Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 74467 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 372(@200wpm)___ 298(@250wpm)___ 248(@300wpm)
“Some of them. Most have passed away. We stay connected mostly by email, which is stupid since most of us live within a mile or two, but everyone is so busy these days. I like the idea though. I’ll reach out and see when people have time.”
Margaux unlocked the door to the shed, turned studio, turned apartment and flipped the light on. “I did most of the work here. The contractor added the electricity and plumbing. It’s a far cry from what my dad had in here. I’ve thought about renting it out but couldn’t bring myself to do it. I’m not sure I’d like seeing someone live in his space. Other than you, that is.”
Eloise stepped into the space she planned to live in during the summer and gasped again at the changes her aunt had made. A place that used to be drab was now bright and cheery, with light gray flooring, and a white kitchen and bathroom. All were accented with navy blue, giving the space a nautical feel.
“Is the roof still open?”
“It is.”
Eloise climbed the spiral stairs to the top and sighed when she stepped into the loft space. In one corner was a bed, bedside table, and a lamp. In the other, two easels stood, ready for use. She walked to the door and turned the knob, stepping out into the sunlight. She closed her eyes and tilted her head back, taking in the sun. After a moment, she looked around the space and could easily picture herself painting there as the sun rose and set. Eloise couldn’t wait to capture the beauty of Seaport.
She ran to her aunt, who waited for her in the bedroom and fell into her arms. Eloise lost control of her emotions and wept. She had missed her aunt more than anything and couldn’t believe she was finally home. Margaux hugged Eloise and told her everything was perfect now.
“My home is yours now, Eloise, for as long as you want to stay here.” Margaux tightened her hold on her niece. “This is a safe space for you, to be you. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”
Eloise held on, not wanting to let go. Years ago, when her parents divorced, she should’ve pushed to stay with aunt, to finish her education with the kids she’d grown up with. In her opinion, her parents were selfish and used her as a pawn to hurt each other. In the end, the only one hurting was Eloise. Right then, she could easily tell Margaux she was going to stay. But then, she also knew she’d do herself a disservice if she didn’t explore her options when it came to art school.
For now, she’d enjoy spending time with her aunt, her loft, and the long summer days ahead where she planned to sit at the beach and paint.
two
Kiel shut the back of his parent’s Escalade, a monster SUV his parents no longer needed, and then climbed into the backseat with his sisters. There wasn’t anything ideal about three adults cramming together in the backseat. Yet, the siblings packed themselves in like sardines with a smile on their faces despite wanting to elbow each other and maybe pull each other’s hair. It didn't matter how old they were—the drama that came with “he's touching me” or whining about space never stopped.
It had been years since the Collier family took a vacation all together. In fact, Kiel couldn’t remember if he was a junior or senior in high school when they last took one. Their schedules rarely matched where everyone had the same time off. While his mother, Leona, taught third grade, it was his father, Emmett, who didn’t have the time to take off. Being in the Navy kept him busy. Vacations were from a lack of trying. It just seemed the government always came first in the Collier household. When Leona and Emmett asked—well sort of demanded—their kids not plan anything for the summer, Kiel, along with his twin sisters Skyla and Ciara thought something was wrong. Surely, they were moving again or one of their parents was sick. The latter would be worse, while the former would definitely put a wrench in Kiel’s grad school plans. The three of them didn’t know what to think when they found out they would be spending the summer in the coastal town of Seaport.
Kiel rested his head against the window and closed his eyes as his father pulled out of the driveway. The drive to Seaport would be just shy of three hours without traffic. Honestly, it didn’t matter when they left, they’d hit every possible traffic jam on the interstate. It never failed. Someone would undoubtedly go under the speed limit and create a bottlenecking issue, backing traffic up for miles and miles, which Kiel's parents would then discuss for most of the trip.