospital and receive rehab here?” she was grasping at straws now.

  “Unfortunately, that’s not an option. His insurance coverage wouldn’t provide for something like that either.” The doctor looked between them and seemed to sense he needed to leave the room. “Why don’t I give you two a chance to talk. I’ll be back around later this evening.”

  Once he’d walked out, Julie stood and stared out the window. The city was so far removed from her life back in Seabreeze. So much hustle and bustle.

  “Julie?”

  “Yeah?”

  “You’re not thinking of leaving me, are you?”

  “What?”

  “Leaving me.”

  “Michael, you already left me months ago.”

  “No, I mean, you’re going to stay and help me, aren’t you? I don’t have anyone else here.”

  She knew she should feel bad for him, but all she felt was resentfulness. How could he ask for more from her?

  “Michael, I have a life and a job back in Seabreeze. I can’t stay here for months.”

  He leaned his head back against the pillow and looked at the ceiling. “I’m sorry for what I did.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m sorry for cheating on you. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

  “It doesn’t matter now. We’re divorced.”

  “Almost, but it’s not official yet.”

  “What are you getting at?”

  He looked at her. “Maybe this is a sign.”

  “A sign of what?” She sat back down and looked at him.

  “Maybe we needed this time together. Maybe we can get things back on track.”

  She knew he was saying it out of desperation, but still a part of her wondered if he meant it.

  “Let’s not do this.”

  “I’m being serious. Laying in a hospital bed for three weeks gives you plenty of time to think. I see my mistakes, and I see what an incredible woman you are to come here and take care of the man who broke your heart.”

  “I had no choice, Michael. But you’re alive, and I can’t stay here an
d lose myself again. You’ll need to work this out for yourself, as a newly single man.”

  “What will our girls think if you leave me?” Now, the real Michael was showing up. He didn’t want her; he just didn’t want to be alone and helpless.

  “Don’t you dare try to guilt me, Michael Pike! Do you have any idea what it took for me to come here and care for you? I left my new job, my new home…”

  “Really? From what I hear, your home is a pit.”

  She wanted to punch him, but somehow that seemed inappropriate to slug a helpless man in a hospital bed.

  “I’m going to take a walk before I say something I might regret,” she said, grabbing her jacket and heading outside into the cool October air.

  She stood outside of the hospital and sucked in a deep breath. What was she going to do? How would she ever get back to Seabreeze?

  “Hello?” She said as she pulled her ringing phone from her pocket.

  “Hey, Mom,” Meg said from the other end of the line.

  “Sweetie, so good to hear from you! How are you?”

  “Worried about Daddy most of the time.”

  “He’s doing just fine. In fact, the doctor is releasing him soon. He’ll need to come back for rehab, of course, but he’s going home.”

  “Oh, that’s great! Will he be in a wheelchair?”

  “Yes, for a long time.”

  “I feel so bad for him. At least he has you. I’m so glad you’re there, Mom. I know it must be hard, but I want you to know how much me and Colleen appreciate what you’re doing.”

  Julie pushed back her tears. She wasn’t crying for Michael. She was crying for her girls and their fear of losing their father. And, if she was honest with herself, she was crying over the fact that she was about to lose everything she’d built all over again. And Michael was at the root of all of it.

  “I’m just doing what has to be done,” Julie said, trying to sound positive. “I know your Dad will be fine no matter what.”

  Meg paused for a moment. “But, you will stay with him, won’t you?”

  “Yes, honey, of course, I will. For as long as it takes.”

  And then the tears silently fell down her face while she listened to Meg catch her up on life across the pond.

  Caring for someone so debilitated by injury was almost more than Julie could handle, but when it was the man she resented most in the world, it was even harder.

  “How was physical therapy?” she asked, as they pulled away from the hospital for what seemed like the millionth time already.

  “Same as always. Painful.”

  “Do you want to drive through and get some food?”

  “Don’t you ever cook anymore?” Michael grumbled.

  “I’m a little busy these days, if you haven’t noticed.”

  “Well, I’m getting tired of burgers and fries.”

  “Noted,” she said, rolling her eyes as she drove. Her phone rang from the cup holder, so she picked it up when they were safely stopped in traffic. “Hello?”

  “Hey there.”

  “Dawson, so good to hear from you. How is everyone?” Julie said. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Michael rolling his eyes.

  “Good. We all miss having you around. Any update on coming back?”

  “No, not yet. How’s the house coming along?”

  “It’s almost finished. Just need you here to make some final design decisions.”

  “Yeah, I don’t know when that would be. Can Janine help?”

  “She said she doesn’t want to chance messing it up,” he said, with a laugh.

  “That’s probably smart,” Julie said. “Maybe we can video chat later, and you can show me some things?”

  “Sounds good. How about around six?”

  “I’ll be waiting for your call.”

  She ended the call and started driving again. Michael was unusually quiet.

  “So, you’re dating this guy?”

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “I’ve been married to you a long time. I think it is my business if my wife is dating another man.”

  Enraged, Julie pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car. She turned to him. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m not kidding. You barely know this person, right?”

