Martha parked and Josh was out of the car in a flash but it was Liza who helped Kathleen. Liza who took her arm and didn’t let go. Liza who was by her side as they walked the short distance to greet her old friend.

And it turned out that Kathleen needn’t have wasted time planning what to say, or being anxious about it, because Ruth hurried forward and wrapped her in a tight hug, and she realized that sometimes words weren’t needed and that touch could convey everything.

It was only when she heard Ruth sniff that she realized her cheeks were wet too.

She’d displayed more emotion during this one morning than she had in the lifetime that preceded it.

“I’m Martha—” Martha held out her hand to the woman with Ruth who greeted her warmly.

“I’m Hannah. Ruth’s daughter. We spoke on the phone. And you must be Liza. Welcome. We’re so pleased you could join us.” She shook Liza’s hand. “Why don’t you all come in? We’ve made tea. We can sit on the deck in the shade.” She led them inside and finally Kathleen and Ruth released each other.

“Look at you!” Ruth brushed her damp cheeks with her fingers. “So glamorous. You haven’t changed one bit. It’s like having a movie star in my home. I want to hear all the details of your life. You must have so many stories. I watched every episode of The Summer Seekers.”

The possibility that Ruth knew about her career hadn’t crossed Kathleen’s mind. “How is that possible?”

“Adam tracked down the videos for me. They were in the wrong format but he managed to get them converted.”

It felt strange and a little uncomfortable imagining Adam and Ruth sitting together watching The Summer Seekers.

Ruth tucked her arm into Kathleen’s and led her into the house. “Come on in. I have Earl Grey and Hannah made homemade shortbread.”

Hannah.

Ruth’s daughter. Adam’s daughter.

And there was Liza, her own daughter, watching her closely, giving her reassuring smiles, and Kathleen realized that this trip hadn’t only brought her back to Ruth, it had brought her closer to her own daughter. They had so much to talk about, and time to do it.

Her epic road trip had delivered her so many new experiences, but none so satisfying as sitting here with her old friend and her daughter, sipping tea while they gazed across the Pacific Ocean. The past had finally found a comfortable place in the present and she felt utterly content with her life.

Maybe that had been the destination all along.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS