Page 133 of Only a Breath Away

Hayley said, “Yes, exactly, and I’m over the hotel, let’s head home.”

I said, “It will take a moment, I think we’re going to need to rent a van for the drive down—”

Magnus said, “Why a van?”

“Do you want to take Haggis on an airplane?”

Magnus’s eyes went wide. “Och, they would put Haggis in a seat with the belt on his lap? Nae, I daena think he would like flying at all.” He scratched Haggis behind the ears again.

CHAPTER 83 - KAITLYN

The last night of our vacation was bittersweet. Hayley said, “I am going to miss this place, can we change our votes?”

Quentin said, “I’ve rented a fifteen-person passenger van and James and I have been strapping stuff to the roof, no, we are leaving, headed south, but we can come back.”

Magnus said, “We can always come back.”

The sun was almost completely set, it was late, we had eaten and had homemade Whoopie Pies from Tracy. I led the kids down to the dock explaining, “We skip stones to say goodbye.”

We collected a tiny pile of pebbles and I taught them to skip stones. Archie and Ben got the hang of it really quick. Isla tossed hers. Zoe’s dropped, ‘plunk’, and she giggled and plunked pebbles into the lake, merrily. Isla complained, “Zoe isn’t doing it right.”

“Zoe is doing it right. Archie’s rock is saying, ‘A fond farewell to you, lake.’ Ben’s rock is saying, ‘See you soon, I hope.’ Your rock is a long toss, as if you’re saying, ‘Goodbye I will miss you,’ and Zoe’s pebble is saying, ‘Bye-bye.’ It’s all valid.”

Zoe plunked in a pebble and said, “Bye-bye.”

Isla said, “That’s good, Zoe, it all valid.”

Someone turned on some music from the house. “I love this song.” I turned and drew in a breath at the sight of my family, there in chairs all over the lawn. Like decades ago when it had been my grandparents and their brothers and sisters and….

“God, I love you all so much,”

Hayley said, “What brought this on?”

“You’re all sparkling in the firelight, the darkness around you, it’s magical, thank you for coming—”

James said, “I think most of us were totally chased here.”

Quentin chuckled, “Again, your fault, James”

I said, “But still, whether we were chased, or escaping, or gathering, or vacationing, it’s been lovely seeing you all here at my grandparents’ house. This is kinda making me weepy.” I waved my hand trying to keep the tears from coming.

Magnus stood. “Dost ye ken what we need? We need a dance tae say goodnight tae the shore.” He crossed to the middle of the lawn, the gentle grassy slope to the lake and held out a hand. I met him there and he put an arm around me and we danced in the night to my favorite song. A moment later Zach and Emma came to dance near us, then Beaty and Quentin, Sophie and James, and Hayley and Fraoch. It was a lovely moment all of us slow-dancing in the night.

I said, “This is perfect.”

We rocked back and forth, held close in his arms, the scent of smoke and lake, the dirt of the ground, and the fresh cool grass, the pine around us. “I ken, I once saw Barb and Jack do this, twas a lovely sight. I am verra glad tae hae ye in my arms and I am sure they are smiling down on us.”

The music lilted through the air. I met Hayley’s eyes as she passed by in Fraoch’s arms, genuinely happy. Beaty beaming up into Quentin’s eyes, Emma and Zach, holding each other with Zoe in their arms too. Sophie and James rocking back and forth, so in love, our newlyweds. Then Magnus spun me around and we met eyes, kissed, and hugged, then I heard him say, “Och,” and I turned to see Lochinvar leading Tracy by the hand to a patch of grass where they danced together too.

“Uh oh,” I said.

“Aye,” he agreed.

But I supposed summer was made for love, and vacations were meant for meeting people, and we were leaving in the morning, so whatever was going on with that would all probably figure itself out.

* * *

The next morning was spent with last minute packing, loading, and soon enough we were all in the passenger van. Tracy was there to say goodbye, to clean up when we were gone, and we were sending her a stipend for house sitting for us while we were gone.

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