Distant Shores

Not that she had a choice. She squared her shoulders, smoothed her wrinkled clothes, and went to the door.

Sharon Solin stood on the porch, with her arms pressed close to her sides. She wore a blackwatch plaid skirt and a navy scoop-necked angora sweater. Elizabeth was reminded of Love Story--Jenny Cavilleri doing her first walk-through of a potential rental house.

"Mrs. Shore?" she said, extending her hand. "Im Sharon Solin. "

"Call me Elizabeth, please. Come in. "

"Its beautiful," Sharon said when she stepped inside.

Elizabeth had no trouble seeing it through Sharons eyes. The living room was bright, with butter yellow walls and glossy white crown molding. A pair of oversized windows let in a glorious amount of sunlight, even on this dreary winters day. The oak floors, stripped and refinished by her own hand, seemed to capture all that golden light.

Sharon turned into the kitchen, exclaimed over the beautiful white cabinetry and granite countertops. She loved the old-fashioned stove. In the dining room, she raved over the beautiful view.

Elizabeth managed to keep up a steady stream of inane conversation as they walked through the kitchen, past the guest bathroom, and up the stairs. She tossed out bits and pieces of her life--My husband has been transferred. . . . Weve lived in this house for a little over two years. . . . It was a wreck when we moved in. . . . The previous owners had really let it go. . . . I never got around to finishing the bedrooms, but I picked out the colors. . . . I started planting the garden last spring. . . .

It wasnt until the end of the tour that she cracked. She should have seen it coming, but shed missed the signs. Instead, she blundered into her bedroom and saw that view.

The rooms French doors--the very first addition shed made to the house--were flanked on either side by floor-to-ceiling windows. Pretty pine molding framed the expansive view.

The ocean stretched from one end of the room to the other in a kaleidoscope of blues. Today, the sky looked gray, but Elizabeth knew that if you looked closely, youd see a dozen other colors. On the balcony beyond, a pair of white Adirondack chairs glistened with rainwater. A huge, intricate spiderweb connected the chairs. Beaded by raindrops, it looked like a Swarovski crystal necklace.

"Its beautiful," Sharon said, walking over to the window. "It must be magical to wake up to that view. "

Last year, Elizabeth had injured her shoulder, and that was how she felt now, as if some muscle in her body was tearing away from the bone. She smiled--too brightly perhaps, but Sharon couldnt know that. "Yes, it was. Well, Ill let you alone for a while. I told you all the terms on the phone, and I have your credit application filled out. Ill be downstairs if you have any questions. "

"Thanks. "

Elizabeth went downstairs. She was in the living room, trying to remember if shed packed the aspirin, when the doorbell rang. Before shed even reached the door, it swung open.

Meghann stood there, grinning, holding a pizza box in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. "I sensed your cry for help and brought the preferred tranquilizer for the suburban housewife set. "

Elizabeth had never been so happy to see a friend. "I love you, Meg. "

Footsteps pattered down the stairs.

"Potential renter," Elizabeth said, turning just as Sharon came into the room.

Sharon smiled nervously. "Id like my husband to see it, if thats all right. He really wanted to buy something, but we cant afford much. Id rather rent a wonderful place like this than own a dump. "

"Certainly. Ill be here for two more days. Give me a call and well set up a time for him to do a walk-through. "

"I wouldnt want to lose it, but I know hell want to see it for himself. "

Elizabeth understood perfectly; it was exactly the kind of thing she would have said. She had a sudden urge to warn Sharon, to let her know how easy it was to get lost in marriage. It started simply, too, in a decision that couldnt be made alone. "Dont worry. I havent gotten a ton of calls. There arent a lot of people who want to live this far out of the way. "

Sharon moved forward. "It must be difficult to leave this home. Youve obviously loved it. "

Elizabeths composure wavered. "Thank you for coming by. Ill look forward to hearing from you. " She led Sharon to the door and said good-bye.

"My God," Meg said when she was gone, "shes a child. Is that whats happening out there now--children are renting oceanfront houses?"

"Careful--you sound like a senior citizen. Now, open that wine before I scream. "

"Thats why Im here, Birdie. So you can scream. "

"Open the wine. "

Meghann went into the kitchen, grabbed two glasses, and poured the wine. She handed a glass to Elizabeth. "Did you and Jack ever have that talk?"