Page 51 of Secrets at Seaside
Sunday morning Tony took Evan surfing while Amy, Bella, and Jenna went to help Leanna at the flea market. Luscious Leanna’s Sweet Treats had taken off so much that Leanna couldn’t keep up with the customers at her booth. She’d even begun leaving Pepper at home with Kurt because she needed to focus solely on sales. Sunday was the busiest day at the flea market, and today was no different. It was a gorgeous summer afternoon with temps in the mideighties and a nice cool breeze. The girls wore their typical attire of their bathing suits beneath sundresses, with the exception of Leanna, who had on her jam-streaked cutoffs and a tank top.
While Leanna and Jenna helped customers, Bella and Amy applied labels to jars sitting beside Leanna’s colorful, hand-painted Volkswagen bus. She always parked behind her booth, as most of the vendors did.
“Have you had any repercussions from the stunt you pulled with Theresa?” Amy asked Bella.
“Pfft. No. She can’t outdo me. She knows that now.”
“But that was breaking and entering. You’re lucky she didn’t have you arrested.”
“No, it wasn’t. I offered to water her plants while she was gone. Besides, it’s all in fun. She knows that. Let’s talk about something that matters. How is Tony holding up with the news about his dad?” Bella asked.
Tony hadn’t hesitated when Amy had asked him if she should share the news of his father’s illness with the girls. She wasn’t sure if he’d been so quick to allow it because they would be there to support them or because he was just not into keeping secrets any longer. His decision seemed to be driven by both. She’d told the girls about his father’s illness, and as she’d expected, they’d been empathetic and supportive.
“You know Tony. He’s keeping himself busy until he’s really ready to deal with it. I think he needs closure.” Amy set a jar on the table and picked up another. “Is it weird that I feel guilty about that summer? I mean, maybe if I hadn’t been so attracted to Tony back then, he would have had more time for his dad or been more focused on him. Maybe he could have talked to him instead of just being upset over how he was being treated.”
“It’s not weird, but only because you have the biggest, most unselfish heart on the planet.” Bella peeled the backing off a label and pressed it on the jar. “You hate to see anyone sad, and you want to fix it for him. But he’s a guy. You can’t fix anything for a guy. No one can. They’re like…” Bella looked out at the sea of people walking between the booths. “I don’t know what they’re like, but while they want us there to listen and love them, they want to be the fixers.”
“I just want to do the right thing and help him through this.”
Bella set down the jar and reached for Amy’s hands. “Ames, you are doing the right thing. You and Tony are together. The rest will work itself out.”
“I hope so. I hate that he can’t go back and work things out with his dad.” She knew it was tearing Tony up that he couldn’t fix this with a phone call to his father, and she worried about what would happen when keeping himself busy wasn’t enough to dull the pain.
When there was a lull in the flow of customers, Jenna joined them. “Take him to his father’s grave site. He can say a real goodbye, not the angry, confused twenty-year-old’s goodbye of years ago.”
Bella stepped in to help another round of customers so Jenna could talk with Amy, patting Amy’s arm as she passed. Jenna picked up a jar and a label and went to work.
“Do you think that will help?” Amy tucked her hair behind her ear, thinking about Jenna’s suggestion. Tony hadn’t cried at his father’s funeral. She’d never forget the way he’d looked broken and brave at the same time, when inside she’d known he must have been shattered.
“I do. His father doesn’t need to be with him for Tony to come to grips with his feelings. He just needs to be present—you know what I mean?”
“Then maybe I should take him to Pelly, that psychic in P-town.” Pelly was one of the best psychics in the area. When they were younger they’d heard stories of people camping overnight in Pelly’s yard to be seen the following morning. Over the years Pelly had cracked down on those folks, and now he held very limited hours for readings.
“Do you remember when we went as kids?” Jenna’s eyes widened as she picked up another jar.
“How could I forget? Remember how dark the room was? And everything was red. The walls, the tablecloth, even the caftan he wore was bloodred. So weird.”
Jenna laughed. “Remember how nervous we were? I can’t even remember what he told us. I just remember running out and laughing so hard that we tumbled onto the grass.”
“Yeah, well, I rememberhopinghe’d tell me that Tony was madly in love with me, and instead he told me something stupid like,Be true to your heart and you’ll find your way.” Amy scoffed.
“Ames…”
Amy met Jenna’s wide-eyed gaze. “What?”
“Duh. You did follow your heart. And you did find your way.”
Goose bumps rose on Amy’s arms. “Yeah. Maybe he wasn’t so far off after all, but maybe that’s not the best thing for Tony. I mean, if Pelly is as good as people say, what if he really does reach Tony’s dad and something’s…I don’t know.Off. Or if it doesn’t offer the closure he needs. It might make things worse.”
“There is that.”
“I think I like your idea better anyway. Tony needs to come to grips with his own feelings on his own terms. If there’s one thing I’ve learned this summer, it’s that you can’t fix the past. You can only accept it, maybe try to understand it as best you can, and find a way to move forward and leave it where it belongs. In the past.” It surprised Amy that she was doling out such sage advice so readily. She of all people knew how difficult it was to leave the past behind. And now, reflecting on what she’d said, she also understood how important it was to deal with it before moving on.
It was nearly six o’clock by the time the flea market cleared out, despite the fact that it officially closed at four.
“Beachcomber tonight?” Bella asked as they pulled into Seaside and Leanna parked beside the laundry room, which she often did since her van was so big and it blocked her view of Amy’s deck if she parked in her driveway.
“That sounds perfect.” Amy stepped from the van and glanced over at Tony’s cottage. His car was there, and she couldn’t wait to see him. “I’ll ask Tony. I think we could both use some fun.”
