and a picture of Beth holding her on a porch popped up. “That’s our old house. We lost it in the hurricane. That’s Mommy holding me. I guess Daddy was taking the picture.”
“Your mommy looks very happy, Jenny.”
Mike listened outside Jenny’s bedroom door while Eva and Jenny reminisced about the pictures in the album.
Each picture caused Mike to feel both happiness and pain while Jenny described them. Wiping a tear from his eye, he went silently downstairs. When Jenny or Eva were not at home, Mike planned to go through the album by himself. He had never really said goodbye to Beth, and it was time. He loved her, and always would, but he also loved Eva and their new life as a family.
Mike knew Beth would understand. Life was for the living. Not for the dead. And he needed closure. He needed to say goodbye to his first love.
18
M ary was cleaning her patio when River popped his head around the corner.
“Hello there,” he called.
“I see they let you out.”
“Yep. I’m out and as free as a bird.”
“Is your daughter still here?”
“She finally went home. Happily, I think. She hated to admit it, but I’ve been a burden. I’m going to give her some space.”
River looked at the patio furniture. “May I sit?”
“Oh, sorry. Yes, of course.” Pulling out a chair, Mary said, “Sit here. Great view of the ocean.”
River sat and looked around. “Nice place ya got here.”
“My husband bought it for me, and my son did the renovation. Everything has been upgraded. Mike does everything first class, so it should bring top dollar if I ever need to sell.”
“Are you thinking of selling?”
Mary looked around and sighed. “Too many memories.”
“I understand that. I’ve made a decision. I’m selling my house up north and moving down here. I hear the siren of the Keys calling me,” he teased. Then River’s face turned serious. “It’s time for a change. I’m tired of living in the past.”
“Where will you live?”
“I’m renting a trailer in one of those parks right on the water. Not much room, but then I don’t need much. Just the sun and water. And the park has a large pool. I like to swim, so maybe I’ll do laps every day.”
“The doctor say it was okay to do laps?”
“The doc encourages it. Said I need to exercise every day. What better exercise is there than swimming?”
Mary joined him at the patio table. She put her elbows on the table and gazed out at the ocean to the west. The sky was ablaze with red and pink.
“Red at night, sailor’s delight,” she murmured.
“What’s that?”
“I was just thinking about the pink sky. You know the old saying–red sky at night, sailor’s delight . . .”
River joined in, “ . . . red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You know, I might even get a job. Something to keep me busy.”
“Doing what?”
“I like people. I like the water. Maybe something to do with the tourist industry.”
“They always need reliable people, that’s for sure.”
River looked at his watch. “I’ve got to go. I’m moving into my trailer tonight.”
Mary knew she shouldn’t get involved, but couldn’t help herself. “Do you have a car?”
“Eva said she would give me a lift.”
Mary rose from the table and took off her gardening gloves. “Eva’s at home now with her family. Let me get my keys and I’ll take you.”
“I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
“Oh, really? I think that’s why you came. Do we need to go back to the motel to pick up your things?”
River gave Mary a wicked grin. “Naw. I’ve got my gear in the driveway. One suitcase. I travel light. I’ll buy anything else I need.”
Mary narrowed her eyes.
River wasn’t sure if it was from the setting sun or if she was angry. He didn’t care, though. He had succeeded in getting Mary to drive him to his new digs.
So far his plan was working like a well-oiled machine.
19
M ary looked around
“Your mommy looks very happy, Jenny.”
Mike listened outside Jenny’s bedroom door while Eva and Jenny reminisced about the pictures in the album.
Each picture caused Mike to feel both happiness and pain while Jenny described them. Wiping a tear from his eye, he went silently downstairs. When Jenny or Eva were not at home, Mike planned to go through the album by himself. He had never really said goodbye to Beth, and it was time. He loved her, and always would, but he also loved Eva and their new life as a family.
Mike knew Beth would understand. Life was for the living. Not for the dead. And he needed closure. He needed to say goodbye to his first love.
18
M ary was cleaning her patio when River popped his head around the corner.
“Hello there,” he called.
“I see they let you out.”
“Yep. I’m out and as free as a bird.”
“Is your daughter still here?”
“She finally went home. Happily, I think. She hated to admit it, but I’ve been a burden. I’m going to give her some space.”
River looked at the patio furniture. “May I sit?”
“Oh, sorry. Yes, of course.” Pulling out a chair, Mary said, “Sit here. Great view of the ocean.”
River sat and looked around. “Nice place ya got here.”
“My husband bought it for me, and my son did the renovation. Everything has been upgraded. Mike does everything first class, so it should bring top dollar if I ever need to sell.”
“Are you thinking of selling?”
Mary looked around and sighed. “Too many memories.”
“I understand that. I’ve made a decision. I’m selling my house up north and moving down here. I hear the siren of the Keys calling me,” he teased. Then River’s face turned serious. “It’s time for a change. I’m tired of living in the past.”
“Where will you live?”
“I’m renting a trailer in one of those parks right on the water. Not much room, but then I don’t need much. Just the sun and water. And the park has a large pool. I like to swim, so maybe I’ll do laps every day.”
“The doctor say it was okay to do laps?”
“The doc encourages it. Said I need to exercise every day. What better exercise is there than swimming?”
Mary joined him at the patio table. She put her elbows on the table and gazed out at the ocean to the west. The sky was ablaze with red and pink.
“Red at night, sailor’s delight,” she murmured.
“What’s that?”
“I was just thinking about the pink sky. You know the old saying–red sky at night, sailor’s delight . . .”
River joined in, “ . . . red sky in the morning, sailors take warning.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“You know, I might even get a job. Something to keep me busy.”
“Doing what?”
“I like people. I like the water. Maybe something to do with the tourist industry.”
“They always need reliable people, that’s for sure.”
River looked at his watch. “I’ve got to go. I’m moving into my trailer tonight.”
Mary knew she shouldn’t get involved, but couldn’t help herself. “Do you have a car?”
“Eva said she would give me a lift.”
Mary rose from the table and took off her gardening gloves. “Eva’s at home now with her family. Let me get my keys and I’ll take you.”
“I don’t want to put you to any trouble.”
“Oh, really? I think that’s why you came. Do we need to go back to the motel to pick up your things?”
River gave Mary a wicked grin. “Naw. I’ve got my gear in the driveway. One suitcase. I travel light. I’ll buy anything else I need.”
Mary narrowed her eyes.
River wasn’t sure if it was from the setting sun or if she was angry. He didn’t care, though. He had succeeded in getting Mary to drive him to his new digs.
So far his plan was working like a well-oiled machine.
19
M ary looked around
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