“But for now . . .” Neil trailed kisses from her ear back to her mouth. “I think I’ll just tell you that I love you. And I don’t even care that it’s only been two weeks. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” Her hands moved to his face, his cheeks scratchy, her thumbs tracing his dimples. “I wonder if we’ve beat Maggie and Robert’s record.”

“I wonder if my sisters and Wilder have heard every word we’ve just said.”

Their laughter rang out from the hallway and he kissed her again.

“And I wonder if I’ll ever get tired of that,” she whispered against his lips.

“Don’t count on it, Sydney Rose. And remind me to fill you in on my new last name.” He pulled her closer and dipped his head once more. “Later.”

My Dearest Robert,

I have so much to tell you and so little time to tell it.

Ha! I didn’t realize until after writing that sentence how morbid it sounds. Especially considering recent events. No, I’m not dying. Though there was a moment on a cold Friday night a few weeks back . . .

As I said, I’m short on time today. (There, a much better way to phrase things.) It’s Thanksgiving and already the lawn is beginning to fill. Patti Brighton-Smythe was the first to arrive. OF COURSE. I think she might still be in shock over my decision to host the community dinner.

Truthfully, I think the girls are, too. Not Neil, though. Oh no, he exists in a cloud of pure contentment these days. Sydney’s back, you see. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Are you wondering why I decided to revive the Muir Farm Thanksgiving Dinner? I’ve wondered myself plenty often in the past few days. After all, I am still recovering from a major health event. That’s how Lil keeps phrasing it—a major health event. Is it just me or is that hilarious wording? I think the dear girl simply can’t handle saying the reality of it out loud. I almost died. That’s the reality of it.

And that’s the why of it, too. I almost died, and somehow when I didn’t, I knew it was time . . . time to stop hiding from the world. I went to church on Sunday. I’ve gone to the grocery store, made Trinna smile by stopping at the teashop and buying a bundle of some herbal thing I’ll never drink, and I had supper at the Brunch Barn two nights ago.

And today, I’ll host half of Muir Harbor on a gorgeous autumn day. Indi has decorated the yard to the point that it looks like a fall-ish fairyland—so many lights, so many pumpkins, so many strings of fake leaves hanging all over the place. Lilian has taken charge of the organizing committee. All I had to do was bake pies—although the girls hovered the whole time, worried I’d strain myself, I’m sure.