“I love this song,” Ella said, singing along to a Doris Day song. They’d already heard tunes by Rosemary Clooney and Duke Ellington.
April smiled at her mother, who had recovered from her severe case of pneumonia that had brought April back to Crown Island to look after her last year.
In retrospect, with her marriage in rocky territory, thathad been the best decision April could make. Now that the divorce was final and her ex-husband had remarried, she was starting the next chapter of her life. From college lecturer to proprietor of the new Crown Island Historical Society.
Her relationship with Ryan was deepening, and the happy life she’d never thought could be hers was finally coming into focus. She wanted that for her daughters, too.
As the song wound down, April picked up an old newspaper clipping. “This is interesting. It’s about an old summer festival here.” She had committed to writing a piece for a travel magazine, highlighting Crown Island history events that would have brought visitors to the island.
“And look at this old photo.” April pointed to a faded photograph accompanying an article from 1923.
Ella peered over her daughter’s shoulder. “Those are Hollywood actors of the day. The island was a playground for them.”
“It says this was the kickoff for the first annual Crown Island Summer Festival.”
“Why, we haven’t done that in decades,” Ella said. “It used to be such fun and brought in many folks from the mainland. It was our version of a state fair. People showed their handicrafts and local artists displayed work. We ate a lot of good food, had sack races and volleyball games, and set off fireworks over the water at the end of the evening. The Majestic let us use the hotel grounds.”
April scanned the article. “Wouldn’t it be interesting to revive that tradition?”
Ella agreed, her eyes brightening. “You could put it together and bring back elements of the original.”
“That might work as a project of the historical society,” April said, considering the idea. “It fits my mission of preserving and celebrating our history. Of course, I would need a large team of volunteers.”
“I could help with that,” Ella said. “Many of us who have retired still want to be active.”
April knew her mother enjoyed being involved in the community. “Do you miss working?”
“What I miss most about nursing was the sense of camaraderie, especially in emergency care.” Ella smiled as she returned items to the box. “But nursing can be a physically demanding job with long hours, and I had reached a point where it was becoming increasingly difficult to manage my health. It was time for me to explore other aspects of my life.”
“You did so much when you were there.” April was proud of the work her mother, and her father, who was an ER physician, had done. People in the community loved them, although her father was gone too soon.
Ella’s face bloomed at the memories. “I enjoyed the variety of work; you never knew what would come through those doors on any given day. And helping people, most of all. We made positive contributions to people’s lives every day.”
“As you did for Ryan and his mother.” April recalled how, only a few months ago, they’d discovered Ella had handled an emergency delivery at the Majestic Hotel to a housekeeping staff member years before—and then realized that baby had grown up to be Ryan.
April’s mind raced with ideas as they reviewed the old documents. She and Ryan often discussed ways to boost tourism for the island. A festival and exhibit split between the hotel and the historical society building—formerly an old dance hall—would draw people in if the hotel allowed the use of its grounds.
Surely such a festival would be a big draw for tourism and boost room sales at the hotel.
“I’ll talk to Ryan about this,” April said. “We could incorporate elements of the original festival into our plans for a new annual event.”
Ella nodded approvingly. “It’s a wonderful idea. You’ve done a fine job reviving the island’s history since you started this society. Guest loved the vintage New Year’s Eve theme at the Majestic.”
“That was a lot of fun.” April was proud of the work she’d done for the hotel. Beyond the beautiful beaches and the charming neighborhoods with houses painted in vibrant crayon colors, there was so much more to discover on Crown Island.
She lowered the music as they shared thoughts. “We’ll need plenty of marketing to make it a success.”
“Isn’t Maileah good at that?” Ella asked.
“She was in software marketing. I don’t know if that would be anything like marketing an event. Or if she would want to take it on.”
“Can’t hurt to ask.” Ella smiled. “She might surprise you. She would meet many people that way.”
“But I hate to take up time she could be using to find work,” April said.
Ella rubbed her chin in thought. “That might open doors for her. She would meet many people. Maybe even a nice young man.”
“That would be better than that dating app she’s using.” April shook her head. “Although I have friends who’ve met and married through online dating sites, I’m still concerned that she doesn’t know anything about the men she’s meeting.”
