Page 1 of The Lighthouse Sisters
ONE
“Careful! Careful!” Raelynn cautioned as she raced out of her front door to intercept the package from the delivery guy right before he tried to unceremoniously launch it onto her front porch. She had seen one too many of her boxes tossed there like they were undesirable, forgotten leftovers from the night before. She didn’t blame him. He was young and probably had a thousand other boxes to deliver before he could head home, so she was sympathetic to his situation. But most importantly, his youthfulness reminded her of her son, Dylan, who she didn’t see as much as she would have liked.
For Raelynn, it was the only thing she abhorred about motherhood––not being a part of her son’s daily life anymore. Being a mother to an adult son was proving to be challenging indeed. Or maybe she just needed to learn to let go a little bit.
The delivery guy looked at her, puzzled. “Something special in this box?”
She nodded as she extricated the box from his hands. “Extremely special.” She couldn’t help but add with a smile, “It’s sort of a birthday gift to myself.”
“Well, happy birthday,” he said, not seeming in a rush to leave, suddenly. “How old are you?”
A lady never reveals her age, Raelynn could hear her mother’s voice in her head but ignored it. She was proud of her age.
“Forty-seven.”
“You don’t look a day over 30.”
She chuckled, blushed a bit, and said, “You’re too kind.”
The delivery man smiled. “I’m just telling the truth.” He turned to leave, adding, “Have a good day, ma’am,” as he headed to the truck.
He was gone before Raelynn could open her front door. She shook her head, knowing the neighbor across the street, Mrs. Carrington, who also happened to be the head of the HOA, was probably on the phone right now reporting the delivery guy for speeding through the neighborhood.
She made a mental note to warn him about it next time. Thoughts of the delivery guy quickly faded away as Raelynn carried the box to her living room and kneeled on the plush area rug as she opened it. She carefully removed her latest find from its long, narrow box and placed it on the coffee table in front of her. Standing up to get a better look at it from all angles, she placed her hands on her hips and studied it.
It was a vase created by a small French company that had nearly gone defunct after the second world war. Raelynn had seen the vase up for auction and realized the seller had no idea what they had. She had placed quite a high bid to secure it, and as she studied the unique marking and delicate craftsmanship, she couldn’t help but feel proud to have a little piece of history in her living room. It was money well spent, as far as she was concerned. The vase was subtle, classy, and yet unique––a reflection of Raelynn herself.
Satisfied with how well the day was starting and optimistic that this would be her best birthday yet, she made her way through the rest of her home, giving every piece she had collected over the years a cursory glance or a quick check. She had decorated the house herself, and it had been a labor of love. Many years ago, Raelynn had studied interior decorating and had intended to make it her career. While most people in her social circle hired teams of decorators on almost a seasonal basis, Raelynn had of course decided to decorate her own home, choosing traditional, timeless pieces that fit the aesthetic of the family home she so proudly updated.
And her family was especially on her mind as she thought about what the day held. It was her 47th birthday...not necessarily a milestone birthday, but a birthday nonetheless. Raelynn wasn’t a huge celebrator, but she tried to do something special each year, even if it was something small like a trip to the spa or lunch with a friend. Although she hadn’t made any formal plans yet for the day, she was looking forward to spending it with the people she loved most in the world, Dylan and John.
At the thought of Dylan, her heart ached a bit. Her son was now all grown up. He was graduating from law school soon and had secured a highly competitive internship at a top law firm in the city. And then there was John, and well––John was John. She tried not to judge him too harshly because things between them had been a little strained lately. She understood that he worked long hours, and that his job could be stressful. But she was more than grateful for the life his job provided them.
Her phone rang, snapping her out of her musings, and she rushed to answer it. She knew today would be filled with calls from well-wishers, and the attention was welcomed. She didn’t get much attention anymore, but she was determined not to think too deeply about the situation. She smiled when she saw who was calling and settled down on the comfy sofa for a conversation she knew would be as fun as it would be long.
“Hi,” Raelynn answered with a smile on her face before the person on the other line could say anything.
“Happy birthday!” Katrina called out with her classic enthusiasm. Katrina was Raelynn’s old schoolmate and best friend. In fact, she’d known Raelynn for most of her adult life. They’d been friends for thirty years. Outside of John, Katrina was the only person who knew everything about Raelynn, and sometimes Raelynn thought that maybe Katrina knew her better than she knew herself.
“So, how do you feel?”
“I feel good. Grateful,” she said frankly. She couldn’t have asked for a better life. Although she couldn’t have predicted that her life would have taken this particular direction, she was glad that it had.
Years ago, she had thought that by now, her face and name would be on the cover of every home decor magazine, but life had taken a twist and she had ended up pregnant with Dylan. Even after Dylan was born and Raelynn had tried to return back to work, John had encouraged her instead to devote her time to motherhood. In return, he promised to care for them both and had done that for the past two decades. She found herself attending tea parties and being part of the school drop-off carpool––in short, she had become the perfect suburban housewife instead of a designer. But she had no regrets. She had a good life. A good family. She wouldn’t trade them for the world.
“Can you believe we’re almost 50?” Katrina asked wistfully.
“Almostis the operative word.” Raelynn wasn’t quite ready to face the big 5-0 yet...47 was mind boggling enough.
“Where did the time go?” Katrina continued, ignoring her. “Remember when we were actually cool?”
Raelynn laughed, but her friend was right. The time had flown by. She remembered when she was offered an internship and how she had turned it down after realizing she was pregnant with Dylan. Her “dream” had been put on hold and then forgotten, as she figured out motherhood, marriage, and everything else in between. And as Dylan had gotten older and John had dedicated even more time to his career, Raelynn had thrown herself into being the model mom and wife.
“You know, Katrina, we were never cool.”
Katrina laughed. “Speak for yourself.”
Suddenly, Katrina’s playful tone changed. “So, I have a bit of unexpected news. I just got word that my grandfather left me something in his will. You would never guess what.”
