Page 1 of When We Are Complete
Chapter 1
Kelly
For years,I told myself I’d left Harbor’s Edge behind. But now, about to go back to the place I once called home, it’s clear that some places never really let you go.
It’s Sunday at Dad’s house, our last family lunch before I leave. Outside, the leaves are just starting to surrender to the hues of fall—burnt oranges and hesitant yellows that collect in piles in the brisk Newark air, while inside, warmth from the oven still lingers.
Somewhere in another room, my nieces and nephews are playing a raucous game of hide and seek. I’m still at the dining table, where empty plates are scattered across the table, covered in what’s left of congealed gravy mopped up with torn dinner rolls.
Store bought, of course. Mom was the baker in the family. As well as everything else. There was nothing she couldn’t do.
My brothers sit across from me, their wives next to them, chatting quietly. Dad’s on one side of me, his eyes occasionally flicking toward Mom’s empty chair.
Anthony, my oldest brother, exchanges a knowing glance with Edward. Their lives are as neatly arranged as the financial portfolios they manage: successful, stable, and pretty much perfect.
“Harbor’s Edge, huh?” Anthony swirls the dregs of his wine. “Never pictured you as the small-town comeback kid, Kel.”
Anthony’s wife sips her gin and tonic, looking at me, while Edward’s wife scrolls through her phone.
“Neither did I. But the mayor’s office offered me a pretty competitive package, and I’ll get the chance to plan events that could actually mean something for the community.”
Anthony leans back in his chair, a grin tugging at the corner of his mouth as he raises his glass again. “I know what you mean. Pumpkin festivals and parades are pretty meaningful. Next thing you know, you’ll be organizing bake sales and knitting circles.”
Edward snorts into his drink. “Yeah, just make sure you don’t wear one of those tackyFall Y’allsweaters with a bedazzled pumpkin on it.”
Anthony’s wife raises an eyebrow, her blond hair pulled back in a neat ponytail, while Edward’s wife remains engrossed in whatever she’s looking at on her phone.
I roll my eyes, crossing my arms. “Oh, don’t worry. I’ll save the bedazzling for Christmas. Maybe I’ll get matching ones for all three of us. You two could use a little holiday cheer.”
“I dunno. With your resume, I just thought you’d be focused on the future. Staying in the city would make a lot more sense, stick to corporate galas or something a little more high stakes.”
Edward grins but his eyes betray him—he thinks heading back to Harbor’s Edge, the small town we grew up in, is a bigstep backward. They all do. None of them get why I need to do this. But to be fair, I’m not entirely sure myself.
“Right,” I say, “because nothing screamshigh stakeslike a bunch of finance guys at one of my functions hobnobbing over rubber chicken and lukewarm champagne.” I give a dramatic shudder. “I’m living the dream heading back home, trust me.”
“Leave her alone, boys.” Dad steeples his fingers, leaning toward me. “Harbor’s Edge was good enough for me and your mother for many years. And who knows? Maybe she’ll meet someone there, settle down, give me a couple more grandkids.”
He smiles, still looking every bit like the man who used to come home late from work but always made the time to tuck us in and say good night, although the years have softened the edges of his once sturdy frame. But the mention of grandkids isn’t without a sting. It disappointed Mom that I hadn’t settled down like my brothers, gotten married.
He continues to look at me a moment longer, his silvered hair brushed neatly, though the deepening lines on his face give away his quiet grief. Even now, he wears his wedding ring—a thin gold band that’s dulled over time but never leaves his finger.
“Thanks, Dad. But the boys can laugh all they want. Maybe it’s exactly what I need right now.” I trace the rim of my glass, once, twice. “A change of pace. And who knows? Maybe Iwillmeet someone.”
Ididmeet someone there. A long time ago. But thinking about him after all this time? It’s pointless. Harbor’s Edge holds more than just memories, and some things are better left in the past.
A glance at my watch before I stand, stretching limbs stiff from sitting too long, before gathering the empty plates. “As fun as this has been, I need to head off soon.”
Dad follows me to the kitchen, while Edward, Anthony, and their wives stay in the dining room, talking in low voices—probably about me. We quickly wash up, and it’s hard not to think about the way things have changed.
“Thanks, Kel.” Dad’s hands are submerged in sudsy water as he fishes out the last plate and hands it to me. “I’m going to miss you.”
As I dry the plate, I spot a smudge that Dad missed. My fingers itch to grab the sponge and wash it again, but I force myself to leave it, my mind trying to convince me it’s good enough.Let it go.
“I’ll miss you too. But it’s not far. You can come visit whenever you like.”
He swallows, but I already know the idea of going back to Harbor’s Edge, the place where he and Mom grew up, met and got married, is something he’s not ready to do yet. It would hurt too much.
Turning away from the sink, wiping my damp hands on a dishtowel, my gaze drifts toward the hallway. There, in an ornate frame, is a wedding photo—Mom and Dad frozen in time, staring at one another with so much love. A perfect love ended too soon.