Page 24 of The Magic of Sea Glass
“Penelope, have you seen the sea glass bracelet?” her mother called while digging through her suitcase.
Penelope stood with one foot out of the open screen door of their summer bungalow. “I haven’t,” she replied, her face flushing with warmth. “I’ll be right back. I just want to take one more walk.”
“All right, dear, but we’re leaving in about an hour.”
“Okay, Mama. I’ll be back by then.”
With excitement, Penelope stepped through the door and into the sunshine. The skirt of her baby-blue dress puffed out around her thin legs, making her feel like a real lady. After seeing it in a shop window in town, she’d saved all her money from babysitting that summer to buy it. It had a belt that showed off her waist and two buttons with a delicate lace collar at the neck. She put on her favorite perfume that smelled just like the expensive ones she’d sampled in the department stores, and purposely left both her wrist and her ring finger empty of jewelry.
Today, Phillip would return the bracelet, and she was nearly certain that he planned to propose. They’d had long talks about it while lying in the grass under the oak tree at the house and they even window-shopped at the jewelry store in town. She’d pointed out a gold band, despite his attempts to persuade her to get a diamond. She told him that a diamond wouldn’t make her love for him any more. Neither of them understood how they’d fallen so quickly for one another after only a summer together, but they both knew without a doubt that they were perfect for each other.
Given their age, however, she told him that she’d give him one final chance to make up his mind. If he met her at their spot, she’d marry him, but if he didn’t show up, she’d let him go. Wanting to savor only the wonderful times she had experienced in Fairhope, if their whirlwind romance were to end, she’d rather it end in silence than a dramatic breakup. But she didn’t worry about that at all, because he’d assured her that he’d be there.
Meeting Phillip had been fate. The summer in Fairhope was a complete surprise. A family friend recommended her father for renovations on a client’s old bay house. He was delighted to not only bring in a steady salary that summer, but that they could live there while he finished the repairs. Their mother had taken a leave of absence from the cleaning service she worked for and Penelope had enjoyed a summer holiday, something she never had before, given her family’s meager income.
By the time Penelope arrived at the bay, where Phillip promised to meet her that morning, she was nearly out of breath. She sat down on the bench swing in the shade of an old oak tree. The Spanish moss, dripping from the knotty branches, swayed in the breeze. Crossing her feet at the ankles, she rested while taking in the sparkling water of Mobile Bay. Soon, this would be her home. She hadn’t told her mother and father about their plans for marriage just yet, and she had no idea what they’d say, but it didn’t matter. She was eighteen and if she had to press the issue, what could they say? Her life was her own.
As the seagulls squawked overhead, a couple walked by holding hands. Penelope’s skin prickled with anticipation when she greeted them. Love certainly was all around. She pushed against the ground with her little blue flats and let the swing sway back and forth, the bay breeze blowing her hair. She’d pinned her curls in place all night so that she looked perfect for this moment. Unable to hide her happiness, a smile crept across her face as she peered over the walkway. Phillip was about five minutes late, but it took a while to get from his mansion of a house on the hill, so she’d need to give him time.
But as the minutes ticked by—ten and then fifteen—she rubbed her empty wrist, her smile sliding into a look of apprehension. That wasn’t like him. She stood up and faced the direction that he always came, but the path was empty. She wondered if anything had happened. Should she run back to the house and phone him from the fancy rotary phone? She’d have to figure out how to use it first. She took in a deep breath of salty air and closed her eyes.Calm down, she told herself.Any minute, he’ll come jogging my way, apologetic for being so late. He’d have a good reason, and she’d throw her arms around his neck and forgive him.
The longer she waited, however, the clearer it all became. She had to have been waiting for almost an hour already and she needed to get back to her family. He knew exactly what time she was leaving. So there was only one explanation: he’d changed his mind.
As she stared at the vacant path, it felt as if someone had grabbed hold of her heart and ripped it from her chest, and inside, she was gasping and straining to get it back. A tear rolled down her powdered cheek, which she quickly wiped away. Today was the first time in her young life she’d experienced real heartbreak, and she didn’t know how she would ever recover.
SEVEN
Rodanthe, North Carolina
Lauren walked into the main room of the inn with Mary to meet Stephanie, her fiancé, and Brody’s mother, Melinda.
Stephanie’s hair was longer than it had been in the photo on Brody’s phone, and she had on the type of sundress Lauren would’ve bought. With their similar styles, she could definitely understand how Brody had mistaken her for this woman. It made Lauren feel, without a doubt, that there would be no way she could make it through planning her wedding. She was certain that the woman’s wedding tastes would favor hers, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to cope with the task of sending Stephanie down the aisle.
Upon seeing Lauren, Stephanie clapped her hand over her mouth, her eyes wide.
Lauren reached out in greeting to the woman. “Hello, I’m—”
“Lauren Sutton, yes, I know,” Stephanie said, shaking her hand overzealously. “I’ve seen you on TV. I’ve watched every single episode. Twice!”
The man next to Stephanie with curly brown hair and kind eyes offered his hand as well, and Lauren shook it. “Mitchell James, Stephanie’s fiancé.” He was tall and thin like Mason, but, thank goodness, that was where the similarity ended.
Melinda took Lauren’s wrist and admired the sea glass bracelet. “That suits you.”
“It’s lovely.” Lauren gave it a little jingle.
“It has aninterestingstory,” Melinda said. “I’ll have to tell you all about it sometime, but today, we’re here to talk about weddings, aren’t we, Stephanie?”
Stephanie took Mitchell’s hand, beaming.
“Yes, yes, everyone have a seat.” Mary gestured to the tray on the coffee table. “I’ve made us all sweet tea.”
“So how do you two know each other—just through Brody?” Lauren asked to make conversation, wagging a finger between Melinda and Stephanie. She was curious as to why Melinda would be helping a friend of Brody’s with something so intimate as a wedding.
Melinda gave Stephanie an affectionate smile before turning her attention back to Lauren. “That’s quite a story as well, actually.”
Stephanie returned the woman’s loving gaze and leaned forward to retrieve a glass of sweet tea. “I’ve lived here my whole life, and I’ve always known Brody’s family. Then my parents passed away suddenly in an accident when I was eighteen.”
“I’m so sorry,” Lauren said, the tug of loss grabbing hold of her.
