Chapter Sixteen

Julia leaned back in her office chair and stretched her arms above her head in an effort to work out the kinks. Two weeks had passed since her father had told her the truth about her mother’s condition, and the fall school term had begun. The previous week she’d driven her parents into Bangor for her mother’s appointment with the neurologist Dr. Willson had recommended. He’d confirmed what everyone suspected: Dora was suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. Her disease had already passed the mild cognitive impairment stage and was entering a more serious phase.

It had been a hectic and exhausting couple of weeks. In addition to doing her work at the school during the day, she’d spent every night at her parents’ house, watching over her mother and making sure she didn’t leave the house, since they hadn’t yet found someone to stay overnight with her parents.

In the interim, she was coping. By doing some research on the Internet she’d discovered ways to keep her mother safe. She had new locks installed on both the front and back doors of her parents’ house. These old-fashioned sliding locks were placed at the top of the door where her mother couldn’t easily reach them. Julia also placed bells on the doors that chimed whenever they were opened, alerting her or her father that Dora had escaped. She and her father also began doing simple things that seemed to make a difference. They made sure to take Dora for a walk each evening, which helped her to sleep. They also limited her intake of fluids before bedtime and made sure she went to the bathroom before they put her to bed. Julia had read that sometimes an Alzheimer’s patient might wake during the night and simply be looking for a bathroom. In their confusion, they could open an outside door and be locked out of the house.

Pulling double duty meant she didn’t get a lot of sleep, and she didn’t spend a lot of time with Ava, either. Lily had stepped in to help, and Ava had stayed with the Stewarts several times, both overnight and during the day. Julia wasn’t sure what she would have done without them.

Her father had made arrangements for a new alarm system to be installed in the house. Dora would be fitted with a bracelet that automatically locked the doors when she came near them. That way she couldn’t leave the house unescorted. The idea of the new alarm system was a relief to Julia. It meant she and Ava would soon be able to sleep in their own beds, and hopefully she could get a full night’s sleep again. But the alarm company wouldn’t be able to install the system for another week or two, so until then, she’d cope as well as she could.

The new alarm system would allow her father to look after her mother at home a little longer, but they all knew she’d eventually need more care than he could give her.

Julia glanced out the window of her office as she rotated her stiff shoulder and massaged the back of her neck. How she wished she could go for a run. It was a glorious fall day, sunny, bright, and warm, perfect for being outside. But she knew the only outdoor exercise she’d have time for would be her evening walk with her parents.

The phone rang, jolting her back to the present. “Julia Stewart speaking.”

“Hi Julia. Rob Perkins here. How are you?”

“I was fine, but now I’m not so sure. I have a feeling you have bad news for me.”

She heard him sigh. “I’m afraid I do. I just learned that Ralph Sykes has convinced the school board to call a public meeting about the daycare. He’s hoping the public will bring pressure on the board to cancel the program.”

Julia bowed her head. This was the last thing she needed. “When’s the meeting?”

“At the end of October. I put it off as long as I could. Hopefully by then the community will have a chance to see what the program is really about before they make any judgments about it.”

She wondered what such a meeting might mean for her job. Was it in jeopardy? “That gives me a little time to prepare.”

“I want you to be ready for heavy opposition. I’ve heard through the grapevine that Sykes has political aspirations. My guess is that he’s using this fight as a springboard for election to the state legislature. He likes to portray himself as a champion of wholesome family values.”

“As opposed to me, the whore of Babylon.”

Rob laughed. “Well, I wouldn’t have put it quite like that, but yeah, that’s how he wants to draw the lines. Listen, is there any way you can talk to Wyatt Stewart, feel him out on which way he’s leaning? He supported the daycare initially, but I’m not sure what he’s going to do this time around. You can talk to him. He is your father-in-law, after all.”

“Ex-father-in-law. That’s a big distinction in Wyatt’s book.” Their relationship had improved over the summer, ever since she’d allowed Ava to spend more time with the Stewarts, but she was still unclear how he felt about her. “I don’t want my daughter in the middle of a scuffle between us. I think it’s best if I leave our personal relationship out of the equation.”

