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He looked more relaxed overall, and the change suited him.
Dane gave her a quick hug and gave Caitlin the same concerned look as Alissa had. Her chest warmed. He truly cared about every part of Alissa’s life, including her family.
Caitlin followed Dane as he pushed their luggage to the car and loaded up the trunk, the warmth in her chest turning into a bittersweet feeling. She was so glad Alissa had found a man like him, someone who made her happy and treated her family as his own. But being with James had never felt quite like that. If anything, his relationship with Alissa or their parents was polite, but distant. He was a part of their family, but at the same time, he wasn’t.
He came to holiday gatherings and parties, but he tended to stick in the background without engaging much. And when Caitlin tried to be friendly and warm with his family, they kept her at arm’s length. They were incredible grandparents to Pearl, but Caitlin had never felt like they were an extension of the family she’d grown up with.
Caitlin slid into the back seat, brushing off the feeling. She was almost to Blueberry Bay. Pearl was smiling and laughing. Alissa had her back, as did Dane. She was going to forge ahead and take care of herself and Pearl despite the heartbreak. It was the best way forward, even if the road was rocky.
“Off we go,” Alissa said as they pulled away.
The traffic around the airport was bad, but eventually it smoothed out. Boston’s skyline drifted further away as they got closer to Blueberry Bay.
“Do you see anything that starts with an ‘f’?” Dane asked Pearl. “I see something up ahead.”
“A farm!” Pearl said as they passed by one.
“Nice job. What about something that starts with ‘g’?” Dane turned to look at Pearl and Caitlin in the back seat.
Pearl looked out the window, her brow furrowing. “I don’t know.”
“The color green. Look at all these trees,” Caitlin said, pointing out the window.
“Oh!” Pearl sat back in her seat. “It’s really green.”
“It’s green in Blueberry Bay at this time of year. At least if you’re walking away from the beach. The beach is a lot of fun,” Alissa said. “You’ll love it.”
“Will I see dolphins?” Pearl asked.
“I don’t think so?” Alissa glanced at Dane.
“I don’t think they come up this far north. But sometimes whales come,” Dane said.
Pearl seemed satisfied with that answer.
“What else is there?” Pearl swung her legs back and forth. They were too short to hit the seat in front of her, but they thumped against the seat beneath her.
“There’s a lot of great food. And a lot of fun events. We had a luau a while back. It’s like a big, Hawaiian party. And there’s surfing too. Or we can go on boat rides.” Alissa made a left turn. “Lots of kids live there too so you’ll make a lot of friends.”
Pearl hung on Alissa’s every word, her eyes wide with excitement. Caitlin smiled. Pearl was going to crash soon because of their busy day but she was glad that Pearl was happy.
Caitlin pulled her phone out of her purse and shot James a quick text letting them know they’d landed and were nearly in Blueberry Bay. She bit her bottom lip, then flipped her phone screen-side down on her lap. James had been great with allowing her to take Pearl with her, although he obviously missed her. She never wanted James to feel like she’d stolen their daughter. Even if she and James weren’t together anymore, they both wanted to be good parents to Pearl.
She sighed, sinking into her seat and looking out the window. The beautiful scenery soothed her for just a moment, settling her before she felt uneasy again. Her old life felt like it was fading into the background, but her new one hadn’t settled in yet. She was adrift and wasn’t sure when she’d come to shore again.
“Oo, yes,” Alissa said, pulling Caitlin out of her thoughts. “We should totally go over to Whale Harbor to visit that pizza place.”
“That does sound good,” Dane added.
It did. Caitlin hadn’t gone out for pizza in ages. She and James had always ordered in.
“What kind of pizza? Classic Italian, or something a little more American?” Caitlin asked.
“Classic Italian,” Alissa said. “The kind you love. The owner took his father’s recipes from Italy and put a few twists on them. But he kept the originals on the menu too. It’s the kind of pizza that you have to have straight out of the oven to appreciate it.”
“That really does sound delicious.”
“But there’s a good spot in town if you really want pizza,” Dane added.
