“He’s Jim now. He’s off to University in the fall. He skipped a grade. He also won a scholarship to the University of British Columbia. He’s going to be a doctor. I promised to help him set up a practice here if he still wants to come back when he’s graduated. I somehow doubt that. That’s his girlfriend Kim.”
“Kim? What happened to Lara?”
“Well, my daughter two-timed him and he dumped her. She was heart-broken. I found myself saying to her all the things I had said to Sarah.”
He tweaked little Lucy on the nose.
“So you just wait little one, I’m ready.”
“There’s Lucy! Your Aunt Lucy!” Olivia squealed. “And Rudy. And Mark.”
Lucy and Rudy had eloped the summer after Olivia returned to Seattle in a quiet civil ceremony in Vancouver.
As she was running the Beachcomber in Olivia’s absence, they spoke often, and Lucy had visited the Bowers in Washington State a few times. She had also stayed in touch with Sister Anne, who had told her about a beautiful baby boy who had been dropped off on the doorstep at St. Theresa’s Shrine.
Lucy held Mark in her arms. He had flaming red hair just like hers, and Rudy had been unable to say no when Lucy asked if they could adopt him.
She ran and gave Lucy a big hug.
“I’ve missed you so much,” Lucy said. “Rudy, grab her bags and take them home.”
“I am home,” Olivia sighed.
John McMichael took her by the hand.
“You’re coming for dinner aren’t you?” Lucy asked.
“Are you cooking?” McMichael said.
“No. Rudy is.”
“Good. Then we’ll be there.”
Lucy and Rudy waved good-bye and left the three of them alone on the beach.
“She still can’t cook?” Olivia whispered.
“Can’t boil water.”
Olivia laughed.
“I love you Olivia,” John said. “I never thought in a million years that I would fall in love again, but I have. You made me the happiest man on earth when you gave me a chance.”
“The last time I moved up here I was a newlywed,” Olivia said. “And now I’m about to become a bride again. I never thought in a million years that would happen.”
Little Lucy ran ahead, playing along the shore. She had a fascination with rocks.
“Have you decided where you’d like the wedding to take place?” John asked.
“I’ve given it a lot of thought,” Olivia said. “We don’t need to make a big fuss. It’s the second time for both of us. We don’t need a church wedding. We don’t need a wedding here in Britannia, or down in Seattle. Frenchie’s still a Captain. He does have boat. Why don’t we charter his boat up Desolation Sound and ask him to marry us along the way?”
John kissed her.
“That sounds perfect.”
“Mommy!” little Lucy said, pointing to an object in the sand.
A tiny origami bird was poking its head out from some sand. She unearthed it and handed it to her mother.
A wave of emotion came over Olivia.
“What is that?” John asked.
“It’s a paper bird,” Olivia said. “Akiko used to make them for Lucy, I think.”
“For me?” little Lucy asked.
A gust of wind arose and took the bird from Olivia’s hand. It flew up towards the street, eventually landing high atop a peach rose bush. Little Lucy ran after it.
“I can’t get it. It has pricklies,” she said.
“How strange,” Olivia thought. “This bush is just like the one in my father’s garden.” She felt totally at peace with herself and her world. The disasters at Britannia were over for Olivia.
Life is a lot like a tiny piece of origami paper, she thought to herself. It’s colourful. It’s light. It bends and folds and cuts you if you’re not careful. It takes shape and becomes something spectacular. It wrinkles and creases and tears. It is often beautiful. It is always delicate. It is to be shared.
The End
About The Author
Janine McCaw lives in Vancouver Canada with her husband Paul.
Having worked in the Canadian television industry for many years as a producer and distributor of television programming, writing novels is somewhat of a new venture.
“Olivia’s Mine” is the first of several novels currently underway. You can read excerpts from this and other novels by visiting www.janinemccaw.com. Please take a moment to sign the guestbook.
Connect with Me Online: janine@helens-of-troy.com
Table of Contents
Preface
Chapter One
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-one
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
About The Author