“I guess I understand, but it really would be a shame if the daycare got axed. It’s a worthwhile program.”

“You don’t have to convince me. We’ve got the children of five students in the daycare right now. That means five young women are going to finish their education.”

“I know, but I think we’ve got an uphill climb ahead of us in convincing people like Ralph Sykes.”

Julia sighed. “Looks like I have a fight to get ready for. Maybe I’ll start lifting weights or take up kick boxing.”

Rob laughed again. “That’s the spirit. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Bye.”

Julia had no sooner put down the phone when there was a knock at her door. She called “Come in,” and Ralph Sykes stood in her doorway.

Speak of the devil.

“Ralph. What can I do for you?”

“Do you have a moment?”

“Sure. Come in.”

He closed the door as he entered her office. “I just wanted to let you know, as a courtesy, that a public meeting to discuss the future of the daycare has been called.”

“Yes, I just heard. Superintendent Perkins called me. But thanks for telling me personally.”

“You’re welcome. I wanted to give you the opportunity to remove the daycare yourself and avoid the public embarrassment of a meeting.”

Her eyebrows rose at that statement. “I’m not afraid to defend the daycare in public. In fact, I welcome a discussion. Perhaps you’re uncertain of your support?”

His expression hardened, his lips compressing in a thin line. “Absolutely not. A lot of people support my position, including Wyatt Stewart.”

“Really? I understand Wyatt voted for the daycare at the initial school board meeting.”

“Well, perhaps,” Ralph sputtered, “but that doesn’t mean he still does.”

“I guess we’ll find out at the public meeting, won’t we?” She reached into her desk and plucked a file from her bottom drawer. “Actually, I’m glad you dropped by, because there was something I wanted to discuss with you.”

“What is that?” he asked warily.

“I’ve been doing some investigation, and I’ve discovered that on standardized math tests your students have some of the lowest scores in the state. I’ve also talked to a number of parents who’ve been unhappy with the grades their children have been getting. Their kids are not understanding the concepts. Many have had to hire outside tutors to help.”

“A lot of students find math and calculus difficult.”

“That’s true,” Julia conceded with a dip of her head. “They’re difficult subjects. But even some of our best and brightest students have trouble with your math classes. Why do you think that is, Ralph?”

“How should I know?”

“But that’s precisely my point. You should know, and you should care. I’m recommending that you take a remedial course in teaching math.”

“That’s ridiculous! I’ve been teaching math for twenty years, and I’ve never had a principal question my skills!”

“I believe that you did care at one time, Ralph, but you’ve become so focused on your political views that you’ve lost sight of actually teaching. If you spent as much time helping your students as you do trying to establish your political career, we’d all be better off.”

“How did you know about that?”

“It’s a small island, Ralph. Everybody knows.” She sat back in her chair and folded her arms. “I need teachers who are fully engaged in their jobs. I think you need to decide which career path you want to take.”

“I don’t have to listen to this.”

He stormed out of the office, not bothering to shut her door. Julia sighed. She didn’t deliberately go looking for confrontations, but they seemed to find her pretty easily.

She gritted her teeth. If Ralph Sykes wanted a fight, he damn well was going to get one. Her students were worth fighting for.

But with all the blows she’d taken lately, she hoped she had enough stamina left to go the distance.

****

Over lunch, Alex took a break from the clinic and walked along the pier. The wind blowing in from the ocean was cool, though the sun was shining. Maybe the wind could blow the cobwebs from his brain. All morning the only thing he could think about was Julia. She was constantly in his thoughts. He wondered what she was doing, how she was feeling. Was Ava okay?

Finding an unoccupied bench, he ate the sandwich he’d picked up at the Love Caters All truck in the hospital parking lot and watched as waves crashed against the shore. The power and magnificence of the ocean soothed him, and he felt himself gradually relax. Even with its sometimes crazy weather, the beauty of this place had wormed its way into his heart. There was no place on earth like Lobster Cove.

Especially since the love of his life was here.

His cell phone rang, and he saw his mother’s phone number on call display. He clicked the Talk button.

“Mom, hi. How’s everything?”

