house was so far away from the beach that some days I thought I would never make it back. Over the years, the tides have taken a toll on the coastline. I don’t know if that’s how nature means it to be or it’s some by-product of our human impact on things. I like to believe the ocean realized I was getting older and too tired for that hike and so it met me halfway.”
“So when we’re old, we won’t have to walk this far either?” Hailey asked.
“Probably not.”
“That’s very, very good.” Hailey threw her hands in the air. “I’m going to like that very much.”
“Me too.” Jesse jumped up and then landed in his favorite superhero stance.
“I’m going to walk on down the beach.” Maeve picked up her shell bag and hung it over her shoulder. “I hope I’ll see you here tomorrow.”
“We’d like that,” Amanda said. “I usually pack a lunch. Will you join us?”
“That sounds wonderful.”
“Noon?”
“I’ll see you all right here tomorrow. I may even catch you on my way back if you haven’t already gone home for the day.”
Hailey waved as Maeve turned to walk on. “Don’t fall in our pond when you come back,” she yelled through cupped hands.
“I’ll keep a lookout.” Maeve swished her feet in the water as she walked away.
It had been a good day. Amanda looked at Hailey and Jesse, who’d returned to sitting in the water, dripping sand into tall piles. Connecting one to the next. It was like Jesse’s first Christmas when all he wanted to do was sit in the box that Hailey’s Barbie Dreamhouse had come in and make truck noises rather than play with all the toys they’d so carefully picked out for him.
Keeping it simple. That’s going to be our new motto.
* * *
—
The next morning, Amanda busied herself in the kitchen. She looked forward to Maeve joining them for lunch on the beach. It was nice to have someone to chat with who knew more than she did. Not just about the area but about life.
On the kitchen table, she’d set out a platter with grapes, cheese cubes, strawberry slices, and melon balls for the kids to make their favorite caterpillar kabobs for lunch. They loved assembling them, and she thought Maeve might get a kick out of them. She chopped veggies and mixed them with cream cheese to spread on tortillas, then rolled the tortillas up and sliced them into pinwheels. They looked pretty sitting in the container. Then she made a couple of PB&J sandwiches and cut them into fourths. It would be a nice little assortment.
She stopped and looked at everything on the table. Clearly, simple was not in her nature, but the kids loved her fun recipes. She’d have to find other places to simplify.
Hailey climbed into a chair at the kitchen table and ran her hand through her hair. “Are we making caterpillars?”
“You noticed.”
“We love eating caterpillars!” Jesse climbed into the seat next to Hailey and rose up on his knees. Slowly, he extended a hand, his eyes wide, like he was going to sneak a strawberry.
She pretended not to notice, then spun around and scared him. “Are you stealing caterpillar faces?”
He sat back on his heels in a fit of giggles. “Maybe.”
“There’s plenty. You can have one, but don’t ruin your appetite. We’re going to Tug’s Diner for breakfast.”
Hailey and Jesse locked eyes, then squealed. “Pancakes!” No matter where they went out to eat breakfast, these two were a sure bet for pancakes. It didn’t matter that they’d had some at home yesterday.
They made short work of the caterpillar-kabob project, lining each loaded skewer in a plastic container. “We have a whole army of caterpillars. Think we have enough to share with Miss Maeve?”
Jesse leaned over as if he were counting, but he couldn’t count. Finally, he nodded. “Yes. She doesn’t look like she eats much.”
That struck Amanda as funny. Maeve wasn’t skinny, but she was tall and lean. She was surprised Jesse had even noticed.
“Okay, get those teeth brushed and put some clothes on so we can go eat. I’m hungry.”
They jumped up and were down the hall without a moment’s delay.
Amanda changed into a yellow sundress and slid her feet into a pair of flip-flops, then herded the kids out the door.
They piled into the car and pulled out of her driveway. At the stop sign, she waited for the traffic to clear, then turned right. It wasn’t that far to Tug’s Diner, but