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“And then you came home …”
“And then I came home. I was devastated but I had you and you were the most important thing in the world to me. I had to rally so I could take care of you.”
“And we never heard from Beth again.” The defeat in her voice tears me apart.
“I told her in London that I felt it was best for her not to contact us until she felt she could be a steady presence in your life. I didn’t want her coming and going and confusing you with her ambivalence. So, yes, we never heard from her again.”
“I googled her last month,” Sammy announces.
“I know,” I tell her. “Your search history popped up on the computer.”
“She’s really pretty. She lives in Germany now. She got married a few years ago.”
“How does that make you feel?” I ask.
“Sad. I can’t imagine a mom not wanting to know her kid.”
“Beth was a wonderful woman, Sammy. She really was. She just couldn’t handle motherhood like she thought she’d be able to.”
“She’s a stranger so it’s not like I miss her. But I do miss having a mom.”
This kid is going to be the end of me. I want to protect her from all pain, but I have not been very successful. “You can reach out to her when you turn eighteen, if you want.”
“I don’t want to be the one chasing her,” she says dejectedly. “If she wanted to know me, she would.”
“We have a great life together, Sammy,” I tell her. “I’m sad your mom went away too, but I think we’ve done pretty well for ourselves.”
I watch as she sits up in her hammock, her head slowly bobbing up and down. “Yeah, we’re a good team.” Then as quickly as she wanted to talk about the past, she seems ready to leave it behind. “Let’s go eat. I’m starving.”
“Should we see if Wisconsin has decent pizza?”
“Yuck, no. I’m not ready to be disappointed. Let’s hit the diner for burgers.”
“Milkshakes, too?” I ask.
“Duh. Mint chip with a drizzle of chocolate sauce and extra whipped cream.”
“The dinner of the gods,” I joke. As we walk up the path to drop our stuff inside, I tell her, “I love you, Sammy. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“Darn straight, I am.” She nudges me in the side before wrapping her arms around me. Once we’re in a full hug, she says, “I love you too, Dad. Thanks for being you.”
CHAPTERFIVE
MELISSA
While part of me wishes I’d moved somewhere else after college—you know, in a bid for total independence—I love Elk Lake and have a hard time imagining living anywhere else. My town is small enough during the off season that even if I don’t know everyone, most faces are somewhat familiar. During the season, it feels like a completely different place with the infusion of summer residents.
As I stroll down Main Street, I inhale the early morning air. The aroma promises another beautiful summer day while hinting that cooler temperatures will be arriving soon. I walk into Rosemary’s for my daily latte and a raspberry scone. My friend Faith owns the bakery, but she doesn’t spend all her days here like she used to before getting married.
If I’m being honest, I’m green with envy that she met a guy like Teddy Helms right here in Elk Lake. Their story is one in a million, which I somehow translate to mean I could never be as lucky.
“Hey, Esmé,” I greet the woman behind the counter. Esmé recently returned to Elk Lake after spending a year in France learning how to be a pastry chef.
“Hi, Melissa.” The only people who call me Missy are the ones who’ve known me my whole life, and they more often than not forget to use my preferred moniker. Esmé hands me a paper bag. “I put the last raspberry scone aside for you. You want a latte with that?”
I love that my breakfast order is known, so the flash of sadness I suddenly feel catches me off guard. A vision of me in twenty years pops to mind, and my throat clogs with emotion. I’m still coming into Rosemary’s, but the girl behind the counter is different. She hands me my raspberry scone and I carry it to the bridal shop to eat. Surely, there’s got to be more in store for me.
“Actually, I’d like a chocolate chip scone today, if you have one.”