“It’s good. I’m at work right now, but I wanted to share my news with you. The house in La Jolla sold, and I got a new place. I bought a condo.”

“That’s great. Where is it?”

“It’s part way between the university and Nona’s house. I have a little farther to commute to work, but I’m closer to my family. I think it’s the best of both worlds, and I love the place. It’s small, but it’s really cute, and the best thing is, it’s all mine.” She sounded excited and happy.

“I’m really glad for you, Mom. You deserve it.”

“Thanks, honey. I’ll send you an email with the new address.” She paused. “You sound…I don’t know, a little blue. Are you okay?”

“Mom, I’m…”

He was going to say he was fine, to deny his feelings, but in reality he was anything but fine. And for the first time in a very long time, he didn’t want to shut his mother out of his life.

“Mom, I met someone here, and I love her very much.”

Alex told her about Julia, and Ava, and Paul and Dora Dawson. “So she’s on one coast and I’m going to be on the other, and never the twain shall meet. I understand why she wants to stay here, why she needs to stay here. I don’t know what to do.”

“Do you really love her, Alex? And you really love her little girl?”

“Yes, I love them.” He bent his head and squeezed his eyes shut. “I can’t imagine not being with them. These last few days, not seeing Julia, or not being able to touch her when I do see her, it’s been painful. When I leave here…I don’t know what I’m going to do, Mom.”

“I loved your dad like that,” she whispered. “When he died, part of me died too, the best part of me. I don’t want you to go through that.”

He’d never heard his mother talk about his father that way. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

“I know it was a long time ago, but sometimes it feels like yesterday. Mostly, now, I can remember the good times we had together, and the love we shared, and it doesn’t hurt so much. But there are times, like the anniversary of his death, when I miss him so much.”

“I wish I remembered more about him.”

“You were so young. The night he died, he’d just worked a double shift in the emergency room. He’d worked several nights in a row before that, and he was so tired. But they were short-handed, so they asked him to stay. When he phoned me to tell me he wouldn’t be home until after midnight, I begged him not to stay. He was wearing himself out.”

“He had the accident that night, and you think it was because he was overtired.”

“There’s no doubt. The police told me he must have fallen asleep. He drove straight into a retaining wall.” He heard her take a shaky breath. “All the fights we had about your work, all the times I nagged at you, I just couldn’t bear the thought of you working so hard like your father. I want you to have a wonderful life with a family and friends and the time and energy to enjoy them. I want so much more for you than your father and I were able to have.”

“Why did you never tell me this before, Mom?”

“I don’t know. I wanted to, but for so many years we haven’t been close. We seemed to fight every time we talked. I didn’t feel like you wanted to hear what I had to say. Talking about your father was too painful to have it dismissed like it was nothing.”

“I’m sorry I made you feel that way.”

“It’s my fault. I didn’t talk to you about your father when you were growing up. It was too painful. But he was always in my heart. He still is.”

Alex blinked back tears. “I’m so sorry, Mom.”

She gave a hiccupping laugh, as if holding back tears of her own. “I guess we had to be three thousand miles apart to get closer.”

“I guess that’s true.”

“Alex, if Julia is truly the one for you, don’t let her slip away. Love like that is so precious and so rare. I didn’t realize that until it was too late.”

“I understand.” He took a deep breath, blew it out. “I’ve got to get back to the clinic. They’re going to wonder what happened to me.”

“I should go, too. My coffee break was over a half hour ago. You’ll call soon and let me know what’s happening?”

“I will.” For better or for worse.

“Te quiero, Alejandro.”

He smiled. His mother hadn’t spoken Spanish to him since he was a little boy.

“Te quiero, Mama.”

****

After finishing at the clinic for the day, Alex drove to Tracy Novak’s house, hoping she could provide him with some news. He hadn’t heard anything about Julia or her parents since the night he found Dora in his carport again, and he was worried about them, especially Julia.

He knocked on her door and heard a dog barking. A very large, annoyed dog, by the sound of it. A minute later Tracy opened the door, holding a German Shepherd by its collar.

“Alex, hi! I didn’t expect to see you. What brings you to my door?”

