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Georgia sighed and nodded over at the house. “I knew your parents would be at Rachel’s, so I dropped them off some food. They were just talking about how they were going to pick you up in a couple of hours. As I was walking by, I saw your car and recognized you. Thought I’d see what was going on.” Her gaze narrowed as she took in my car, which was covered in smashed bugs and dust. “You had a long trip if you drove all the way down from Massachusetts. Your parents still believe they’re supposed to pick you up from the airport.”
Martin leaned his head against the doorframe, tongue lolling out of his mouth in a friendly smile. I ran my hand gently over the top of his smooth head, trying to keep myself from breaking down.
“Nobody knows I’m here.” My voice wavered, and I paused briefly, not wanting to admit why I had chosen to drive instead of flying back home. “I just needed some time away.”
Georgia’s chin trembled, and fresh tears pooled in her eyes. “I don’t blame you, darling. Nobody should be on a plane during times like this.” She closed her eyes briefly before re-opening them and looking away; her face was distraught with anguish. “Rachel was my best friend, and it doesn’t feel right knowing she’s gone.” Georgia’s gaze returned to mine as she spoke softly, “But you were so close to her—having you around will make it feel like she’s still here with us.”
My throat tightened and I blinked multiple times, attempting to suppress my emotions that threatened to burst through. Hot tears spilled from my eyes and streamed down my cheeks as I inhaled deeply, struggling to compose myself again.
“Thank you, Georgia,” I said sincerely. “I’ll be here for you too—just like my grandmother always was.”
Georgia smiled warmly at me and wiped away her tears with the back of her hand before responding. “That means a lot to me, Everleigh—if you don’t mind visiting every now and then, it would be nice to have your company.”
I nodded. “Of course. I’d be happy to.”
I glanced down the road at my grandmother’s house. It was a one-story building on stilts, painted blue, and was surrounded by lush green grass and rose bushes. A light breeze carried the strong scent of honeysuckles to me from her garden.
“Before you go, how’s my mother doing?”
When I focused back on Georgia, she solemnly shrugged. “As good as can be expected. She’s at the house sorting through your grandmother’s things with your father while your aunt Sandy hovers nearby like a fly trying to land on honey.”
The mention of my aunt provoked a nagging feeling in my gut that didn’t settle well. I had never liked my aunt Sandy and hadn’t given her a second thought in years until now. So, it figured she’d only show up if she thought she would get something out of it. With my grandmother gone, Sandy would no doubt want her cut of the inheritance.
“Of course she is,” I scoffed.
Georgia nodded, but there was a twinkle of something behind the pain in her blue eyes; mischief rather than sorrow this time. “I wouldn’t worry about her, Everleigh. Even though your grandmother had two daughters and an amazing granddaughter like you, she got enough love from you and your mother to make up for what she didn’t get from your aunt. That much is certain.”
“Yes, she did,” I said softly.
My hand was resting on the door, and Georgia patted it reassuringly. “Take care of yourself, dear. Do you plan on staying for a while? I know you were supposed to leave for vacation tomorrow.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I shrugged. Everything was up in the air. Was I going to stay for a while? Should I go straight back to Massachusetts after the funeral? Those were questions I didn’t have the answers to. But I had a feeling my mother would need me around for a while.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “I have the next two months off but don’t know what to do with everything going on.”
A sad smile spread across Georgia’s face. “Either way, I know I’ll see you again. Your mother said the funeral’s going to be in two days.”
The thought made my heart hurt. In two days, we would be saying goodbye to my grandmother forever. I wasn’t ready. My breath quivered as I slowly exhaled.
“I will see you there, then.”
Reaching out, I patted Martin’s head again before Georgia stepped back and waved and continued her journey down the road. She lived just six houses down from my grandmother.
After pressing the button to roll up my window, I pulled back onto the road. When my grandmother’s house came fully into view, it was as if I’d stepped into a different time—a time when everything was perfect. Her house wasn’t as huge as others on the street, but that made it unique. My mother had grown up there, and it was where I spent my summers and then some. Everything was much more fun at my grandmother’s house.
For the briefest of moments, I stared at the house and thought my grandmother was going to run out onto the porch and wave like she used to when I would stop by. But unfortunately, that wasn’t ever going to happen again. I rubbed that aching spot on my chest that felt like someone was using a dull butter knife to reach my heart. All I wanted was for the pain to disappear, but I knew it wouldn’t be anytime soon.
After taking a deep breath, I pulled into the driveway. My mother’s white Toyota Camry and a black BMW i8 were there. The BMW, no doubt, belonged to my aunt. Sandy loved showing off her money and talked about it even more.
I parked behind my mother’s car and got out. A gust of wind whipped by, drawing my attention to the ocean. The waves were bigger than usual, almost as if they were also in pain. It was as if they knew my grandmother would never step foot in their waters again.
I walked up the stairs to the porch, and around the back to the door my grandmother always used. You could count the times she went out her main front door on one hand. My parents were inside, looking through photo albums on the couch. I watched them through the window to get a feel of what to expect. My father was dashing as always with his perfectly coifed gray hair, wearing a green polo shirt and khakis as if he was about to play at the golf course. However, the outright concern on his face as he consoled my mother worried me.
My mother was strong, but I couldn’t help but remember how devastated she was when my grandfather died twenty years ago. Her cheeks were red, and her eyes were swollen from crying. She was the younger version of my grandmother with her silky-smooth blonde hair and face like an angel. Like mother, like daughter, like grandmother. Everyone on the island used to say that to us since I looked just like my mother, and she like hers. All three of us had the same blonde hair and green eyes with a golden ring around our pupils. My aunt Sandy used to hate hearing people dote on us; she was the one who wanted all the attention.
When my aunt came into view, I could feel a wave of hatred wash over me. Sandy busied herself by looking through the kitchen cabinets and drawers, probably searching for something she could take. I have never known anyone to be as self-involved and selfish as her.
She left Oak Island to pursue a modeling career when she turned eighteen, but it was really my mother who had the beauty in the family, both inside and out. Sandy knew it and resented her for it. She was two years younger than my mother, with the same blonde hair, but her eyes weren’t hazel green. Instead, they were brown, just like my late grandfather’s. Sandy was also a former Miss North Carolina who happened to marry a man who later became a state senator. They lived in a multimillion-dollar mansion in Durham with their twin twenty-year-old son and daughter, Bradley and Hannah. I’ve only seen them a handful of times. That was how disconnected Sandy was from the family.
