Page 10 of The Beach House With You 2

Carmen and Franny both smiled and quickly agreed to the idea.

* * *

Carmen knew it was still late at night when she opened her eyes. She was awake, wide awake, and had no idea why. Checking the clock, she realized that she and Franny had only gone to bed a couple of hours ago. After they had finished their conversation about Joe, they had given her mom the presents they had collected for her. As usual, her mother protested, stating that they didn’t need to get her anything, but then thanked them generously when she opened her gift card to The Mermaid and the other trinkets they found for her.

She loved seeing her mom happy, and it was only now that Carmen was realizing how few and far between those moments actually had actually occurred when her mom was married to her dad. Her mom had always had kind words, a smile, and a million hugs for her, no matter what she was going through personally. But that didn’t make up for the times she found her mom crying alone in the kitchen in the middle of the night, or watching her struggle through a breakdown while her father sat back and did nothing to help.

For a few moments, Carmen tossed and turned, trying to will herself back to sleep. When she realized that wasn’t going to work, she sighed and threw back her covers as she swung her legs over the edge of her bed. Across from her in the other double bed, Franny was sleeping heavily with her leopard print eye mask and headphones. Even though the crew wasn’t going to be coming tomorrow, she had said she didn’t want to take any chances. Carmen giggled softly as she watched her friend suddenly snort, jerk, and smack her lips before turning onto her other side.

Hoping some fresh air would help, she pulled on her sweatpants and hoodie and padded barefoot to the sliding glass door of their balcony. With a gentle shove, she slid it open and stepped into the crisp night air. Right away the soft roaring sounds of the ocean welcomed her, and as she took a deep breath, she pulled its saltiness into her lungs. It really is beautiful here, she thought to herself, taking in the layers of dark blue and black that were the ocean and sky. Above, a half-moon hung in the sky, casting just enough light to make the sand glow. The view in front of her looked like a painting waiting to happen, and she found herself smiling at the beauty of it.

As she rested her elbows on the railing and took in the view, Carmen began to hear voices drifting in the wind. They were soft, gentle tones that were laced with laughter and a feeling of intimacy. Curious, she leaned over the railing and began to look around. At first, she saw nothing, nor could she tell where they were coming from. Then, just as she was about to give up, she took a look above her. There, one floor up and a few balconies to the right, she saw her mother standing on her balcony with a man.

“Is she and her friend alright?” she heard the masculine voice whisper.

“They were a little shaken, but they’re fine,” her mother whispered back. “Jacob was a huge help today. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if he hadn’t been there to pick them up.”

“He’s a good kid,” the man replied. “He’s a great foreman too, but if you need him to help out with other stuff, he already told me to tell you that he can be pulled from the job. He doesn’t mind.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” her mother assured him.

“So, are you happy to see your kids again?” the man continued. Carmen heard the smile in her mom’s voice as she said yes, and it warmed her heart. Though she couldn’t see more than an outline of the man, Carmen was pretty sure that it was Jason.

Even though they weren’t dating, and Carmen had only met the man once, she could tell by the way he was talking to her mom that he was entirely different from her dad. There was a quiet reserve about him, a maturity that Daniel never seemed to be able to grasp.

“I should let you get to bed,” Jason said as Carmen tuned back into their conversation. “I’ll see you Saturday?”

Carmen heard her mother murmur some sort of agreement, which was followed by Jason asking, “Are you sure Carmen won’t mind? I don’t want to take you away from any time she wants to spend with you.”

“I’m positive, plus I want her to get to know you a little better and vice versa,” Jeanette replied.

“Me too,” Jason agreed. Carmen watched as the two of them leaned toward one another for a long hug. Then, to her surprise, Jason began to climb down the trellis that extended up to her mother’s balcony. This, she knew instantly, was what her mother deserved. A man who was willing to climb up to her tower to bring comfort and understanding. Someone who knew when to fix what was broken, and when to let her mother fix things for herself.

Thinking back to her earlier conversation with her mom, Carmen felt a touch of guilt for the few minutes she questioned her mother’s move. Things really were better for her here, and she had no right to think otherwise. There was love for her mother here, and a type of support Carmen herself had been too young to provide. As she quietly went back into her room, she made a mental note to be more supportive of her mother’s decision to move back to Provincetown.

5

The next morning Carmen woke up just as the sun was rising from the ocean. After looking over at Franny and seeing she was still sleeping, she quietly got out of bed just as she had a few hours before, and tiptoed out the door. Unlike yesterday, the house was filled with a peaceful quiet, and for the first time, she took in the view of the place. It was a house that stamp marked a unique place in time, where almost every home was large, made of sturdy wood and materials, and was at peace with the nature it was surrounded by. Even with the renovations, the Victorian-style house echoed back to a more sophisticated era.

Downstairs, Carmen found Amanda and Whitney both awake and in the kitchen. When she pushed open the swinging doors, they both smiled at her warmly and welcomed her in. Their loving energy wrapped around Carmen instantly, and she happily joined them.

“Good morning, baby girl,” Amanda cooed, opening her arms as if they’d known each other their whole lives. “Did you sleep okay? I heard you and Franny had a rough morning yesterday with the construction. We’re so sorry about that.”

“No, please, don’t apologize,” Carmen replied, hugging both of her cousins. “We’re the ones that made the surprise visit. But yes, I slept great, and Franny is still out like a light, thank goodness. She was a little grumpy yesterday.”

“We heard.” Whitney giggled, pulling the full carafe of coffee from its burner. As she began filling three mugs, she added, “We also heard that you had a little run-in with our stepbrother, Joe. And that he got a little aggressive with you.”

Carmen said thank you as she accepted the mug and then shrugged her shoulders as she sat down in a chair and crossed her legs underneath her.

“I get the feeling that he gets that way with a lot of people,” she replied, blowing on her coffee.

Amanda and Whitney both laughed dryly.

“Well, that is true,” Amanda agreed. “He definitely wears out his welcome fast.”

“How is he so…so…”

“Different from us?” Whitney offered. Carmen nodded.

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