Faith couldn’t help but roll her eyes as Jen tried to hold on to the collar of Max’s new puppy when she came in the gate. Why her friend had acquiesced to Max’s plea, Faith would never know. Sometimes she thought it was Jen’s soft spot for dogs in general—though you’d never know from the look on her friend’s face at the moment that she had any soft spot for dogs at all.
Faith wiped her hands on her jeans and grabbed a broom on her way. She looked up into the flittering leaves of the eucalyptus trees that dotted Jen’s property, and she began to sweep as many as she could off of the driveway before they left. Jen always had so much work to do, as a single mom to two boys. Faith always tried to help when she could.
Her friend seemed to never stop. Faith looked up at the beautiful, two-story house that Jen and her husband Allen had built with their own hands so many years ago. Jen was constantly changing something—new curtains, new tile, even re-arranging furniture, and it looked like it was out of a magazine. Jen truly had a gift for design. But lots of times, Faith got tired just thinking about all that change.
“I don’t know why we even keep trying to clean all these leaves. As many fall as we sweep,” Faith said with a smile. “And we’re leaving.”
“I know. Futile. But they’re there, so I have to do it.”
Faith nodded and took her bags over to Jen’s car, wiping the perspiration from her forehead after she got them inside.
“Boy, it sure is hot all of a sudden. Perfect time to leave. Thanks for asking me to come with.”
“Don’t be silly. It wouldn’t be the same without you. We’ve done this every summer for how long—decades?”
Faith reached into her car for her purse and sunglasses. “Yep, about that long. Mostly just weekends for me, though. Since the kids were babies. But I have to say, I was really worried that after your mom—well, that you all might decide to sell it. It’s probably worth a fortune.”
Jen paused for a moment as she tossed the leaves in the dustpan into the trash.
“I’m a little worried about that, too. They had a big meeting around Easter, and my dad said there was nothing really to talk about, but I don’t buy it. I know they don’t want to put any big money into the house, but hopefully I can do enough little things to make it look better. Or newer. Or something.”
Faith smiled. The house was old, granted, but it had a quaint, lived-in feel even if it was outdated.
“How does the calendar look for this summer?” It was a given that Jen’s brother’s family might come and go, but Faith didn’t mind. There was plenty of room, and now that she thought about it, they hadn’t come down much in recent years.
“I called my brother to see who wanted to book for which weeks this summer, and nobody wanted to. Not even his kids. Not sure what’s going on. But for now, we just get to spruce it up, pack up some of Nana’s stuff and just enjoy the weather. The cooler weather.”
“Well, that’s a relief. I’ve been looking forward to it for months. I couldn’t wait for school to get out.”
“Same here,” Jen said. “I can’t believe it’ll be our first time without any kids. None at all, except for weekends, maybe. I’m sorry you can’t stay for the whole summer.”
“I agree completely. Wish I could have stayed the whole time. But you know how it is. Saving up for retirement.”
“I know. Much as you love it, it must be getting old,” Jen said.
Faith laughed. “Definitely. And I’m getting old, too. At least it feels that way.”
“Nah, not yet. We’re in the prime of our lives. Fifty is the new thirty—or so they say. And all the kids are up and out. Everything’s going well. We get to just enjoy.”
Jen cocked her head toward Faith. “I thought we might be seeing Maggy, at least occasionally.”
Faith’s daughter Maggy worked in San Diego, and while they were close—at least most of the time—Maggy had a pretty big job and couldn’t get away too often. “Oh, right. Yes, she may stop in for a weekend or two, if that’s all right. She’ll be busy at work mostly, though.”
Jen shook her head. “No problem. Wish we could get Max to come, too. Maybe for a weekend or something.”
Faith sighed. “We’ve been trying to fix them up almost since the day they were born. I don’t think this summer’s going to be any different.”
Faith’s daughter Maggy and Jen’s son Max had grown up together and spent their summers in Newport as well. They’d always harbored a not-so-secret hope that the two would end up together, but it never had worked out.
Faith leaned against the car. “I guess you’re right. Hope springs eternal, though. I guess it’s going to be just us, and hopefully we’ll be able to talk Carrie into taking some time off. She said she would.”
“That’d be great. Even a dentist needs a break every once in a while, I’m sure.”
“Looks like we’ve got enough food.” Faith put her last bag of groceries in the back. “Maybe we brought too much. It’s not like there aren’t stores in Newport.”
“I know. But we always do this—at least I have plans for things I’ve been wanting to make. So I’m ready. I’ve been collecting recipes for months, and all the odd things to go with them.”
“Great.” Faith took out a package of dried Egyptian dates and turned it over in her hand. “And I’m ready to be your test-taster,” she said with a laugh.
“Good. I should put a welcome sign for guinea pigs in the kitchen.” Jen took a last peek in the bags they’d loaded. “I don’t see any donuts. I thought you were going to bring them.”
Faith looked in the bags and shrugged her shoulders. “Guess I forgot. Besides, we’ll have Nana’s muffins.” Jen glanced at Faith.
“Of course, we’ll still have to go to the bakery by the pier,” Faith said with a smile.
Faith felt her friends' eyes on her and knew she was smiling, but she looked away. She was never very good at hiding anything.
“That wouldn’t have anything to do with the older Mr. Johnson retiring last year and the younger Mr. Johnson taking over, would it?”
“Uh, no, why?” Faith asked.
“If I recall correctly, he gave you free donut holes every chance he got. Just like his dad did for my brother and me when we were little kids.”
“Right. It’s just a tradition. But they’re great donut holes.”
Jen laughed out loud at that one. “Yes, they are. And the cinnamon buns are pretty stellar, too.” Faith couldn’t believe she’d said that out loud, and felt heat creep up her neck.
Fortunately, Jen’s phone rang, and Faith took the broom Jen handed her and continued sweeping.
“Hi, Max,” Jen said to her younger son. “How did the final meeting go for your internship?”
Faith’s ears perked up. Max had just graduated from college and had applied for internships across the country as well as in their hometown. This last interview was a long shot—and in Boston. But it was the best of the internships available, and Faith was rooting for him.
Faith kept sweeping, purposefully heading in a different direction than Jen so she didn’t eavesdrop. Not that she wouldn’t have liked to.
Jen walked back in her direction with her arms folded and her brows furrowed. Faith leaned the broom against the wall of the house and took in a deep breath.
“What happened? He didn’t get it?”
Jen leaned back against the hood of her car, her arms still folded, shaking her head. “Worse. He did.”
“Oh,” Faith said slowly as she looked up at Jen’s big house and around at all the leaves. If Max was heading to Boston for the summer, she’d have to make arrangements for somebody to check on the house. “Maybe Michael could come and look in on the place?”
Jen’s older son, recently married, was living in a tiny apartment closer to town, but he probably wouldn’t mind.
“That’s not the problem,” Jen said.
Faith’s eyes followed Jen’s as she looked toward the back seat of the car. The cute little puppy raised its head and stood up, and its tail thudded on the seats faster than Faith had ever seen.
“Ah, I see.”
She walked over to the car and patted her friend on the shoulder on her way. “It’ll be all right,” she said as Jen opened the back door and added the big bag of dog food.
“Guess you’re going on our trip with us, Daisy. You ready?”