But Lila was distracted when she answered. “Hey Capri, can I call you back? The clinic’s been crazy busy since Doc Tillman left, and Whit and I are trying to keep up. We have six dogs, two cats, and a rabbit in the waiting room. It’s been nonstop.”
Capri swallowed her disappointment. “Sure, no problem. Good luck with everything.”
She didn’t bother calling anyone else. She momentarily considered reaching out to the Knit Wit ladies, then the notion dawned that Oma, Betty, and Dorothy would likely be busy with their own lives—grandkids, church dinners, whatever else filled their days.
Oh well, she’d just have to make do with her own company.
Capri shoved her phone into her pocket and glanced at the cabin, her childhood home, the place that held so many memories of her mother and Dick. The kitchen walls were still covered in the same wallpaper her mother had chosen years ago. The creaky floorboards still groaned in the same spots, a familiar soundtrack to a life that was no longer hers. The sofa, the television…the bathroom rugs. Nothing had been updated in years.
The truck’s engine remained silent as Capri returned to the porch, where her tools were scattered. She picked up a wrench and gathered the rest of her tools and headed inside the house and straight for the kitchen.
She pulled open the cabinet doors under the sink. The drain had been slow for months.
Capri crouched and positioned herself nearly inside the cabinet, the smell of cleanser filling her nostrils. Her jaw clenched as she attacked the faucet drain with a wrench, her movements quick and forceful. The metal groaned in protest, but she didn’t care—she was determined to get it apart. Water dripped steadily from the pipe as she unscrewed the trap, her fingers moving with practiced precision despite the frustration bubbling inside her.
When she finally pried it free, a mass of hair and gunk greeted her, tangled in the curve of the pipe. She yanked it out with a grimace, the mess clinging stubbornly to her fingers.
With a quick rinse, she watched as the water flowed freely again, a small victory in an otherwise uncontrollable world. Capri reassembled the drain with fierce satisfaction, tightening each connection as if she could tighten the loose ends of her life just as easily.
Finally, she stepped back, breathing hard, her hands shaking slightly. The clog was gone, the sink was fixed, but the turmoil inside her was still very much there. Fixing things was what she did best, but no amount of effort could fix the emptiness she felt.
Something inside her snapped, or maybe it was finally piecing itself together. She didn’t know. But as she stood there, hands still clutching the wrench, Capri made a decision—a big one. She wasn’t ready to say it out loud, not even to herself, but she felt it settle deep within her, solid and unmovable.
Capri dropped the wrench, the metal clanging loudly against the wooden floor, echoing in the empty cabin. She turned and walked outside, leaving the door ajar, the decision she had made growing stronger with every step.
Outside, Capri turned and surveyed the cabin, her eyes tracing the familiar lines of the weathered wood, the chipped paint on the window frames, and the sagging porch that she and Dick had promised to fix “someday.”
The small structure stood nestled against the backdrop of towering pines, almost swallowed by the vastness of the mountains beyond. It looked as tired as she felt, worn down by years of holding everything together. The once-cozy home now seemed like a relic of another life—a life filled with laughter, shared meals, and late-night conversations by the fire. But now, it felt hollow, a shell of what it used to be, mirroring the emptiness inside her.
The memories were everywhere—the spot where she and her mother had planted flowers that now struggled to bloom because Capri had likely overwatered them. The swing on the porch where she and Dick would sit in silence, both knowing that words weren’t always necessary. Capri’s gaze lingered on the front door, its paint faded from years of exposure to the elements.
This was the place where she had learned the value of hard work, of loyalty, of love. But now, it was also the place where she felt abandoned, left to pick up the pieces of a life that no longer made sense.
She took a deep breath, the cool mountain air filling her lungs, and felt a bittersweet pang in her chest. This cabin had been her sanctuary, her refuge from the world. But now, it was just another thing that needed fixing—only this time, no amount of effort could restore what had been lost.
As she looked at the cabin, she realized that it was time to let go, to stop trying to mend what was beyond repair. The unlikely decision she had made felt like both a burden and a relief, heavy with the weight of finality yet light with the promise of something new.
With one last look, Capri turned away, knowing that whatever came next, it wouldn’t be within these walls. She was ready to move forward, even if it meant leaving a part of herself behind.
12
Reva sat at their usual corner table in the Rustic Pine, the warm, wood-paneled walls and dim lighting creating a cozy, familiar atmosphere. She glanced around the room, her gaze settling on the door just as Lila and Charlie Grace walked in, both looking a little weary. Lila dropped her bag onto the chair with a sigh, a tired but grateful smile on her face.
“Thanks for being flexible with the meetup,” Lila said, her voice tinged with exhaustion. “My place is a disaster zone right now, especially with Camille back from college. Dorm life hasn’t exactly cured her of her messy habits.”
Charlie Grace gave a knowing laugh, shaking her head as she slid into her seat. “No judgment from me. Believe me, I get it. The guest ranch is packed to the brim now that tourist season is in full swing. I’m juggling a full house with reservations lined up for weeks.”
Reva and Lila exchanged impressed looks, and Reva nodded. “That’s wonderful, Charlie Grace. You’ve worked so hard for this.”
Charlie Grace smiled, a mix of pride and exhaustion in her eyes. “It makes me happy, but it’s tough juggling everything. Raising Jewel, managing the ranch, and getting ready for the big photography exhibit in Jackson Hole…it’s a lot.”
Lila took out her wallet. “Tell us more about the exhibit. How’s everything coming along?”
Charlie Grace’s face lit up as she launched into the details, sharing her excitement about the exhibit. “Nick has been amazing, helping me prepare. I’m nervous, but more than that, I’m excited. It’s a huge opportunity.”
Reva grinned, noticing the subtle shift in Charlie Grace’s expression. “Speaking of Nick,” she teased. “How are things going with him?”
Charlie Grace slid her credit card in Lila’s direction before answering. “And, about Nick.” She paused, a sly smile forming. “All I can say is that falling for that hunk was like finding the perfect pair of boots—unexpected, but now I can’t imagine my life without them.”
