Page 66 of Begin Again

She grabbed her lemon bars that she’d put on a big disposable tray and they got in his truck and drove to the park in Paradise Place. They passed several that were walking and pulling coolers or pushing strollers, carrying chairs or walking dogs.

Having never grown up in what she’d call a tight-knit extended family, it felt odd to her to see so much of it surrounding her today.

She reminded herself that no one knew what else went on in someone’s life. That many put on a front for the world to see. She’d been guilty of that herself for years. No more though. She wasn’t hiding or pretending anymore.

That meant that she really should tell Christian how she felt about him.

More so that shewantedto tell him. She was tired of holding so much in.

They got out of his truck after he drove it on the grass and parked over by where his family seemed to be. She was going to ask why, but then he went to the back and she saw there were bags of ice there and Evan came over with Ryan to unload them.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” she asked Christian’s mom.

“We can take a walk to the dessert table,” Judy said. “The men tend to have most of it covered by now. The women, we were here just setting it up and putting the signs up now.”

Liz wasn’t sure what Judy was talking about until they got closer to the tent with all the tables under it. There were tables marked salads with mayo and those without. She could see why, as there were tins with ice in them and then kiddie pools under the table holding even more ice for people to put their salads in. Guess they were serious about no one getting sick.

There was a table with desserts and then a spot to put any desserts with nuts.

“This is great,” she said. “So considerate of your family.”

“We’ve been doing it for years. I remember the first time I came to one. There weren’t nearly as many people as there will be today. But few had allergies or food restrictions like now. We just worried that nothing spoiled in the heat more than anything else.”

“It is a completely different world than it was when we were little.”

“In some ways, yes,” Judy said. “In other ways, no. Christian seems very happy.”

“I don’t know that I’ve ever known him not to be,” she said. “But then I have to tell myself we were kids back then. Weren’t we all happy to the point that our issues were more trivial looking back?”

Judy put her hand on Liz’s arm. “Not everyone’s was trivial.”

She wondered what Judy might know about her mother but then pushed it off. She’d think that Christian would be aware if Judy knew and it hadn’t come up once.

Not even ever asking why she went into nursing.

Abby knew that it was so she could help people. That she got it from her father and wished she could have done more for her mother.

She learned at a young age her mother didn’t want to be helped.

It was sad in her eyes that she lived a life like that herself.

Then she reminded herself that wasn’t the case. It wasn’t that she didn’t want help when she was married to Tanner, it was that she thought she had it under control...until it was out of control.

“You’re right,” she said. “They weren’t. But I’d like to think most are in a good place now.”

Judy smiled and nodded her head. Liz put her dessert down and then followed Judy back to where the rest of Christian’s family was.

As the day went on, she met more people than she could have imagined. She tried to remember those that were her neighbors or on her street at least. The rest were faces that she’d pass driving through and wave at.

She was lucky enough that she’d gone to two weddings with Christian and was able to meet his family or at least some of his extended family ahead of this.

“Liz,” Ruby Turner said. “I’m so glad that you could come to the picnic. Though I’m sure Christian wasn’t going to let you miss it.”

She wasn’t surprised Ruby knew about her relationship with Christian when Ruby had such a close working connection to the Butlers.

“I’m glad he talked me into it,” she said. “And who is this little guy?”

“This is my son, Caleb. He’s about eighteen months old and instead of walking, he wants to run everywhere. My husband, Josh, is the one keeping guard for the moment on the little jailbreaker.”

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