Not to worry. Jesse loved going, so much so that it had almost hurt her feelings. But the week had flown by and they’d all survived it. Thankfully, the school offered day care for the kids while she worked half days getting her classroom ready, so Hailey and Jesse spent those days together, and both had made some new friends. Matt, who they’d met at church, and Hailey were both excited about the first day of school and had been practicing their alphabet together. Jesse could almost recite it too.
It had been a long time since she’d worked outside the home, and all the additional preparations were keeping her extra busy. So busy that she hadn’t been on the beach much. It was possible she’d just missed Maeve on the new schedule, but she was suddenly worried about her.
Thank goodness the weekend gave her a little breathing room. She picked up her phone and dialed Maeve’s house, but there was no answer.
Amanda checked the timing of the tides, since Maeve’s walks usually coincided with low tide whenever possible, so she planned to catch her in the morning on the beach. She’d get the kids up early, just after sunrise, to walk down to Tug’s Diner. They were sure to run into Maeve there.
“We’ll take the beach walk to the diner this morning. Sound like a plan?” The three of them jogged over the dune to the packed sand, where it was easier to walk closer to the water.
Jesse carried the picture he’d drawn for Maeve. Amanda had rolled it into a tube and put a rubber band around it to keep it from getting caught in the wind and blown out to sea. Jesse liked the scroll, holding it up to his face and looking out at the horizon like a pirate the whole way.
“Well, if it isn’t my favorite friends,” Tug said when they walked in. “Where have y’all been? I thought maybe you found a new favorite place to get octopus for breakfast.”
“No sir. We only come here. You’re our favorite too,” Jesse said.
“Mommy’s working, so we have to go to camp at the school when she’s there,” Hailey explained.
“Well, as long as I’m still your favorite,” Tug said, “then that’s okay.”
“You are,” Hailey and Jesse agreed.
The kids slid into the booth, and Amanda sat facing them.
Tug brought Amanda a large cup of coffee and milk for the kids. “What can I get you, Amanda? I know what these two squirts want.”
“I’d love a cheese omelet.”
“Your wish is my command,” Tug said.
The Wife echoed Tug’s phrase from outside. “Your wish is my command.”
“She’s always stealing my lines.” Tug started to walk away.
“Hey, Tug, have you talked to Maeve? I’ve been missing her on the beach since I’ve been working. It’s been a week, and when I called last night, I didn’t get an answer.”
Tug returned to the table. “I spoke to her at the end of last week. Frankly, I’m worried about her this time. She’s never done a disappearing act for this long before, and she won’t let me come see her. Won’t even let me drop off breakfast on the porch for her. I’m not sure what’s going on.”
“That’s odd.”
“She’s had some health problems over the years, you know, but she’s never one to complain or talk much about it.”
“I’ll go by there when we leave. Thanks for sharing that with me, Tug.” She kept one eye on the back door, hoping Maeve would gracefully float in like they’d never missed a visit.
They finished breakfast and Amanda let the kids hang out with The Wife before leading them back down the beach to go home. Even though the tide was now coming in, there was still no sign of Maeve.
Amanda stopped at the mailbox on their way back to the house. Hailey held the door open for her as she juggled the stack of mail. She pulled the magazine and sales catalogs from the pile and set them aside, then started sorting the trash and the real mail into two separate piles on the table.
“Coupons,” Hailey sang. “For ice cream! That should be in the good pile.”
Amanda let Hailey stack them with the bills, which were mostly what she had left in her hands.
Paul’s voice came from the back door. “Hello?”
“Come on in.” Amanda walked down the hall toward the kitchen. “Hey there.”
“Hey, yourself.” He gave her a hug and then twirled her.
“Twirl me like a dancer too.” Hailey raced over with her hand over her head.
Paul spun her and then grabbed both her hands and stepped back before twirling her again.
“That was like a whole routine.” Hailey curtsied. “Mom, can I take dance this year?”
“I don’t see why not. I’ll check into it and figure out when we can work it in.” The thought of her daughter in pink tights, a black leotard, and ballet slippers made her heart do a pirouette of its own. She’d make her tutus in every color of the rainbow.
“She’d be the most adorable ballerina. There’s a dance academy over near Paws. I could help with the shuffling back and forth when you decide which nights you want to take her. Or Jesse could hang out with me at work while you two go.”
“Wow, that would be great! Are you sure? You aren’t too busy with the new stores and all?”
“Absolutely sure.”
Jesse marched over to Paul and slung his arm around Paul’s waist. “Me and Paul can do boy stuff while Hailey does ballet.” Jesse put his finger on top of his head and did a ditzy spin. “Girl stuff.”
“Oh, I see. Is that how it is?”
Jesse nodded. “We have to do boy stuff, Mom. You can’t do boy stuff. You’re still a girl.”
“Oh. I always forget about that.”
“Yeah, Mom,” Paul teased. “You’re totally all girl. A very, very, very pretty one.”
“Well, thank you, sir.” She felt heat rush into her cheeks.
“I had an idea,” Paul said. “I thought you might
