Page 97 of Happy Harbor
Her plan was to go to Atlanta, go to the shower, spend one night, and leave as soon as daylight broke. With any luck, she’d be gone less than forty-eight hours.
The week had already been very busy. The accountant let her know how much money was made from the fundraiser, and she was easily able to pay off the loan as well as put extra money aside for renovations and expenses at the restaurant.
She had already been brainstorming with her mother on some things they could do at the restaurant to make additional income. Now there was at least hope that everything would not fall apart. Nothing would’ve made her more sad than to see her grandmother’s hard work crumble into a million pieces.
She had been a little worried when she left that morning. For the last few days, she noticed her mother coughing. Diane said it was probably just leftover allergies from the heavy pollen season, but Josie wasn’t so sure. Maybe it was the dunk tank. That made her feel a little guilty.
When she got back, she planned to take her mother for a full physical. She wanted her to be around for many years to come. Since Diane used to be a heavy smoker when Josie was a child, she worried that there was something more nefarious going on.
As she continued driving, she saw all kinds of reminders of her life back in Atlanta. The closer she got, the more foreign it already felt. High-rise buildings, enormous apartment complexes, and big shopping malls differed greatly from her life in Happy Harbor.
And then there was the traffic. Atlanta had tons of traffic. The interstate looped around like an enormous ball of tangled yarn. The locals called it Spaghetti Junction, and the name suited it. The morning rush hour reports were filled with talk about the long traffic jams, and she was thankful that was no longer part of her life. The biggest traffic jam she ran into now was a stray alligator crossing the street or too many golf carts on Main Street.
She could feel her stress level rising the closer she got to Melody’s apartment. She would be happy to see her, but she was already feeling ambivalent about being back in the city.
What if things fell apart in Happy Harbor, and she had no choice but to go back? Of course, it wasn’t like Atlanta was the only place on earth to live. She could choose another place, but then she would start over for a third time.
After another half hour, she finally pulled into Melody’s apartment complex. It took her a while to find a parking space, but she finally did. Melody lived in a townhome that was inside of a large development. It was a pretty nice place, but Josie was already missing her large historical home.
Before she could even get out of her car, Melody came outside. She was yelling, wearing a short pink dress, white sandals, and had her hair pulled up into a ponytail.
“Josie!” she said, running in her direction with her arms out. Josie stepped out of the car and gave her a hug. She couldn’t really recall a time when the two of them had hugged before. They were friends, but not those kinds of friends.
Melody stepped back and looked at her, her eyes wide. “Wow. I didn’t think you would let me hug you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’ve always been a little... prickly... about things like that.”
Josie laughed. “Well, I guess I’ve changed since I left.”
Melody ushered her inside, and Josie was dismayed to see there was already a group of women sitting in a circle. The conversation was pretty quiet, and she felt like she was on display.
She recognized a couple of the women from the office, so she tried to avoid making eye contact with them. But then she turned and saw her former boss standing at the edge of the kitchen.
It hadn’t been that long, so Sandra looked the same as always. Prim and proper, put together, wearing a business suit. She smiled at Josie and waved.
Josie gave her a fake smile and waved back before finding a seat in the corner. She was there for Melody, and she was just going to get through the day.
The next hour was spent playing silly games and eating. It was all very typical bridal shower stuff. Cutesy decorations, little finger sandwiches, and so much small talk that it made Josie want to cry.
When the shower was over, Josie was so thankful that she finally got to leave. She would go to her hotel room, order room service, and?—
“Hey, Josie. It’s so good to see you,” Sandra said, tapping her on the shoulder.
Josie turned around slowly, as if Sandra might walk away if she didn’t turn quickly enough. No such luck.
“Oh, hey, Sandra,” she said with about as much enthusiasm as a sloth.
“Listen, I know there might be some hard feelings, but I was hoping we could chat before you leave town?”
“I really don’t see any need for that.”
“I don’t expect you to have warm feelings about me, but I would really appreciate just having a cup of coffee. Maybe tonight?”
“I don’t drink coffee at night.”
She turned to walk toward the bathroom, not because she had to go but because she figured it was the best place to hide out.
