Page 5 of The Me I Left Behind

Maggie stopped Julia with a hug—which seemed to startle her friend. She spoke softly, but directly. “You both are lovely, and I thank you—but we should go. I have things to figure out.”

“Can you do that at home? Alone?” Lia prodded once more. “Is that possible?”

She wasn’t sure, to be honest. “I don’t know.”

“Maggie, please reconsider. It’s only a few more days. Maybe until New Year’s Eve?”

Returning to the pile of laundry on her bed, she folded a few more articles, her brain rolling over the question. “I don’t know, Lia. Let me think about it. We’ll stay tonight, at least. How about that?”

Lia smiled. “Perfect.”

The Nor’easterthat blew over the Outer Banks on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day left them with mild temperatures and clear skies. Maggie pulled her legs up on the wooden beach chair and wrapped a blanket tighter around both her and Carol as they stared into the night.

“The stars are really bright tonight,” she whispered. “Look, there’s the big dipper.”

“And the small one, too.” Carol pointed. The two sat huddled together by the firepit at the back of the inn. Chloe was already asleep in bed, and Jason was up in their suite watching a movie.“I wish I knew the names of more stars and constellations. They are really pretty out here at the beach.”

“Umhmm,” Maggie murmured. “So easy to see. Hard to imagine people all over the world looking at the same thing we are looking at right now. Isn’t it?” Times like this, Maggie realized how small their world really was. Her world, her life, her problems.

“Like Dad? Can he see these same stars?”

Maggie wasn’t sure. “I don’t know. Probably not right now. I don’t know how that all works on the other side of the world.”

Carol gazed upward. “I don’t want to go home yet,” she whispered. “Can we stay longer?”

“Don’t you want to go home and see your friends?”

“Not really.”

Maggie rotated toward her daughter, catching the uncertainty in her eyes. “You don’t? I thought Sophie was texting you like crazy, wanting you to come home. Don’t you want to see your best friend over the holidays? Didn’t she mention a party?”

“Yeah, she did. But I’m not in the mood, really.”

“You’re sure?”

“Yes.” Carol nodded. “I don’t want to be where he was. I want to stay here with you and Jason and Chloe for a while longer and not think about him. My head is still kind of spinning around it all. It’s like he’s not here, but I know once we get home, it will feel like he is.”

Maggie understood. Max permeated everything he touched. Whether or not he was there.

“I understand, honey. But we’re going to have to go, eventually. We can’t impose on Lia and Zach for too much longer.”

Carol’s head fell against her shoulder. “Please?”

Maggie sighed and wrapped the blanket tighter around them. “All right. Two more days. I want to be home before New Year’s Eve. We have school to get ready for.”

“Okay.” Carol snuggled closer. “Thanks, Mom.”

It wasn’t like Carol to avoid her friends and want to be with family. Who was this child of hers right now? The Max incident seemed like a turning point for her.

And likely, would be for all of them.

“Sweetie, what was it your dad said about telling me?”

“He told menotto tell you. That he would talk to you. Did he?”

“No. I’ve had no word. You?”

Carol shook her head. “No.” She inched her arms around Maggie’s waist. “I’m not sure I want you to hear from him. My head tries to sort things out. My heart is really confused.”