Page 84 of The Magic of Sea Glass
Lauren’s phone buzzed in her pocket with a text. She pulled it out and peered down at the message. “They’re here,” she told her parents. A zinging sensation shot through her, and as her parents met her at the door, she took their hands for support and walked back down to the main room.
Stephanie was the first to see them when they entered. She immediately gasped, tears filling her eyes as she looked at Lauren’s mother. She gawked at Grace, her whole body trembling. Brody put a protective hand on her shoulder to let her know that they were all there for her.
“Oh my God,” Stephanie said and then ran over to her. “You look exactly like my mother—you two are identical.” She fell into her aunt’s arms, bawling.
Joe’s knees buckled and Mary quickly helped him to sit down.
Grace held Stephanie the same way she’d held Lauren whenever she faced something difficult, with her hand on the back of Stephanie’s head, comforting her as the tears flowed from her eyes as well. “I wish I could’ve met her,” Grace said when they parted.
Stephanie stared at her. “You even carry yourself the same way. You walk like her, stand like her, talk like her. It’s amazing.”
“I’m in just as much shock to see someone who resembles my daughter. You two could be sisters.” Grace reached out for Lauren’s hand and squeezed it.
Then, as if the three of them shared the same thought, Lauren, Stephanie, and her mother turned to see Joe, who worked his way to standing and slowly moved over to them. His eyes brimmed with tears as he took in the sight of his daughter. “Grace.” He blinked to clear the emotion, but the tears slid down his weathered cheeks anyway. With his arms stretched wide, he held them out to her. “My little girl.”
She embraced him, and he wept like a baby into her shoulder. “My sweet Grace… I never thought I’d see you again. It’s a miracle.” He pulled back and gazed at her, completely mesmerized. “Have you had a good life?”
“Yes,” Grace said. “I’ve had a wonderful life.”
He put his face in his hands and cried, his relief palpable. “That’s all I could ask for.” He wiped his face and turned to Mary. “I need some fresh air.”
“I’ll get the cocktails, and we can all go out to the back porch,” Mary said. “Brody, will you help me get them?”
“Of course,” he replied.
Lauren assisted Joe through the doors, stepping out into the bright light of summer. As they all settled on the back porch, Lauren, Stephanie, Joe, and Grace—now a family—walked to the railing and looked out at the glistening water while Mary, Brody, and Lauren’s father took a seat in the shade. Under the warm orange sun, the waves shined like diamonds.
Like little pieces of sea glass.
Thank you, Lauren said silently to Mason.Wish You Were Here. But she knew he was. He was right there beside them, along with Penelope and Phillip. And she could be sure that Mason was cheering for her. All she had to do was look around. He’d been showing her, one sparkling piece of sea glass at a time.
TWENTY-THREE
A Week Later
The last seven days with her parents had gone by in a flash. Lauren had shared so many good moments with her new family and her old one, and they’d all promised to get together every holiday. After seeing her mom and dad off, hugging them both fiercely, she settled into the newly decorated main room of the inn with Mary and Joe.
“I don’t think my heart could get any fuller,” Joe said. “All those years, I had to keep quiet. I wasn’t allowed to tell the girls who I really was.”
“What finally prompted you to do it?” Mary asked.
“It just felt right. As if Penny was urging me to do it.” He flashed a big smile at Lauren. “Penny and Anne got you here just so that I could tell you—I believe that.”
“I believe it too,” Lauren said. “I’ll bet they’re with Mason. They’re going to love him.” She was able to speak of him without sadness today, and she could feel the love and hope radiating from inside. He used to say she was stubborn, and she definitely had been when it came to moving past his loss, but, just as he had in life, he’d managed to get her to change her mind.
Brody’s voice cut in from the front of the inn. “Hey, could I steal Lauren for a second?”
Mary twisted around. “Of course.”
He walked over and held out his hand to Lauren, an undecipherable look in his eyes. Curious, she took his hand and followed him out the front doors, where the Winnebago was parked, idling. Her heart dropped into her stomach. She’d just finished one of the best weeks of her life and now she was facing Brody leaving them. It was time to say goodbye. She didn’t want him to go, but she couldn’t stand in his way either.
He led her down the stairs to the parking lot. “I got it all clean, gassed up, and ready for the trip, and I wanted to bring it by to show you.” He opened the door and gestured for her to step inside.
Lauren entered the large vehicle and took in the renovated space. Brody had installed hardwood-style floors in a stunning gray throughout, he’d upholstered the small sofas and chairs along the side in a complementing gray color, and across from them he’d built a miniature kitchen, complete with white cabinetry and stainless-steel appliances.
“This is beautiful.” All his choices were perfect.
“Watch this.” He hit a button and the top cabinet door rotated, revealing a flat-screen TV, perfectly positioned for watching from the sofas.
