Page 82 of The Summer We Mended
She had told her mother numerous times that she didn’t feel this was the right time for the party, but the more she got into the marketing of it, the more excited she got.And the more excited she got, the more she forgot about her divorce and business failure.
She wasn’t about to tell her mom she was right about any of it, though.
* * *
Friday morning dawned warm and breezy, the kind of June day the Vineyard did best.The early light poured through the sheer curtains in Jess’s childhood bedroom, golden and gentle.She sat cross-legged on her bed, her laptop balanced on a stack of old magazines, fingers flying across the keyboard as she scheduled the final batch of social media posts for the solstice party.Her iced coffee sat sweating on the nightstand, and Maisie’s glittery stickers were scattered across a stack of paper fliers that still needed folding.
Her phone buzzed.
“Grandma’s making pancakes,” Maisie called from the hallway, clearly energized by the scent of vanilla and butter wafting through the house.“She said come down now or you miss the fresh batch!”
Jess smiled, then called out, “Tell her I’ll be there in five!”
It was a lie.She still had at least a dozen messages in her DMs to answer and a few more videos to upload before she could even think about breakfast.She was right in the middle of crafting a witty caption about the historic solstice celebrations from the early 1900s, one of her favorite posts to date, when her mother’s voice rose up the stairs.
“Jessica Lynn!”Her mother was all brisk cheer.“I need you down here, now!”
Jess groaned softly and saved her draft.She closed the laptop, scooped up her coffee, and made her way down to the kitchen, still wearing pajama shorts and a stretched-out T-shirt that read “Support Local Bookstores.”
Claudia stood at the stove, her perfectly pressed white linen blouse already starched for the day, a spatula in one hand and a commanding glint in her eye.Maisie sat at the breakfast nook, giggling as she poured extra syrup over her stack of pancakes.
“Morning,” Jess mumbled.
“You’re lucky you caught the last round,” Claudia said, sliding a plate toward her daughter.
Jess picked up a fork and dug in without fanfare, grateful for the food if not for the early interruption.“What’s up?”
Claudia wiped her hands on a dishtowel and leaned against the counter, arms crossed with unmistakable purpose.“I’ve invited everyone over for dinner tonight.Family only… well mostly.Casual.Early evening.”
Jess paused mid-bite.“Everyone?And what do you mean mostly?”
Claudia nodded.“Lily, Anna, the kids.Cody, too, if he’s around, Margot.I even invited that nice man, Tom, and his daughter.He seems to have taken a liking to Lily.”
Jess blinked.“Is this about the solstice party?”
Her mother gave her a look that saidDon’t be obtuse.“Yes and…” She grinned back at her.“…it’s about getting together as a family, but it’s also about getting everyone together to help me with the last of the decorations and things.”
Jess set down her fork.“Mom, I really don’t think it’s a good idea to rope them into helping.Especially not Lily or Anna.Not after the week they’ve had.”
Claudia waved her hand in that infuriating way she did whenever she believed herself the most right.“Oh, please.A little activity will do them good.And it’s not as if I’m asking them to run the entire event.Just some light help: flower arrangements, ribbon tying, maybe helping the kids set up the games.That kind of thing.”
Jess leaned back in her chair.“You’re not listening.Aunt Lily’s still barely functioning.And Anna, she’s holding it together for the kids, but barely.They don’t need more on their plates right now.They need space.”
Claudia poured herself a fresh cup of coffee and sipped it like she hadn’t just steamrolled her daughter’s concerns.“I’ve been doing this for decades, Jess.Trust me.Sometimes what people need is a sense of normalcy.Something familiar to anchor them.This party is tradition.”
Jess shook her head slowly, unsure whether to laugh or scream.“That’s the thing, Mom.This party might be normal for you.But for them?Nothing is normal right now.”
“Exactly.”Claudia raised a brow.“So the party is a gift.It’s comfort.It’s community.”
Jess bit her tongue, knowing it was useless to argue further.Her mother had made up her mind.No amount of logic was going to sway her.She glanced at Maisie, who was now humming as she decorated her empty plate with whipped cream swirls.
“I’ll help you set up,” Jess said finally.“But if Lily or Anna don’t want to, I’m not going to pressure them.”
“Fair enough,” Claudia said, breezing out of the kitchen like a queen assured of her court.
Later that afternoon, Jess stood on the back porch, laptop balanced on the railing as she updated the party’s event page with new photos from the past year’s celebrations.Her recent social media campaign had been more successful than she could’ve imagined.Her inbox was flooded with messages.Reels of the Vineyard in the golden hour, historic solstice trivia, and behind-the-scenes shots of party prep had gone mini-viral in the local scene.She was even getting DMs from nearby towns asking if the event was open to the public.
Maisie stood beside her, proudly holding a poster board that read “Solstice Party Tomorrow!”in bold glitter letters.
