After All (Cape Harbor 1)

She went over to Simone and Brystol and sat across from them. “What are you ladies looking at?”

Brystol held up the newest issue of Better Homes & Gardens. Brooklyn blanched when she saw the cover, causing Brystol to laugh. Brooklyn had forgotten that she’d given them an interview. It was months ago when a photographer showed up and took photos of her in a kitchen she had recently finished.

“You look good, Mom.”

Brooklyn smiled. “Thanks, kiddo. How are my answers?”

“They’re the usual.” Brystol shrugged.

“I particularly like the tips,” Simone added. “I could’ve used these when I was repairing the kitchen.”

“You did an amazing job on the kitchen, Simi,” Brooklyn stated. “I’ve looked it over. I’ve checked the wiring. Everything is ready to go.”

However, Simone didn’t look convinced.

“Tell you what—I’ll have Bowie look too. We’ll make sure everything’s in working order before we open.” This seemed to placate Simone a bit.

Bowie came into the waiting room a few minutes later and met Brooklyn’s eyes. They weren’t on the same page yet but would be after spending some time together. Soon he would know exactly what she was thinking. She desperately wanted to feel his arms around her, to have him hug the both of them, but right now she had to take her daughter to say goodbye to her grandmother.

She and Brystol held hands as they walked toward Bowie. Brooklyn stopped and rested her free hand on his chest. He leaned into her, kissing her temple. “I’ll be outside with Luke,” he whispered.

Down the hall, mother and daughter walked toward Carly’s room. Brooklyn wanted Brystol to go at her own pace; she didn’t want to force her to do anything she wasn’t comfortable with. Next to Carly’s bed sat a chair. Bowie had left it there for the next person to come in and say their goodbyes. In the corner, a pile of folded blankets had been placed on the floor, with a pillow resting on top. Simone was preparing to stay here so that Carly wouldn’t die alone.

“Can Nonnie hear me?”

“Yeah, she can. She may not be able to answer, but she can hear you.”

Brystol walked into the room and sat in the chair while Brooklyn went to the windowsill. She had sat there last night, waiting and wondering how she’d ended up here. It was all Carly and some master plan of hers to change their lives. She knew that now.

“Hi, Nonnie. I know you’re not feeling very well right now. Mom says you can hear me. I really hope she’s right. Grandpa told me once that you should always say goodbye, no matter where you’re going. I’m not the one leaving, but I guess the same applies. I don’t know what I’m supposed to say, so I’m just going to tell you that you are the best grandma, and I have a lot of really fun memories. Like the time we tried to tie-dye shirts, and you spilled the color everywhere. Your backyard was a rainbow of colors until it rained. Or the time we went out during low tide to go clamming. I still don’t like clams that much, but that was fun. I know we didn’t get to spend a lot of time together, but coming here each summer was the most fun, with this one being the best because we got to stay home every day. You and Simi always had so many things for us to do, like flying kites or sitting in the hammock reading. There was the time we went to dinner with my grandparents at the Space Needle. We started on one side of the city and ended up on the other. Do you remember laughing all night with my grandma? What about when you snorted?” Brystol had to stop and laugh. Brooklyn glanced at her daughter and saw that her head was down, resting on Carly’s leg. “I remember it so clearly.”

Two people appeared in the doorway, and Brooklyn sprang to her feet. She rushed to her parents, needing to feel their arms around her. “What’re you doing here?”

“Simone called us. We thought we’d come up and help with Brystol, and anything else you needed.”

“I’m so happy you’re here,” she said, breathing them in. “I’m so sorry I didn’t call. My mind is reeling right now. Rennie’s on her way too. I need her to look over Carly’s will.”

“We understand,” her mother said.

She pulled away, only to be replaced by Brystol. She yammered on about everything that had been happening since she saw them last, and filled her grandparents in about Luke, telling them that she was begging her mother for a dog now.

“Dad, you remember Bowie, right?”

“Of course, I do,” David Hewett said gruffly.

“He’s in the waiting room.” Brooklyn gave her parents a knowing look. They knew all too well about their daughters’ feelings toward Bowie, and later tonight, she would fill them in on her surprising revelation.