After a much-needed shower in Poppy’s room, Ivy dressed in a blue shirt with white clam-diggers. To elevate her outfit, she added a turquoise necklace and earrings her mother had given her. White sneakers with sparkly silver accents completed her innkeeper look.
She stepped outside on the patio, looking for Shelly. Since her talk with Carlotta, she’d been concerned about her sister. Shelly’s usually ebullient personality—if sometimes edged with sarcasm—had been subdued since giving birth. Ivy understood that postpartum depression affected many women. Now she realized that Shelly hadn’t been lazy or irresponsible on purpose. Besides caring for a new baby, she’d been suffering from depression and hormonal fluctuations.
Ivy felt terrible that she hadn’t been more attuned to Shelly’s needs, but she was thankful their mother had been.
She spied her sister in a shady part of the garden, surrounded by lacy green ferns and pink and blue hydrangeas. Shelly was on her knees, pulling weeds from beneath her plantings. A basket of cut blossoms sat beside her, and a baby carrier was nestled to one side. In it, Ivy could see Daisy clutching the neck of a small rubbery giraffe.
As her little niece cooed to greet her, Ivy bent down to sweep her hand across Daisy’s silky hair. “Well, hello, sweetie. Are you helping your mom in the garden?”
Daisy’s eyes widened, and a laugh gurgled in her throat.
“She sounds a little like you when she laughs,” Ivy said, smiling at her sister.
“That’s what Mitch says, too.” Shelly tugged a weed from the garden and tossed it onto a discard pile. She clipped another flower for her bouquet. “The hydrangeas came back well this year. Even better than last year.”
“They’re stunning. Daisy seems pretty happy today.”
“No meltdowns yet.” Shelly sat back with her hands on her knees. “I heard I missed the skinny dipping party last night. Mitch says Java Beach is buzzing this morning over it.”
Ivy groaned. “How did word spread so fast?”
“They were so loud they woke up Darla,” Shelly said, tilting her head toward the cottage next door. “She was watching through the fence. Said it looked like they were having such a good time, she decided not to call Chief Clarkson on them.”
Ivy put out her finger for Daisy to grasp. “That’s a different Darla than the one we first met. Although, at one time, she probably would have been out there with them.”
“Darla also said that Clark arrived early this morning.” Shelly paused to clip a few dead leaves. “He had a scuffle with our newly arrived cousin?”
Ivy nodded. “I should just sleep late and let you fill me in.”
Shelly laughed. “Seriously, what happened?”
After filling her in, Ivy nodded toward her apartment. “Have you met our cousin?”
“Oh, yeah.” Shelly’s eyes widened. “Mom called, so I went to meet her while you were in the shower. Diana reminds me of my eccentric clients from New York. Did Mom ever tell you why they were estranged?”
“She’s vague about that. I suspect it had to do with their other sister.”
“Pilar. The way Mom talks about her, she was a brief bright light in their lives.” She pulled another weed, then sat back. “I was thinking about all the good times we would have missed if we’d let one of our silly arguments get in the way. I hope that never happens between us.”
“Me, too, Shells.” Her sister’s words meant a lot to her. “I’m sorry if I’ve been short-tempered lately.”
“And I’m sorry if I’ve been out of sorts since Daisy was born.”
“That was a big life change.”
“But so worth it.” Shelly smiled and tickled Daisy’s feet. The baby laughed hysterically. “It’s so funny, but she loves that.”
“By the way, I noticed something last night when Bennett and I were camping on the lower level. Did you take a sketch from down there while I was in the shower? Or see one around?”
Shelly looked back at her with a curious expression. “No. Why?”
“I found one concealed in the bar in a really weird place.” Ivy started to tell her about the eyes, but that sounded like a vain comment, even to her ears. Instead, she said, “It’s old. No big deal. When Bennett and Clark were packing, maybe they put it somewhere.”
Shelly’s eyes brightened. “Do you think it’s valuable?”
“I doubt it.”
“Oh, well.” Shelly shrugged. “Still, I wish we could get a big break sometime.”
Ivy gazed up at the old house and smiled. “I think we already did.” She turned to Daisy. “Going easy on your mother today?”
Daisy scrunched her face up as if to think about that.
