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“Forget I said anything. Want to go out to eat tonight? There’s a new restaurant that opened, owned by the same guy who owns Terra and Mare in Lake Starlight. I’ll call and see if I can get us in.” He stands and picks up their landline phone. They’re the only people I know with one these days.
My mom returns dressed in shorts and a blouse. “So, tell me about Bali. Don’t you have the best life ever?”
“It was beautiful.”
“That’s all you have to say?”
I shrug. “The water was clear, the sand perfectly white. It’s paradise.”
“You need someone to share these things with?” She poses it as a question.
“No, we’ve been over this. As long as I’m photographing around the world, I’m not getting into a serious relationship.” I gulp down the rest of my Coke.
She leans back in her chair, crossing her legs and tapping her fingers on the table while her dark eyes inspect me. “There are a lot of women who would love to travel the world with you.”
I think about how awesome it would be to find someone who would travel with me, but that would mean asking her to put her own life on pause. I could never do that. “Maybe so, but there’s not one I’ve found who interests me.”
“You know I’m only getting older, right? I’d like grandchildren one day. I want to see you happy.”
“Imagine how happy Grandma was when you had me.”
She retracts her hand from the table, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at me. “Don’t make me feel guilty over something I have no control over.” She glances at my dad.
My dad is still talking on the phone with the restaurant, so I figure I have one last shot with my mom before he returns. “You have some control. She’s only getting older, you know. And it’s all over such a stupid thing.”
“Millions of dollars and a family legacy isn’t a stupid thing. We all know your grandfather wanted the business kept in the family. And that money could’ve done a lot for this family… for you.”
“Aren’t you guys happy now?”
A soft smile creases her lips, and she looks at my dad. “We are. But we would’ve have been happy with that life too.”
“It’s all set,” my dad says, joining us. “The three of us at the new restaurant in town. I’ve been hearing great things about it.”
As always, the conversation dies, and I’ve gotten nowhere in pushing my parents to make amends with my grandma, the same as I did when I tried with my grandma.
After dinner with my parents,I go back to SunBay Inn and say hello to Trina behind the front desk before climbing the stairs to my room.
After minutes in my room, I’m restless, so I grab my camera and head out.
The difference between Greywall and Sunrise Bay is the nightlife. Maybe it’s the Truth or Dare Brewery or the fact that the town hosts more activities, but when I step outside of the inn and walk up the hill toward downtown, I hear the sounds of life.
The cobblestone streets, which are restricted from cars, give the small town a more intimate feel than the neighboring ones. I sit in front of The Grind at a black iron table, and I snap some pictures of the busy businesses. The crowd waiting to get into Truth or Dare, the couples grabbing a late-night coffee and walking in and out of the small shops that line the street.
I catch a little guy with an ice cream cone that has more ice cream dripping down his arm than he’s probably managed to get in his mouth. His mom is constantly trying to wipe his face until the dad takes the mom’s hand and says something I assume is along the lines of “forget it, let’s enjoy the night.”
“It’s a great town, right?” A dark-haired woman sits down next to me. There’s something familiar about her, but I can’t place it. “I grew up here and moved away, only to return years later and fall in love with it all over again.”
“It really is a great place.” I snap pictures of a woman staring at the sky and circling around until her date grabs her by the waist. She laughs, and they walk in the direction of the inn.
“This is my favorite time of the year here. When tourist season is at its peak and Mother Nature gifts us these perfect nights.”
I smile at her.
“So where are you from?” she asks.
“All over.”
“Are you a photographer?” She nods toward the camera in my hands.
