“I’m going to cook for you forever,” he’d told her once. They were twelve years old, sitting on the front porch of his old house, their bellies full from a very difficult pasta dish he’d made.
Juliet had smiled sleepily at him. “Forever is a long time,” she’d said. “What about when I’m a famous model? Will you still cook for me then?”
“You’ll need me,” he’d said. “You think anyone in that crazy world of fame is going to look out for you? It has to be me.”
Juliet had rolled her eyes. And then, abruptly, she put her hands on either side of his face, leaned over, and kissed him. The kiss had rocketed through Theo’s body. It had made his soul shake. When it was over, he’d gaped at her, but she’d already gotten up from the porch swing, stretched her arms over her head, and said she needed to get back. “Ivy will freak if I’m not home soon.”
That kiss had had a real effect on Theo, one that he sometimes regretted. In the weeks, months, and years that followed that kiss, Theo had pined after Juliet, aching for her to kiss him again. He’d never gotten it into his mind that he could kiss her first because he’d felt a boundary drawn between them. And he’d kept himself awake late at night, wondering if he’d kissed her poorly, or if his breath had stunk too much of garlic. Juliet still came over all the time for food, and they went to the movies and hung out at school and ate their lunches together.
But they never kissed again.
Many years later, when Juliet and Theo were twenty-four years old and Theo was married to someone else, Theo got a late-night call from a number he didn’t recognize. With his wife in the next room, Theo answered it and was surprised to hear a groggy Juliet on the other line.
He hadn’t heard her voice since they were eighteen years old. Panic, shock, and happiness shot through him. Hearing her voice again was almost the same as kissing her that first time when they were twelve. He’d collapsed on the sofa and said, “Juliet, how are you?”
Juliet had giggled. “I’m getting married tomorrow!”
Theo’s heart had thudded. “Congratulations,” he said. “Who’s the lucky guy?”
“Alvin,” Juliet said. “His name is Alvin, and he’s a lawyer.”
“A lawyer?” Something about this felt off to Theo, who’d always imagined Juliet marrying a successful filmmaker or artist or something like that. Someone worthy of her spirit.
“He’s very in love with me,” Juliet said, then giggled again. “I drank too much champagne.”
Theo smiled into the phone. He told himself not to read into why Juliet was calling him on the night before her wedding to Alvin the lawyer. But he couldn’t help himself.
He guessed she wasn’t happy. That, or she was feeling nostalgic about not having either of her childhood best friends at her wedding. At this thought, Theo’s heart sank.
“You know, tonight for the rehearsal dinner, we had course after course after course,” she said. “It was French food, and it was divine, it really was. But for some reason, I couldn’t stop thinking about all that food you used to make me. I still think that was some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. Isn’t that crazy?” She laughed.
“I went to culinary school,” Theo said. “I hope I’m a little bit better than I used to be.”
Juliet groaned. “Oh, Theo. I would love to taste your food!”
Theo’s heart felt like it was cracking into a thousand pieces. “I’m about to open my own restaurant. I’m calling it The Dockside.”
Juliet laughed. “Is it right by the docks?”
“How did you know?”
“I bet it’s beautiful,” Juliet said. “I used to love how the light hit the water right there by the docks. Remember how we used to watch fireworks there on the Fourth?”
“How could I forget?” Theo murmured.
Silence fell between them. If Theo wasn’t mistaken, he guessed that Juliet was thinking about Callie, about the other person who’d so often been around when Theo and Juliet had hung out.
Theo and Juliet had never talked about what had happened. They hadn’t had time. Juliet had skipped town almost immediately, and Theo had buried his sorrow and anger deep down.
“I’d better go,” Juliet said suddenly, breaking the spell.
Theo searched his mind for something to keep her on the line a little while longer. But he knew that talking like this was dangerous. He didn’t want to fall back into his silly teenage fantasies. He was married to a wonderful woman. He had a life that was all his own—here in Bluebell Cove, just as he’d always imagined.
“Juliet,” Theo began. But she’d already hung up.
6
It was the last week of eighth grade for Danica, and despite Juliet’s endless urging, Alvin still hadn’t told his daughter that he was moving to Singapore. “I think that should come from you,” Alvin had told Juliet. Juliet had been so floored by his audacity that she hadn’t known what to say. She’d hung up on him, her ears ringing. Why had she thought having a kid with him would turn out great?
