chest. Tonight as she said her prayers, she added a few things to her list: frozen bananas, kites, bubbles, and Paul. Mostly Paul.
21
Overnight, things had cooled off, making this morning feel more like a spring day than the middle of July. Amanda walked out to the mailbox to collect the mail. The rusty frame had seen better days. She’d have to come up with a way to spruce it up. It might be a good family paint project. She reached inside and grabbed the stack of envelopes.
She lowered the stack to flip through them when a shock of color caught her attention, glinting at her feet. A shell about the size of a silver dollar lay there. It was nothing special, just a regular old clam shell. They were everywhere, but this particular one was almost purple. A natural pinkish band ran horizontal around it, kind of like a cross on top. She picked it up and rolled it over in her hand. The inside simply read,
Interrupt worry with gratitude.
The tiny letters curled in an imperfect way. She cupped the shell in her palm. The Bible said something about casting her worries on God. But when it came to actually releasing the worry, she was a big fat failure. Maybe the shell would help remind her to release her worry to God.
She slipped it into her pocket with hope.
Flipping through the envelopes, she meandered back toward the house. When she pushed the gate open, it didn’t make a sound. Not so much as a squeak? She remembered the absence of the creak last night when Paul left. She wiggled the gate back and forth. Sure enough, it was as quiet as if it were brand-new.
Hailey walked outside with Jesse in her wake. “Hey, Mom, what ya doing?”
“I was thinking.” She set the stack of envelopes on the picnic table outside. “What if we walk down the beach and go in the back way to Tug’s Diner today?”
Jesse marched around the picnic table. “We’re ready.”
“You two make me laugh.” She got up and marched alongside Jesse. “Let’s go, then.”
Hailey grabbed her shell-collecting bag and ran to catch up.
“We are so grateful for this beautiful day,” Amanda said, touching the shell in her pocket. “Right?” An attitude of gratitude was something she could help instill in their days while helping her stay positive too.
Instead of taking the beach road, they walked to Tug’s by way of the shoreline. Hailey and Jesse didn’t seem to mind the long walk, only stopping to add treasures to Hailey’s bag. A wave washed in, sending a fine mist into the air. Amanda pushed her bangs from her face. The salty spray had left her ponytail sticky and stiff. Who cares about bad hair when you feel good all the way to your soul?
“Almost there. See it?” Amanda pointed to the building that hung over the dune. It was strange how the shore eroded a teensy bit each year from both sides. The Atlantic and Pacific. It seemed if it was pulling California into the water the way people talked, they’d be getting more and more coastline here on the East Coast. But Maeve said the shore was shrinking here, too, and if anyone knew, it would be Maeve.
By the time they reached the steps, Hailey was dragging her bag of shells.
“Oh goodness. I think you may have to leave those out here, Hailey-bug. They are so sandy.” Amanda picked up the bag and shook it. A cloud of sand rained down in front of them.
“They got heavy.”
“That’s okay. They’ll be safe out by the birdcage.”
They traversed the steep wooden stairs up to the gazebo, where The Wife called out a greeting.
“Hello.”
“Pretty bird,” Hailey sang. “You’re going to have to take care of my shells while we eat, okay?”
The Wife made a series of clicks and clucks followed by, “I’m okay. You okay, my pretty?”
Amanda set Hailey’s bag on the railing next to the birdcage. “I’ll go in and order while you two visit the bird.”
“I love that bird.” Jesse marched straight over, calling her name the whole way.
When Amanda pushed the back door open, balloons ricocheted precariously against it. Please don’t pop. The whole place was filled with pink helium balloons in pairs. She scanned the room for a table.
“Kimmy had her babies. We’re celebrating. Are you alone today?” Tug lumbered over, almost a wobble the way he shifted his weight from leg to leg as he moved.