Page 27 of Waves of Time

Hilary blinked several times, unsure if her eyes were playing tricks on her or if Sophie was just giving her a weird look. But before she could dwell on it, Sophie clapped her hands and launched into her ideas for a redesign, and Hilary recorded her on her phone and asked several questions, already getting a feel for Sophie’s ideas, her image for the future, so much so that by the time the doorbell rang with the first official party attendant, Hilary’s mind was very active, dreaming up ways she could make Sophie’s space shine.

“Let the games begin!” Sophie said, watching as Patrick hurried to answer the door.

“It’s just Derek!” Patrick called, speaking of his brother, Samantha’s boyfriend.

“Oh, good. Not a Coleman,” Sophie said, breathing a sigh of relief. “We still have time before the real party starts.”

Derek entered with a couple of bottles of wine and a bowl of potato salad, which Samantha had made especially for the party. “Hey. The party starts when I walk in,” Derek joked as he placed the potato salad on the kitchen counter. “You know that.”

“Right. Sorry, Derek!” Sophie laughed just as the doorbell rang again, and she leaped up to grab it. A moment later, Estelle, Roland, Uncle Grant, and Grandpa Chuck entered, squabbling about whatever they’d been talking about in the car.

“Sophie!” Grandpa Chuck cried, taking her arm. “You never told me what a lovely place you have.”

Sophie blushed and waved her hand. “It’s not so nice right now. Hilary’s going to help me fix it into something really special.”

“Is that so?” Grandpa Chuck eyed Hilary knowingly. “I love that my grandchildren help one another like that. Makes a grandfather proud.”

Uncle Grant kissed Sophie on the top of the head, always a caring father— especially now that he’d learned about her abusive ex-husband and her addiction. Although perhaps some families would have splintered apart after learning about that, Uncle Grant had helped Sophie as much as he’d been able to, especially in the moral support department. This warmed Hilary’s heart.

Very soon, Charlie, Shawna, and Marcy arrived, with Marcy whipping around on crutches like she owned the place.

“Look at you!” Grandpa Chuck said. “You’re faster than ever.”

“I might never give them up,” Marcy said. “I can’t lose this speed.”

Very soon, Marcy and her boyfriend, Jax, planned to head to Boston for Marcy’s last year before she got a teaching degree. Hilary sensed that Charlie and Shawna were both apprehensive about the quick change, as they were used to Aria living with female roommates.

But as Shawna chatted about it quietly that afternoon out at the table on the back porch, she said, “We’re just thrilled that Jax is an islander. We’ll have all of our babies here on the island! Some of my friends’ children moved so far away. That would just destroy me.”

“People move away from home these days,” Sophie agreed.

“Not Nantucketers,” Roland suggested as he breezed past. “We’re from the most beautiful place in the world. Why would anyone go anywhere else?” He then paused, his eye catching sight of his father in the kitchen, and added, “I suppose Martha’s Vineyard isn’t too bad, either.”

At that moment, familiar voices flooded the house— Samantha’s, Darcy’s, and Rachelle’s. Hilary’s heart pumped with nerves as they made the rounds, greeting everyone before they stepped outside.

“What a party,” Sam said, hugging everyone, including Hilary, although Hilary sensed the hug was slightly stiff, especially when compared to Darcy and Rachelle’s.

“I couldn’t be more grateful to Sophie for hosting,” Estelle said, smiling at her niece.

“It’s my pleasure,” Sophie said. “Patrick has been a big help all day.”

“You should have seen them wrestling the tulips into the vase earlier,” Hilary recounted.

Sophie blushed crimson. “On second thought, we might have purchased too many tulips. But when I was at the flower shop this morning, I had a hunch that the secret solution to all of my problems was that many tulips.”

Sam eyed the tulips on the indoor table and said, “I’m no interior designer, but I think they look spectacular, Sophie.” She then looked at Hilary pointedly, as though to say,I know you think you’re better than me.

Hilary dropped her gaze and ate a chocolate chip cookie, simmering with confusion.

“Is Aria coming?” Estelle asked as she sat beside Hilary at the table, nibbling a celery stick.

“She had to work, unfortunately,” Hilary said.

“That’s too bad,” Estelle said. “I love that darling girl. And I wanted to hear more about her time in San Francisco with her father!”

Near the table, Sophie and Sam exchanged a strange glance, one that caught Hilary’s attention. It looked as though they had an entire conversation within the span of only a few seconds. Hilary’s chest churned with a mix of curiosity and anger. For some reason, she had a hunch the “glance” was about her.Was Sophie now on Sam’s side? Had Hilary lost the battle?

“Hilary?” Sophie’s voice was sweet yet tentative.

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