Page 16 of A Dream for Daphne

“I’m so glad the rain stopped,” Daphne said when she was walking into Aster’s backyard on Sunday. “Two days of rain was more than enough for me and Holly was wound for sound in the house.”

“Raine says that all the time when she’s teaching. That the kids need that time outside to run around or they are all but an army of kids in chairs with fire ants biting their butts.”

She laughed over the description. “I’m not sure I could be a teacher. Too much structure for me. I like the whole wing-it thing on a day-to-day basis.”

“So it’s going well?” Aster asked. “You don’t regret coming here?”

“I love it,” she said.

How could she regret waking up so happy each morning and eager to start her day with little to no stress?

She set the plate of cookies she baked on the back deck. She loved the little cottage that Aster rented from Zane. It was right on the water with a beautiful view and a couple of chairs around a fire pit.

They were on the deck for now and she could smell something cooking in the charcoal grill.

“Hope you’re hungry,” he said. “I’ve had ribs going for a few hours. Raine will be out in a minute. She’s finishing up potato salad and then popping cornbread in the oven.”

“This is an awesome meal. Thanks for asking me over.”

Aster smiled. “Any time. I know you don’t know many people here and are probably twiddling your thumbs and going nuts.”

Her head went back and forth while she debated on how to answer.

Aster was right. She did feel that way when she wasn’t with the kids and she wasn’t with them full time right now either.

“I have my moments,” she said. “I’ve been reading and catching up on TV shows. There is nothing new on right now so it’s giving me time to binge things I’ve never had time to before.”

Aster laughed. “I can see how it pains you to say that.”

She let out a breath and shook her arms as if the lie was keeping her bound tight. “Thank God I don’t have to pretend. I’ve spent so much of my life working I don’t know what to do now.”

Aster pulled her closer and put his arm around her in a side hug. “Hey, I know. I felt the same way. You’ll get used to it. Be happy you’re not busting your ass anymore and getting crap from parents and customers on a daily basis. No one wanted that for you. Least of all me.”

“I know. Have you heard from Mom and Dad lately?”

“Speaking of getting crapped on. No,” he said. “But I rarely do. Are they bugging you? You haven’t even been here two months yet. Or just about two months.”

“I’ve gotten a few text messages. One call a few weeks ago. Guess they got an offer on the house, but I haven’t heard anything else. I don’t care. It’s for the best.”

“But you’re lonely,” he said. “I get it. I might have something to help you pass the time. Or Raine will.”

“Really?” she asked. “What’s that?”

“I’ll let Raine tell you,” he said, smirking.

She wasn’t sure what that was about. Right now she was spending her time looking up hobbies.

Quilting was at the top of her list, but she’d have to get a sewing machine for that and didn’t know if she wanted to invest in one if she wasn’t going to like it.

She did like to bake cookies and there were all these cookie design things on the web. Maybe she could find a class or two for that.

But then she’d have to eat the cookies and there were only so many she could.

So yeah, everything she thought of, she had a reason not to do it.

“Hi, Daphne,” Raine said, coming out. “I’ve got a glass of wine for you.”

She reached for the glass and the sunlight hit a diamond ring on Raine’s finger. A teardrop.

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