“So how many years ago was that?”

“Oh just a couple. Turned out that the cottage was in shambles. I had to hire a local contractor, and that was Dawson. We struck up a friendship and then it became more. And then we found out about Dylan who was in foster care at the time. He just became our son very recently.”

“Wow! I had no idea. You guys look like you’ve been a family forever. I just assumed that Dylan…” She didn’t want to finish her sentence by saying that she assumed he was theirs. Obviously, he was theirs. Just not biologically.

“I like to think that we were a family meant to be together by God,” Dawson said, smiling.

“I’m sure you’re right.” Emma took a sip of her sweet tea. “Congratulations on making such a wonderful life for yourself, Julie.”

“It is a wonderful life. And once I came here, I started working at the bookstore and then became part owner. And then we opened the inn. So, I’m just saying that so many things happened out of such a lonely beginning. When I first moved here, I thought for sure I’d made a mistake. I almost turned around and went back to my country club lifestyle.”

“What’s a country club?” Dylan asked. They all laughed.

“It’s something that I would never do again,” Julie said, ruffling the hair on top of his head.

They continued talking, and Emma was so thankful that nobody was asking her personal questions. It was like they knew that she wouldn’t be comfortable answering them anyway. She enjoyed the relaxing way they were able to talk without worrying about somebody springing something on her. It was the first time she felt this peaceful in well over a year, and probably more.

“Dessert?” Lucy asked, poking her head out of the kitchen once again. She hadn’t eaten with the family, saying that she had snacked too much while she was cooking dinner.

“No, thank you. I’m stuffed,” Emma said. Julie said the same, but Dawson and Dylan were more than happy to accept the chocolate muffins that she had made.

“Do you want to go sit out by the water and maybe have a glass of wine while these guys continue shoveling sugar into their faces? Julie asked, winking at her husband.

“Sure. It’s a beautiful night, so I would enjoy a nice glass of wine.”

A few minutes later, the two women were sitting in two white Adirondack chairs on the beach. The constant sound of the waves coming in and out and the warm ocean breeze made Emma feel like she just wanted to close her eyes and stay there forever. Even though she was on the ocean when she stepped out the back of her own cottage, there was just something about the little beach that Julie and Dawson had that felt so comfortable and right. She stared out over the water as she took a sip of her wine, noticing the moonlight dancing on each of the waves and then shattering into a million pieces as it hit the shore.