Dora looked up to see Carson standing at the window, her arms crossed like a shield in front of her, looking out at the fronds of the palm trees shaking in the wind. The relentless roar of the surf echoed, and Dora wondered at the changes she’d see on the beach in the morning.
“Carson, come join us,” Dora called.
Carson came to join her sisters on the bed. Harper scooted closer and tugged at the blanket around her shoulders to place part of it over Carson.
“This is nice, all of us huddled together, talking,” Dora said.
“Like old times,” Harper agreed.
“But it won’t always be like this, will it?” Carson asked, her tone depressed. “The thought of losing Sea Breeze is hard enough. But now Lucille?” She shook her head. “Unbearable.”
“But that doesn’t mean we can’t still be together,” Dora said. “Somewhere.”
“Doesn’t it?” Carson asked.
“That depends on us,” Harper answered. “All those years Sea Breeze sat here and none of us came. We have to decide to make the effort.”
“Yeah, well, let’s remember it was Mamaw who brought us back,” Carson said. “What happens when she is gone? When Sea Breeze is gone?”
“Don’t be morbid,” Dora said.
“I’m not. I’m just facing reality. I can’t help but worry now about what’s going to happen to her. She’s eighty. What’s she going to do without Lucille?” Carson asked. “Especially when we all leave?”
Carson looked at the streaks against the window and thought it looked as though even the house was crying.
“That’s why Mamaw brought us back,” Dora said. “She knew this day was coming and she wanted us to be close again, as sisters should.”
“Even if her methods were a little Machiavellian.” Harper smiled wryly.
“I feel,” Carson said, her voice low and trembling, “like everything I love is slipping through my fingers.”
“This place has always been the touchstone for all of us,” Dora said, aware of her role as the older sister. “We’re all feeling shaken. I admit, even though Mamaw talked about selling Sea Breeze, it just never felt real. Until today when I saw Devlin come by for an appraisal. I don’t know about y’all, but that brought it home for me. Mamaw’s not fooling around. She’s going to sell this house and we won’t have Sea Breeze to come back to any longer.” She looked at Harper and Carson. “So what are we going to do after Sea Breeze is sold? Are we going to stay in touch?”
“Yes,” Harper readily agreed. “Though, I don’t know where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing. I’ve got a month to figure out where I’ll be going from here.”
“Aren’t you going back to New York?” asked Dora.
“Maybe. But definitely not to live with my mother.” She shook her head, then tucked a copper-colored shank of hair away from her face. “I couldn’t go back to that. I’ve thought about going to England,” Harper added. “Even if for a visit. Just to sniff around a bit, see how I feel. I’d like to visit Granny James for a while. I thought I’d be nervous and scrambling around, handing in my resume to a zillion companies. But I’m not. I’m not in a hurry.” Harper tucked the blanket closer. “I know this sounds a bit out there, but I feel like something’s going to happen to make everything clear.”
“Like what?” Dora asked, intrigued.
“I don’t know,” Harper said with a small smile. “I’m not just sitting around,” she hastened to add. “I’m looking at my options. Lining up a few things. But, I’m also kind of . . . waiting.”
“Waiting?” Dora asked dubiously. “That sounds so not like you.”
Harper shrugged and looked a bit embarrassed. “I’ll know when it happens. But wherever I end up, I promise I’ll stay in touch.”
“That’s the big question for all of us, isn’t it? It’s like we’re on some ship waiting to dock. I’m not sure where I’ll end up either,” Dora said. She made a face. “By the end of summer I’ll be in the midst of a divorce. And selling my house.” She put her hands together in supplication. “Please, God, let someone buy it.” She lowered her hands and began counting off her fingers. “And I have to find a new place to live. A job. A new school for Nate.” Dora blew out a plume of air with a soft whistle. “I’ve got more on my plate than I can eat, that’s for sure.”
“You’ve got Devlin in the wings,” Harper reminded her.
“Dev . . . He’s a good ol’ boy with one eye always on the tides. It’s what I like most about him. He’s laid-back where I’m uptight. But he’s also smart, successful. He keeps me grounded. And Lord, he knows how to push my buttons in a good way.” She smiled with a little embarrassment. Dora looked at the empty space on her ring finger. The bruising was gone but the skin remained pale where the ring once lay.
“I’ve made a decision. A big one.” She looked up to see Carson and Harper staring at her. “I’m going forward with my divorce. I can’t go back to Cal. I feel sad,” she admitted. “It’s hard to break up a family. Except, we weren’t much of a family, and I know I can’t live like that anymore. I know we’ll both be happier apart than we were together.”
“I’m glad you made the decision.” Harper reached out to place a hand on her shoulder. “I know it wasn’t easy.”
Carson looked sideways at Dora. “Is it because of Devlin?”
Dora’s cheeks colored. “For sure, my feelings for Dev helped me make the decision. But he wasn’t the deciding factor. Cal had already left the marriage, don’t forget. We were on the way to a nasty divorce when I had that attack. Sister mine, if I learned one thing this summer, it’s that I’m not going back to a loveless marriage. It’s not enough for me.”
Carson tilted her head and studied Dora as a smile eased across her face. “Good for you.”
“But I’m not looking to hitch my star on any man right now, either,” Dora continued. “I think I want to be an unmarried woman for a while.” She glanced up. “This summer is my time. I used to think that was selfish, just focusing on my needs and what I wanted. I’ve spent my entire life thinking about other people’s needs—trying to make them happy, seeking approval. I’m heading on forty. It’s high time I start thinking about how I want to spend the next forty years of my life.” She sat straighter and the blanket slid from her shoulder. “You know, I’ve never lived on my own before.”