  “Again, my personal life is none of your business.”

  He sighed. “Julie, I thought we were going to try to make this work.”

  “What?”

  “I told you that I thought my accident might be a sign that we need to try again. Hearing you talk to that Dawson guy just made me realize how much I don’t want you to move on without me.”

  Oh, how she would’ve loved to have heard that a few months ago. But, when he said it, she felt nothing that resembled love. She felt pity, resentment and frustration. She felt obligation most of all.

  “Michael, I’m sorry, but our marriage is over. Me taking care of you is for the benefit of our daughters, but it doesn’t mean anything about our relationship.”

  “You can’t mean that, Jules. We had two decades together. You don’t just throw that away,” he said, looking at her and trying to touch her hand. She glared at him.

  “You threw it away first.”

  “You’re right, and I’m sorry. I know I hurt you. But, I know what I did wrong now. I’m willing to get therapy to be a better man. I’ll do anything to make this work again.”

  “No, Michael. I’m not leaving my new life in Seabreeze.”

  “Then what if I come there?”

  “What?”

  “I’ll move there. I can do rehab anywhere, right? And we can work on building our relationship. Can you imagine how excited the girls would be?”

  All she heard was that he was willing to go to Seabreeze. Even if she didn’t want to get back together, it would make life a lot easier if he came home with her. Of course, Janine might kill him in his sleep, but that was a bridge she’d cross later.

  “So, you’d agree to come to Seabreeze and live?”

  “I would do anything for you, Jules,” he said, his voice lower. Ugh. It made her sick to think he wanted her again. For some reason, she didn’t see him that way anymore. A part of her felt guilty for pretending they’d have any chance of ever getting back together, but the larger part of her wanted to get back to her home on the marsh.

  And, as her daughter once told her, “Players deserve to get played”. She probably wasn’t referring to her father, though.

  “Okay.”

  “Okay?” Michael asked, his eyes wide.

  “Let’s talk to your doctors about moving your treatment program to Charleston.”

  He smiled broadly. “Thank you, Julie. You won’t regret this.”

  “Michael, this doesn’t mean anything has changed.”

  “But, there’s hope, and that’s enough for now.”

  She didn’t respond, and instead pulled back into traffic, thinking of how excited she was to see Dawson, Dixie and Janine again.

  Chapter 15

  It had taken a lot longer than she expected to get the doctors to approve Michael’s move. Four more weeks had passed, and Julie was getting antsy. Talking to Dawson over video chat about the house wasn’t nearly as fun as being there in person to pick out her home decor.

  She could see the cottage transforming before her eyes, and it made her ache for Seabreeze. She couldn’t believe how it felt like home to her, like she’d been there her whole life.

  “We leave tomorrow?”

  “Yes. And the real estate agent will have the condo listed by this weekend,” Julie said as she packed her suitcase.

  “Oh. Good.” Michael’s voice was different. He didn’t sound excited, which was odd given how much he’d pushed for the move and the prospect of them getting back together.

  Meg and Colleen had both been so excited to hear they were moving in together even though Julie had tried to make them understand it didn’t mean anything.

  “I think your
phone is ringing,” Michael said, rolling his eyes. He was tired of her talking to all of her Seabreeze friends, and he made no secret about it.

  Julie walked to her phone and saw Dixie’s number. “Hey, Dixie!”

  “Hey yourself!” Dixie said, her Southern accent a sweet sound to Julie’s ear.

  She waved at Michael to say she was stepping outside to take the call and then went onto the balcony overlooking the city, sliding the door shut behind her.

  “So, what’s going on?”

  “Dawson tells me you’re bringing your husband back to Seabreeze?”

  Julie sighed. “It was the only way I was ever getting home.”

  “Honey, I know this isn’t my business, and you can tell me to shut my trap if you want, but I don’t think this is a very good idea.”

  “I don’t either, but my daughters would never forgive me if I didn’t take care of their father.”

  “Your daughters are grown women. Surely, they’d understand that you can’t spend the rest of your life caring for the man who betrayed you.”

  “I feel obligated. At least this way I can be home and have ya’ll around me.”

  “Scoundrels rarely change, ya know?”

  “I know.”

  “And you deserve this new life you’ve built.”

  “Thank you, Dixie. And I appreciate it.”

  “He’ll show you who he really is again. Promise me when he does that you’ll finally let yourself break away and not feel obligated to this man, okay? Pay attention. Don’t let guilt cause you to waste your life.”

  She appreciated Dixie’s words more than she could describe, especially since her own mother was little help in situations like these. Her only advice had been to try to work it out because Michael would go back to work one day, and she’d be supported again.

  “I’ll pay attention. I promise.”

  “Well, I’ve got a customer coming in. Love you, sweetie.”

  “Love you too, Dixie. See ya soon.”

  She pressed end and looked out over the city. Although it was lovely, she couldn’t wait to hear the sounds of the marsh again. She turned to go back into the condo, but she could hear Michael talking softly. Quietly, she tip toed to the bedroom door and listened.