Page 19 of The Summer We Mended
Lily
It was late afternoon as Lily, Blaze, and Nora climbed the last stretch of the sandy path to the house.The wind had settled into a gentle whisper, stirring the sea grass.
“That was the best field trip ever,” Blaze said.
“Field trip?”Nora asked as she chuffed.“We just hung out with Grandma.”
“Well, we’re supposed to be in school, so I’m calling it a field trip,” he replied.
Lily laughed to herself just as she looked up at the house and noticed movement on the back deck.
She froze.Her breath caught in her throat.
For the briefest of moments, it was David.The shape of his shoulders.The way he leaned against the doorframe.Her pulse pounded in her ears, and her legs locked beneath her.Her eyes stung, a prickle of tears rising before she could stop them.
But then he turned.
Not David, but Henry.
Her late husband’s older brother stepped out onto the porch with his usual measured gait, his silver hair clipped neatly above his ears, a collared shirt tucked into his slacks despite the casual setting.He was a retired high school principal and struggled to get away from looking the part of that, even in retirement.His hand was wrapped loosely around the porch railing, and he blinked into the sunlight like he hadn’t expected them so soon.
Claudia followed behind him, her skirt fluttering at her ankles, her arms already stretching wide as she caught sight of them.“There you are!We were beginning to wonder if you’d taken the kids all the way to Edgartown!”
Maisie squealed from inside the house.A blur of small limbs and tangled curls, she barreled through the open screen door.“Nora!Blaze!Look what I found!”
She held up a shell that looked suspiciously like a chipped clam, but her pride in it was radiant.
Blaze grinned.“We found one with a tiny crab still inside!”
Claudia knelt to greet them, her arms enfolding Blaze and Nora in a warm embrace that smelled like lavender and sunscreen.She kissed each child on the temple, brushing sand from their cheeks like it was sacred.“Oh, just look at you both.What is your mama feeding you?I swear you’ve both grown a foot since I saw you last.”
“We only have two feet,” Blaze said as he shot her a funny look.
Claudia laughed.“I meant in height, smarty-pants.”
Blaze laughed before Henry reached over and shook his hand.“If you’re not a perfect replica of your dad and your Uncle Cody, I don’t know who is.”
“Mom tells me that, too.She tells me I look like Grandpa a lot.”
“That would be true.”Claudia smiled.“Cody is the spitting image of David.”
Claudia turned to Lily before she engulfed her in her arms.Her lavender scent wrapped around Lily.She wanted to pull away at the sudden contact but knew that Claudia wouldn’t let go regardless.
“It’s so good to see you out and about.You look good, sis,” Claudia whispered.
Lily smiled, though it trembled at the edges.“Thanks, Claudia.”
Henry nodded from where he stood, arms crossed loosely over his chest.“Good to see you, Lil.Kids look strong.”
He offered a tight smile, his eyes flicking over the children before settling awkwardly on her face.There was affection there, buried under the careful construction of control, but no warmth in his posture.He was trying.Lily knew that.He always tried.But Henry came from a generation of stoics, and his grief had been packed away in tight corners, tucked behind pride and polite conversation.
“Thanks, Henry,” she said softly.“You too.”
Their daughter, Jess, emerged from the doorway last, holding a bottle of water, her face half-shadowed under her long bangs.She stood on the threshold, eyes darting toward her mother, then Lily, then back again.
“Hi,” she said, her voice quiet.
“Hey, Jess,” Lily offered, stepping forward to close the space between them.
