Page 57 of The Cottage on Blueberry Bay

Remy talked all night about what she thought Meredith should do with Jacob’s house and property, but nothing about her and Joe.

Meredith hadn’t pushed it. Remy had confessed a big truth, and that’s all she could probably handle for now. But the fact was, Meredith never saw the end of her sister’s marriage coming. Remy had enjoyed posting about their fabulous life on all the social media sites. Remy and Joe were always all smiles while doing regular life things, like going out to dinner and hanging out at their house with friends. They shared their spectacular weekends at their Cape house and took luxurious trips together. Never in a million years had Meredith thought there was trouble in their marriage. But then again, did she let people know about hers?

Meredith swung her legs out of bed, when the thought occurred to her.

Shehadn’tbeen thinking about Phillip. She hadn’t fallen asleep wishing he was lying by her side. She hadn’t woken to an empty, cold bed.

Meredith walked to the windows and opened them as high as they would go, looking out at the water, forgetting Phillip again and taking in the view.

The whole worldwasat her fingertips.

She thought back to the past year. So much had changed around her, but she hadn’t evolved at all. She was still behaving exactly the same as if she had a husband and children at home. For goodness’ sake! She cleaned a pool she hadn’t been in for years. She had a five-bedroom home large enough for an army, not a single woman at fifty.

What was she doing hanging on to that Meredith?

She wasn’t even that happy when she was that Meredith.

She’d been stressed most of the time, racing from here to there, trying to be the perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect piano teacher. She’d felt like a taxi service and an ATM. She’d felt like a therapist for everyone’s bad days, and a servant on most.

Then her parents flashed through her mind. Gordon had loved Jacqueline, and from Meredith’s point of view, Jacqueline had adored Gordon all the way up until the end. Her parents’ love had been something she’d admired her whole life. She looked at the painting she’d taken from the barn and set it on top of the dresser facing the bed. The painting was of the little girl on the beach. Could Jacqueline have loved both lives? The one she and Gordon had, and the one she’d left with Jacob?

The smell of bacon floated through the window, and she could hear someone in the kitchen below. Remy must already be up.

Meredith didn’t know if it was the sheets or the pillow or the bed itself, but she would thank Remy for the good night’s sleep.

“Good morning!” Remy said from the stove as Meredith walked into the kitchen. The burners were filled with what their father dubbed a Midwestern breakfast. Two eggs over easy, white toast with jelly, shredded hash browns, and two slices of bacon.

“I couldn’t resist,” Remy said as she set a jar of blueberry jam onto the table. “The Queens dropped the jam off this morning.”

Meredith looked at the time—it was only a bit past seven. “They’ve already stopped by with jam?”

“They must’ve seen me go for a walk, because it was on the porch when I got back, and they were already out in the fields.” Remy pointed toward the screen door. “They were there when the sun rose.”

Meredith looked out to see the women. “What are they doing?”

“Checking on things,” Remy said. “Ginny said they make sure everything’s growing the way it should.”

“Do you think they come every day?” Meredith wondered if farming blueberries was that difficult. Weren’t they mostly wild in Maine?

“The lawyer’s son is coming to the house,” Remy said as the teenager walked up the seashell gravel of the stone path that led to the front door. “Do you want me to answer it?”

Meredith waved at Remy, who stood in a running outfit, cooking, happy as a clam.

“I got it.” Meredith shook her head at Remy’s perky attitude at eight AM. It was way too early to be that chipper. But was the hyper-smile and theup and at ’embehavior just a cover? Remy never admitted to being anything but perfect, and now, Meredith started seeing the cracks. She hadn’t mentioned Joe. Or called him to let him know she was in Maine or to let him know she was staying indefinitely.

How did Meredith miss these cracks?

She needed to call her children. She needed to make sure she hadn’t missed any cracks with them.

“Good morning, Kyle,” she greeted him as she opened the door just as he was about to knock.

“Mrs. Johnson,” he said. “Sorry to bother you, but I wondered if you knew what you were going to do with Jacob’s boat.”

She didn’t wince at theMrs. part. Most of her students continued to use theMrs. She had used her married name when she’d introduced herself to the parents that year, even after the divorce. Did she really want to take five minutes to explain her divorce at little Betty Sue’s piano lessons?

“You know, I haven’t even seen it.” Meredith had forgotten about the boat. “I should probably go and check that out today.”

She knew she would be selling it.

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