Lacey brought her blanket and pillow up on the couch and lay down on the other side. “Can I ask you something?”
Faith turned down the volume. “Sure.”
“When my brother Dean died in that car crash, it was so sudden. One day he was here, the next he was gone. With your sister being sick for so long, was it better to have the chance to say good-bye?”
Wow. Faith had never thought of it like that. She envisioned Hope healthy and young and suddenly being taken from her. “I suppose, in a way, it was easier. We knew the end was looming and we got to say good-bye, but watching her slowly fade, getting sicker and sicker, was awful. I can’t imagine not having the opportunity to tell her one last time how much I loved her. How did you deal with losing Dean?”
Lacey blew out a breath. “I guess I didn’t. Cole held me that day and stuck by my side through the funeral, but he blamed himself for Dean’s accident and went on a downward spiral for ten years. Until Mia came back, anyway.”
Faith had read Cole’s memoir and knew much of this story already. Connecting these people with the characters in the book was strangely eye-opening.
“Faith?”
She turned her head to better see Lacey.
“Will you be one of my bridesmaids?”
Faith stilled. Lacey held her gaze in the dark. Only the flickers of light from the movie illuminated her face. Faith didn’t see any signs of teasing, but then again, she’d always been naive. “Really?”
“Really. In the few weeks you’ve been here, I’ve grown closer to you than most people I’ve known all my life.”
A lump formed in Faith’s throat and hot tears pressed behind her lids. This is what it felt like to have friends. Bittersweet and comforting and complete. How did she go on this long without them?
“I would be honored.”
chapter
thirteen
A week later, a tan Mia and Cole had returned from their honeymoon, glowing and happy. Faith was glad to have them back. Not that she hadn’t enjoyed her private time with Ginny, but with everything happening as of late, she hadn’t had much time to herself.
Everything was all so new and a bit overwhelming. She wasn’t used to friends and attention. It took some time to adjust to these changes in her life. Add in her developing relationship with Alec, and her head was reeling.
She and Lacey had spent a lot of time together the past two weeks, talking about everything from centerpieces for the wedding to childhood memories. Lacey had even dragged her and Ginny to the salon for a haircut and pampering. Unlike her parents, Lacey and Alec didn’t mind her talking about Hope. In fact, Lacey often brought up her own brother Dean and her bittersweet memories of him. It was oddly comforting to have someone with whom she shared such a deep loss, someone who understood the pain.
Alec had divided his time between writing and popping by the house—usually around midday—to see what was happening with her. But he hadn’t made any romantic gestures or attempted to touch her since their date. It left a hollow sensation inside her chest. They hadn’t even been dating a week and it felt like he was distancing himself. Then again, Ginny was always around and there wasn’t much time to be alone.
Faith sipped her chamomile tea and stared out the window. She’d been attempting to settle down and sleep for two hours to no avail. Restless energy crawled under her skin, made her twitch. She needed to shake the uncomfortable feeling, so she paced in the dim kitchen and tried to clear her mind. Closing her eyes, she breathed deep and counted to ten.
The feeling was still there. Shaking her head, she set the tea on the counter and made her way outside. She walked past the deck and the dunes just beyond it, and settled near the shore, squishing her toes in the sand. Letting the roar of the ocean surround her, she breathed in the humid saltwater scent and smiled.
This was what she needed. She was afraid to leave Ginny after the girl fell asleep, so while Mia and Cole had been away she hadn’t walked down to the beach at night—a ritual she’d grown fond of since arriving in Wilmington. Faith wondered how she’d gotten by her entire life without the ocean. The tension and uncertainty drained from her body, leaving peace in its place.
Inside her pajama pants pocket, her cell vibrated. Heart pounding, she struggled to pull it out. She’d called her parents again after dinner tonight, when she knew they’d be home, but the machine kicked in. Every day she called. They’d called back a few times, but the conversations had been forced and stilted.
“Hi, it’s Mom. You called?”
Relief spilled into her body. “I was just missing you. I wanted to catch up.”
A lengthy silence followed until her mother cleared her throat. “The choir is working on some new hymns. We may try them out in the fall.”
That wasn’t exactly what Faith had had in mind, but she’d take it. “That sounds fun. I’m on the beach staring at the ocean.” Faith bit her lip, wondering if she should just say what was on her mind. “I keep thinking . . .” She blew out a breath. “I think Hope would’ve loved it here. It’s so pretty and peaceful. The pelicans come by every morning and evening. They—”
“Listen, Faith. It’s late, don’t you think? You should head to bed. Sleep is important.”
“Right. You’re right,” she whispered, blinking rapidly. “Have a good night. I’ll call again soon.”
“Good night.”
Hot tears burned behind her lids as she ended the call. She had a great job, a lovely place to live, friends, and a boyfriend even, but she would trade all that in for one real conversation with her parents. Any attempt to breach the miles and really connect. For them to show a sign that they truly missed her or wondered how she was doing. She’d wasted most of her childhood wishing for that.
Frustration and grief rose inside. She fisted the phone and stared at it. “Why won’t you talk to me?” she ground out.
“Why won’t who talk to you?”
She jumped and spun to face Alec. “Oh. I didn’t see you there.”
“Deep in thought again?” His smile fell as he walked closer, the moon illuminating his handsome face. “You’ve been crying.”
Darn it. She swiped at the tears with the back of her hand and forced a smile. “What brings you out so late?”
“I was writing and saw you when I took a break. Don’t avoid the question. Does this person not talking to you have anything to do with why you’re crying?”
She breathed out a sigh. “Maybe.” Turning to face the water, she forced herself to calm down. “My mom just returned my call from earlier.”
He stepped closer to stand at her side. “Is everything okay?”
“Yes. No.” She rubbed her forehead, attempting to clarify. “They won’t talk to me.”
“Did you get in a fight?”
If only. Lord, that brought a fresh wave of tears. She swallowed hard and cleared her throat before answering. “You told me that your dad was always teasing you, that you couldn’t be in the same room without butting heads. I have the opposite problem. I’d give anything to have my parents mad at me.”
He shoved his hands in the pockets of his cargo shorts and rocked back on the heels of his bare feet. “That statement requires explanation.”
She put the phone back in her pocket and crossed her arms, still facing the ocean. The thought of looking at him was unbearable. How does one explain that her own parents didn’t want her and never had? “Your dad acts the way he does because he cares. It might not seem that way, but he wouldn’t bother if he didn’t love you.” Might as well get it all out. She hoped saying the rest didn’t make her sound pitiful. “My parents don’t bother.”