Page 52 of Happy Harbor
She hoped to share some of those memories and reminisce with Josie one day, but she was far too afraid to try it right now. Every moment felt like walking on eggshells, and as much as she was happy to have her daughter near her again, she was exhausted from tiptoeing around.
Then there was her granddaughter, Kendra. What a beauty she was. Diane longed to get to know her better, but she had to be mindful of how Josie felt about it. She was walking a high wire each and every day, but maybe that was her penance.
Being a mother had been her dream, even as a little girl. It haunted Diane to know how badly she’d screwed it up. There was no going back and retrieving those precious moments, but maybe she could make new memories. That was her hope and prayer every single night as she knelt by her bed.
She leaned back in her chair and stared up at the stars. She missed her mom. Always her lighthouse in a storm, Adeline Campbell would’ve known what to say or do in this situation. Instead, it had taken her death just to get Josie back in Diane’s life for a measly six months.
As the storm came closer, Diane went to bed. There was no sound more soothing than thunder outside the window and rain hitting the roof. Maybe tomorrow would bring new possibilities and blessings. Wasn’t that all anyone could hope for, anyway?
* * *
Josie was exhausted as her eyes flitted open. The sun hadn’t quite risen yet, but she could see the beginnings of it between the slats of her plantation shutters. She stretched her arms above her head until they touched the headboard behind her as she stared at the ceiling fan whipping around in a circle.
Last night had been awful. Storms were the worst, as far as she was concerned. Her grandmother and her mother had always loved the sounds of thunder shaking the sky and rain falling against the roof. She, on the other hand, could do without it. She would much rather have all sunny days for the rest of her life.
She could hear Kendra getting ready for school, so that was one less thing she’d have to do. Surprisingly, her daughter was waking up on time and getting herself to school before the bell rang. Josie had a sneaking suspicion there was a boy involved, but if he was a good influence on her daughter, she was keeping her mouth firmly shut.
Before she could even sit up, her door swung open, and she was shocked to see her mother standing there. She shouldn’t have been shocked because her mother had always done crazy things. Immediately, Josie thought maybe she had been drinking again.
“What on earth are you doing in my bedroom? Talk about crossing a line!” Josie said, pulling the covers up around her neck even though she was wearing a T-shirt and pajama shorts.
“It’s an emergency!” Diane said. Josie had to admit that she looked a little frazzled. Her face was red, her hair was a mess, and she was still wearing her own pajamas. Still, many drinking binges had looked this way in the past.
“What’s going on?” Josie asked, as she slipped out from under the covers and stood up, grabbing her robe from the end of the bed and pulling it around her.
“The restaurant— The storm last night?—”
“I need you to speak in full sentences,” Josie said, getting concerned.
“The winds were a lot higher than they expected. I don’t know if it was a tree limb or what, but it hit the top of the building. There’s a big hole in the roof, and it rained in the apartment all night. I had to take shelter in the restaurant.”
“Are you telling me you slept in the restaurant all night? Why didn’t you call me?”
Diane stared at her for a moment. “I don’t have your phone number, Josie.”
“Did you call emergency services?”
“Once I could get my phone to work, I did. I hadn’t plugged it in for the night when the storm hit, and then the electricity went out. My phone was dead by the time I tried.”
“How did you get over here?”
“I walked. I’m not a spring chicken, so it took me a bit.”
“So, there’s a big hole in the roof, a bunch of water in the apartment, and probably damage to the restaurant?”
“I honestly saw nothing wrong with the restaurant, but if we don’t get that hole fixed soon, you’re probably going to have some seagulls in there, at least. Plus, I think more rain is coming this afternoon.”
Josie looked at her mother for a moment. “Are you okay?” She never thought she would hear herself ask that question of her mother, but she honestly cared. Diane looked scared and exhausted.
“I’m fine,” she said, her voice shaking. “But I no longer have a home.”
“We’ll figure that out later. I need to go talk to Walker. I think he does some contracting work, so maybe he can help us or at least recommend somebody.”
“Grandma? What are you doing here in your pajamas?” Kendra stood in the doorway of Josie’s room, her makeup half done and her hair still wet from her shower.
“The storm hit the restaurant,” Josie said. “There’s a hole in the roof.”
“Oh no. Do you want me to stay home and help?”
