One of the things that surprised Lin Su was learning that she wasn’t the only person in town, nor the only newcomer, who had fallen on hard times. It seemed even Gina hadn’t had the good life handed to her. “Me?” Gina had said. “Girl, I got pregnant in high school, only sixteen, had to drop out of school to have and take care of Ashley. We lived with my mother until Ashley was sixteen and that’s when I married Mac and we combined single-parent households. As for Mac, he had his own struggles—married young, had three kids right away and then his wife left him with the kids, the youngest still a baby. His aunt Lou lived with him and helped raise those kids. That’s really how we became friends—we had daughters who have been best friends since they were twelve. We joined forces to get them around and share chaperoning responsibilities.”

Then she learned about Devon, the office manager in the clinic. She had been homeless and without family when she was drawn into a cult. A few years later, penniless and terrified, she escaped with her three-year-old daughter, and Rawley found her and brought her to Thunder Point. She had been working to get on her feet and in a position to raise her daughter alone when she met Spencer.

There was really nothing to compare to learning that all those things Lin Su kept quiet—the fact that she was a single mother who had never been married, that she was now without family—were in no way unique. It felt remarkably like a real fresh start. So when Mikhail asked her, “How does my little nurse do these days?” she was happy to answer, “Renewed.”

As Blake’s lumps and bruises faded over the week it gave Lin Su peace of mind. It seemed to not hamper his training schedule. She saw him all the time, taking to the ocean for his swim, riding out on his bike, stretching and then running down the beach road and back hours later.

Charlie was certainly capable of going to the new loft after school. Lin Su always left a snack for him and it would have given him quiet time to finish his homework. But he didn’t do that. Instead, he walked to Winnie’s where an after-school gathering seemed to become swiftly established. Winnie was refreshed after her nap, Mikhail had returned from his daily meanderings and Blake was done with his workout and wanted to hear about Charlie’s daily experiences with the new school and student body. The next to arrive was always Troy and finally Grace. Sometimes Spencer or Cooper would wander down to Winnie’s to get an update on the school day. It was like happy hour. The cooking was traded off between Lin Su in the kitchen or Grace bringing home something from the deli. Sometimes Troy or Mikhail planned and executed a meal. Her days were long but fulfilling.

Charlie was getting to his homework at about eight o’clock at home. And he was as happy as she’d ever known him. For Charlie that was saying something as he had always been a very congenial child. She’d often thought that kid, even with all his problems, would be happy no matter what. Yet he was now even happier.

* * *

Iris tapped on the back door to the flower shop on Saturday morning and Grace let her in. “There’s been a big event in the Sileski home.”

“Bigger than that?” Grace asked, pointing at Iris’s growing belly.

“Maybe not quite that big, but momentous. Yesterday was my mother-in-law’s birthday and last night we had a nice birthday dinner with the whole family. I helped Gwen make some of her own birthday dinner but my sister-in-law also brought her contributions and it was lovely. Her sons brought flowers and stuff. And my turd of a father-in-law gave her a card. A card? He showed up at the table as usual in his mechanic’s shirt with his name monogrammed on the pocket, sat like a bump, complained the potatoes were lumpy. I was ready to kill him. Everyone bought her such nice gifts. Carrie baked her a beautiful cake and of course Gwen would never complain that her husband of over forty years gives her a stinking card. Then Norm says, ‘Aren’t you going to open the card?’ So finally she does and what do you suppose was in it?”

“I’m breathless,” Grace said, still arranging her flowers.

“You aren’t going to believe it. A cruise. Norm is taking her on a cruise. A long cruise to Vancouver and Alaska. In three weeks. My father-in-law, Norm Sileski, is actually going to spend quality time with his wife.”

For a moment Grace just stared widemouthed. “Do you think he’ll wear the mechanic’s shirt?”

“He wears it to Christmas dinner some years, so why not?” Iris asked with a shrug.

Iris had grown up next door to the Sileski family and last year married the love of her life, Seth, the youngest of three boys. Norm had owned the gas station in town, sold it a couple of years ago, but he still went to work every day. He said Eric, the new owner, needed him. Whether or not that was true was questionable. The more likely truth was he wasn’t going to waste his time and talent on bingo and cruises with his wife. He didn’t play golf, there wasn’t anywhere he particularly wanted to go and he liked his routine. He had seen the merit of selling the station while he could get a good price, however.

“I hope Gwen doesn’t live to regret it,” Grace said.

“Try to imagine being held captive on a ship with Norm for over a week! I think Gwen should have been more careful what she prayed for. But for just a moment last night, when Gwen opened her card and got happy tears in her eyes, Norm’s expression was downright sweet.” Then she shook her head. “But he recovered quickly.”

Iris pulled out a chair across from where Grace was working. “How are you feeling?”

“Great. You?”

“All right. But I wanted to ride my bike to school and Seth had a fit so I’m driving. I guess he has a point—if I fell, it wouldn’t be good. I was always awkward to start with. Now I’m a total tripper.”

“Well, now that you mention it, my ankles are already getting fat. And I have a backache. But what should I expect when I’m standing all day.”

“Grace, what are you going to do without Ginger?”

“I ran a couple of ads but have only had one call so far and she didn’t sound qualified. Ginger spoiled me—she stepped into this shop and ran it. So this time instead of advertising for an assistant, I’m looking for a manager. I suppose that means I’ll be giving her most of the income from the shop but at least I can take time off to have the baby and get days off here and there.” She sighed. “The hours are going to have to change. No more of this all-day-all-week jazz. Now all I have to do is find someone half as decent as Ginger.”