After depositing the weeds she’d pulled into a bin, Shelly rocked back on her heels and removed her gardening gloves. “I learned a few tricks from other moms in my support group.” She paused, seeming a little self-conscious about her revelation. “Mom said she told you what was going on with me. I was afraid you wouldn’t understand if I tried to explain it.”
“Of course, I do. And it’s not your fault.”
Shelly shrugged. “I didn’t know how to tell you.”
“Why not?” Ivy asked gently.
Shelly rubbed her neck. “You thought I was shirking my duties around here.”
“You’d just given birth,” Ivy said, trying to sound more relaxed about that than she’d felt. “I wasn’t expecting you to bounce right back.”
Yet, even as Ivy uttered the words, a knot of guilt formed in her chest. She had thought that about her sister, although she hated to think of herself as uncaring. In fact, she often cared too much. Frequently, she had to remind herself that she couldn’t—and shouldn’t—solve everyone’s problems.
But she’d missed the critical signs in Shelly.
Shelly covered Daisy’s chubby, wriggling feet with a thin baby blanket dotted with yellow daisies. “That’s about the millionth time I’ve tucked in your toes.” She looked up at Ivy. “Have I been awful? Tell me the truth.”
Her sister’s words spiraled her guilt. What could she possibly say now? Ivy slung an arm across Shelly’s shoulder. “I didn’t mean to make you feel that way. Will you forgive me for not realizing what you were going through?”
Shelly leaned against her, turning from the sun flashing off the ocean beyond. “Even when we argue, I know it’s because you want what’s best for me.”
“You can always count on that.”
“Sisters forever?” Shelly grinned and hooked her pinky finger in Ivy’s.
“Forever.”
Ivy hugged her sister, just as she had when Shelly was a child. Only now, that gangly younger sister was a grown woman—and now a mother—yet, she still needed her sister’s love and support. That worked both ways with them, Ivy realized, recalling the moral support Shelly had provided when they’d moved to Summer Beach after Jeremy died.
Just then, a thought dawned on Ivy. “I wonder if Mom and Aunt Maya were ever as close as we are. Assuming Maya was capable of it.”
“If they were, Mom must miss that.”
That would be a great loss, Ivy thought. Beside her, Shelly was fidgeting with the edge of her shirt, and she sensed her need to talk. “Mom said you’re getting some help. Do you want to talk about that?”
Shelly chewed her lip and nodded. “I scored pretty high on a post-natal depression test. In my group, I discovered what I’ve been feeling isn’t so weird. It helps to be around others who’ve just had babies. We’re all muddling through the haze together.”
Ivy was glad Shelly had an outlet to express her feelings. “Being a new mother can feel awfully lonely. I wish I’d had that when Misty and Sunny were born.”
“I didn’t realize Daisy’s babyhood would be so all-encompassing,” Shelly said, wrinkling her brow. “Mothers don’t get a day off. Even when Mom looks after Daisy, I still have to watch the time until I nurse her again. When I try to nap, I often wake feeling foggy. Now I know that’s part of the process of your body trying to heal, but I had been so ashamed of how I felt. Like I was a bad mom for feeling overwhelmed.” She grasped Daisy’s fingers. “This tiny creature really blew up my chi and messed with my hormones.”
At that, Daisy’s face turned pink, and she let out a squeal and kicked off the blanket.
“Yes, we’re talking about you.” Shelly tickled her toes and tucked in the cover again.
They talked about Shelly’s group and therapy sessions and the changes she was making in her diet and exercise to try to regulate her body systems again.
Ivy nodded thoughtfully. “After Mom leaves, I can look after Daisy so you can continue.” She would make the time for Shelly.
“I’d really appreciate that.” Shelly looked relieved. “I’ve started yoga classes in the village.” She held up a hand before Ivy could respond. “Teaching yoga here at the inn doesn’t have the same benefit for me. Guests have expectations, and I need some me time. Poppy volunteered to teach our classes for a few weeks.”
Mentally, Ivy dismissed what she might have said before she knew of Shelly’s condition. Instead, she said, “I’ve heard that yoga is good for postpartum depression.”
“For that, and a lot of other issues,” Shelly agreed. “Still, I couldn’t seem to drag myself to do it. But others in my group are going to this new yoga studio, so I’m committing to going almost every day while Mom is here.” As she spoke, her face bloomed with hope.
