Page 15 of Wisteria Winds (Wisteria Island #2)

D anielle adjusted her dress as she waited in the lobby of the Atlanta hotel where her mother was staying during a brief professional conference. They had planned this lunch weeks ago, before Cecilia’s visit to the island and before the wedding planning had brought them together again.

The elegant restaurant was a far cry from the cafeteria on Wisteria Island, with its crisp white tablecloths and hovering waitstaff. Danielle used to go to places like this all the time, but now she felt slightly out of place in her simple sundress.

“Danielle, darling!”

She turned to see Cecilia walking toward her, looking every inch the distinguished professional in her tailored navy dress and pearls.

“Mom, you look wonderful,” Danielle said, hugging her. “How was your panel this morning?”

“Interesting, though the moderator could have managed his time better. He’s a virologist from Johns Hopkins, and he went seven minutes over his allotted time.” Cecilia rolled her eyes. “But enough about academia. Let’s sit. I have been looking forward to this all day.”

They were shown to a table by the window overlooking the hotel’s manicured gardens. After ordering, Cecilia stuck to her usual nicoise salad, and Danielle opted for the special. They fell into conversation about wedding plans again.

“So, Dorothy and I found the perfect linens the other day,” Cecilia started. “A subtle pattern. It complements the floral arrangements without competing with them. And Morty has hired some young fella from the mainland to handle lighting. Apparently, he does work in film production in Savannah.”

Danielle smiled, still getting used to her mother’s enthusiasm for an island wedding. “It sounds like everything’s coming together. I’ve barely had to lift a finger.”

“Indeed, though I still think your timeline’s pretty rushed. Three weeks sure doesn’t leave much margin for error.”

“Well, Bennett and I don’t see any reason to wait,” Danielle said. “The gazebo will be finished, the plans are in place, and honestly, Mom, I’m just ready to be his wife.”

“You really do love him, don’t you?”

“With all my heart.”

Cecilia reached across the table to squeeze her daughter’s hand. “I’m glad. Although your father and I didn’t work out in the end, we had that kind of love. The kind that makes you impatient to begin forever together.”

Danielle felt a lump form in her throat. Her mother rarely spoke about her father after the divorce.

“I wish he could be here,” Danielle said quietly.

She’d been afraid to say it before, not wanting to upset her mother, but she did wish that her father could walk her down the aisle.

“He will be there in his own way,” Cecilia said. “Actually, it’s something I wanted to discuss with you.”

She reached into her very expensive handbag and took out a small velvet box.

“I brought this from New York. I thought maybe you might want to wear it at your wedding.”

She opened the box to reveal a delicate sapphire and diamond bracelet.

“Your father gave this to me on our tenth wedding anniversary. ‘Something blue,’ he called it, to make up for the wedding jewelry that we couldn’t afford when we got married.”

“Mom, it’s beautiful. But are you sure?”

“Oh, absolutely sure. What do I need it for? It would mean a great deal to me if you’d wear it. It’s a way for him to be a part of your day. Oh, Danielle, he would have been so proud of the woman you’ve become. The way that you care for others, and the way you’ve created life on your own terms.”

Danielle’s eyes welled with tears. “Even though I didn’t become a research physician like you wanted?”

Cecilia looked down at her newly manicured hands and then looked back at Danielle.

“I wanted you to follow in my footsteps because I knew that path. I understood it. I felt like I could keep you safe. But you found your own way. A better way for you. And seeing you on that island with those people who absolutely adore you, and Bennett, well, now I understand that you made the right choice.”

“Thank you. That means more to me than you know.”

The server arrived with their meals, and when he departed, Cecilia carefully closed the velvet box and passed it across the table.

“Something blue,” she said simply. “And something from your father.”

Danielle took the box and held it to her chest.

“Thank you. I’ll treasure it.”

They ate in silence for a few moments before Cecilia spoke again.

“So, I’ve been meaning to ask you, what are your plans for the clinic while you’re on your honeymoon? Bennett said you might have to do interviews for temporary coverage.”

“Actually, yes. We do have another doctor, Zach, who works on the island, but he’s on leave right now.

His mother has been ill. But Dr. Patel from Savannah General said that she can come because she’s between positions and looking for something short-term.

So she’ll come to the island next week to meet the residents and learn the systems.”

“Oh, that’s excellent. I’m sure continuity of care is very important in a place like that. And afterward, will you be staying in your cottage or moving in with Bennett?”

