Page 5 of The Summer Save
“I know, but it’s a place to start. Feel free to chime in with ideas.”
“Well, I don’t know all the specifics so my only advice is to think about what she’s said. It will come to you.”
Right now, the only thing I knew for sure was she wanted to enjoy travel during our retirement, and instead of retiring, I’d just committed myself to more work by taking on the new foundation in addition to my GM responsibilities to the Caribou.
When I dropped three full tote bags on the counter, Sophie smiled. “Well, this is a start. Do you remember the summer PJ and Amber were fighting every day, and Anne Marie was at her wit’s end with them? You planned a quiet dinner for two at her favorite beach, but instead of a picnic, you had it catered and hired someone to set up nice seating.”
“I don’t think books and dinner are enough, but it’s a nice memory.”
She locked her eyes on mine as I handed her my credit card. “Jonas, the memory is what I mean. Plan something each day you’re here that you want to relive because it was a special moment or create a new memory. Don’t try to convince her that she’s your priority. Actually make her that. It’s your first summer here without the kids. Make it about the two of you.”
A summer showing Annie she was still my priority sounded like exactly what I needed.
After our matinee, Meredith and I enjoyed lunch at a corner café. We spent time exploring some of our favorite shops and picking out treats from our favorite bakery to bring back to our hotel room. We both wanted a short nap before dinner in the hotel restaurant. We knew it would be a long night with the evening performance at our favorite outdoor theater. While Meredith confirmed our dinner reservation, I dug through my bag to find my cell phone. I had turned it off once PJ and Amber knew I was on the road. When I said I wasn’t turning it on until I got to Seaside, I meant it. But Amber asked me to call her before they left on their honeymoon. I knew she was nervous about international travel, not that she hadn’t traveled extensively with us over the years, but she’d never been somewhere so remote.
As soon as the phone restarted, I was inundated with text message alerts, missed call notifications, and voicemail messages. I quickly scanned the missed call log and discovered all the calls were from Jonas. He’d left four voicemails. I opened the text app and scrolled. After reading twenty messages, I learned Jonas was waiting for me in Seaside. He’d rescheduled his summer plans. The most recent message was from two hours ago.
Enjoy your day today, my love. Being at the house without you is odd. I don’t think I’ve spent this much time alone in the house combined since we bought it. For years, you’ve opened and closed our summer home on your own. I never realized how much work it was. Yet another thing you did that’s gone unnoticed and underappreciated. I’m sorry for not seeing everything. I love you, sweetheart.
I spent the next twenty minutes reading each message he’d sent since finding my letter on the counter. Then I listened to each voicemail and heard the panic in his voice when he didn’t know where I was. At first, a pang of guilt hit my stomach, but then I remembered I specifically told him, PJ, and Amber about my plans at dinner. I’d waited until a lull in conversation and got their attention. I told them exactly where I’d be, including the hotel name and shows we were seeing. Jonas was looking at me, nodded at appropriate times, and told me to ‘Have a good time.’ But he hadn’t actually been listening, or he would have known my plans, and I wouldn’t have multiple voicemails and text messages.
How many other times had he completely tuned me out?
Dammit, Jonas. I’m not a business or family obligation. I’m your wife. Your life partner. Your other half. Or at least I was supposed to be.
Instead of writing back a snappy remark about how discouraging it was to know he hadn’t heard a word that I said at dinner, I scrolled to Amber’s contact and smiled at the photo of her and Wyatt on their wedding day. My sweet girl had always been the shy, quiet one who often felt out of place and lost in our large family. It wasn’t uncommon to find her in a corner reading from a young age—a habit she never outgrew. Her biggest concern about the wedding was feeling overwhelmed, being the center of attention. Something she had always hated. The professional photos were the epitome of perfection, but the candid photo Wyatt’s sister took was my favorite. While the dance floor was filled with guests enjoying the music, I saw the moment Amber became overwhelmed and was ready to bolt. But instead of letting her, Wyatt wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close to him. He pressed his lips against her ear and whispered something that instantly calmed her. Connie captured the moment perfectly. The smile on my daughter’s face told me the moment went from anxiety-filled to pure joy in seconds because of whatever my sweet son-in-law said.
I had known a lot of athletes over the years, and Wyatt was not your stereotypical player and definitely didn’t fit the goalie personality. We’d learned over their time dating that he had always looked at his talent as a way to secure financial stability and education for himself and his sister. While most players purchased a fancy car or another wish list big-ticket fun item with their first professional contract, Wyatt used his to purchase a small house to give his dad and sister housing security. He came from humble beginnings and was determined to give not only himself but also his dad and sister a more stable future. Learning that was the second thing I loved about him. The first being how happy he made my daughter.
Amber picked up on the second ring. “Hi, Mom. I wasn’t sure if you’d have time to call. I know you have two shows and dinner today.”
“I wouldn’t miss talking to you before your trip for the world. Are you packed? Do you need anything? Clarence is scheduled to pick you up very early. Be sure to get everything done tonight.”
“Mom, I know.”
Turning off mom mode was practically impossible. She was a woman in her mid-twenties. I knew that she knew how to prepare for a trip, but I couldn’t help it. My children were my world, even when I played with the symphony. I did as much as I could for them. It was hard to watch your children grow into teenagers and then adults who didn’t need you anymore. As the years passed, I felt like a guest in their lives instead of a major player. “Sorry. It’s a hard habit to break.”
“I have the gift you and Dad got us and told us to open the night before we left on our trip. Do you want me to open it with you on the phone? Or should we call Dad and let him in on it, too?”
The honeymoon gift my husband hadn’t helped me choose and likely didn’t remember. But as he did on birthdays and holidays, I was certain he’d play along with my charade. “As long as Wyatt’s around. Otherwise, you two should open it together.”
“He’s right here. Let me call Dad, and then I can open it. Should we do video?”
My eyes shot toward the mirror on the dresser. I was a mess. My blonde and gray hair was windblown, and my lipstick had faded. I wasn’t sure why that mattered. It’s not like they hadn’t all seen me like this before. I ran my fingers through my hair as I responded, “Whatever you prefer.”
Amber didn’t respond. Instead, an accept video request bubble popped onto the screen. I moved toward the chair in the room’s corner by the window. “Hi, sweetheart.”
Amber was seated next to Wyatt on the sofa in their living room. He had his arm over her shoulders. “Let me get Dad.”
Less than a minute later, the screen divided, and Jonas’s face filled the other half. He was outside on the patio, sitting on my favorite swing. “Well, this is a pleasant surprise. Three of my four favorite people. To what do I owe this pleasure?”
Amber waved the silver package with a royal blue bow. “It’s time for us to open our honeymoon gift from you and mom. I thought it would be fun for you to watch us.”
Jonas’s eyes shifted to meet mine, silently communicating a thank you the way he always had about the gifts I planned. “Fantastic idea, princess.”
As Amber untied the ribbon, I instructed, “Usually, the rule is card first, but not this time. Open the gift.”
She handed the card to Wyatt and finished removing the paper. Her eyes widened, and Wyatt ran his hand across the contents of the gift. He looked at me, then at Jonas. “This is gorgeous. Thank you.”