The Charm Bracelet(85)

Arden looked out over the water, sighed, and then smiled and took her daughter’s hand. The two sat in silence and continued to watch the boats pass. As the sun lowered behind the dunes, a chill quickly settled over them.

“Lauren, I admire and love you so much. But do you understand how much care your grandmother will require? Do you understand that her bad days will eventually outweigh her good ones? That is a huge burden on anyone, but especially a young woman whose life is just beginning.”

“I know, Mom. I’ve talked extensively with her doctor about it.” Lauren hesitated, but continued. “I’ve even talked with Jake about it.”

“You have?” Arden asked, trying to hide her upset.

“Mom, he echoed the same concerns you did,” she said. “But he also said he’d be here to help. I know that eventually Grandma will need more care. And, ultimately, she will likely have to go into a place that can better address her needs. But, right now, what she needs is family. What I need is family. What we all need is family. I want to be here, Mom. I want to be with her.”

“You’re a good person, Lauren, but it’s such an obligation.”

Lauren smiled and looked her mother square on, her blue eyes unflinching. “It’s not an obligation to me, Mom. It’s a privilege. I want her to know—every single day—that it has been my privilege to be her granddaughter.”

Arden hugged her daughter. “I can’t stay, though. I have to go back to work. Van has been pressing me about coming back.”

“We all understand that. It’s not about guilt anymore, or running. It’s about being a family. Supporting one another. But remember, you need to find yourself, too. You need to write, Mom.”

Lauren held her mother by the shoulders. “You need to tell them you’re a writer, not an online editor. If they don’t let you write, find someplace that will. And you need to finish your book. Even if it’s never published, it’s important to who you are.”

“I have to make a living, honey.”

“You’re so driven and so talented, Mom. Think of what you could be, not what everyone else wants you to be. Right?”

Over Lauren’s shoulder, Arden could see her mother showing Jake how to cup his hand to wave like a princess.

“He’s a great guy, Mom. Make the long distance thing work, okay?” Lauren said, giving her mom a gentle shake, before finally noticing her changed appearance. “No glasses? Makeup? Tousled hair? You look amazing, Mom!”

The two hugged again, until Lolly’s voice shattered the moment. “Drinks on me! The old crow is taking everyone to the Old Crow!”

Lauren and Arden stood, and the foursome started toward the ancient outdoor bar that overlooked the lake.

“What exactly does royalty drink?” Lauren asked her grandmother, taking her hand in hers, their bracelets tingling.

Lolly smiled. “Anything she darn well wants, my dear, especially,” she said, stopping to curtsy and touch her tiara, “when a queen gets to be my age.”





epilogue




The Book Charm

To a Story That Will Never End





July 4, 2014—Arden, Lauren, and Lolly “Hurry! The show’s starting!” my mother yells from the yard.

I peek off the screened porch, and—for a moment—all I can see are fireflies blinking, briefly illuminating the steppingstone path, the dock, and the still waters of Lost Land Lake in the twilight.

But then … BOOM!

An explosion of colorful fireworks suddenly lights the skies, as if God has plucked out His own crayon box and set to work on coloring the heavens.

I can see my mom standing there just like a kid, slack-jawed, looking up, her hands on her heart. She is barefoot, a jacket wrapped around her waist, her old body perched on a single steppingstone, her red wig mimicking the flaming trail of the fireworks as they fall toward the lake.

This is her night, I say to the old cabin.

Beyond the fireworks, I can see so many changes lingering on the horizon. Come September, the air will turn chilly, and Lauren will be attending art school full time and staying here. Her father has even offered to help us more.

He is happy now, I am happy now, and that has made us kinder, more generous.

We are all happy now. Happiness, I’ve learned, is not only quite magical, but also contagious.

Yes, my mother requires more help, but she is holding her own right now, and Jake comes every other day. He adores her. He loves me.

I have to say it again to myself: He loves me.

“Hurry!” I yell into the cabin.

I hear Lauren’s charm bracelet first, followed by the squeaks of the wood floor. A large circle of light temporarily blinds me.

“Think we’ll need this?” Lauren asks.

My eyes adjust to see she is holding an old flashlight, held together by decades of masking tape. Behind Lauren, I can see her portrait of us hanging on a log wall.

“No,” I say, nodding toward the blinking fireflies and fireworks outside. “There’s enough light.”

“Got it?” Lauren whispers.

“Yep,” I say, touching the pocket of my hoodie.

The screen door bangs shut, and Lauren and I join my mother. Slowly, we three make our way to the end of the dock.