Дэвид Балдаччи - One Summer

Jack paused for a moment as a solitary tear plunked down on the paper.

And you have much love to share. It doesn’t mean you love me any less. And I certainly could never love you more than I already do. But in your heart you will find more love for someone else. And you will make him happy. And he will make you happy. And Jackie especially will have a father to help him grow into a good man. Our son deserves that. Believe me, Lizzie, if it could be any other way, I would make it so. But you have to deal with life as it comes. And I’m trying my best to do just that. I love you too much to accept anything less than your complete and total happiness.

Love,

Jack slipped the letter into the envelope and put it back in his pocket. He picked up the doll and stared out over the ocean for a long time. He finally walked back down the stairs and out into the humid night air. He stared up at the lighthouse.

Lizzie’s Lighthouse.

He walked back to the house, his heart full of thoughts of what should have been.

Mikki rolled over in her bed. Outside she could hear the breakers. The physics of waves crashing on sand had been completely foreign to her a short while ago. Now she’d grown so accustomed to their presence that she wasn’t sure she ever wanted to be without the sound.

She yawned, sat up, and did a prolonged cat stretch. Glancing at her clock, she saw it was six thirty a.m. She liked to take her run around now so she could get back before her dad and Sammy left for work.

She slipped off the long-sleeve T-shirt she normally slept in and pulled on running shorts, a tank shirt, ankle socks, and sneakers. She made a pit stop at the bathroom and tied her hair back in a ponytail. On the way out she looked in on both her brothers, who shared a room at the end of the hall next to her dad’s bedroom. They were both still asleep. Cory was sprawled on his stomach, while Jackie was on his back, but with both legs bent so his covers made a tent.

She smiled as she listened to her brothers’ gentle snores.

As Mikki passed her dad’s room, she could hear him stirring.

She rapped on the door. “Dad, I’m going running. I’ll put the coffee on. Be back in about an hour.”

“Okay. Thanks,” came his sleepy response.

She put on the coffee and laid out two mugs for her dad and Sammy. The men got their own breakfast, but Mikki had been making her brothers’ meals. Sometimes it was just cereal. But other times she’d pull out the black skillet and whip up eggs, bacon, and something called grits, apparently a Southern thing, which her brothers had instantly loved but she couldn’t stand.

She bounced down the steps and passed through the dunes to the flat beach. She did a more thorough stretch and started her run. She kept to the hard, compacted sand, and her long strides carried her down the beach at a rapid clip. About a half mile into her run, Blake joined her. They talked as they ran. All normal subjects that teens gabbed about. She found herself liking him more, in spite of his association with someone like Tiffany Murdoch. He made her laugh.

He said his good-byes a few miles later and jogged back up to the street.

Mikki made her turn to head back toward the Palace when she saw someone out in the surf.

“Liam?”

She jogged down closer to the edge of the water as he stood up and waved.

“Early-morning swim?” she asked.

He high-stepped through the surf to stand next to her.

“Musicians and short-order cooks come here to keep in shape. And I’m not into running.”

She smiled and looked out at the water.

“My mom taught me to swim in a wading pool in our backyard,” she said.

“Always a good skill to have.” He brushed sand out of his hair. “You look like you’re working out. Don’t let me interrupt you.”

“Just a few more miles to go.”

“Miles! I’d be puking.”

“Come on! You look like you’re in awesome shape.”

“If I keep eating at the Little Bit, they’ll have to start wheeling me out of the kitchen.”

“My dad says the soundproofing is coming along.”

“Then we can really jam. And my mom won’t kill me.”

“Looking forward to it.”

Back at the Palace, Mikki showered and changed her clothes. Her dad had surprised her by making breakfast for everyone. Pancakes and ham.

“I help,” announced Jackie. He proceeded to pour about a gallon of syrup on his dad’s pancakes.

Before her dad and Sammy left, Mikki ran back up to her closet to get some things to take down to the beach later with the boys. Her bag spilled over, though, and when she started crawling around the floor picking things up, she noticed a loose floorboard near the rear of the closet. When she pressed the board up, she saw the edge of the photo. She pulled it out and studied the images. She went downstairs and showed her dad, who was finishing up his breakfast.

Jack looked at the picture of Lizzie as a young girl. She was surrounded by her family. A much younger Fred and Bonnie. And her siblings.

“See, Dad,” said Mikki. She pointed to one of the people in the photo.

“Yeah, honey, I see.”

“That was mom’s twin, right? The one who died?”

“Yes. Her name was Tillie.”

“Is that why they left here? Not because of Gramps’ job? But because it was so sad with her dying and all?”

“Yeah,” admitted Jack. “I guess that was part of it.”

“I don’t know what I’d do if something happened to Cory or Jackie. And to lose a twin. It’s like you lost a part of yourself in a way.”

“I think you’re right.”

He held out his hand for the photo, but Mikki drew it back.

“Do you mind if I keep this?”

“No, sweetie, I don’t mind at all.”

“Bonnie?”

When Jack had opened the door in answer to the knock, his mother-in-law was the last person he expected to see.

She was dressed casually in slacks and a turquoise blouse, with sandals on her feet. She slid off her sunglasses and said, “Can I come in?”

“Of course.” He moved aside and looked behind her.

“Fred didn’t come with me,” she said.

“When did you get in?”

“A couple of days ago. We’re renting a house on the marsh.”

“Here?”

“Yes. This is my hometown.”

“Of course. I was just surprised.”

They sat on the couch in the front room.

“I have to say, I was surprised that Mother left the place to you,” she began.

“No more than I was.”

“Yes,” she said absently. “I suppose not.”

Jack hesitated and then just decided to say it. “I heard Lizzie tell you she wanted to bring the kids here after I died.”

Bonnie shot him a glance but said nothing.

“That stunned you, didn’t it? Her wanting to come back here?”

“Where are the kids?” she asked, ignoring his question.

“On the beach. I can call them up.”

“No, let’s talk first.” She looked around. “I noticed the new boards on the porch and steps, and the yard looks good.”

“Sammy and I have been doing a little work to it. Electrical, plumbing, roofing, some landscaping.”

“Probably more than a little.” She stared at him. “I suppose that’s why she left you the place. You could fix it up.”

“Like I said, it came as a total shock.”

“She left me a letter that explained things.”

“She left me one too.”

“Mother always did think of everything,” Bonnie noted dryly.

“I’ve been thinking about fixing up the lighthouse too. Lizzie’s Lighthouse.”

“Please don’t do that. Do you know she became obsessed with that damn thing?”