[COMPLETE]
When Hanna Haddad embarks on what's supposed to be another uneventful summer as a lifeguard on Cape Cod, a trip to the past comes as an unnerving surprise. The discovery of her estranged mother's journal opens up the world of tragedy and...
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The Cape was my home, but now it felt more like a distant memory.
After a semester in England and a summer in Boston, I'd almost entirely forgotten the feeling of pure serenity—the warm salty air filling my nostrils, the pastel cottages lining the sandy shores, the green always overshadowed by an endless deep blue.
It was a shame that such a pretty place had been tainted.
I was back to clean up some of my mess, on a holiday that marked the official end of summer. Benjamin Carlowe wasn't one to shy away from lavish gatherings, but today's celebration was small, just him, his wife, his son, his dead wife's best friend, and her daughter. It felt less daunting to frame every relationship in his point of view, as this was really Benjamin's world and we were all living in it.
If not for him, Jesse may have just been the boy of my fuzzy childhood memories, not the boyfriend I'd avoided for three months.
As I walked up the winding pathway to the Carlowe estate with my mother, I could only wonder how she'd felt crossing these steps all those years ago. This sprawling seaside home had once seen her tears and Benajmin's own, its walls a witness to over two decades of pain, heartbreak, and rebirth.
I only wondered what they would see today.
For one, I began to see stars as my mother and I waited for the front door to swing open, only hoping my heart rattled for nothing. In a way, the man in the doorway was a relief, because at least I would always fade away with my mother standing beside me.
"Annie," Benjamin breathed, stepping aside to let her in, "I'm so happy you and Hanna could join us today."
My mother allowed him to pull her into a cautious hug, his arm just hovering behind her back. When I finally felt my heart reach a calm, he tilted his head to the right and sent me a gentle smile. There was something about those eyes, a brilliant blue that always exuded warmth and not ice.
"You look better," he remarked softly, holding my cheek. His touch was so fatherly and featherlight, and my heart twisted in return. "Come inside, the celebration is just getting started."
Every light step I took across the polished hardwood followed a turn of my head. For once, I wasn't enamored by the elaborate pieces of furniture or the antique oil paintings dotting the wall of the foyer. All I could think about was what I would say to make up for three months of silence.
Maybe he would speak first.
In a funny twist of my expectations, the first guest to greet me didn't speak—because it wasn't a human. Bella raced to collect the fuzzy white dog lapping at my ankles, yelling through innocent giggles. I dropped to a squat to pet the barking creature, only to make sure it was actually real and not a stuffed animal come to life.
"Hanna!" Bella squealed, throwing her noodle arms around my waist. "I missed you!"
"I missed you too, Bells," I gushed, leaning forward to squeeze her back. She'd shot up a few inches since the last time I'd seen her, but she was still as delicate as any other six-year-old. "Who's this little cutie?"
