Page 9 of Bluebell Promises

“Usually you don’t just come home, though,” Lily pointed out. “Usually, you travel somewhere else, right? That’s sort of your thing.”

Wren didn’t know what to say to that, so she drank her coffee, then asked, “Are you still studying, um, environmental stuff?”

“Environmental journalism,” Lily affirmed with a smile. “Even while away at college, I’ve been helping out with things at the Eco-Lodge. I’m so proud of all the energy we’ve saved over there. Did you see all the stats on the poster? We’re talking to seven other hotels that want to become more eco-friendly and are giving them advice about how to proceed.”

To Wren, Lily seemed passionate and motivated. Wren tried to remember what she’d been like back then and couldn’t find herself within the chaos of her memories. Maybe she should have gone to college, but back then, she didn’t have the patience for it.

“How is photography going?” Lily asked.

Wren couldn’t help but wince. “It’s good,” she lied. “Everything’s good. I just needed a little break. And I wanted to check in to see how everyone was doing.”

“Of course,” Lily said. She finished her coffee, then asked, “Want to come swim?”

Twenty minutes later, Wren found herself at the edge of the beach. She wore her black one-piece, while Lily had on a racerback swimsuit, one meant for Olympic champions. Lily explained that it was actually made of a recyclable material, unlike most suits. “I can send you the link when we get home,” she said before plunging into the cold Atlantic and coming up ten feet away.

Wren had forgotten how frigid this water was. She took another tentative step forward, hissing at the feeling around her ankles. The sun was still low in the sky, casting pinks across the waves. Lily began to swim laps parallel to the beach, while Wren took another pathetic step. For the first time, she realized that this was what it was to get old—to watch the younger generation take charge of their bodies and minds and go faster and farther than you. Because Wren had always been the baby of the family, she’d never really imagined herself getting old. Yet here she was—older than she’d ever been and messed up.

By the time Wren got herself all the way in and started swimming, Lily had finished her laps and was treading water, smiling at her aunt. “It’s not so bad, right?” she asked.

“I’m used to different temperatures,” Wren admitted. “In Thailand, the water’s like bathwater.”

“That’s creepy!” Lily cried, sounding a little younger than she had.

Wren laughed. “Greece was perfect. Sparkling turquoise waters. I swam every day.”

“I’ve always wanted to go there,” Lily said. “I’m a little confused about how I feel about flying. Like, it’s so bad for the environment. Would I be a hypocrite to fly somewhere? Then again, I want to see the world.”

Wren’s heart pumped with love for this young woman, who thought so hard about everything. “You could fly and stay a while, so that it’s worth it,” she suggested. “Or, I guess, you could take a boat?”

“Like the olden days,” Lily said, laughing.

Twenty minutes later, they were on the sand, wrapped in towels and looking at Wren’s phone for details on how Lily could sail to Europe rather than fly.

“You’d have to take off from New York City,” Wren reported. “And it would take about ten days to get to England. After that, I guess…. Trains? Buses?”

Lily nodded seriously, as though this were a possibility for her. “Maybe after I graduate.”

Wren darkened her phone and wrapped her towel tighter around her. The sun was already warming the tops of their heads, drying their hair. She ached with what felt like jealousy for Lily. Lily had the rest of her life ahead of her. She hadn’t yet made the mistakes Wren had.

Maybe Lily was smarter than Wren. Maybe she wouldn’t make mistakes.

“Aunt Wren,” Lily began, “how long are you going to stay here?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Wren said, turning to look at her. “I missed all of you. I wanted to say hi.”

Lily’s eyes were laced with red. “Mom thinks something’s wrong. You were so sick last time you were here. And then…”

“I fainted,” Wren finished for her.

“You fainted.”

Wren laughed gently. “I can’t believe I did that. How embarrassing. But I hadn’t eaten all day. I can be a little thoughtless. It’s nothing to worry about.”

Lily’s eyes brightened. “We should go back to the house and eat breakfast. I have to work with Aunt Celia later, but I’m always so hungry after I go swimming.”

Wren followed her niece back up the trail to the house, where she changed back into her pajamas and watched Lily cook eggs and sausage. The smell drew her little brother Tyler downstairs. Ivy came a little while after that, with Elliott hot on her heels. Wren hadn’t known that Elliott had moved in since she’d last been here. But, she supposed, Ivy and Elliot had been together quite some time at this point. A year and a half, maybe?

“Morning!” Elliott said brightly.