The dog made a low growling sound deep in its chest, its eyes fixed on him. “Well, I was going to pump you for information, but now I’m not so sure. Your dog looks like it would be happy to use me as a chew toy.”

“Oh, sorry about that. Cookie tends to be overprotective.”

“Cookie? That’s the beast’s name?”

Tracy laughed and pulled the dog inside. “Come on in. She’s really a sweetheart once you get to know her.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” He stepped into the house and closed the door. Following her into the kitchen, Alex took note of the neat little house with its gleaming hardwood floors, comfortably worn furniture, and colorful braided rugs. The house was unpretentious and down to earth, just like Tracy.

The orderliness of the house ended at the kitchen table, which was strewn with paper, notepads and binders. Tracy pushed all the papers to one side of the table, then let go of the dog’s collar.

“Cookie, lie down. Stay.”

The dog immediately dropped to the floor next to the table, her head on her paws. But her eyes remained alert and focused on him. Alex decided to stay a cautious distance away.

Tracy filled a kettle. “I was about to have another cup of tea. Would you like some?”

“Sure.”

She pointed to one of the kitchen chairs. “Have a seat. And don’t worry about Cookie. She hardly ever rips out anyone’s throat. She usually goes for the groin.”

“Very funny.” He sat down, resisting the urge to put a protective hand over his crotch.

“Seriously, Alex, she won’t hurt you. Would you like some cookies? They’re chocolate chip. I just made them.”

“Thanks.”

Placing a plate of chocolate chip cookies between them, Tracy took a seat. “So what’s this about wanting to pump me for information?”

Now that he was here in Tracy’s kitchen, he found it difficult to ask his question. He averted his eyes. “It’s just that I haven’t heard anything about the Dawsons, and I wondered how they were doing. That’s all.”

Tracy took her time answering. She got up from her chair when the kettle began to whistle, and proceeded to make a pot of tea. After bringing the teapot and two mugs to the table, she sat down once more.

“Paul finally took Dora to the neurologist in Bangor, and she was officially diagnosed as having Alzheimer’s.”

Alex sighed. “I guess we all knew that was coming.”

“I didn’t,” she said. “I had no idea Dora’s health had deteriorated so badly. Julia hadn’t said a word to me, not until she asked me to take over the scheduling.”

“The scheduling?”

“Someone’s got to coordinate all the volunteers who are helping Edie and Aaron. I just make sure we have drivers and babysitters when we need them, and that six people don’t show up on Edie’s doorstep with casseroles at the same time.”

“I can’t believe how many people have stepped up to help them.”

“It’s what we do here. The best news is that we tallied up the net proceeds from the fundraiser, and it looks like we should have enough to cover most of Edie’s treatments.”

“That’s very good news. I’m sure it’s a huge relief to Edie and Aaron. Now she can just focus on getting better.”

“Yes. Hopefully the surgery and radiation will have zapped all the cancer cells, and she won’t have a recurrence.” She frowned as she lifted her mug to her lips. “I’m glad Edie’s situation is working out. I don’t have the energy to worry about more than one friend at a time.”

That got his attention. Was she worrying about Julia? “What do you mean?”

She waved her hand toward the papers and binders on her table. “Julia tends to take on a lot of responsibility. She only gave up coordinating Edie’s volunteer schedule because school is back in session and she’s staying every night at her parents’ house to watch her mother. She just doesn’t have time. Or the energy, I imagine, though she’d never admit it.”

“Wait a minute.” Alex sat up straighter, his voice rising. “Are you telling me Julia is working at the school all day and then staying up all night to make sure her mother doesn’t wander?”

Cookie lifted her head and stared at Alex, probably detecting his anxiety. Tracy reached down and scratched the dog’s ears, and Cookie settled again.

“She couldn’t let her father stay up night after night. She was concerned about his heart.”

“How can she maintain a pace like that? She’s going to make herself ill.”

“I know. I’m worried about her, too. But she promised me it’s only for a few more days, until her dad gets the new alarm system installed.” She told him about the alarm system and the locks Julia had put in place until the new system was ready. “She told me they’re managing Dora’s Alzheimer’s much better now. She doesn’t wander as much, so she’s able to get some sleep. I offered to stay with her mom and dad on my days off, but she wouldn’t let me.”

