Page 26 of The Summer We Mended
“But it’s not the end of the world either.”
She gave a small, sad smile.“Sure feels like it some days.”
Henry looked at her then, and there was something uncharacteristically soft in his expression.“Just keep going.You’re still her mother.That means something.Maybe you and Clark will work it out.”
Jess nodded, knowing that last part would never happen.Her divorce was finalized, and she wanted nothing to do with her ex-husband.He should be in prison, and his only saving grace was their daughter, but Jess kept that information to herself.After a moment, she followed him up the steps.The porch light flicked on as they reached the door, casting their shadows long and crooked behind them.And though she didn’t say it, Jess felt something in her chest loosen, just a bit.
ChapterNine
Lily
The silence after a full house was always the loudest.The last of the cars had pulled away down the crushed-shell drive nearly an hour ago, but the echoes of laughter and the patter of little feet still clung to the corners of the house like the scent of baked clams and grilled corn.Lily stood in the doorway of the kitchen for a moment, taking it all in.Margot and Claudia had scrubbed every surface to a shine, every dish was dried and put away, and every towel hanged neatly.The only sign of life was the faint steam curling from her mug of chamomile tea.
Anna was working on getting the kids in the shower and bedtimes.This was their special time together and Lily didn’t want to encroach on that so she decided the night air and looking up at the stars might help ground her after the busy day.
She stepped outside and sank into the porch swing, her body sighing into the worn cushions as if it were exhaling.The blanket around her shoulders was her favorite, one David had brought home from a trip to Maine, soft and pilled with age, the edges fraying just enough to feel loved.The porch creaked softly beneath her feet, the rhythmic sway of the swing syncing with her breath.
The whole day had been… nice.
Nice in the way that made her heart ache.The kind of nice that reminded her of all the good things she couldn’t quite hold on to anymore.Today had been unexpected and chaotic in the best way.She hadn’t planned on opening her home to family and friends.She wouldn’t have said yes if they’d asked.
But they hadn’t.And somehow, that had made it better.
From her spot on the swing, Lily could still picture Henry chasing the kids around the side yard, his slow jog not fooling anyone but Maisie, who shrieked with laughter as she ran.Claudia had taken command of the kitchen with her usual grace, and Margot’s quick wit had filled in the rest.The house had felt warm again.
Alive.
She stared out at the sky stretching over Vineyard Harbor, the stars barely visible behind a thin curtain of mist.The moon was high and hazy, casting silver light over the path that led down to the dunes.She could hear the sea in the distance, a steady hush that always made her chest tighten.It was the same sound that had filled the edges of their days, the backdrop to her life with David.
He would’ve loved tonight.
He would’ve sat on this very swing after helping carry in the last of the dishes, probably with a beer in one hand and a kid in the other.He would’ve nudged her knee with his and said something about how they should do this more often.That life was too short not to eat pie on a Tuesday.
Lily blinked hard, her vision blurring as tears pricked behind her eyes.
God, how was it possible to feel so full and so empty at the same time?
The door creaked behind her, soft footsteps padding across the wood.She didn’t turn.
“Hey,” Anna said quietly, lowering herself onto the swing beside her.The old chains groaned under the extra weight, but Lily welcomed the presence.
“Hey,” she murmured back, clearing her throat gently.
They sat in silence for a few breaths.The mug was warm in Lily’s hands, the tea soothing even if it didn’t reach the raw edges inside.
“Dinner was good,” Anna said finally.“Claudia and Margot know how to command a kitchen.”
Lily nodded, eyes still on the horizon.“They do.The boil was amazing.”
Anna chuckled softly.“I think Margot put a whole stick of butter in everything she made.”
Lily smiled and let out a soft giggle.“Tasted like it.”
Another quiet beat passed.They just let the rhythm of the swing and the night fill the silence.
“I got the kids down,” Anna said eventually.“Blaze is convinced there’s a treasure map in the floorboards upstairs.”
Lily huffed out a small laugh.“Let him look.Might keep him occupied tomorrow.”
