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Mrs. Blake thought carefully before answering. “Your grandmother is fine for now, dear. I know your brother worries. The time will come when you may have to consider something different for her, but right now, she’s fine. And after all she did for Derek and me, I’ll keep a close eye on her.”
“You’d let me know, wouldn’t you, if anything changed?”
“Of course, Linney dear. You can count on me.”
* * *
Linney and Gran cooked up a storm for Easter. Well, mostly Linney cooked, with the help of Gran’s supervision and her old, stained Canadian Living cookbook. The house got louder when Jake arrived with his family. Jake and Rachel seemed to have patched things up, Linney noticed happily. Whatever it was couldn’t have been too serious.
Later in the day, with the Easter lamb in the oven, Linney closed the door on the noise for a few minutes, and with one of Gran’s knitted shawls loosely around her shoulders, walked through the last of the melting snow down to the lake. Lifting her face to the warmth of the bright afternoon sun, she suddenly realized she wasn’t alone. Turning, she saw Derek walking across the dock.
“Hey!” She greeted him with a smile.
“Hey, yourself. Escaping the chaos?”
Linney laughed. “It’s not as bad as it was when Jake’s kids were little, but yes, you caught me! What are you escaping?”
“Wedding plans! Olivia and Mum have been at it for hours. I needed a break.”
The two friends stood there, enjoying the quiet simplicity of the lake until the call of a migrating loon broke through their thoughts.
“I do miss hearing that sound. I don’t get home enough.”
“You do pretty well for someone who lives in London.”
“It’s still not enough. Gran’s getting older and I’m not sure how much longer—” She broke off, not wanting to finish the thought.
“Mum says she’s doing okay,” Derek said softly.
Linney shrugged. “I’m not sure for how much longer though.”
Derek put his arm around her shoulder and squeezed. They stood there for a few more minutes before she pushed her glasses up her nose. “Okay, back to the chaos. I’ll see you in the city before I leave. Happy Easter.” Linney left Derek on the dock. He stared out at the lake for another few minutes before squaring his shoulders and heading back into wedding madness.
* * *
On her final night at the lake, Linney had dinner with Anna and Kirsten. Glasses of wine in hand, the three women gathered in Kirsten’s cozy apartment above Page Turners. The store had recently changed hands when Kirsten’s parents retired.
“It doesn’t seem as busy,” Linney mused. “I popped in earlier today, but there weren’t many customers. It was strange not seeing your mother at the till.”
“I’m afraid you’re right,” Kirsten agreed. “I’m not sure the new owners knew what they were getting into. But they have a couple more months to get it together before summer.” They all knew that the seasonal cottage crowd was a big source of income for Page Turners. “I am a bit worried though. They haven’t even rented out the other apartment yet.”
There were two identical well-proportioned apartments above the store, which had taken up most of the first floor of the heritage home for decades. Over the years, businesses had come and gone in the small section of the main floor that Pages didn’t take up and it was currently a paper shop in the summers. Kirsten had grown up in one of the apartments with her parents, and her grandmother had lived across the hall until her death almost seven years ago. When Kirsten finished nursing school, her parents redecorated it for her as a graduation gift. She’d lived there happily since then, spending a couple of evenings a week with her mum and dad. But since they sold the store—the deal included the provision that Kirsten could stay in her apartment as long as she wanted—and moved to Florida to enjoy the warm weather year-round, the other apartment had remained empty.
Linney changed the subject. “Do you ever see my Gran in town? How does she seem to you?”
“I don’t think she’s driving much anymore, but Mrs. Blake brings her to KnitWorks most weeks,” Anna offered, “and we’re watching out for her.” Envisioning the gossipy knitting group usually made Linney cringe, but today, the thought of community made her feel better.
Kirsten interrupted her thoughts. “I can stop by from time to time if you like and keep an eye on things for you.
“Me too,” Anna added.
“That’d be great. Thank you both. I’m not sure if I’ve appreciated how much everyone takes care of each other here. Now, Kirsten,” she said, changing the subject and looking pointedly at her friend, “tell me about who you’re seeing.”
Kirsten shook her head. “Sadly, nobody right now. It’s hard to find someone who will look beyond this.” She gestured to her chest, hidden behind a boxy sweater, “and see me for who I am. Besides, the hospital keeps me busy.”
“Don’t sell yourself short,” Anna chastised her. “Don’t give up. The right guy is out there for you.”
“Easy for you to say. You found the love of your life the summer after high school!”
