Page 52 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

Remy laughed cynically. “I didn’t even get a say.”

“Why not adopt?” Meredith had heard of many families who went different routes to start a family. “You could foster children.”

“Joe doesn’t want to foster or adopt.” Remy’s eyes filled with more tears. “He says he’s fine with the way things are.”

The tears clung, but as soon as Remy blinked, they poured down. Her hands covered her face, and immediately, Meredith pulled her in, wrapping her arms around her sister.

“I’m so sorry, Remy,” Meredith said. “I know how much you looked forward to being a mom.”

Remy had been the perfect aunt to her three kids. Just young enough to be hip in the eyes of the kids but old enough to be taken seriously, Remy spoiled her nieces and nephew to extreme levels at times, especially after she had married Joe.

Remy began to sob—hard, wrenching sobs. The kind of grief Meredith hadn’t felt in a long time, she realized. Fresh grief.

“Why do you really want me to stay here this summer?” Meredith thought about all the things Remy had brought with her to Maine. The way her sister had continued to push back on moving quickly and to take her time. How she had offered to stay if Meredith needed her.

Remy heaved in short breaths. “Because I’m leaving Joe.”

“What?” Meredith couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You’re leaving him?”

“Oh, Meredith!” Remy sobs were so heavy, it sounded like something was dying inside her. “I can’t go back home. I just can’t.”

“Okay, okay,” Meredith said. “You can stay with me as long as you need to.”

Meredith led Remy around the porch to the daybed she had slept on the night before as Remy’s shoulders heaved. She rubbed Remy’s back as she leaned into Meredith’s chest.

“I haven’t told him I’m leaving him,” Remy said, hiccupping. “I have no idea what I’m going to do. He’s going to hire all these expensive lawyers, and I won’t have anything, Meredith. He’s going to say I’ve lived off his hard work. He’ll win, too. Massachusetts isn’t a fifty-fifty state.”

Meredith had no idea their marriage was on the rocks.

“Talk to me,” Meredith said, holding Remy’s hand. “Tell me what happened.”

“I didn’t tell anyone about the first miscarriage because it had happened right after Mom died.” Remy’s eyes filled with tears again.

The first miscarriage, Meredith thought to herself.

“The doctor even blamed it on the stress from Mom’s death. But then I got pregnant again.” Remy paused, taking a deep breath. “I was just starting to show. So, we told Dad, and that night I started having contractions.”

Meredith’s heart broke as she calculated the weeks by memory of her own time frame for showing. Not long enough for a baby to be born healthy.

“He was perfect,” Remy whispered out. “Ten perfect little fingers and ten perfect little toes.” She exhaled.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Meredith didn’t understand.

“You were so fragile at the time.” Remy shrugged. “Phillip had just left you, and I didn’t see the point in burdening you with more grief.”

Meredith’s stomach sank. “I wish I could’ve been there for you.”

Remy sat back up and looked at Meredith. “You’ve been so stuck in Phillip’s betrayal that it’s clouding your view of everything else.”

“How’s it clouding my view?” Meredith felt as though she was clear about things. That life wasn’t always sweet like honey, but salty and dangerous like the sea.

Remy started to laugh as though she had heard a joke. “Meredith, you were given a piece of paradise, and you can’t even see it.”

Remy threw her arms out at the ocean. “Literally, right before your eyes.”

Meredith looked out. White caps foamed on the water’s surface as the wind blew. Seagulls glided in the wind above the water. Feathery clouds spread across the sky like white ribbons against a silk blue fabric. The scene from that porch matched every painting stuffed inside the cottage.

“You’re so focused on the fact that Jacob wasn’t a good father that you’re missing what he tried to do to make up for that.” Remy shook her head.

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