Chapter 66

RILEY

I was glad I didn't come to the cemetery alone. Mom had a way of making the impossible seem possible, and right then, visiting my grandparents' grave for the first time felt almost unbearable.

Their white granite headstone glistened in the afternoon sun. "The headstone's lovely. It looks better than in the photos," I said, my voice cracking a bit.

Mom held my arm gently. "I thought so too, but I couldn't get a better picture when I took it."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I read the inscription: Forever in our hearts. It felt like just yesterday we were sitting around their dining table, talking about my first exhibition. Grandma wanted to know who would be there, while Granddad wanted to know how I felt about showing my paintings to a crowd of strangers. They were the perfect couple—Grandma, the practical, no-nonsense schoolteacher, and Granddad, the dreamer who saw what could be instead of what was.

I blew my nose, trying to keep it together. "They were wonderful grandparents."

"The best," Mom said softly. "They were so proud of you. Even when you were in your twenties, Granddad called you his little bundle of joy. They loved spending time with you."

I smiled through my tears. "I have so many happy memories of living with them. After I moved to Europe, I wondered if I'd done the right thing. After a while, I got so caught up in the glamour of living in Italy that I forgot what was important."

"How do you feel about it now?" she asked gently.

"For the first two or three years, it was the right decision. After that, it became more of a habit than a choice. When Granddad and Grandma died, I felt so guilty for not coming home." I wiped my eyes, hesitating before I continued. "I've made a decision about whether I want to sell the cottage."

Mom frowned. "Are you sure you don't want to think about it for longer? There's a lot to consider."

I took a deep breath. "I'm sorry if this isn't what you want, but I can't sell the cottage to the developers."

She sighed and kissed my cheek. "I didn't think you'd want to sell."

"If you'd like me to buy your share of the cottage, I'm happy to do that."

"I don't want to sell either. In fact, I have other plans for the cottage. How would you feel if I moved back to Sunrise Bay?"

My mouth dropped open. "I thought you liked living in Indianapolis."

"I do. But I like living closer to you. It wouldn't be right away. I'd have to find another job and sell my house."

"I can't think of anything I'd like more. Once Eric finds a place of his own, I could move into Granddad and Grandma's side of the cottage, and you could have our side."

Mom sent me a confident smile. "I think Eric might have something to say about that. It seems to me that he's more in love with you than he realizes."

"You have your wedding blinkers on again. Eric's still working out what's important in his life. And that might not be me."

She sighed. "Take it from someone who knows a thing or two about love. That man is head over heels in love with you. He just needs a little time for his brain to catch up with his heart." Mom picked up the bucket we brought. "After I've filled this with water, we'll wash the headstone. And then you can tell me how your painting's coming along."

As she walked over to the faucet, I knelt beside my grandparents' grave. The white roses I brought were from Grandma's garden. Lifting the blooms to my nose, I breathed in their sweet fragrance. Memories flooded me—being cuddled close in Grandma's arms, working beside her in the garden, weeding and pruning the plants, picnics in their backyard, and the cookies Grandma loved to bake.

Closing my eyes, I wrapped those memories around me, filling all the sad spaces with their love. When I opened my eyes, a calmness washed over me. I knew, without knowing how, that my grandparents weren't upset I wasn't at their funeral.

One day didn't overshadow all the time we spent together, the days when they loved me with a depth that would sustain me for the rest of my life.