SOMEWHERE by the Sea

Sandy

All night Faith dreamed of raging storms but woke several times to the silence of a serene summer night.

Find your storm...find your storm...find your storm. Was there anything in this world that could help her heal? Help her continue a life void of her family? Bring her peace?

Waking to the depression she fought daily and that had kept her bedridden for weeks after the accident, she forced herself to rise and shower. She was going to explore town, come hell or high water.

During breakfast she learned that the elderly B & B guests had checked out and two brothers now occupied their room. The brothers were young, maybe late twenties, handsome with scruffy, unshaven jaws, and kept glancing toward the three sisters. Faith suppressed a smile. Three brothers, instead of two, would have been perfect; however, since Candace directed all of her attention at Baxter, maybe two brothers worked well for the situation. She glanced at him to see him watching her. She feigned indifference even though her heart jumped, which was distressing, because she had no interest in pursuing a relationship with a man; be it friendship or anything else.

Gabby said to the group as a whole, "What do you think of these pecan pancakes? Jennie's trying out a new recipe, so we're all guinea pigs."

There were immediate responses saying how delicious they were and Faith joined the praise after swallowing a mouthful of the melt-in-your-mouth, crunchy pecan cakes dripping with maple syrup. The conversation, as it often did, then revolved around food, and Faith thought about the boysenberry pancakes she used to make for her family. She almost mentioned them, but stopped herself in time. In no way did she want to be questioned about her family.

Like Gabby, maybe everyone could see her sadness, but there wasn't any allegorical "storm" that could restore her happiness. She finished her pancakes, took a last sip of coffee, and excused herself.

Directly across from the B & B was a small park at the apex of Main Street and Ocean Boulevard, and she made a mental note to visit the park and walk the boulevard another day. She walked east on Main Street toward the shopping and tourist district and the first shop she encountered was a lovely boutique called Bathing Suits Galore. There was a salesclerk in the display window dressing mannequins in hot pink bikinis and Faith paused beside a second window of mannequins dressed in black, one-piece suits. She was impressed with one that had yellow piping around the bodice, and when she envisioned her old brown suit, she cringed. The thought of wearing that outdated monstrosity propelled her into the boutique. The clerk, still in the window, lifted her head to smile and welcome her with a joke. "Good morning! Just give me a minute to get this mannequin decent."

"Take your time. I'll just browse." Faith found the rack of black bathing suits and searched for size five or six. She found a size five and removed it from the rack.

The clerk stepped out of the display window and although she wasn't pretty in the classical sense, she had the kind of face not easily forgotten. Beneath wildly curly muddy blond hair that was tamed by two large clips on the sides, her almond shaped green eyes, long nose, overly large mouth, and pointed chin, were stunning in combination. Her most amazing feature, however, was her golden tan, and although slightly overweight, she wore the extra pounds well in turquoise slacks and a matching shell. The yellow scarf tied around her shoulders and gold dangling earrings added contrast. Her makeup was flawless and not excessive. Instinctively, Faith knew that if she ever wanted a makeover, this was the woman to seek advice from. The clerk said, "My name is Sandy and I love that bathing suit because it's understated, yet striking with the yellow piping. The dressing room is in the back if you want to try it on."

Faith studied the suit for a second. "Yes. I think I will." Five minutes later, preening in front of a mirror she whispered to herself, "Faith, you are going to buy this suit and sunbathe. You may even venture into the ocean." Giving her body a once over, she decided she was too thin. Maybe J & J's cooking would add the ten pounds she needed. She heard the clerk outside the dressing room asking, "Do you need another size?"

"No. This one is perfect. Thank you."

After dressing, she returned to the front of the store where the clerk was rearranging scarves on a display rack. The friendly woman glanced up and smiled warmly. "Are you visiting Somewhere? If so I can direct you to several local attractions."

Faith liked the clerk's attitude. "Sandy, I'm Faith. And yes, I'm visiting. I'm staying at Hope B & B."

"Nice to meet you. Be sure and tell Gabby and Baxter that I said hello." She glanced at the bathing suit. "Would you like me to ring it up?"

"Yes." Faith lifted a lovely blue and beige scarf from the display that mimicked the colors of sea and sand and handed it to Sandy. "And this scarf, too."

While Sandy rang up Faith's purchase, she said, "I've lived in Somewhere since I was twelve. My mom and dad decided this was the perfect place to raise their only child, so we moved here from Seattle fifteen years ago." She paused in sharing her history to tell Faith how much she owed and began bagging her purchase in a pretty white bag. "Sometimes I show up at the B & B for lunch, so maybe we'll see each other again." She accepted the cash Faith handed her.

"That would be nice," Faith responded and then asked, "If I were looking to purchase a home here, who would you recommend as a realtor?"

Sandy handed Faith's change to her. "Oh, that's easy; Dave and Doris McGovern. They're some of the friendliest people you'll ever meet and they know every inch of Somewhere. They're completely honest and above-board about every house they show. In fact, they sold me one four years ago that's three blocks behind my shop. I really wanted a view, but those houses were more than I could afford, so the McGoverns found one that I could easily build a deck on the roof. I followed their advice, hired a local contractor, and now I have a million dollar view on blue collar wages."

Faith accepted her purchase, thanked Sandy, and turned to leave, but before she reached the door Sandy called out, "Wait! I think I have a business card for the McGoverns in my purse." She excused herself, entered the back of the store, and returned a minute later holding up a card.

Faith thanked her and asked, "Is there a great place nearby to eat?"

Sandy enthusiastically suggested Mama Pink's Diner. "If you stay on Main Street, it's at the halfway point of downtown. You can't miss the hot pink exterior."

Faith said she would definitely try out the diner and then she bid Sandy goodbye. As she continued down the road she found herself doing something she hadn't done for a long time—spontaneously smiling.