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“Do you think I’m a helicopter parent?” Maura asked.
"I see you struggle not to be that way, but yeah. At least you aren't neglectful.”
“I’ll try delegating. The best-case scenario would be for Mom to regain some of her independence. We’re thinking of adding a granny flat behind the garage. That would give her privacy and let us resume our lives as empty nesters,” Maura said.
“Are you noticing what I’m noticing?” Hayley asked as they were heading towards St. Michaels, and Maura was driving.
“If it’s that this is the most charming place I’ve ever seen, then yes,” Maura said.
“We’re passing by Easton, which is the bigger of the two towns, and it’s also on the Miles River. Do you hear that bumping sound?"
"I think we ran over something. I hope it wasn't a cat or dog,” Maura said. As she continued to drive, the sound continued. “Hayley, I think we have a flat tire.”
8
Sophie was awakened by a knock at the door. She pushed the hair away from her face that had fallen out of the elastic. She hoped it wasn't her half-sisters arriving early, but then she saw it was a couple in their thirties with what looked like a welcome basket.
“Hello, which one are you?” she tittered. “I’m Joy and this is Peter. We’re the Wilcoxs, and we live just down the street. We wanted to welcome you to the neighborhood.” Joy pushed the gift basket into Sophie’s arms.
“You must mean which sister. I’ve been warned the whole neighborhood knows our story. I’m Sophie Cast.”
“It’s actually the entire town that knows your story. You poor things. It must have been torturous being lied to all those years, and I can’t imagine you have favorable thoughts of your father,” Joy said.
"I can't look at it in black and white. I loved my father, and I'm left with a lot of conflicting feelings. An outsider can't possibly know what I'm going through."
Brian had warned Sophie of the couple with forked tongues. She tried to give them as little information as possible and get rid of them as quickly as she could.
"Right," Joy said slowly and drawn out. "Have you spoken to your father's twin daughters yet? I'd love to be a fly on the wall for that meeting."
“I haven’t, but I look forward to meeting them in person. I’m afraid that if you were a fly on the wall, you’d be quite bored. The three of us are reasonable women, and the situation isn’t as sensational as it seems.”
“You can imagine how it’s big news in a small town like St. Michaels. If there’s anything you need, then please don’t hesitate to call,” Joy said. Peter remained silent and only nodded in agreement with everything his wife said.
Sophie turned her attention towards the basket of goodies wrapped in translucent red plastic wrap. “Thank you so much for the thoughtful basket. The twins and I will make quick work of all the treats. I wish I had more time to visit, but I’m expecting someone, and I haven’t showered yet.”
"We'll get out of your hair, but please do call. Do you have a gentleman caller so soon after you arrived in St. Michaels?" Joy asked only half-jokingly. "You do work quickly but why not? Life's too short.”
Sophie was shocked by the intrusive question. She laughed. “It’s a maintenance person, and her name is Mary,” she lied.
“I hope she does a good job. If not, I have oodles of people to recommend.” Joy smiled and exited with Peter dutifully trailing behind her.
Sophie laughed as she unwrapped the basket. It was a welcome-to-Maryland-type basket with a can of premium crab meat, crackers, and cheese. A local beer was wrapped in a tea towel silk-screened with a map of the state. The container of old bay seasoning might come in handy, and there were gummies shaped like crabs. It was a thoughtful gift, and more items were stuffed in the bottom of the basket that she had yet to discover.
Sophie was sidetracked by her visitors and was late in calling her mother, Vera. She was surprised she hadn’t received a call from her.
Sophie sat in the wood-paneled living room with a view of the river. She wanted to scroll through her phone and see if she could find more information about Maura and Hayley. Unfortunately, her mother's phone call couldn't wait.
“Call Mom,” Sophie said into her phone. She didn’t make a video call because she wasn’t heading to Texas as she said she would be. Vera probably wouldn’t notice she was in Maryland, but better safe than sorry.
“I thought you’d never call. Where are you calling from?” Vera asked. Will was barking in the background.
“We made it as far as Virginia, which was further than we had hoped. We’re planning to drive most of tomorrow and get through Tennessee. It helps that there are two of us driving.”
"It's nice of the two of you to be there for Nina's daughter. I'm sure she welcomes the help with her husband deployed. When your father was gone for six weeks at a time, I was under a lot of stress, especially when you were young," Vera said.
“You made it through, didn’t you?” Sophie asked.
“I suppose I did. It would have been nice to have a mother kind enough to show up and help. Nina is wonderful to watch out for her kids even though they’re grown.”
