Page 6 of The Birchwood House

“Yeah, there’s something I think we should chat about. When should I start making the waffles?”

“Uh—” Michelle considered for a moment. “Better say I’ll get there in half an hour. I’m still in my pajamas and I look like a zombie.”

“I’m sure you look beautiful. Half an hour it is!”

They said goodbye and hung up, and Michelle shook her head, marveling that her mother was feeling so much better.

I’m so thankful,she thought, feeling an ache in her chest for her mom. She didn’t want Audrey to be going through thisterrible time, and it meant a lot to her that her mother was able to be excited about something.I wonder what’s making her so happy right now?

Shaking her head with curiosity, she set down her laptop on her coffee table and stood up. She took one last swig out of her mug of coffee and then hurried into the bathroom to take a shower.

Fifteen minutes later, clean and wearing a cute outfit of boots, a sweater, and a sundress, she was driving along the highway toward her mother’s house, going as fast as the speed limit would allow. She had a strange feeling that something wonderful was about to happen. She wondered if it was a trick of the stress, or a real premonition.

She parked at the top of the driveway and got out. She looked up at her parents’ big, beautiful house and bit her lip.

Dad,she thought.How could you?

Pushing painful, confusing thoughts of her father aside, she hurried up to the front door. She was about to ring the doorbell, but before she could, Audrey tugged open the door, making it clear that she’d been watching for her daughter.

“Hey.” Audrey pulled her into a big hug. “Thanks for coming over.”

“Thanks for making breakfast.” Michelle half-shut her eyes, breathing deeply of the wonderful aroma that was wafting their way from the kitchen. She could smell chocolate and buttery waffles, as well as a faint whiff of whipped cream. “It smells incredible.”

“The waffles turned out great,” Audrey said proudly. “Come on into the kitchen with me, we should eat them while they’re hot.”

Audrey and Michelle sat down at the kitchen table together. Michelle smiled, seeing the glasses of orange juice that her mother had set out. Having breakfast with her mother likethis reminded her of her childhood, when they’d had fancy breakfasts together whenever Michelle had off from school.

After they’d enjoyed the delicious meal in companionable silence for a few minutes, Audrey cleared her throat. “I do have some news,” she admitted with a grin. “I’ve decided on where I’m going to move.”

Michelle hurriedly swallowed her bite of waffle and blinked at her mother. “Where?”

Audrey’s eyes danced. “Coral Sands.”

Michelle’s eyes widened. She remembered visiting her mother’s hometown in the south of Maine when she was little, and she remembered it being quaint and charming. She hadn’t expected it to be the place her mother would pick to live in, however.

“Really?” she said. “I mean, it’s cute, but… wouldn’t you want to move somewhere new, and a little more exciting? I mean, what about New York? Or California, even. Or Seattle! You loved Seattle when you went there.”

Audrey shook her head, quietly smiling. “I’m sure. I need to be in a calm, nostalgic setting right now. I want to be home.”

For a moment, the women exchanged eye contact. Michelle understood what her mother was saying. Since the house they were sitting in could no longer be Audrey’s home, she wanted to go somewhere that felt safe and familiar.

“And it would be great to live by my mother. I’ve really missed her, living out here like this,” Audrey added.

Michelle’s expression softened with understanding. Elaine Sutton still lived in Coral Sands, and she was a wonderful, kind person. They often spoke on the phone, although Michelle hadn’t seen her grandmother in a long time because they lived so far away from her.

“That sounds like a wonderful idea,” she said. She paused for a moment, and then her face lit up with a smile. “I might just come along.”

“Do you really mean that?” Audrey asked, leaning forward. “I know you said that last night, but I’d convinced myself you were just saying that to cheer me up. You really want to leave the city?”

Michelle shrugged. “I mean, I lost my job. And lately I’ve been in a slump when it comes to my social circle. I’ve been feeling more and more as though my friends aren’t really my friends, you know? They just want to go out to bars and post cute pictures on Instagram. If I ever really needed one of them, they wouldn’t be there for me. Honestly, maybe losing my job was good for me. Maybe I need this chance to start over as well.”

For a moment, mother and daughter looked at each other and smiled. Michelle felt her heart beating faster, and she could hardly believe they were really considering taking a giant step of faith like this.

But at least we’re taking it together,she thought.That makes it all seem better.

“Are you absolutely sure that you’re ready to leave everything behind?” Michelle asked her mother gently. “I mean, I know you love this house.”

Audrey’s eyes filled with tears, and for a moment, Michelle thought that her mother was starting to cry at the thought of leaving behind the beautiful home that she’d lovingly tended to for years.