She was full on cannolis and the latte Sam bought her, so Stella turned down Georgia’s offer of a late-night dinner and went up to bed, leaving the two women to gush over Melanie’s recent proposal.
Just before crawling beneath the covers, she checked her phone to see two more missed texts from Brenda, both of them entreating Stella to call her or Mark or someone to save her job. In response, she sent back one short message: “It’s okay. I’m going to quit.”
No matter what happened next, Stella knew she wanted something else for her life. Whether that was freelancing or Willow Beach or not, it was time for a new adventure.
But before the adventure could start, she needed eight solid hours of sleep.
At breakfast the next morning, the Baldwins laid out their plan.
Melanie had hung Stella’s painting from the other day in the office, and she’d already had five people ask about the artist. “There’s a huge market for artwork around here because of all of the tourists. It’s a constant rotation of new clients. I would hang your stuff in the vet clinic, but if you could get a few pieces hung at The Roast and the Duke Saloon and other places around town too, that would be a great source of secondary income.”
Primary income, according to Drew, would come from the internet. “As long as you have a computer and the software necessary, you can apply for any of these graphic design jobs on the job boards. You can work as a freelancer or apply for a remote position with a company. The opportunities are endless.”
“And Alma has been talking to the mayor about updating the town’s website and rebranding with new signs for Main Street and historical site markers for the tourists to see. She is finally making some headway, and I’m sure she’d love to throw your name in the ring for the opportunity if you’d like to take it.” Georgia nudged Stella with her elbow, eyebrows wagging. “If nothing else, with Tasha and Drew moving on, I’ll be short-staffed around here. If you don’t mind cleaning toilets and making beds, you’ll always have a job here at the inn, no matter how temporary.”
In so many ways, it felt like everything was falling into place. Stella could have an apartment and a score of freelance jobs as soon as she wanted them, it seemed. None of it seemed possible, though, until she talked to Jace again.
When Stella said as much, the Baldwins respected her wishes and scurried away, though Stella could see them huddled over the island in the kitchen, clearly plotting and scheming to make sure Stella’s move to Willow Beach could go as smoothly as possible.
Stella really did love them. They were genuinely good people, and she felt lucky to know them.
Once she finished her muffin, she grabbed her coffee cup and relocated to the front porch. It was early, but she dialed Jace’s number. He answered, his voice thick with sleep.
“I’m sorry, did I wake you up?”
“No, no. Well, yes, but I don’t mind. I should probably get up anyway. I have class in an hour.” He yawned. “What’s up?”
“You know how you told me to consider something yesterday?”
“Yes. Have you?”
“I’ve done a little more than that,” Stella admitted. “I might be planning to quit my job, sell my house, and become a freelance designer who lives near the beach.”
“Wow. That’s something all right.”
Stella gripped the handle of her mug tightly, suddenly nervous. “Is it too much? Am I being crazy? I talked with Sam last night, and he explained everything. He seems to really like me—”
“Because he has good taste,” Jace interjected.
“—and I like him too. But I’m not moving here for him, necessarily. I love this town and the people here. And I hate my job. I’ve never really liked it. Mark gave my promotion to someone else yesterday because I took one week off work. It’s a toxic place, and I won’t miss it. I just want to know what you think before I do any of this.”
“It doesn’t matter what I think,” Jace said.
“It matters to me.”
Jace sighed. He didn’t sound annoyed, but Stella could tell whatever he was about to say was serious. “Mom, I love you. I think you’re the best person in the entire world.”
Stella’s throat swelled with unshed tears, but she swallowed and held them down, waiting for Jace to finish.
“You have spent so much of your life making sure I’m okay. You’ve always done what is best for me. Now, it’s time to do what is best for you,” he said. “If moving and quitting your job will make you happy, I think you should do it. You deserve to be happy, and I’m supportive of whatever decisions lead to that outcome.”
As he finished, Stella had to swipe at her cheeks to get rid of a few stray tears. “You sound so mature.”
“That’s because you are an amazing mom, and you raised me well,” he said.
“You’re an amazing son. You made the job easy.”
They talked for a few more minutes before Jace had to get up and shower for school, and Stella sat on the porch with her coffee, listening to the sound of the ocean lapping against the distant shore, and thought about what it would be like to live here. To shed everything she had once used to define herself—her parental status, her job, her town—and come up with something new.
It sounded amazing.
A fresh start for a new phase of life.
As the reality of her new decisions settled over her, Stella heard the crunch of gravel and looked up to see a familiar car driving towards the inn. Her car.
Sam parked it in front of the inn, climbed out of the passenger seat, and rested his arms on the roof, smiling up at her. “I think maybe I forgot to mention
