Page 86 of Unpacking Secrets
My heart grew lighter as I linked my arm through Sarah’s. It was strange to think the two of us were old enough for things like marriage and babies—and inn ownership, I supposed—but the promise of new life as we celebrated Nan filled me with joy.
I tugged Sarah into another tight hug just as Mrs. Gregson took the microphone from Mr. Escobar’s hands and urged us all to find a seat.
With Henry on one side and Sarah on the other, I laughed, cried, and everything in between as the speakers who’d been enlisted stood before the staggering number of townspeople who had shown up. When the stories of Nan’s wonderfully full and beautiful life finally came to an end, I rose and rubbed my hands nervously against my skirt before I stepped up to the podium.
“Thank you all so much for being here today. Through each of you, Nan’s memory has come to life for me, and that has been a truly priceless gift. We can’t change the past, no matter how much I might wish to sometimes, but together, we can look to the future.”
My eyes caught Henry’s across the short distance between us and I had to pause for a second as the impact of his smile hit me. After a deep breath, I went on with my speech.
“And since I’m not nearly as eloquent as the rest of you, I’m going to stop babbling and simply show you what I’ve been working on these last few months. After the fire, I couldn’t imagine trying to recreate everything Nan had left, but I couldn’t bear to tear down any piece of her history, either.”
I stepped over to the easel Henry had set up for me and lifted the sheet to reveal my own artwork, a poster-sized color sketch of Nan’s cottage. When I lifted away the top image, the one below showed a depiction of the inside of the cottage—not as a home, but as an intimate art gallery.
A hushed murmur of approval swept over the crowd.
“The Lakeside Gallery will feature work from local artists, including a number of Nan’s own pieces. Through the inn, Nan’s legacy lives on—and through the gallery, so will her heart.”
Applause echoed across the gardens. I swallowed hard and blinked back tears at the enthusiastic show of support.
A moment later, I was surrounded by well-wishers offering congratulations on such a beautiful tribute to Nan, by friends who had become family, by love, acceptance, and that sweet sense of belonging that had eluded me until I set foot in Spruce Hill.
Long after the crowd moved on, the glow of it lingered deep inside of me.
As most of the others filtered away, Henry’s brother Aaron and his husband, Lee, approached me and Henry. Behind them was a tall man with a ruddy complexion and sandy brown hair. I smiled politely at him even as I noticed the streaks of copper in his goatee.
“Juliet, this is our neighbor, Matthew Callahan. He grew up next door to our house in Oakville. We were talking about the memorial yesterday while we were working in the yard, and, well . . .” Aaron trailed off, gesturing for Callahan to come closer.
The man had a shy smile and warm blue eyes several shades darker than my own. He shook my hand, then suddenly he was blinking back tears.
“I was a very close friend of your mother, Juliet. Well, that’s not quite true—I was head over heels in love with her. I gave her a promise ring not long before she left town. We were going to get married after graduation,” he said softly.
“You were?” My heart tripped in my chest as the implications sank in.
Callahan drew an old Polaroid photograph from his pocket and handed it to me. There was my mother, young and carefree in a way I'd never seen, her blonde hair crimped and teased. Beside her stood a baby-faced Matthew Callahan, gazing over at my mother with such love that I could feel it, even across the decades that had passed. My mother held up her left hand for the camera, revealing a dainty opal ring.
“She wore that ring every day of my life. She always said my father gave it to her, that it was all she had left of him,” I said softly, when at last I was able to drag my gaze from the photo.
Drawing the ring on its silver chain from under the neckline of my dress, I stared at the man standing before me, dimly aware of Aaron dabbing at his eyes with a tissue. Callahan gave a wobbly smile.
“I didn’t know she was pregnant when she left or I would've followed her, no matter what arguments she gave. I had her take my car the night she came to say goodbye. She made me promise not to look for her, she said it was a matter of life and death for both of us.”
I closed my eyes for a beat, then whispered, “It was.”
“I didn’t understand at the time, but I knew she wasn’t the frivolous party girl everyone made her out to be. She was every bit as shrewd and clever as her mother. I always thought she’d come back home eventually. I didn’t realize that would be the last time I ever saw her, but she refused to let me come with her.”
“She was a stubborn woman,” I said with a teary laugh.
“I’ve never loved anyone the way I loved Missy. We might be strangers, Juliet, but now that I see you, I feel like I’ve known you my whole life. You’re all grown up and probably don’t need a father figure around, but maybe we can be friends?”
I swallowed twice, then threw my arms around him. Even Henry looked a little misty-eyed when I caught sight of him smiling at me over Callahan’s shoulder.
“Yes, yes to all of it,” I whispered.
When I finally let go of him, Callahan insisted I keep the picture. We exchanged phone numbers and another fierce hug before he departed. I stared down at the photo for a long time as the rest of the crowd dispersed, until Henry came up behind me and slipped his arms around my waist.
“That was unexpected,” he said softly, “but what a perfect ending to a perfect day.”
“Yes, it was.”
