Page 137 of No Such Thing as Serendipity

“It’s three. We have to return the boat by four,” Emma said. She raised her hand. “I vote we have one more sharing circle.”

I groaned, but the others enthusiastically clapped.

“Outnumbered again,” I said. “I can drive the boat while the rest of you do your thing.”

Robyn shook her head. “We’ll anchor in a secluded area so everyone can take part.”

Knowing there was no way to avoid it, I circled my finger in the air. “Woohoo.”

Emma sidled up to me and draped her arm over my shoulder. “You’re going to protest until the bitter end, aren’t you?” She didn’t wait for me to answer. “But you can’t fool any of us. We know how much it’s done for you.”

“Amen to that,” Annie added. “I think Vera needs to use you in her marketing material. No way would I have ever thought the uptight woman I met a month ago would become someone I adore.”

I winced. “Was I that bad?”

“No, you weren’t horrible,” Katlynn jumped into the conversation. “But damn, you were aloof.”

“That’s what happens when someone expends all their energy trying to control everything,” Helena said. “They don’t have energy to do much else.”

“That’s a great explanation. I’d not thought about it like that,” I said.

“I’m learning that for myself. The more I fought my body, the more I lost, so I understand more than you think.”

“Hey, no fair,” Robyn called from the driver’s seat. “You guys are starting without me.”

“She’s right,” Emma said. “Why don’t we gather our stuff together, clean up, and pick a few snacks for our circle?”

“Seriously? You want to eat more?” I teased.

“It’s our last day out together, so we need to celebrate.” Emma’s voice cracked. “Fuck. I will not do this.” She busied herself picking up the towels strewn all over the deck of the boat.

Lost in our own thoughts, we all joined her.

Robyn soon located a suitable place to drop anchor.

“Canopy up or down?” Robyn asked.

“I kinda like the sun,” Katlynn said. Then she looked at Helena. “Or would shade be better for you?”

Helena grabbed the brim of her hat. “I’ve got my hat and wrap, so I’m good.”

I slid onto the bench seat next to Emma. When Robyn arrived, she sat across from me. Was it on purpose? No, I couldn’t think that way.

Annie glanced at Robyn. “What’s the topic?”

Robyn placed her hand on her chest. “I’m not the leader. I’m just here with my friends.”

“Fair enough,” Katlynn said. “What should we discuss during our last session?”

After a spirited debate, we couldn’t agree on a single topic, so we settled on three rounds. The first centered on gratitude, leading to emotional declarations of our appreciation for one another. We were all in tears by the time we’d finished.

Then we’d moved on to the biggest life lesson we’d take away from our experience.

Annie raised her hand. “I’ll start. I’ve learned that being surrounded by a family full of men, I need to seek out my sisters. I need female energy in my life. You all have made me realize what I’ve been missing, so thank you. It’s helping me grieve the loss of my Danny.”

“Are you still in touch with Beverly?” Robyn asked.

Annie smiled. “We met for dinner last night to say goodbye. I’ve encouraged her to attend programs at your bookstore. She’s an exceptional woman once you get past the wall of her grief.”