Alex ran his hand through his hair. “Why does she have to be so damn stubborn? Why can’t she accept some help? She’s the first person to help someone in trouble, but she won’t let anyone give her a hand when she needs it.”

“She’s proud, Alex. And she feels like she has to be the one to take care of her parents. They’re her responsibility.”

“She feels responsible for everyone.” Julia was the most infuriatingly wonderful person he knew. “What about Ava? How is this affecting her?”

“Ava’s been staying with the Stewarts the last couple of weeks. Julia said the only time she gets to spend with her is on weekends and after school when she walks her to Wyatt and Lily’s house.”

“Damn.” He settled back into his chair. Picking up his mug, he sipped some of the tea, hoping it would calm him. “I’ll go over there right away. I’ll make her go home and get some rest.”

“Slow down, Alex. If you go in with guns blazing, you’ll only get Julia’s back up.”

Tracy passed him the plate of cookies, and he took one. The chocolate melted in his mouth and reminded him he hadn’t eaten dinner yet. He knew she was right. Telling Julia what she should do was a sure way of making sure she did just the opposite. “What do you suggest?”

She sighed. “Leave it alone. Let Julia handle it.”

“I can’t do that, Tracy.”

He scrubbed a hand over his face, feeling irritated and frustrated and a little out of control. Being in love with a woman who didn’t feel the same way tended to have that effect on him.

Tracy leaned over to scratch Cookie’s ears once more. The dog continued to stare at him with a watchful expression. “I know it’s not what you want to hear, but maybe it would be best if you didn’t see Julia anymore. You’ve only got, what, five months left on your contract.”

“Four and half.” The last day of his contract was February fifteenth.

“Julia comes off as this dynamo, this strong person who can handle anything, and in many ways she is. But she’s been hurt before, and her heart is still bruised. I wouldn’t want her heart to break again.”

“He really hurt her, didn’t he? Her ex-husband Russ, I mean.”

“Yeah, he did. The louse.”

He averted his eyes as he asked his next question. “Is she still in love with him?”

“No. Absolutely not. It’s totally over between them.” Tracy’s adamant reply gave him hope.

“Do you really think I have the power to break her heart?”

“Yes.”

Alex looked away again. It was the last thing he wanted to do.

“How do you do it, Tracy? You know practically everyone on the island. How do you work in the same community you live in, the same community you grew up in? How do you maintain any kind of professional objectivity? How can you treat people you know and care about?”

“I think it makes me a better nurse. I do care about all my patients. They’re not faceless numbers to me. They’re people I know, my friends or my friends’ families. That makes me work harder for them. Because I want the best for them.”

“You’re probably the best nurse I’ve ever worked with. Maybe now I know why.”

“And you’re an amazing doctor. We need you here.”

Alex looked away, not sure what to say to that. He could no longer imagine leaving Julia. And Lobster Cove had proven what a special and caring community it was. But was it the place he wanted to live and work for the rest of his life? Would the work here challenge him enough? Would the smallness of the community prove to be too confining, too stifling, after a while?

“I have another question for you. How do you live in a town as small as this and not let the gossip drive you crazy? I swear my own mother doesn’t know as much about me as most of the people in this town do.”

Tracy laughed, and Cookie turned her head to look at her, her ears twitching.

“I can’t help you there. When it comes to a small town, you have to be prepared to take the good with the bad. The good is that people are there for you when you need them, and the bad is that they’re in your business when all you want is privacy. You’ve got to measure both sides and decide whether the good outweighs the bad.”

She was right. He was the only one who could make a decision about what would work in his life.

“How did you get to be so wise?”

“Probably comes from babysitting big city doctors.”

“Smart ass.”

She laughed, then sobered. “So what are you going to do about Julia?”

“I have to go to her folks’ place tonight, convince her to get some sleep. I can’t let her try to handle everything with her parents on her own.”

“I understand. What about later, when your contract’s up? What are you going to do about Julia then?”

He didn’t have an answer.