Page 50 of You Met Me There

I keep the smile plastered to my face. I have no desire to sit around looking at birds. I don’t even like birds.

“That’s a great idea,” I say with a laugh that I hope they take kindly. “But I’m not really a wildlife photographer.” Rose’s face falls in disappointment.

Miss Paula nudges her shoulder, her smile genuine. “Not everyone has the patience to wait on birds, Rose.” She speaks to me from behind her hand. “Bird-watching is an extreme sport you know … extremely boring.”

Rose elbows Miss Paula, and it looks to me like they’ve had this conversation before. “It’s not boring,” Rose grumbles.

Miss Paula turns to her shorter friend. “I fell asleep on that park bench the last time you dragged me out to stare at birds.”

Rose harrumphs. “It just takes patience. Something you apparently don’t have much of in your reservoir.”

“I lost all my patience years ago,” Miss Paula states flatly. I fight a smile behind my hand. “So, Natalie. What do you photograph?”

“People. Places. Mostly social media influencers.”

“You mean those people who do ridiculous things on those silly apps for attention?” Rose is spot on with her assessment.

I laugh. “Yes, those are the ones.”

“That’s wildlife, if you ask me,” Rose mumbles, crossing her wrinkly arms over her chest.

Miss Paula gives her a chastising look from the corner of her eye as if she’s the mother figure in this duo. I can’t tell if these ladies are friends or one another’s archnemesis.

Miss Paula briefly touches my arm with her fingers. “You should take photos of our knitting club sometime. We get together every week, and we open the club to anyone who wants to join. If we had a good photo to add to our flyers around town, I think it would really help get the word out to tourists.”

I don’t want to be rude, but, inside, I’m sighing to myself. This morning I wanted my post to reach social media influencers with large followings, and now I’m being roped into photographing an elderly knitting club.

“Sure. I can take your group’s photo sometime,” I say.

Miss Paula’s eyes travel to Rose’s, and their smiles grow, creases deepening around their mouths and eyes. “Well, that’s wonderful. Thank you, sweetheart … Do you know how to add your phone number to my cell?”

I chuckle, remembering that people their age didn’t grow up with technology like a second language. “Yeah, I can do that.”

She hands me her phone, and I type in my number and name. I hand it back. “There you go.”

“I’m sure Juliet is over the moon to have you back,” says Rose with cheer ringing through her voice. I bite my lower lip, unsure how to respond.

“Oh, yes,” Miss Paula agrees, her face turning solemn. “Juliet wasn’t the same when you left.” She shakes her head.

Hearing someone say those words aloud cuts me deeply. I know I left everyone in the dark when I disappeared, but the realization that I was probably the talk of the town makes my stomach twist even more. Everyone must know the awful thing I did. A hollow sensation appears in my chest, and my breaths become shallow gulps of air.

“But I’m sure everyone is excited to have you home, dear.” Miss Paula pats my shoulder, oblivious to the change in my breathing. “It was so nice to see you. I’ll get in touch about those photos. Don’t be a stranger!”

I fake a smile as the two women enter the diner, and a bell rings over the door as it swings open, greeting them with a happy jingle.

Will I take their photos? I don’t know. But if I’m being honest with myself, the flutter in my chest, which only a few minutes ago felt like guilt, no longer feels so easily diagnosed. I could be wrong, but it feels a lot more like surprised anticipation at the opportunity to do something new—something different. Even if it is different from what I was expecting.

Chapter 26

Natalie

Friday night rolls around, and I’m surrounded by my family as we lounge around a firepit in the backyard of the cabin. Mom and Dad roast marshmallows on sticks over the fire for the boys while Cam adds a log to the flames from an enormous pile covered by a tarp nearby. Archie’s sitting in my lap. He’s finally taken a liking to me, although he still doesn’t say much at all.

Beside me, Levi is telling Luke about fishing with his dad last week.

“And then,” he says, stretching his arms out wide, “there was a giant sea serpent, and Dad had to wrestle it out of the water. It was crazy.” His eyes are about to bulge out of his head, and the smile on his face showcases two gaps where he’s missing teeth. He’s lost a few since I arrived.

I gave Cam a dollar to hide under his pillow, which Levi happily told me all about in the morning. With the dollar from his parents, he was ecstatic to have two whole dollars—his words exactly. It made my day to see his eyes so bright and happy.