Meant to Be (The Saving Angels 1)

“So do I, which is why I originally opened this store. I wanted to give this area a nice place to relax and enjoy their favorite books.”

“Well, I’m glad you did, it’s hard to find a good bookstore that gives you the freedom to browse,” I said with a smile.

“I’m glad you like it. I’ll go unpack those books for you. Look around and then checkout the reading area I set up in the back of the store,” she told me as she headed toward a small stack of boxes.

I was happy about my good fortune, and could already tell I would be spending many hours here in the future. I continued to look around, periodically pulling books off the shelves that caught my eye as I explored the store.

I couldn’t help the happy sigh that escaped me when I saw the big overstuffed chairs set up for reading, and sighed again with contentment when I sat down.

My mom found me there an hour later with my nose stuck in the new book the clerk had kindly unpacked for me.

“Sorry I took so long, I couldn’t decide what to buy,” she said as she sat next to me in the other overstuffed chair. “Wow! These are great; remind me why we bought Lazy Boys and not these chairs?”

I raised my eyebrows at the many bags sitting at her feet. She just shrugged her shoulders.

“I know aren’t they great?” I asked, deciding not to comment on the bags. She looked guilty enough, when she shouldn’t be. “I love this store. The woman who owns it seems very nice and you should see her cat roaming around like he owns the place. Maybe I could try to get a summer job here,” I said thoughtfully.

It would be fantastic to earn money working at a bookstore. I had been dreading the idea of finding a job, but I knew I needed to find something to do for summer break. At least if I worked at a bookstore, I might get a discount on the merchandise.

Before we left the store, I worked up the nerve to ask the owner for an application. The owner seemed pleased by my interest and told me to return it as soon as possible, that she would be hiring her summer help within the next month or so.

I felt lighthearted as we left the store. One less thing to worry about was definitely a plus in my book.

The drive to the Boardwalk was short and soon we were pulling into the parking lot. My mom grabbed some change out of the center console to feed the meter.

“Do you want to ride some rides?” she asked me as we walked across the smooth pavement.

“Not today, I thought it would be fun if we just walked around. Maybe even walk on the beach for awhile,” I said trying to sound nonchalant as I subtly faced away from her. I didn’t want my tell-all blush to giveaway the fact I was hiding something from her.

The view from the beach was the whole reason I wanted to visit the amusement park. Of course I couldn’t tell her the real reason, so I had fabricated a story of wanting to see the famous amusement park by the sea as an excuse for the outing today.

Admission to the amusement park was free, so we were able to stroll right in. The park was busy with families trying to shove one last, fun day into their final day of spring break. I smiled as I watched kids run from one ride to next, followed behind by their parent’s that already looked harassed even though the park had just opened. Older kids hung out in groups, trying to look cool without parental supervision. They seemed to like the roller coaster the most, since the line for that was the longest. It had a big sign above the entrance proclaiming it as the “Giant Dipper.” A smaller sign informed riders that it was either 6 tickets or free with the purchase of an arm band.

We continued to stroll around, laughing at some of the rides, and the sanity of those that choose to ride them. One in particular caught our eye called “Double Shot,” the whole purpose of it seemed to be to shoot people 125 feet in the air at a mind numbing speed.

“No thank you,” my mom murmured as we passed it, looking slightly green in the face.

I laughed. My mom was definitely not a ride fanatic. That title had always been reserved for my dad. Just thinking about him made my heart ache. I couldn’t help thinking how much he would have enjoyed the Boardwalk, and the atmosphere around it, with the cool rides and the smell of the ocean.

My mom stopped at one of the vendors to buy me my promised chocolate in the form of an ice cream. Just the smell of it made my mouth water. My mom laughed when she saw the look on my face. I returned the smile sheepishly. What could I say? Chocolate talked to my soul.

I finished my cone before I finally headed toward the stairs I had spotted earlier that lead down to the sand. I was filled with anticipation as we walked down the sandy concrete steps.

We paused at the bottom stair to remove our shoes.

I sighed in contentment as my feet touched the sand. I had been to beaches before, but never on the west coast. I knew I was crazy to think so, but to me the sand just felt better here. I loved how nice and cool it was as I dug my toes into it. Maybe I felt this way because I thought it might be our beach, the one from my dreams, but I couldn’t help feeling like I belonged here.

My mom settled on the sand while I walked toward the ocean, pretending to look for shells. The breeze from the ocean pulled at the edge of my shirt as I approached the water. Shivering slightly in the cool sea breeze, I crossed my arms to hold my shirt in place and dipped my toes in the ice-cold water. The anticipation made me feel like I was going to burst, but I looked out at the endless sea for a few minutes as I worked up the nerve to turn around and see if it was the same amusement park from my dreams. I wasn’t sure I could handle the disappointment if I was wrong.

Finally with no further apprehension, I slowly turned and felt my breath leave me in one big gasp.

I was standing on a spot that I had stood on hundreds of times. There was no denying that this was indeed the Boardwalk that I had seen so many times in my dreams. I looked around quickly, as if expecting to see him, and then shook my head at how ridiculous it would be if I did. Of course he was not here, he didn’t even exist.

I must have seen a picture of the Boardwalk when I was younger and unconsciously added it into my dreams. I could find no other explanation that would justify why I had dreams about some place where I had never been.

I tried to contemplate what this could mean. Was I crazy or could this be real, and if it was real, did that mean he might actually exist somewhere? I didn’t know what to think at this point. I had come here today hoping to get some answers; but ironically, I was more confused than ever.

Chapter 2