A wave of guarded relief swept through Ivy. This was the best she’d seen Shelly look in a long time. “I can already see the difference in you.”
“Really? I’ve barely started.”
“You made a decision, and you’re acting on it. That’s a huge step.”
Shelly beamed and hugged her. “Thank you for understanding.”
At that, Daisy cried out and waved her arms, eager to join in. Shelly pulled away and brought Daisy into her arms and bounced her a little. “We haven’t forgotten about you, Daisy-do.”
Watching them, Ivy thought about her daughters. “When they’re babies, it seems like that phase will stretch on forever. But they grow and change so quickly.”
“I really want to enjoy Daisy at this age,” Shelly said, rubbing her child’s back.
“And you will,” Ivy said, hugging them both.
After a few moments, Shelly eased back. “I’d better nurse this little peanut before she gets cranky. I’ll be in the downstairs powder room if you need me. Would you take the hydrangeas inside?”
“Sure.” Ivy picked up the basket of flowers Shelly had clipped.
In her mother’s arms, Daisy reached for the pink blossoms and laughed with an adorable, slightly crooked smile that melted Ivy’s heart.
At once, Ivy recognized that expression. The child had her mother’s easy, slightly off-sided grin that Shelly had since childhood. “Well, would you look at that,” Ivy exclaimed. “She has your smile.”
“How can you tell?”
Shelly couldn’t see it, and Ivy laughed. But more important than that, Shelly’s dark mood had parted, and a much-needed ray of hope shone through.
Ivy carried a vase of the pink and blue hydrangea blossoms Shelly had clipped for the foyer. When she approached the front desk, Poppy looked up. “Those are gorgeous.”
“Shelly has done wonders with the garden this year.” Ivy placed them on the table. “How is everything going?”
Poppy tapped her pen on the desk. “Beth just asked if she could stay on. Something about the airline changing her ticket. Shelly had told her about the reunion, but she said she wouldn’t mind. In fact, she offered to film it for us as a favor. I thought some of the cousins could double up and give her a room.”
“Are you sure she won’t mind staying here during a family reunion? It’s liable to get wild.”
“As wild as the sorority sisters?”
“You have a point.” Ivy passed a hand over her forehead. So far, that was the only skinny dipping party they’d had at the inn. “Thank goodness Beth wasn’t injured. By the way, did all the ladies locate their swimsuits?”
Poppy grinned and shook her head. “We still have a couple in the lost-and-found. I think they went shopping instead. So, should I tell her it’s okay for her to stay?”
Ivy considered this. “I was really looking forward to not tending to guests with the family around.” Ivy had never closed the inn, so this was a rare exception that probably wouldn’t be repeated for a long time. “We really need the rooms, and we already have our hands full with Diana. What if Aunt Maya and others are just as high maintenance?”
Poppy made a face. “I hope that doesn’t run in the family.”
“Would you call the Seal Cove Inn? They should have rooms opening up.”
“That’s probably better. I’ll let Beth know and offer to help her with luggage if she needs it.”
“Good. That’s settled then.”
Poppy picked up the phone to call the other inn while Ivy glanced at the room chart they’d made. Their family barely fit, even with some of the kids crashing on sofas at the homes of Forrest and Flint. They could do that here, too. Too many Bays on this coast was the family joke.
As much as Ivy was looking forward to the reunion, she would welcome the quiet afterward. The summer season had been their most profitable one yet, and Ivy had several ideas for more special theme weeks this winter.
“Sure, I’ll hold,” Poppy said, tapping her fingers on the desk.
Tomorrow was the end-of-summer beach party. Locals and tourists would gather on the beach with music, food, and games well into the night. A fireworks display would mark the end of the season.
Just then, Carlotta sailed through the door. “We need to talk about the activities for the reunion.” She glanced into the parlor. “Before Diana joins us. When I left her, she was phoning her mother to see if she is coming with Robert. I’ve never seen a family that speaks so little to each other.”
“Let’s hurry then.”
Beside them, Poppy shook her head. “Thanks all the same,” she said before hanging up the phone. “There’s a huge wedding party that’s taking over the Seal Cove Inn.”
Carlotta looked surprised. “Don’t we have enough room for the family?”