“We’ll stay in my place for now. It’s smaller, but I love it so much. And Bennett’s is more… utilitarian,” she said, laughing. “Eventually, we’ll build something together. Something with room to grow.”

“To grow? Are you planning to expand the clinic?”

“Not exactly,” Danielle took in a deep breath. “Bennett and I want children. Not right away, but soon.”

For a moment, Cecilia sat there perfectly still, and then her face transformed with such joy that Danielle was stunned.

“Grandchildren,” she whispered, as if she was testing out the word against her tongue. “Oh, Danielle.”

“So you’re happy about this?”

“Darling, of course! Why wouldn’t I be?” Cecilia said, clapping her hands together.

“I guess I thought you might worry about my career. Or being isolated on the island.”

“Family comes first,” Cecilia said firmly.

“It always has, or at least, it always should have, even when I wasn’t good at showing it.

And as for isolation, well, I’ll simply have to visit more often, won’t I?

Maybe when my hair starts to go gray, I’ll get a little cottage on Wisteria Island myself.

And I need to introduce the children to the finer things in life, like a proper ballet and museum exhibitions. ”

Danielle laughed, trying to imagine her mother living on Wisteria Island. “You’re never going to let your hair go gray. But I’d love for you to be around. I want my kids to know their grandmother.”

“And I should know them.” Cecilia’s eyes grew distant. “Your father would have been a wonderful grandfather. Despite what happened with our marriage, he always had more patience than I did.”

As their lunch continued, Cecilia shared stories about Danielle’s father that she’d never heard—his terrible cooking attempts, his love of jazz clubs, the time he got them lost in rural France because he refused to ask for directions.

Danielle felt a new connection forming with her mother and her late father, and it felt good.

When they parted ways outside the restaurant, Cecilia hugged her daughter tightly. “I’ll see you back on the island in a few days. Can you please try to keep Morty from adding disco balls to the gazebo before I return?”

Danielle laughed. “No promises.”

* * *

M orty was in crisis mode. Complete, utter, unmitigated crisis mode.

“Oh my goodness, it’s a disaster,” he moaned, pacing Dorothy’s living room while wringing his hands dramatically. “It’s a complete and total catastrophe.”

Dorothy lounged elegantly on her chaise, removed her sunglasses, and looked at him with a pointed stare.

“Darling, unless someone has died or the island is sinking into the ocean, I suggest you dial back the theatrics. You’re giving me a migraine,” she said, rubbing her temples.

“The wedding flowers!” Morty wailed. “The supplier just called. They can’t get the exact orchid variety we ordered, the one that Cecilia was adamant about.

Something about a tropical storm devastating a greenhouse,” he said, waving his hand in the air.

“They’ve offered substitutions, but they simply won’t be the same! ”

Dorothy sighed. “Is that all? For heaven’s sake, Morty, I thought something truly terrible had happened.”

“This is truly terrible. The cascading orchids are the centerpiece of our gazebo design. You know, Cecilia specifically only approved that particular shade of blush.”

“Cecilia is a rational, educated woman who will understand that acts of God and nature are beyond our control,” Dorothy said calmly. “Now sit down before you wear a hole in my prized Persian rug.”

Morty collapsed onto the sofa. “Everything that was going to be so perfect is gone. I’ll be the laughingstock of Wisteria Island if I can’t pull this thing off without a hitch.”

Dorothy studied her friend. “You know what your problem is, Morty? You’ve lost perspective. This wedding isn’t about the perfect flowers or certain color schemes. It’s about our Danielle and Bennett declaring their undying love for each other.”

“But…”

“No buts. They would marry in a thunderstorm wearing potato sacks if that were their only option. These details only matter to us, not to them.”

Morty’s shoulders slumped. “I just wanted everything to be perfect. They deserve it after everything they’ve done for us. They should have the most perfect day.”

“Oh, my dear, perfect doesn’t exist. Not even in Hollywood.

Believe me, I’ve seen enough movie magic to know everything’s smoke and mirrors.

” She stood up and sat down beside him. “But you know what does exist? Love. Community. Joy. And this wedding will have those in abundance. Orchids or no orchids.”

“I suppose,” Morty conceded.

“Besides,” Dorothy said, smiling, “I happen to know that Clara’s cousin manages the botanical garden near Charleston. It has a renowned orchid collection. One call from me could persuade him to part with a few specimens for a worthy cause.”