Erin’s lips turned up in a smile. “Jamie’s taking his grandparent role seriously, isn’t he?”
Jules chuckled. “Between him and Dad, I don’t know who loves Becca more.”
At the mention of Joel, Erin’s smile dropped from her lips to be replaced by a frown.
Jules, noticing the shift in the atmosphere, turned to her sister. “When are you going to forgive him, Erin?” she asked seriously.
Erin refocused her attention on the sounds of the waves crashing in the night and the fireworks intermittently lighting up the sky at that point. “I don’t know, Jules.” She sighed.
Her sister touched her arm briefly. Erin whipped her head around to look at her as the low-wattage luminescent lights cast shadows and a warm glow across her face. “If you don’t forgive him, you will never have peace.”
She didn’t respond.
“The girls suggested we go to the Holland Festival. Wanna go?” Jules asked, changing the subject.
“Yeah, sure,” Erin responded. The sisters turned their heads toward the open sea to watch the rest of the show. Shortly after that, the fireworks came to an end in a whirlwind of bright light and muffled crackling noise.
The crowd along the waterfront slowly dissipated as they said their goodbyes and headed for their cars to go home.
“Hi, sweetie. Did you have a good time?” Cora asked her daughter as she climbed the porch steps on her way to bed.
“I did.” Erin smiled with effort. “It was a day well spent.”
“I’m glad you did.” Her mother grinned, satisfied.
“I’m going to head to bed. I’m beat, and apparently, I’m going to the Holland Festival.”
“All right, sweetie. Have a good night,” her mother expressed.
“Thanks, you too. Night, Jamie.” She waved at the man who had her mother bundled in his arms while they sat on the porch swing.
“Good night, Erin,” he returned brightly.
Erin headed upstairs, and the moment her head hit the pillow, she was out cold. She woke to the sound of her alarm. After turning it off, she took up her toiletries and headed for the bathroom across the hall to start preparing for the day. A half hour later, she was fully clothed in skinny black jeans and a white T-shirt with a leather jacket over it. She headed downstairs, where she found her sister, her mother, and Aunt Andrea sitting around the island having coffee.
“Hi, sweetie. How’d you sleep?” Cora greeted her with a bright smile.
“I slept great,” she returned. She retrieved a mug from the cabinet, poured herself a cup of coffee, and then took a seat at one of the island's surrounding tables. She did not waste any time taking a swig of the dark liquid, and she let out a sigh of contentment as the drink reached the back of her throat.
“Dianne should be here within the hour. We’re going down to Windjammer Park,” Jules informed her.
“Okay. Where’s Becca?” Erin swiveled her head in search of the toddler.
“She’s by the inn with Marg. She’ll have her for a bit, and then Mom is going to step in and keep her until we get back.”
Erin nodded. The sisters piled into the back of Dianne’s truck with Sarah, Rory, Tracey, and Amy. Nikki rode up front with Dianne.
The sound of music greeted the group before they made it to the festival grounds. A rainbow of hues could be seen in every direction, and screams of delight and shouts of excitement could be heard as the parade marched through the streets. The tantalizing aromas of caramelized doughnuts, spiced apples, and hot dogs permeated the atmosphere to a high degree. The irresistible scents saw patrons flocking to the many food stalls.
“Ready to go have some fun?” Dianne turned to ask, her eyes bright with excitement.
Erin laughed at her cousin’s seemingly childlike enthusiasm. As they walked through the grounds, she took in the excited and eager faces of the patrons as they enjoyed their treats or watched the parade.
“I want a candy apple. Anyone else wants one?” Tracey asked.
“I do,” Jules and Amy held up their hands.
Erin separated from the group to check out the ride almost at the back of the grounds. “Big Shot,” she read the name of the and looked up at it curiously. She wondered why the line wasn’t as long as for the other rides.
