“How’d it go? Tell me everything and leave out nothing.”

Jenny laughed. She so enjoyed her Gansett friends and the way they talked about everything. “It was a smashing success. Thanks for the brilliant idea.”

“It was a rather brilliant idea, wasn’t it?”

“You have no idea how brilliant.”

“Jenny Wilks! Did you have sex outside?”

“I’m not telling.”

“Oh my God! You did!”

“Well, there was this garden, you see, surrounded on four sides by very tall hedges. And then there was this hot gardener with abs like you read about. What was a girl to do?”

“I love it! Did this happen before or after you told him about Toby?”

“After.”

“So I take that to mean the conversation went well?”

“It went as well as I could’ve hoped for. He was perfect, and he wasn’t different or weird afterward, because I told him not to be. He seemed to appreciate the guidance.”

“You live and you learn, don’t you? What’s wrong with saying, ‘After I tell you this huge thing, this is what I need from you’?”

“Nothing at all. When you think about it, how would anyone know what the right thing to say or do is after hearing that story unless I tell them?”

“I remember when Linda first told us about you, and we talked about how best to approach you out there all by yourself in the lighthouse. I remember thinking about what I would want before I went to see you. I volunteered to go because I understood what not to do better than the others could have.”

“I’m so glad it was you who came, and that you shared your story with me. Right away I felt comforted to know that I wasn’t alone with that kind of pain—not that I’d wish it on anyone. But that you understood so well made it easier to accept your offer of friendship.”

“We’re all thankful you accepted the offer.”

“No one more so than me.”

“Awww, shucks. You’re a perfect fit with us, kiddo. We’d have badgered you until you had no choice but to join our happy clan.”

“It is a happy clan, and I’m thrilled to be part of it.” Her phone beeped. “Oh, that’s my mom.”

“I’ll let you go. Glad it all went well.”

“Thanks again for today, Syd.”

“Any time. Talk soon.”

Jenny pushed the button to end her call with Syd and accept her mother’s call. “Hi, Mom.”

“Hi, honey. Hope I’m not catching you at a bad time.”

Jenny thought about where she’d been forty-five minutes earlier and held back a nervous giggle at the thought of her mother calling then. “Nope. Good time. What’s up?”