The week began a new routine, one with Mel embarking on a new job at the coffee shop and Lily without any guests to serve. The freedom to linger at the beach each morning and take the dogs on more excursions was lovely, but by Friday, Lily began to wonder what she was going to do with all her free time. After the dogs ate their breakfast they lounged on the deck, soaking up the warmth and napping after their exercise.
Mac had invited her to the annual lantern festival at the waterfront that night and she could hardly wait. The monotony of the week was getting old. He also included Mel in the invitation, but she had made plans with Bree. Over the Saturday breakfast they were sharing, Lily suggested that the girls could have a sleepover downstairs, if they wanted.
Mel’s eyes widened as she bit into her toast. “I’ve never been to a sleepover. I’ve only read about them in books.”
That revelation broke Lily’s heart. “There’s not much to them. Usually, they involve stories, maybe painting your nails, watching movies, lots of eating, and staying up way too late.” Lily took a sip of tea. “Bree can come over this afternoon and you girls could have the run of the downstairs with the television and I’ve got plenty of snack food that needs to be eaten since we won’t be doing our weekend social hours.”
Mel grinned and her eyes widened. “That sounds fun. I’ll call Bree and ask her.” She shoveled in the rest of her breakfast and hurried downstairs.
Mel never came right out and said staying alone still bothered her, but Lily suspected it might. Having Bree and the dogs there would reassure her and let her take one more step toward being at the house alone. Before Lily had the breakfast dishes done, Mel bounded up the stairs, smiling. “Bree checked with her mom and she said yes. She’s going to drop her off around noon.”
“That’s great. Go to the freezer and take out whatever cookies or brownies look good.” Lily went downstairs and made sure Mel knew how to work the device that allowed her to use the streaming services Lily subscribed to on the downstairs television. Mel spent most of her time reading and watched television only with Lily upstairs.
Mel’s room was neat and tidy, as was the bathroom. Lily never had to worry about Mel shirking her responsibilities. “Do you want to use the firepit tonight? I can show you how to turn it on.”
A hint of doubt crept into Mel’s eyes. “Nah, I think we’ll just stay inside.”
“I want you to feel safe here, Mel. How about we install my security camera monitor system on your phone? That way you’ll get a notification to any motion and won’t have to worry while you’re here.”
Mel plucked her phone from her pocket and they went back upstairs where Lily showed her how to use the app and view the video the system stored. “I’m sure you’ll be fine and the dogs are great at letting you know if anything is amiss. If you have an emergency just call nine-one-one, but even if you get worried, call my cell and we’ll come right back, deal?”
Mel nodded as she concentrated on the screen. “Thanks, Lily.”
“Okay, let’s make you girls a bunch of snacks.” By the time they finished the fridge was loaded with enough food to get them through a harsh winter. Minutes before noon, the doorbell rang and Mel rushed to let Bree inside, helping her carry a tote bag and a pizza box. Nora beeped her horn as she pulled away.
“Mom treated us to pizza for lunch,” said Bree, beaming as she followed Mel into the kitchen. “Hi, Lily. Mom said to tell you she’s off tomorrow, so can come and pick me up whenever it’s convenient.”
Lily pulled some plates from the cupboard. “Stay as long as you like.” When she had first met Bree, as a guest when Nora came for her job interview, she had been full of snark and could have been the poster child for a difficult teenager, but she had settled in and seemed to have adjusted to life in Driftwood Bay.
Lily joined them for a piece of pizza and having not had teenaged girls around her household much, marveled at the incessant chatter coming from Bree. Mel was quieter, but the more Bree babbled on, the looser Mel’s tongue became. Bree held up the tote bag and explained she brought all of her makeup and nail polish supplies.
Lily put her plate in the dishwasher. “Just make sure to put down some old towels when you use the polish and remover. There’s a stack downstairs in the utility room.”
Mel nodded. “We’ll be extra careful, don’t worry.” If Lily hadn’t known Mel was in college, she would have pegged her for a high school girl, with the giddiness she displayed. They finished lunch and the dogs followed their mad dash downstairs.
Lily laughed and went to the computer in the office off the kitchen. She emailed Izzy with some dates in late January that would work for a visit to the island. She and Mac had compared calendars and found a few long weekends they could spare. She also booked a bed and breakfast in Seaside, Oregon for mid-March, before spring break, early in the week, hoping to avoid crowds, but still with the hope of good weather. They needed to squeeze in the trip before her high season kicked into gear.
She updated the reservation calendar and sent Kevin a text to check in. With all of that done, she spent some time looking up the local arts community center at Fort Warden Park. When Lily had voiced her concerns about having too much time on her hands, Donna had mentioned they were always looking for volunteers.
Lily hadn’t attended any of their events, but they offered art shows, performances, readings and lectures, music festivals, tons of art and music classes, and several annual outdoor events during the summer. It looked promising. As she was scrolling, she saw a class on making sea glass mosaics. It made her think of Aunt Maggie and the containers of sea glass stashed in the cupboards. It was a one-day workshop on a Friday the week after Thanksgiving. Before she could think too long, she registered.
While the girls were occupied, she decided to take Bodie on a walk, hoping to expose him to some different sounds and distractions. She put on her fanny pack filled with the soft treats Bodie loved and attached his leash to the harness that let people know he was in training and not to pet him. She left Fritz to watch over the girls and set out toward town.
As she turned the corner to follow one of the busier streets, a loud siren rang out and flashing lights announced a fire engine heading their way. This was a perfect experience for Bodie. She had been working with him to make sure he stopped and sat whenever she stopped walking and he was sitting on the sidewalk now, alert to the shrill noise.
