Mia felt horrible that she’d never heard that story. All of the years she’d known Dave, and she had never asked him why he always came on the same date each year. Now it made sense why he spent so much time out by the lake.

“That’s a beautiful story, Dave,” Mia said, smiling as she reached across the table and squeezed his hand.

“That’s really cool,” Evie said. “Maybe I’ll meet my Prince Charming out here in the Georgia woods.”

“Your mother gets first dibs on any handsome mountain men,” Kate said, offhandedly. She started to laugh, but stopped herself and popped a piece of biscuit into her mouth. Mia couldn’t understand why she was so intent on being miserable.

The rest of dinner was mainly Dave and Mia talking, with Evie occasionally making another teenager-ish comment here and there. Dave eventually decided to go to bed, after filling his stomach with plenty of cherry pie, one of his favorites that her mother had made every time he came.

She wondered if Charlene knew the story of why Dave always stayed on the same date every year. But surely she would’ve shared that info with Mia. She certainly didn’t share the news that she had a sister, so maybe her mother wasn’t as open as she’d always thought she was.

There was a part of her soul that ached every time she thought about her mother. They’d been so close, almost like best friends. Why hadn’t she confided in her? Why had she kept something so important away from her? It made her sad and mad at the same time. So many years wasted when she could’ve looked for Kate. But, right now at least, it didn’t seem like Kate really wanted to be found.

“Goodnight,” Mia said as Dave slowly walked up the stairs. Only seeing him once a year meant she could see him aging in front of her eyes. She worried about the year when he wasn’t going to show up. The cycle of life and death seemed so much more real these days.

“Well, we’d better go to bed too,” Kate said. “We’ll need to get an early start tomorrow.” She didn’t make eye contact with Mia as she gently guided her daughter toward the stairs.

“Mom, why can’t we just stay here awhile?” Evie said.

“Bed, Evie. I’m tired, and I don’t want to talk about this right now.”

Evie sighed. “Fine. Goodnight, Aunt Mia,” she said, smiling slightly as she walked up the stairs. Kate mumbled goodnight and disappeared too.