Page 80

Epilogue

Two years later

I openedthe windows in the breakfast nook and breathed in deeply. The light, intricate perfume from Sandy’s garden blew through the window, mingling with the aroma of fresh coffee. In the distance, dolphins laughed and gossiped in their clicks and whistles, their voices striking a strange little harmony with the birds’ morning songs.

“It’s gonna be a damn good day,” I said, grinning at Sandy. “Especially after Daisy decides to come downstairs.” I raised my voice, turning the last two words into a bellowed request.

“I’m coming,” she said, her voice muffled by walls. “Go ahead and start without me.”

Shrugging, I sat down and dug in. The very first bite had me rolling my eyes in appreciation. “Good lord, Sandy, how do you make everything taste so good?”

“Practice,” she said with a laugh as she sat down across from me. “And magic.”

“I believe it,” I said. “Hey, babe! You’re missing the best breakfast in the history of breakfast!”

“That’s what you said about yesterday’s breakfast!” Daisy called back.

“It was true then and it’s true now,” I said adamantly. “I swear, Sandy, I’ve never eaten so good.”

Sandy beamed happily, blushing a little. She still wasn’t quite used to being appreciated, though she’d finally stopped arguing with me about it. Hungry as I was, I savored every bite slowly, wanting to share the experience with Daisy. People kept telling me it was the honeymoon phase, that eventually I’d stop wanting to share everything with her, that I would get tired of her constant presence—but after two years, I was beginning to doubt the validity of that.

“So what are your plans today, Sandy?”

“Mm! I’ve got my book club brunch at eleven, then spin class at two. After that I thought I’d go with Barb to pick out some clothes for her newest grand-baby, then with Patsy to the nursery to find something to fill the south-east corner. It’s a shame the blackberry bush didn’t take. Patsy said it got too much sun and she’s probably right. She’s so smart about things like that.”

I grinned, pleased. “Sounds like a busy day.”

“Yes,” she said, sighing contentedly. “I’m still not quite used to it. It all feels like a dream sometimes, you know? Once in a while I’ll be so happy, and some little part of my mind will try to convince me that it’s all a dream and it’s only a matter of time before I wake up in that damn trailer with David hulking around demanding things.” She shook her head, her eyes soft and misty. “Then I blink real hard and I’m still here. Daisy’s safe, you’re safe, and the dolphins are playing in the water. I have friends and time of my own and money to spend. I can’t imagine a single thing that could possibly make this better.”

I smiled at her, but half of my attention was on the stairs. What was taking Daisy so long? She never primped before breakfast unless she had to be somewhere important right after, and as far as I knew, she had nowhere to be that day. Just as I was going to shout up at her again, I heard her on the stairs.

“What are your plans today?” Sandy asked.

“That’s what I’m trying to decide,” I said. “I finished the table I was building. The creation video is edited, and as soon as I post it I’ll put the table up for auction. Now I need a new project. Usually inspiration just sort of strikes, but I’ve got nothing.”

Daisy sidled up behind me and draped her arms around my shoulders. “I have an idea,” she said. “How about a cradle?”

I frowned, considering, then shook my head. “Not without a personal commission. People who spend that kind of money on baby beds usually want them customized. I saw someone carve a set of bowls out of colored pencils. I could do something like that, I guess, but the other guy’s video is still pretty new. Wouldn’t want to be accused of ripping him off.”

“Yeah, that wouldn’t be good,” Daisy said, but there was a bubble of laughter in her voice. She sat down beside me and piled her own plate with food. “Oh, how about a play yard? A little one for little babies with an umbrella over the top and netting around the bottom so they can be outside even if they can’t roll over yet?”

I shook my head. “People can buy stuff like that off the shelf. It’s a little too functional. I like the outdoor angle, though. Maybe a garden box that’s also a sun catcher?”

I slowly tuned in to the fact that Daisy and Sandy were having a conversation with their eyes. I started to get the feeling that they were amused at my expense, but I assumed it was just because I was having so much trouble deciding.

“Maybe a high chair,” Daisy said. “A really intricate one with dolphins carved into it, maybe?”

Sandy snorted into her coffee and her eyes twinkled.

“A high chair—like for a baby?” I clarified.

“Mm-hm. Oh, or a playpen! Or a pair of playpens, one for inside and one for outside.”

“Um…”

“Oh! Better yet, a changing table. A really good changing table, with shelves and things to organize all the baby stuff so everything’s right there in reach.”

My heart was beating fast and my mind was working in slow motion. “A cradle, a crib, a playpen—”