Page 10 of Island Girl

“I've only been here two days.”

“That's all it takes sometimes.”

Paolo had made his way over, brushing dirt from his knees. He wrapped Merritt in a bear hug that lifted her off her feet.

“Finally, you’ve come back to us,” he said. “Maggie has talked about you so much I feel like you never left.”

“I missed this place.”

“This place missed you.” He set her down and nodded toward the porch. “Go sit. Talk. I'll finish up here.”

Maggie took Merritt's hand and led her to the porch swing at the far end of the back porch. They sat down together, the swing creaking gently beneath them. The garden stretched out before them, green and lush in the morning light. Beyond it, through the trees, Merritt could catch glimpses of the water.

“So,” Maggie said. “Tell me everything.”

Before Merritt could answer, the screen door opened and Iris appeared with a tray. Two glasses of iced tea, a small plate of scones, and a bowl of cut fruit.

“Thought you might want something to nibble on while you catch up,” she said, setting the tray on the small table beside the swing.

“Thank you, Iris,” Maggie said. “You're an angel.”

“I know.” Iris winked at Merritt and disappeared back inside.

Merritt picked up one of the glasses, the condensation cool against her palm. She took a sip and let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding.

“I don't even know where to start,” she said.

“Start anywhere,” Maggie said. “We have time.”

Merritt told her everything.

About her mother's final weeks. The hospice room with its soft lighting and the smell of flowers that couldn't quite cover the smell of medicine. The way her father had held her mother's hand for hours, talking to her even when she couldn't respond. The last breath, which came so quietly that Merritt almost missed it.

Maggie listened without interrupting, her hand resting on Merritt's arm.

“I'm so sorry,” she said when Merritt finished. “I know how much you loved her. And I know how hard those last years were for you.”

“They were hard. But I don't regret them.” Merritt looked out at the garden. “I just didn't know who I was supposed to be when it was over. I'd been her caregiver for so long that I forgot how to be anything else.”

“That's why you came back to Florida?”

“That's why I came back.” Merritt took a sip of her iced tea. “I got a job at a bar on Sanibel. Shorebirds. Do you know it?”

Maggie thought for a moment. “I've been there a few times. It's Crocker's place, right? The potter?”

“That's him.”

“I don't know him well, but I've heard stories. People around here talk about his wife, June. She passed away years ago, before Icame to Captiva. From what I understand, she was the heart of that place. Crocker keeps it going in her memory.”

“His grandson runs it now. Justin.”

“I don't think I've met him.” Maggie paused. “Is he nice?”

Merritt thought about the Zoom interview, the easy banter, the way he'd taken a chance on her without really knowing her. “Yes, he's been really kind to me.”

“Good. You deserve kindness.” Maggie squeezed her arm. “So you're working at Shorebirds. And living where?”

“There's an apartment above the bar. It's tiny, but it has a view of the water.”