Page 25 of Captiva Book Club

“Mom!” she yelled. “Are you up there?”

“Sarah? What are you doing here so late? Did you drive here alone?”

“It’s not that far, Mom. I’m only in Sanibel, I’m pretty sure I can drive myself at nine o’clock at night. I highly recommend it considering there was no one on the road. I should come over here late all the time.”

“Sarah?” Paolo asked, “Is Trevor with you?”

“Nope, just me. I wanted to stop by and wish Mom good luck tomorrow.”

“Oh, honey, that's so sweet. You didn’t have to drive here though, you could have called.”

Sarah wrapped her arms around Maggie and squeezed, her eyes wet from letting her tears form.

“I couldn’t hug you if I didn’t come in person.”

They lingered in the embrace for a while, before Maggie pulled back and looked at her daughter.

“Everything is going to be okay. I’m convinced of it. Please don’t worry.”

Sarah laughed. “I’m supposed to comfort you, not the other way around.”

“Would you like a cup of tea?”

Sarah nodded, wiping her eyes with her sweater.

“Yes, please.”

Maggie put her arm around Sarah’s waist, and they walked into the kitchen.

“Sit down and relax, while I make our tea. I could use something warm myself. I just spent the afternoon with your grandmother. She made us tea, proving that this tea-drinking and talking thing is inherited.”

Sarah laughed. “I’ve been known to prepare a cup or two for the same reason.”

“Oh? Who have you been having a heart-to-heart with these days? I doubt your children’s attention span warrants a serious long talk about anything.”

“Trevor…who else? He’s so excited about starting his new job in the new year, it’s all he talks about. He’s seriously pumped with energy.”

“That doesn’t sound like someone who needs a pep talk,” Maggie said.

“You’re right, we aren’t having those kinds of talks, it’s more that I’m trying to keep his feet solidly on the ground. He has so many new ideas about his job that I have to remind him it’s possible his new boss might reject some of them. I don’t want him to be disappointed.”

“I can understand that. What kind of ideas?”

“Well, he wants Ciara and me to talk to the Outreach Center’s board and propose they work together with Thompson Green Developments about merging mission statements and business plans. In essence, what he wants is to give people affordable housing that is also environmentally sound.”

“Oh, Sarah, I think that’s a fantastic idea. You don’t?”

Sarah shook her head. “Not at all. I think it’s a great idea too, it’s just that I don’t want him to be disappointed if it doesn’t get accepted by the people who make these decisions. I haven’t had a moment to talk to Ciara about it, but I will soon. I don’t want to have that conversation at Christmas dinner. I don’t want to talk about work instead of enjoying my family. I’m so excited we’re all going to be together soon.”

Maggie smiled. “Me too, honey.”

When the tea was ready, Sarah and her mother sat at the kitchen table and talked about many things. Creating new memories on Captiva Island the last four years was wonderful, but, for Sarah, nothing matched the years growing up in Andover, Massachusetts, when her father and mother were together, and everyone was under the same roof. She loved the times spent with her mother alone, without having to share her with her siblings, but she also couldn’t wait for the eventual noise and chaos when everyone tried to talk at the same time.

“It’s going to be crazy here in about ten days. Are you ready for it?” Sarah asked.

Maggie nodded. “I am. Nothing makes me happier than having my family by my side. It’s the best medicine.”

When it was time to go, Sarah hugged her mother again.

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