Page 12 of The Lighthouse Sisters
“This is the first floor.” Laura led them further up the stairwell to a platform that had seen better days. They paused to check out two separate floors as they continued up the lighthouse. Each floor looked abandoned and was in desperate need of cleaning. Raelynn scribbled notes, coming up with ideas so fast that her hand could barely keep up with her mind. She hadn’t felt so creative in years. Finally, they made their way to the top floor where the light beaconed the ships. She looked out over the sea and took a deep breath. She couldn’t help herself. She closed her eyes.
“It’s magical, isn’t it?” She heard someone say.
It was Nellie. Laura and Katrina were off talking to the side. Katrina seemed stressed. She frowned, wondering what was wrong. The lighthouse was perfect as far as she was concerned.
“It is definitely magical.”
“I went to college in Savannah. Art school, actually,” Nellie volunteered.
“Oh really?”
She nodded. “I’m a graphic designer by trade, but as soon as school was over, I moved back home. I just missed this island too much to be so far away from it long.”
Looking down at the beaches and the people strolling below, Raelynn understood why.
“It really is like a paradise.”
Then Laura interrupted, “Hey, Nel, can you take Miss Raelynn to her room for me please?”
“Sure!” Nellie said. Raelynn followed behind her, and they chatted about a little bit of everything: the island’s history, Nellie’s favorite spots on the island, and what Raelynn envisioned for the B&B.
By the time Nellie escorted Raelynn to her room in the tiny house built by Katrina’s grandfather, Raelynn felt as if she and Nellie could easily be friends. She felt the young woman was very intelligent and insightful. She was looking forward to getting to know her better.
“What are you going to do next?”
Raelynn looked around. “I guess I could get settled in.”
“Or…” Nellie said with a winning smile, “…you could go check out the island? I’ll let your friend know where you’ve gone.”
“I don’t know.”
“It’s been a while since you’ve been here, and I want you to get a feel for the area...and enjoy yourself. You won’t regret it. Trust me.”
“You’re very convincing,” Raelynn said, grabbing her purse.
“I know,” Nellie said with a laugh. She directed Raelynn toward the shops and then went back to look for her mom.
Raelynn had been dying to check out the island ever since she crossed the bridge and came upon the happy “Welcome to Tybee Island” sign that sat not too far from the bridge that united the island to the mainland.
Cute little shops lined the main street. They were colored bold, eye-catching hues of teal, yellow, and orange. Raelynn knew she wasn’t there to shop, but she promised herself to at least take a look. She went from one shop to the next, speaking with the shopkeepers and getting to know “who was who” in the area. She was having such a good time that she almost forgot that she had been near tears just a few hours ago.
She felt the island’s energy was responsible for her cheerful mood. The clouds sat low in the sky and the horizon was eye level. Nothing but beautiful sandy beaches stretched as far as the eye could see, and the sky was a perfect blue. Tourists dotted the beach. There weren’t too many as far as Raelynn could see. It was a perfect day for sightseeing. The weather was temperate, and she snagged a free hat from a local vendor. It read “I heart Tybee Island”, normally she didn’t wear anything so gauche, but she loved it. Maybe it was childhood nostalgia, maybe it was her need to get away from it all, but something about this island just felt like home.
She made her way back to the small house that was only a few feet from the lighthouse and began to sketch out some ideas she had for the rooms of the house and challenged herself to come up with some ideas for the lighthouse too. It was challenging because of its layout, but she felt up to it. In fact, she welcomed a design challenge. It had been a long time since she had really had the opportunity to be creative. Even in her own home, she had compromised on a lot of her aesthetic to make sure John felt comfortable.
I don’t have to cross that bridge anymore,she thought to herself.
Feeling inspired, Raelynn made her way to the grounds and began to sketch. The sun felt good against her shoulders, and she decided to sit on a rock embedded in the sand.
She didn’t look up the first time someone called her name because she was so engrossed in her own designs. She hadn’t picked up a pencil to sketch in over twenty years, she suddenly realized.
“Raelynn,” Katrina said coming up next to her. “Didn’t you hear me calling you?”
“I’m so sorry,” Raelynn apologized. “I was just so into this sketch that I…”
She finally looked up at Katrina’s face. Katrina was visibly upset.
Raelynn stood up. “What’s wrong?”
