“That’s so sad! At least my sister had a chance to grow up and get married and have children.” Carla brushed her sleeve across her eyes. “Honestly, I haven’t even had time to grieve because my life got turned upside down. I had to come back home so my parents could help me with the kids.”
“That must be really hard. Do your parents watch them while you’re at work?”
“Yes.” She blinked rapidly. “They love their grandparents, but I feel like they resent me. I love them a lot, but I’m afraid I’m going to screw up their lives.”
“I can tell you firsthand that even birth parents make mistakes,” said Katie. “But no matter how badly you mess up, they’ll know if you love them. That’s all that matters.”
In spite of all the pressure Katie’s parents had put on her, she never doubted their love. In fact, she was certain much of that pressure was self-imposed—an attempt to be perfect in order to make up for her sister’s death.
“Sorry to dump all that on you.” Sniffing, Carla reached for a tissue box on the shelf above her.
“That’s okay. I dumped on you, first, remember?”
“Well, you’re a good listener.” Carla lifted the hood to check Katie’s hair. “I wish you lived around here so you could come back after I do some remodeling. I have so many plans to make this place look awesome, but I’m waiting for my bank loan to come through. My contractor, Von Ryan, has some creative ideas for finishes that don’t cost an arm and a leg, but look expensive.”
“It takes a lot of courage to be a business owner,” said Katie. “I’d be so nervous if I didn’t have a regular paycheck.”
“Sometimes I think I’m brave, and sometimes I think I’m just plain crazy!”
Katie laughed. “You remind me a lot of my roommate.”
“The smart one?” Carla’s eyes crinkled in the corners. “Does she have multi-colored hair, like me?”
“No, but she has dark brown eyes like you, and she makes me laugh all the time.”
“Is she the black sheep of the family, like I am?” She let out a humorless laugh. “My sister was the sensible child, who graduated from college, got married, and produced grandchildren. I’m the wild child who ran off to Hollywood to seek her fortune. But I guess the joke’s on me—now I have to be sensible, whether I want to or not.”
Katie’s heart broke at the sadness in her voice.
“You know… I’m staying at the cottages at Indigo Bay through Saturday,” said Katie. “Maybe you could bring the kids down to the beach to play.”
Carla’s face brightened. “That would be totally fun! Dax turns nine on Sunday, and he hasn’t really been here long enough to make a lot of friends. I have Friday off, so maybe we could come over after lunch and make it a little birthday celebration. He hasn’t been speaking to me for the past week, so hopefully, I’ll win some points with him. The therapist says it’s a normal part of grieving for him to be so angry, but it’s tearing me apart.”
“I’m here with some friends, so I’ll need to double-check, but I can’t think of any reason it would be a problem.”
“Is one of your friends the guy who paid for your appointment today?”
“Yes. Did you meet him?” It would be a wonder if Carla hadn’t recognized Steven.
“No, he paid with PayPal. But he gave me a huge tip. That money’s really going to come in handy, so I’d love to thank him in person.”
“You might get the chance, if he’s there on Friday.”
“Is he your boyfriend?”
“No, he’s my boss.”
And I feel guilty he’s spending this kind of money on me.
“If this is one of your perks, it sounds like a great job.”
“He’s very generous, although this is above and beyond, even for him,” said Katie. “But I’m not complaining!”
Gary knocked on Katie’s door and stepped back, waiting for her to answer. He shifted from foot to foot like a nervous teenager, while holding a grocery store sack in his hand.
The door opened, and Katie’s face appeared—only her face, as if she were keeping her body hidden behind the door.
“Hi, Gary. Did you guys have a good day diving?”