Page 50 of The Beachgoers
And he gets it. Because life’s knocked him over a fair amount of times, too.
Even now.
Even as Lauren, wearing a fitted lace wedding gown, is being rowed to shore beneath a twilight sky.
As beautiful a sight as this seaside ceremony is, it hurts, too. Ten years ago, Shane wasn’t a part of this. Wasn’t a part of his brother’s wedding. Shit, he wasn’t even invited. Only heardmentionof it when Neil surprised him with a visit in Maine, back in the day.
Actually, Shane hasn’t been a part ofanyof Stony Point’s recent history. Not a part of Neil’s funeral. Or Jason’s recovery. Or Kyle’s milestones—having children, buying that great diner. So as glad as Shane is to be right here, sitting on this very beach tonight, he also feels the weight of all he’s missed.
As the rowboat nears a floating dock, Shane looks beside him at his niece and nephew—Hailey and Evan. They’re dressed in nice clothes; they sit straight and quiet in their chairs.
“Hey, kids! Great job,” Shane tells them in a loud whisper. “That aisle looks awesome!” he adds, high-fiving them both. “And look! There’s your mom in the rowboat. Wave to her.”
As they do, as Hailey kneels atop her chair for a better view, Shane sits back. The low setting sun paints the horizon red. The Sound is slate gray beneath a violet sky. Kyle and Lauren couldn’t have been granted a more perfect night.
Shane looks at Celia then, too. At the way the silky scarf tied around her topknot blows in a sea breeze. At her fingers strumming the guitar.
As he watches Celia, and the vow renewal, and the summer night itself, Shane’s doing something else, too. He’s deeply breathing in that sweet salt air that—according to Stony Point legend—cures what ails you.