As the engine approached the intersection the blare from its horn startled her, but Bodie remained resolute. He watched the truck, but didn’t flinch. “Good boy, Bodie.” Lily started walking and he followed, moving to her left side like she had trained him. She led him to the waterfront where things were bustling. They were setting up for the lantern festival with vendors putting up their booths and a few food trucks rolling in to augment the restaurants in the area.
Bodie loved people and that was proving to be difficult for training purposes. He was friendly to a fault, thinking anyone who made eye contact was looking for a greeting. Lily knew she would have her work cut out for her as she surveyed the busy sidewalks surrounding the waterfront.
After practicing with the trainer, Lily had mastered keeping a handful of the soft treats in the palm of her hand and using their scent to capture Bodie’s attention. She made sure she had a fistful ready and set out with Bodie. She must have said “leave it” more than a hundred times as they navigated the streets. The trainer had reminded her last week about the importance of rewarding Bodie within a second or two of his good behavior. Each time he ignored the distractions, she slipped him a tasty treat and praised him.
The aroma of grilled meat and sugary fried dough wafted through the air. Several local vendors were setting up booths, and a favorite area donut truck already had a line forming in front of it. She was distracted by the array of smells and could only imagine what it was doing to Bodie, who when he wasn’t honing in on a person, had his nose in the air, sniffing at the breeze.
Lily was mentally exhausted from trying to keep up with dispensing praise and treats, while offering corrections as they circled the area. When they reached the outskirts of the activity, she gave Bodie his last treat and bent down to ruffle his ears and tell him what a good boy he was. He pushed his head into her hand and leaned against her, offering her a few licks of appreciation.
“Let’s get you home and I’ll make the girls help me give you and Fritz a bath.” He looked up at her, eyes wide, as if understanding. She laughed and detoured through the park, one of his favorite places to visit, on the way to the house.
When they arrived home, she found the girls downstairs glued to the television, with Fritz lounging at their feet. Lily organized the bath supplies outside and the girls paused their show to help get both of the dogs into the oversized plastic container she used for a bathtub. Fritz loved the pampering that came with a bath and stretched as they lathered him, massaging as they went.
Bodie, on the other hand, was not as relaxed. Despite the adhesive ducks Lily had applied to the slick plastic bottom of the container, Bodie’s paw slipped out from under him. She tried to reposition his feet so they were on top of the non-slip stickers, but made a note to find an anti-slip mat. His legs shook as she continued working the soap into his fur. “It’s okay, sweet boy. I won’t let you fall.” She let the girls finish Fritz and had them hold onto Bodie while she used the hose to rinse him.
Unlike Fritz, with never ending patience, who waited for Lily to release him with a command, Bodie bolted from the tub the moment Lily finished spraying him. He shook, releasing a shower of water that drenched Lily, while the girls watched, giggling. Fritz, obedient as ever, sprawled on the grass waiting to be toweled dry.
Lily tasked Bree with drying Fritz while she and Mel tackled Bodie, using the towel to get his attention. Like a red cape to a bull, the towel did the trick and he came rushing toward them. Both dogs liked to skid across the grass when they were wet, but Bodie also used the tactic as a way to escape. He calmed when Lily covered him, including his head with a towel, and they hurried to rub his fur dry.
With the bulk of the drying done, Lily added paw pad cream into each paw. Fritz loved this part of the spa treatment and Bodie quieted down, except for trying to lick at Lily’s hands as she made sure each pad was coated. She checked each of their ears and made sure they were clean and then asked Mel to get the toothbrushes.
Fritz was an old pro, but it helped having an extra set of hands to keep Bodie occupied, while Lily brushed his teeth. At this stage, she was still trying to get him used to the process. He loved the doggy toothpaste, but it was a bit of struggle to actually get each tooth brushed.
Mel and Bree cleaned up the tub and put everything away while she let the dogs run in circles, their fur drying a bit more as they played. “Now I need a shower,” said Lily, after thanking the girls for helping. “Those two should be tuckered out and take a nap now.” She left them outside and made her way upstairs.
As she showered, the aroma of the lavender soap she had brought home from their trip reminded her of Mac. Though everything seemed perfect between them, Lily still felt a hint of guilt, deep inside. She had enjoyed their trip and loved spending time with him. He was easy to be around and so thoughtful. His kindness was clear in how he treated animals and how much he did for others. Watching him interact with Mel and take special care to make sure she felt comfortable and valued, along with the obvious love he had for his sister, cemented Lily’s high opinion of him.
Gary would have liked him. Tears fell from Lily’s eyes and mixed with the hot spray from the showerhead. She knew he wouldn’t want her to be unhappy, mourning him for the rest of her life, but why did it still feel like she was cheating on him? She longed for Kevin to meet Mac at Thanksgiving. She hoped he would like him, genuinely like him, not just be polite and want her to be happy.
She gasped when she thought of Mac’s daughter, Missy. With his rocky relationship with her, Lily wondered how she would react if their relationship became more serious, more permanent. He hadn’t even mentioned her to Missy. She pushed the doubt about what that meant far from her thoughts. She didn’t want to be the cause of a further rift between them. Finding love in mid-life was turning out to be complicated. It was difficult to leave out how their decisions would impact their larger families.
She rinsed her hair again, letting the hot water cascade over her shoulders. If she had made a list of what she was looking for in a man, Mac would have ticked every box. The thing was, she hadn’t been looking. That made her think of the Winey Widows and what they had said about living and moving forward after loss. She knew finding love wasn’t something you could plan. It wasn’t a quest, where if you did everything right, you were guaranteed the prize at the end. It was one of those things left up to fate.
She couldn’t deny her feelings for Mac or the fact that she was happier on the days she saw him or talked to him. It was hard to imagine her life without him. If only she could be rid of the guilt.