Page 31 of That Last Carolina Summer

She jerked awake then began to scream. I put my arms around her, but she continued to struggle as if she were still in whatever nightmare she’d been having. I held her tight and repeated her name until she calmed down. I didn’t let go until I felt her muscles relax.

“Phoebe... are you all right?”

Her eyes darted around the porch and then back to me as if trying to get her bearings.

“It’s all right, Phoebe. You’re safe. You’re with me, Celeste, on my back porch. You fell asleep and had a bad dream.”

Her breathing had slowed even though her chest continued to heave. Finally, she nodded. “I’ll be fine.”

I sat down on the ottoman, the wicker creaking as it stretched beneath me. “Do you want to tell me about it?”

“No.” The word was almost shouted. “Because then I’d have to relive it.”

I looked at her with concern, her unease evident. “Have you had it before?”

Her eyes snapped up to meet mine. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay. That’s fine. But I’m here if you change your mind.”

“Thank you.”

I sat up. “Can I get you some ice water or more coffee?”

Phoebe shook her head. “No. I’m good. And Ophelia and I need to go.” She rested her elbows on her thighs and put her head in her hands.

“So, I’ve been thinking,” I began.

She lifted her head.

“I think I might be able to help you.”

“Thank you, but I don’t need any help from anyone but Addie. I’ll figure it out.”

“I have no doubt. You’ve done brilliantly so far, even though I know you can’t see it.

But I’m talking about filling in where you need it.

I can help you communicate with your mom.

She seems to like me even if she doesn’t remember my name, and I used to be a nurse and have experience working with the elderly. ”

When she didn’t immediately dismiss me, I continued.

“I know I’m not a spring chicken, but I’m relatively fit.

I also have a car and can drive to the pharmacist or beauty salon or wherever she needs to go.

I can offer you not only time to think and get things done, but also a bit of mind space to handle the stress of your situation. ”

She put her head in her hands again. “You must think I’m the biggest whiner in the world. Caring for my own mother shouldn’t be this hard. Other people do it all the time without complaint.”

“Well, speaking from experience, you’re wrong on both counts.

Eldercare is never easy, even for those with perfectly sound minds.

And everyone complains at some point. It’s hard work, both physically and mentally.

Also, your situation is more complicated than most, seeing as how you live across the country and your sister still acts like a teenager without any responsibilities.

It says a lot about you that you even care. ”

“Don’t make me into a martyr, all right? I’m counting the minutes until I can go back and resume my life.”

“As you should. But for the next two months, I’m offering to make things easier for you while you get everyone situated with the new reality.”

“Did Liam ask you to say all that?”

“He didn’t have to. From what I’ve seen, it’s clear that you and your sister need a bit of help right now, and I have the time and the experience to do that.

And if Addie chooses to keep me on after you’ve left, that would be even better since when Will goes back home at the end of the summer, I’ll need a distraction. ”

I could see hope battling with her self-sufficient personality as she prepared to say no.

“I can do light housekeeping, too, and prepare meals. I enjoy cooking, and I don’t get to do much of it anymore since I live by myself. I see it as a win-win. Unless you already have someone?”

“We did. But my mother told her to leave, or Patricia left on her own because she hadn’t been paid—who knows. I’ve tried to call a couple of times, and I’ll keep trying, but it doesn’t seem as if she wants to talk to us.”

“Well, then, see? It would help out everyone.”

“Really, Celeste—there has to be a reason beyond needing something to do. Most people would have run screaming into the hills as soon as they walked through our front door.”

I considered lying, but I liked and respected Phoebe too much.

“Everything I’ve already told you is the truth.

I do get lonely without Will here. Liam is wonderful, but he has his practice and his own life.

And I actually miss working in my kitchen and putting delicious food on the table for friends and family. But you’re right. There’s more.”

“Julie.”

Her response didn’t surprise me. “I miss her more each day. Being around you and your sister and knowing she would be about the same age makes my heart hurt. I have prayed every single day since she went away that I would find her and bring her home. Even though everyone I know has begged me to move on, I couldn’t.

I won’t rest until I know what happened to her.

Even if she’s no longer alive, I need to know.

When I ran into you and Ophelia at the bakery, I couldn’t help but think that you were the answer to my prayers. ”

Phoebe studied her hands with their gnawed fingernails. “I told you. I don’t have those dreams anymore.” She didn’t look at me while she spoke.

“Is it because you’ve taught yourself how not to dream, or did you just outgrow them?”

“Both, I think. But moving away stopped them completely.” She picked up her mug and stood. “We need to get going. Addie’s probably showing Mother how to make a bottle rocket and her hair’s already on fire.”

The mental image made me burst out laughing. “Sorry. I shouldn’t be laughing.”

“Why? Because it might be true?”

I grinned. “Yes. Also because it’s a good sign that you’ve managed to retain your sense of humor. That will get you through a lot.”

“Good to know.” She held the door open for me and we entered the kitchen, where we found Will and Ophelia back inside raiding the cookie jar of the homemade cookies we’d made the night before.

“Kids!” I cried. “You just had breakfast. You can’t possibly still be hungry!”

Ophelia shoved the remainder of a cookie in her mouth and tried to close it with a crumbly smile. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

Will swallowed quickly. “Ophelia said she’d never made cookies before, and they were the best she’d ever tasted. She just wanted one more before she left.”

“Understandable,” I said, already reaching for the drawer where I kept my storage baggies. “And what’s your excuse, young man?” I asked as I placed four cookies in the clear bag and sealed it at the top before handing it to Ophelia.

“Thank you,” she said blowing crumbs at me and onto the floor.

I looked at Will, waiting for his answer.

“You always say that it’s impolite to eat without offering others something to eat, too. And I didn’t want Ophelia to think she was being rude.”

“Nice try,” Phoebe said, attempting to hide her own smile. To Ophelia she said, “We need to go.”

“Can Will come with us?”

Phoebe’s eyes met mine, and I knew she was envisioning what might be going on at her house at that moment.

She said, “I have some things I need to take care of first, and then why don’t we see how we feel?

” At Ophelia’s devastated expression, she added, “I can teach you both how to catch crabs from the dock. If my old pots aren’t in the garage, I can show you how to make one.

I saw a fishing rod on Miss Celeste’s porch, so I’m assuming someone in this house has a valid fishing license we can use. ”

Ophelia’s face brightened. “Okay,” she said, then surprised me with a running hug that nearly toppled me over. Not that I minded. Not since Julie’s last goodbye had I been hugged with such enthusiasm.

“Thank you, Miss Celeste,” Ophelia said. I didn’t care about the crumbs or smears of melted chocolate chips. They were a small price to pay for the sweet innocence of a child’s love.

“You’re more than welcome.” I headed toward the front door, Phoebe and the children following.

As Phoebe and Ophelia stood on the doorstep, I said, “You’ll let me know?

I’m available to start anytime. And I think whatever hourly rate you paid your previous housekeeper would work.

” I grinned at her look of surprise. “I know you’d feel better paying me, even though I would do it for free. ”

She didn’t smile. “I don’t control my dreams. Even if I wanted to dream about Julie, I couldn’t force it.” She stepped off the porch. “And there’s no guarantee that what I see is something you want to know.”

“I understand.”

“Good.” She gave me a brief smile. “I’ll call you later.”

I watched as they walked away, feeling hopeful yet scared at the same time, and realizing that it was impossible to be one without the other.