A few minutes later, Stacy returned with a bread basket and David’s chowder, and they both dove in. Paula loved the bread at Mimi’s Place. They got it from a local bakery, and it was served warm with a crispy crust and soft inside. She was happily spreading butter on it when she looked up and saw David looking at her curiously.

“What?” she asked.

He smiled. “I’ve just never seen someone so enthusiastic about a piece of bread.”

Paula laughed. “You haven’t tried it yet.” She took a bite and sighed. It was that good.

She waited for him to take a taste. “So?”

“You’re right. It’s pretty good.”

“How long have you been living off-island?” Paula asked. She wondered if it was strange for him to be home, or if he was liking it.

“Oh, it’s been years. I left after I graduated from college and moved to Manhattan.”

“Do you miss it? Or were you anxious to get away?” A lot of kids she’d gone to school with couldn’t wait to get off-island and get a job in the ‘real world’. Nantucket was like a bubble, and for some of them, a stifling one.

“A little of both, I think. For what I wanted to do, there were no opportunities here so it wasn’t ever really an option. But yeah, I miss my family. And I do love Nantucket. It’s hard not to love it here. What about you? Have you ever wanted to live anywhere else?”

Paula shook her head. “No. Never. I went away to college, so I experienced what it was like to live away from Nantucket. After four years, I was more than ready to come home. But, still, I lived in Boston for a few years first. My grandfather thought that was important for me. To see what it was like working at another hotel and get some good experience and also to live somewhere else. And Boston wasn’t that far. I still got home often.”

“You weren’t tempted to stay in Boston?”

“Not a bit. Boston was great. I had a good time there, but it’s not Nantucket. This is where I want to be, and I’m lucky that there is a good work opportunity for me here.”

“Maybe someday I’ll come back, too. I do miss seeing my family. Especially with what’s going on with my mother. It’s hard being so far away.”

“They must love having you here now?”

“I think they do. My dad especially needed some support. Now that he found someone to be with my mother during the week, I think it will get easier for him.”