how much she liked Celeste andher other friends in Eternity Springs. “I feel peaceful there, Cait. I feel okay when I’m there.”
After that, she paused and waited for Caitlin’s reaction. Ali knew her daughter. Caitlin did enjoy drama, and under other circumstances Ali would expect her to launch into tears and wailing and demands. But with something so serious, so central to the fabric of her life, Caitlin’s thoughts and emotions would go deeper than drama. Ali’s baby girl would be afraid.
The silence of Caitlin’s response proved that Ali’s instincts had been spot-on. So she drew upon more than two decades of maternal experience and said, “It will be okay, Caitlin. I promise you that. We will still be a family, no matter what. We will love you and you will love us—that won’t change.”
“But … you and Dad. You don’t love each other anymore?”
“No, I do still love Dad.” Saying it, Ali knew it was true. “I love him very much. And sweetheart, I think that’s probably why I had to do this.”
“That makes no sense.”
As she spoke with her daughter the vague thoughts and feelings that had circled in her mind all day began to congeal. “I know what love is. I know what loving and being loved is. It’s wonderful, Caitlin. It fills me up and sets me free and brings me indescribable joy. I had that with your dad. We had it together. But somewhere along the way, we lost it.”
“So you’re what? Just giving up? Throwing it all away?”
“I hope not. I hope we will discover a way to find it again. I hope we will want to find it again. Butthat’s something your dad and I need to figure out on our own. For some time now, Dad and I have been settling for less. I don’t want to settle.”
“But how can you possibly fix something if you’re living apart?”
“I’m not saying I have all the answers, Caitlin, because I don’t. But this is what my heart is telling me to do. I don’t know what I’ll find in Eternity Springs. I just know I need to go there.”
Seated across from her at the kitchen table, Celeste reached across and squeezed Ali’s arm in support. Ali smiled tremulously and continued, “I recognize that this is difficult for you and your brothers, and I feel terrible about that. But sweetie, like you are always quick to tell me, you’re an adult now. Your dad and I have raised three wonderful children who are smart and strong and make me so very, very proud. I know you want your parents to be together. I know you want nothing to change. But honey, things do change. Life happens. Children grow up and leave home. And sometimes families change.”
“This really stinks, Mom.”
“Yes, I know, baby. I’m sorry.”
After a long moment, Caitlin asked, “I wish I’d gone with you on one of your visits to Eternity Springs when you asked. Now it feels to me like you have a whole other life I don’t know anything about.”
That was how Ali felt about Caitlin’s life at college. “You can come visit me over Easter break.”
“Maybe. I just have a long weekend.”
“Whatever works for you is fine with me. I just want you to know that you’re welcome.”
“Unlike Daddy?”
Ali let that little dig pass without comment. “What is meant to happen will happen, and it will be okay, Cait. Have faith in that. I do. We may have a few bumps in the road, but in the end we’ll be okay.”
“In Eternity Springs, Colorado?”
“Absolutely. People all over the country are coming to Angel’s Rest to heal. Maybe the magic will work for me.”
Mac downshifted and gunned the engine, and the sweet little Porsche 911 took the mountain curve like a dream. One side of his mouth lifted in a crooked grin. As spontaneous gestures went, this one rocked.
When he’d left the house this morning in his sedate Lexus LX10, he’d had no particular destination in mind other than to head east. He often took a similar drive when problems weighed upon him. Ordinarily he’d head away from
After that, she paused and waited for Caitlin’s reaction. Ali knew her daughter. Caitlin did enjoy drama, and under other circumstances Ali would expect her to launch into tears and wailing and demands. But with something so serious, so central to the fabric of her life, Caitlin’s thoughts and emotions would go deeper than drama. Ali’s baby girl would be afraid.
The silence of Caitlin’s response proved that Ali’s instincts had been spot-on. So she drew upon more than two decades of maternal experience and said, “It will be okay, Caitlin. I promise you that. We will still be a family, no matter what. We will love you and you will love us—that won’t change.”
“But … you and Dad. You don’t love each other anymore?”
“No, I do still love Dad.” Saying it, Ali knew it was true. “I love him very much. And sweetheart, I think that’s probably why I had to do this.”
“That makes no sense.”
As she spoke with her daughter the vague thoughts and feelings that had circled in her mind all day began to congeal. “I know what love is. I know what loving and being loved is. It’s wonderful, Caitlin. It fills me up and sets me free and brings me indescribable joy. I had that with your dad. We had it together. But somewhere along the way, we lost it.”
“So you’re what? Just giving up? Throwing it all away?”
“I hope not. I hope we will discover a way to find it again. I hope we will want to find it again. Butthat’s something your dad and I need to figure out on our own. For some time now, Dad and I have been settling for less. I don’t want to settle.”
“But how can you possibly fix something if you’re living apart?”
“I’m not saying I have all the answers, Caitlin, because I don’t. But this is what my heart is telling me to do. I don’t know what I’ll find in Eternity Springs. I just know I need to go there.”
Seated across from her at the kitchen table, Celeste reached across and squeezed Ali’s arm in support. Ali smiled tremulously and continued, “I recognize that this is difficult for you and your brothers, and I feel terrible about that. But sweetie, like you are always quick to tell me, you’re an adult now. Your dad and I have raised three wonderful children who are smart and strong and make me so very, very proud. I know you want your parents to be together. I know you want nothing to change. But honey, things do change. Life happens. Children grow up and leave home. And sometimes families change.”
“This really stinks, Mom.”
“Yes, I know, baby. I’m sorry.”
After a long moment, Caitlin asked, “I wish I’d gone with you on one of your visits to Eternity Springs when you asked. Now it feels to me like you have a whole other life I don’t know anything about.”
That was how Ali felt about Caitlin’s life at college. “You can come visit me over Easter break.”
“Maybe. I just have a long weekend.”
“Whatever works for you is fine with me. I just want you to know that you’re welcome.”
“Unlike Daddy?”
Ali let that little dig pass without comment. “What is meant to happen will happen, and it will be okay, Cait. Have faith in that. I do. We may have a few bumps in the road, but in the end we’ll be okay.”
“In Eternity Springs, Colorado?”
“Absolutely. People all over the country are coming to Angel’s Rest to heal. Maybe the magic will work for me.”
Mac downshifted and gunned the engine, and the sweet little Porsche 911 took the mountain curve like a dream. One side of his mouth lifted in a crooked grin. As spontaneous gestures went, this one rocked.
When he’d left the house this morning in his sedate Lexus LX10, he’d had no particular destination in mind other than to head east. He often took a similar drive when problems weighed upon him. Ordinarily he’d head away from
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