Page 13 of Wishes at Water's Edge
“Hey, Sally!” Vivian approached their table, looking excited to see her friend.
“Hi, Vivian.” Sally gave Vivian a hug. “How’s business today?”
“Great.” Vivian grinned, looking pleased. “Busy but never too busy. How have things been on your end, Julia?”
“Good.” Julia swirled another waffle fry through a small dish of the Owens family’s secret sauce, which she had resting next to her plate. “Our budget is looking great, and I’m reorganizing the receipts folders.”
Vivian chuckled. “Sally, Julia took our marketing and our finances and did absolute wonders with both of them. She’s got quite a head on her shoulders. Cooper is a very lucky man.”
Julia grinned. “I’m a lucky girl.”
“I’m so happy for you both,” Sally said, sounding sincere. “It’s so heartwarming to think about the two of you getting married. As soon as Cooper came to town, I knew he was somebody special. And then you came back—when I heard that the two of you were dating, at first I was surprised. On a surface level, you seem like such different people. But your love for each other is clear.”
Julia’s eyes shone as she thought about her fiancé. “We are very different, you’re right. At first, that took some getting usedto, but it’s become so clear to both of us that our differences make us good for each other. We kind of balance each other out, you know?”
“You’re a great team,” Vivian agreed, nodding. “All married couples need to be. Sometimes couples make a great team because they’re similar, and other times it’s like how it is with you and Cooper—you both bring different skill sets to the table.”
“You and Terrence also make a great team,” Sally said, winking at her friend. “The love blossoming between the two of you is beautiful.”
Vivian’s cheeks turned pink and Julia laughed.
“Yes, Mom and Terrence are an adorable couple. He’s the carefulness and she’s the fun. I would say they’re even more different than Cooper and I are.”
“You never know how your feelings about someone are going to change,” Vivian said, looking smitten. “I never would have expected myself to be falling for Terrence like this when I first met him. I thought he was fussy and unreasonable—and he was.” She laughed. “He was so insistent we change the air vents just before our big Christmas party.” She shook her head. “But that’s a story for another day. Although it was unexpected, I found myself falling for Terrence when he became such a good friend to me. I guess love can show up when you’re least expecting it.”
Sally shook her head. “For some people, maybe. My days for romance have passed me by.” She laughed, but Julia noticed that the café owner looked a little sad. “Some people like me aren’t lucky enough to find ourselves a life partner. That I don’t really mind so much, but I do wish I had children to share my days with. I envy this big, close-knit family of yours, Vivian, I can’t deny it.”
“I understand.” Vivian hugged Sally around the shoulders. “But just because you don’t have a family like ours by blood doesn’t mean you can’t have the kind of support system thatwe do. Plenty of the best families are found families, groups of people that support and care for each other even though they’re not related by blood. You’re more than welcome to have me and my kids as your support system.”
“I second that,” Julia said warmly. “We’re always happy to welcome more people into our circle. The more people that have joined us, the happier we’ve become.”
Sally blinked rapidly a few times as if she had tears in her eyes. “That’s very sweet of you to offer that, both of you.”
“We mean it,” Vivian assured her. “We’re becoming better friends with you, so it’s only a natural invitation. Life has made it clear to all of us that everyone needs someone to lean on. We’re happy for you to start leaning on us.”
Sally looked overjoyed by Vivian’s offer. “I didn’t think I’d get a community like what you’re offering,” she said, wiping away a tear that she hadn’t been able to keep at bay by blinking. “I expected to spend the rest of my life doing things on my own.”
“Don’t ever feel as though you have to go through life alone,” Vivian said. “No one should feel that way. There’s always opportunities to find or build communities. And besides! You never know what might be around the corner for you. I don’t think it’s at all too late for you to find the love of your life. I certainly wasn’t expecting to fall for Terrence and start dating someone this late in life, but here I am.”
“I wouldn’t want to get my hopes up,” Sally said with a grimace-like smile. “But I think you’re so sweet to be so encouraging.”
Vivian patted her friend on the back. “You never know what will happen. I’d thought that I knew exactly what my life was going to look like for the rest of my days, but my reality turned out to be very different—and much better—than I’d thought it would be.”
Vivian and Sally went off to the office to chat and drink coffee, and Julia stayed at her booth, chewing her cheeseburger thoughtfully. The conversation she’d shared with her mother and Sally had touched her heart.
I’m so grateful to have my family,she thought.Sally makes a good point that a lot of people don’t have the kind of support system that we Owens do. I’m incredibly lucky. This beautiful but chaotic time in my life just wouldn’t be the same without them.
Julia had just finished her cheeseburger when a familiar face stepped inside The Lighthouse Grill.
“Faith!” Julia called to her cousin eagerly.
Faith Talbot had recently moved to Rosewood Beach after quitting her stressful law career in Boston. Faith had become so overwhelmed by her emotionally-draining work that she’d mistaken a panic attack for a heart attack, and at the hospital the doctors had made it clear that she needed to reduce her stress in order to live a healthy life. Faith had showed up to Rosewood Beach on a whim, and even though at first the Owens had been surprised by the arrival of a cousin that they barely remembered, they’d soon welcomed her into their inner circle with open arms.
Faith strolled across the dining room toward Julia, her round, expressive face lit up with a radiant smile. Her curvy figure was highlighted by her well-fitting jeans and her light blue cardigan, and her long wavy hair tumbled down her back.
“Hey, you.” Julia stood up to give her cousin a hug. “You look great today. Are you hoping to impress Ryan?”
“So do you,” Faith said warmly, blushing a little at the mention of her boyfriend, Ryan McCormick. When she’d first come to Rosewood Beach, she hadn’t been sure if she was going to stay or not, but once she’d met the handsome construction site manager, she’d known that she wanted to spend her futurein the charming, close-knit little town. “And no, I’m just dressing like this for myself. I’m always happy to see Ryan, though.”
