“Engaged? Yes.”
Blythe let out a holler of joy that startled the baby into tears.
“Mom, come on.”
“Marin, congratulations,” said Amelia. “He’s a lovely young man.”
“Did you set a date?” said Blythe. “Places in New York book up years and years ahead of time. But if you do it in Philly, I’m sure we can get the club.”
“Actually”—Marin looked at Amelia—“since everyone’s all together this week, we were thinking of doing it here.”
“Here?” Blythe and Amelia said in unison.
Kip appeared, waving at them to come to the front of the house.
Blythe shook her head. “No, come here! Kip, Marin’s engaged!”
Her father strode to the table and kissed her on the cheek. “Congratulations, sweetheart.” He turned to Blythe. “See? And you were so worried.”
Blythe, looking busted, insisted, “I wasn’t worried.”
“What did I miss?” Rachel emerged from the kitchen carrying a fresh pitcher of iced tea and a big tomato salad. She set them on the table.
“Marin’s getting married,” gushed Blythe.
Rachel smiled, nodding. “Yeah. I noticed the ring. I just didn’t say anything because no one else did.” She hugged her.
Of course Rachel noticed the ring. She was a twenty-three-year-old woman deeply in love with her boyfriend. Marin was sure she would have a ring of her own very soon.
“Okay, switching gears for just a minute here, ladies,” Kip said. “Marin, Julian’s ready for you.”
“Great! Amelia, come out front for a second?”
Marin detached Jake, touched his mouth with a cloth to clean up the dribble, then put him over her shoulder and rubbed his back to get a burp out of him as she walked. Blythe, Amelia, and Rachel followed her to the street in front of the house.
It took Amelia a few seconds to mentally register what was in front of her: Julian and Luke had removed the old wooden Beach Rose Inn sign and hung Kelly’s mosaic by a strong metal chain. Marin had finished it in late fall, had considered shipping it to Amelia. Now she was thankful she’d waited. The whole family was there, in the fading afternoon sun of a perfect spring day. When Amelia finally realized what she was looking at, she clapped her hands together and made a childlike sound of pure glee.
“Marin, you made this?”
“No. Kelly did.”
Amelia gasped. Her face clouded, and Marin reached for her hand.
“I don’t understand,” Amelia said.
“Kelly worked on this all last summer. She got the idea for it because you were debating whether or not to keep the inn going, and she was definitely in the yes camp. I helped out a little when she started teaching me how to mosaic. And then she got the diagnosis…I don’t know. I think she realized I could do the last minor parts of it for her.”
“I can’t believe it,” Amelia said, reaching out and tracing the shell lettering.
“She wanted to surprise you,” Marin said. Amelia just stared and stared at the sign, as if reading something, finding the answer to something.
“I’ve never been more greatly surprised in my life,” she said finally. “Except, of course, when you called me, Rachel.”
Everyone laughed, breaking the intensity of the previous few moments. Jake began fussing, and Marin handed him off to her mother.
“I miss her so much,” Amelia whispered.
“I know,” Marin said, putting her arm around her. They all stood in silence, broken only when Amelia turned to Marin and Julian.
“So. A wedding by the bay?”
Marin and Julian shared a smile. “If that’s okay with you,” she said.
“Okay? It’s more than okay. I can’t think of a better way to start the season.”
And then there was a loud warning bark before Molly bounded into the yard, pressed against Amelia, and nuzzled her waist.
“Are we late for dinner?” Bart called from the street, Thomas and Paul trailing close behind him.
“No, you’re just in time,” said Rachel. Luke put his arm around her shoulders.
“Nice sign,” Paul said, winking at Marin.
Somewhere in the distance, a foghorn sounded. Gradually, they all made their way to the back of the house, settling around the table while Rachel prepped the food in the kitchen. Amelia was the last to return to the yard, reluctant to leave her gift from Kelly. Marin saved a place at the table between herself and Blythe.
Kip opened a bottle of wine.
“To the start of a new summer,” he said, raising his glass.
“To the Beach Rose Inn,” said Marin.
Amelia stood up, holding her glass against her heart. “To my family.”
Acknowledgments
Hearing the news that The Forever Summer would be published by Little, Brown and edited by Judy Clain was an unforgettable moment. My deepest thanks to Reagan Arthur and Judy Clain. Judy, working with you is an honor and a dream come true. Thank you to the entire team at Little, Brown, especially Amanda Brower and Maggie Southard.
Thank you to my agent Adam Chromy, who believed in this book from day one and found the perfect home for it. There is no better agent in the business.
A special thanks to my lifelong friend Sherri Poall.
I want to thank all the bloggers, book-club leaders, and passionate readers out there, particularly Robin Kall Homonoff of Reading with Robin and Andrea Peskind Katz of Great Thoughts’ Great Readers. To writers Brenda Janowitz, Fiona Davis, and DeLauné Michel: I’m grateful for your camaraderie and support.
Thank you to my husband, who enthusiastically joined me on an adventurous first trip to Provincetown in the summer of 2015. To my daughters, Bronwen and Georgia, and my stepchildren, Eleanor and Addison: my stories of siblings and complicated families are inspired by our life together.
Finally, to my family in Philadelphia: Dad, Josh and Rachel, Aunt Harriet and Uncle Paul, Alison and Stewart. It means the world to me to know I can always come home.