Page 43 of Captiva Café

Lauren laughed despite herself. "That sounds like Grandma. Remember when she decided to start that seniors' kayaking club back in Massachusetts? The one the Coast Guard had to rescue three times in one summer?"

"How could I forget?" Maggie groaned. "One of those Coast Guard officers would cross the street every time he saw me coming."

They laughed together, the shared memory easing the last of the tension between them. But even as she laughed, Maggie couldn't help noticing the way Lauren's smile faded a beattoo quickly, the way her gaze drifted toward the water with something like longing—or escape.

"How are things with Olivia's tennis?" Maggie asked, trying a new approach. "Has she settled into the new training program?"

Lauren's expression brightened with genuine pride. "She's thriving, actually. Her coach says she has real potential—not just regional tournament potential, but maybe national level someday."

"That's incredible," Sarah said, interest piqued. "I had no idea she was that good."

"Neither did we, until her coach in Massachusetts pulled us aside last year," Lauren admitted. "Said she had the kind of natural talent coaches dream about, but we needed to get her into a more intensive program if she wanted to develop it properly."

"Is that why you really moved?" Maggie asked gently. "For Olivia's tennis career?"

Something flickered across Lauren's face—a moment of hesitation, perhaps, or a calculation about how much to reveal. "Of course it is, what else would it be?”

Lauren seemed defensive and both Maggie and Sarah noticed.

Lauren continued, "The Sarasota Tennis Academy is one of the best in the country. They've produced Olympic athletes, Grand Slam winners."

"That's a lot of pressure for a twelve-year-old," Sarah observed, her tone carefully neutral.

"It is," Lauren agreed, her fingers unconsciously tightening around Daniel. "Jeff and I have had...discussions about it. He wants to go all-in—private coaches, weekend tournaments, the whole circuit. He sees it as investing in her future."

"And you?" Maggie prompted, sensing the unspoken tension.

Lauren exhaled slowly. "I want her to have a childhood too. To have friends, to go to sleepovers, to be a normal kid some of the time." She looked up, meeting Maggie's eyes with unexpected vulnerability. "But then I worry—what if we don't push hard enough? What if she could have been great, and we held her back? I don't want her to resent us someday for not giving her every opportunity."

It was the most Lauren had revealed about the complexities of her new life in Florida, and Maggie felt a surge of maternal protectiveness. Behind Lauren's carefully curated image of the successful realtor with the perfect family, there was clearly strain. Whether it was just the natural stress of relocation and parenting decisions, or something deeper in her marriage to Jeff, Maggie wasn't sure. But the shadow was there, visible now that she knew to look for it.

"It's a balancing act," Maggie said, careful not to pry too directly. "Daniel here will have his own path, too. And Lily with her nature club. Each child needs something different from us."

"Jeff doesn't always see it that way," Lauren said, so quietly that Maggie almost missed it. "He's very...focused."

Sarah caught Maggie's eye, a silent acknowledgment passing between them. This wasn't just about tennis lessons or moving for better opportunities. There was tension in Lauren's marriage, strain that hadn't been apparent during their last family gathering.

"Well," Sarah said brightly, clearly deciding to shift the topic, "Olivia is lucky to have a mother who's considering all sides of it. Balance matters. And so does having family nearby." She squeezed Lauren's hand. "Trevor and I would love to come watch her play sometime. The kids too—Noah's been asking to try tennis."

Lauren's expression softened with gratitude for the lifeline. "She'd love that. She has a showcase match next Saturday,actually. Nothing serious, just a demonstration for the academy's open house. But it would be nice to have family there."

"Count us in," Sarah said immediately. "Mom? Paolo?"

"We’ll do our best to be there," Maggie assured her. "Olivia should have her own cheering section."

"Speaking of music," Sarah said, "are Franny and Cassy still looking for performers for their new wine bar? Maybe Merritt could play there. Build a new life here, if that's what she wants."

Maggie nodded “They already approached her. She didn’t say no but didn’t jump at the chance either. From what I've seen of her guitar playing, she'd be perfect," Maggie agreed. "I just don't want to push her. She needs to find her own way."

"Like we all did," Lauren said softly, looking out at the water. "Sometimes it takes leaving everything behind to figure out who you really are."

Something in the way she said it—wistful, almost mournful—made Maggie's maternal instincts flare again. Lauren wasn't just talking about Merritt, or even about Olivia's tennis prospects. She was talking about herself, about decisions not fully reckoned with yet.

"I spoke with Merritt earlier," Sarah said after a while. "She was having coffee on the porch when I dropped by the inn to see Emma."

Maggie's interest was immediately piqued. "Did she say anything about herself? About why she's here or her past?"

"Not directly," Sarah said, reaching to take Daniel as he began squirming in Lauren's arms.

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