“One of our guests needs to stay over.” Ivy quickly explained. “Let’s double up the boys. We can add a cot to one of the rooms.”
Carlotta nodded with satisfaction. “Perfect. They won’t mind.”
“I’ll give Beth a friends-and-family rate in advance,” Ivy said. “For putting up with this crowd that’s about to descend upon us.”
“We have to keep them busy, so they stay out of trouble,” Carlotta said. “I have a few ideas, but I thought you and Poppy would know more of what young people like to do. Let’s sit in the parlor.”
Poppy picked up a notepad, and they gathered around a table. “Everyone is arriving at different times, so we’re planning to have appetizers available all afternoon.”
“Burgers on the beach for a welcome party that evening,” Ivy said. “We’ll also have shrimp on the barbie and vegetarian options.”
Carlotta tapped the table. “I’ll find out what Diana wants.”
“Mom, we shouldn’t have to cater to her.”
“If she were pleasant, you’d be the one offering.”
Ivy was taken aback. “I suppose you’re right.”
“That’s why I thought we should plan some games to keep people occupied.” Carlotta’s eyes sparkled. “How about charades on the patio?”
Ivy agreed, and Poppy made a note. “Maybe a piñata for the kids?”
“We used to do that for birthdays,” Carlotta replied.
Ivy chuckled at the memories. “I remember the time Shelly was blindfolded at her fifth birthday party. She swung at a yellow happy-face pinata with such vengeance, missed, and gave Flint a black eye.”
“Scared me to death, but fortunately, he suffered only a mild concussion,” Carlotta said, shaking her head. “Somehow, you all survived childhood.”
“We could have a bouncy house for the kids,” Poppy said. “Or maybe someone could dress up as a clown and make balloon animals.”
Ivy laughed. “If I volunteered Bennett, I’d never hear the end of it.”
“Or we can turn them loose at the pool or the beach,” Poppy said. “Problem solved.”
“That means I’ll be on lifeguard duty,” Ivy said. “Those boys get pretty rough.”
“We can ask the older cousins to watch the children,” Carlotta said. “Flint’s clan has CPR and water rescue training. One year they used our old boat to sail from here to Vancouver, and he thought it would be a good idea. I believe you were living in Boston at the time.”
Ivy didn’t remember that. “I missed a lot of good years when I was gone.”
“I’m sure you had many good ones in Boston,” Carlotta said.
“I thought I did.” Ivy made a face. “But if I’d known what Jeremy was doing on the side—”
Her mother placed a hand over hers. “Try to remember only the good now. The rest of it no longer serves you.” Carlotta squeezed her hand. “Bennett is far different.”
Ivy pressed a hand to her chest. Her mother was right. “I don’t know where that came from. Sorry, where were we?”
“The beach,” Poppy said, cutting in with a sympathetic smile. “And I like the charades idea, too. We should include some old-fashioned competition, like relay races. And a lot of the cousins play beach volleyball.” She bent over her notebook to make notes on her schedule.
“Volleyball is an Olympic sport now,” Carlotta said, stealing a look at Ivy.
To make sure I’m okay, Ivy thought. Just when she thought she was over the pain that Jeremy had caused her, old memories could crash back into her mind. Like now, when she has everything to be thankful for and good times ahead.
Another thought sprang to mind. Maybe that’s the way it was for Shelly, too. Ivy recalled being listless, tired, and irritable after Jeremy died. She’d seen a therapist for her depression. The difference was that everyone expected her to be sad, whereas after having a baby, there was an expectation of joy.
“What do you think, mija?” Carlotta raised her eyebrows. “About the volleyball games. West Coast against East Coast. Or Bays against Reinas and everyone else.”
“That should be fun,” Ivy replied.
“Would you ask Bennett about playing his guitar around the firepit?” Poppy asked.
“Of course.”
Just then, the front door squeaked open, and Ivy cringed. I have to oil those hinges before everyone arrives, she thought, adding that to her mental list. She was endlessly multitasking in her mind.
“Are we expecting anyone?” Poppy asked. “I didn’t think the sorority sisters would be back from their shoreline cruise yet.”
“Not that I know of.” Ivy started toward the door.
Two young women wearing gauzy sherbet-colored sundresses burst through the door. “Surprise!”