Page 72 of Captiva Café

"Wouldn't dream of anything else," Sarah assured her with a wink that was not entirely reassuring. She kissed Maggie's cheek, then Chelsea's, before returning to her adoring public.

For the next twenty minutes, Maggie and Chelsea watched as Grandma Sarah signed magazines, posed for photos, and answered questions about everything from the best solar panels for RVs to the most comfortable compression socks for long drives. Finally, with promises to post a new video soon and recommendations for several island restaurants, she managedto extricate herself and return to the driver's seat of the Garrison Getaway.

As the van pulled out of the driveway, its silver and turquoise graphics gleaming in the afternoon sun, the small crowd began to disperse, many of them heading inside to inquire at the front desk about Grandma Sarah's favorite rooms at the inn.

"Well," Chelsea said after a moment of silence, "that was unexpected."

"Was it?" Maggie asked wearily. "Because in retrospect, it seems completely predictable that my mother would transform herself into a senior lifestyle guru with corporate sponsorships and a branded vehicle."

Chelsea laughed. "When you put it that way, yes, it does seem like a natural evolution. Your mother has always been a force of nature."

"A hurricane might be a more apt comparison," Maggie muttered, though there was a reluctant fondness in her tone. "I should go help Oliver with the influx at the front desk. And then figure out how to tell Paolo we're having a special breakfast guest tomorrow who will undoubtedly critique his croissants on camera despite promises to the contrary."

"Look on the bright side," Chelsea suggested as they headed back toward the inn. "At least your mother's dramatic arrival temporarily distracted you from worrying about Lauren."

Maggie paused, realizing Chelsea was right. For the last half hour, she hadn't once checked her phone or thought about her daughter's silence. There was something to be said for the overwhelming chaos of Grandma Sarah's presence—it left little room for other concerns.

"Small mercies," she agreed. "Though I suspect by this time tomorrow, I'll have a whole new set of things to worry about. Like my mother attempting to paddleboard for her YouTube channel or organizing a senior flash mob on the beach."

"Both of which would make excellent content," Chelsea pointed out. "I might even participate in the flash mob, if there are suitable costumes."

"Don't encourage her," Maggie warned. "The last thing my mother needs is more ideas."

But as they stepped back into the inn, now buzzing with guests excited about their brush with a minor celebrity, Maggie couldn't help smiling slightly. Her mother had always defied expectations, refused to be limited by convention or age. There was something admirable in that, even if it occasionally made Maggie's life more complicated.

And perhaps there was a lesson there—one she hoped Lauren, or any of her children, might someday embrace: that it was never too late to reinvent yourself, to find joy in unexpected places, to create something new from the raw materials of your existing life.

Even if that something involved turquoise graphic designs on a luxury RV and an unexpected foray into social media fame.

CHAPTER 26

The first thing Maggie did the next morning was get ready for her mother’s arrival. She needed uninterrupted time with her mother if there was any chance she might get her point across. Sarah Garrison had a way of dismissing Maggie's concerns by text and video calls. With her mother sitting across from her, Maggie was determined to make her mother finally listen.

Maggie had set a small table in the corner of the sunroom, away from the areas where guests would soon gather for their morning meal. Fresh flowers in a blue ceramic vase, her mother's favorite ginger-peach tea, and the best china—small touches that signaled the importance of the conversation to come.

As she placed the final fork, she heard the familiar tap of her mother's stylish walking shoes on the hardwood floor.

"Well, this looks lovely," Sarah Garrison said, sweeping into the room with the elegant confidence that had become her trademark. At seventy-nine, she still carried herself with the posture of the ballet dancer she'd been in her youth, before marriage and three children had redirected her path.

"I thought we deserved a proper breakfast together," Maggie replied, gesturing for her mother to take a seat. "Away from your fans and my guests. Just us."

"How thoughtful," Sarah said, settling into her chair and immediately reaching for the teapot. "Though I must say, several of your guests recognized me in the parking lot. Such enthusiastic people! A lovely couple from Minneapolis has followed my channel since the very beginning."

Maggie took a measured breath. This was exactly why she'd needed this face-to-face meeting. "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about, Mom."

"My fans?" Sarah asked, adding a precise teaspoon of honey to her tea.

"Your videos. Specifically, the ones featuring the inn." Maggie poured her own tea, choosing her words carefully. "The effect they're having on our business."

"Isn't it marvelous?" Sarah beamed. "Full occupancy! I told Belinda my feature on 'Hidden Gulf Coast Gems' would resonate with the Silver Wanderers."

"It's not sustainable," Maggie explained, leaning forward. "We're a small operation. Millie, Iris, Oliver—they're working themselves to exhaustion. And the guests arriving have...specific expectations based on your videos."

Sarah's smile faded slightly. "What kind of expectations?"

"They want the 'Grandma Sarah experience.' They ask for the exact room you’ve stayed in, the scones you mentioned in episode seven, the sunset viewing spot you recommended." Maggie sighed. "One woman yesterday asked if we could recreate your 'magical Gulf meditation moment' from the spring equinox video."

"Well, that's just?—"

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