Cordelia swiped at the sweat forming on her brow. For the past two hours, she’d been weeding and watering the various pnt beds that decorated the reception drive as well as all the potted pnts. And there were a lot of them. Pots full of scarlet-colored dipdenia, white and yellow Bird of Paradise, and a variety of ferns. It was her st chore before lunch, then an afternoon of homework. Yet, she was looking forward to being off her feet. As she wandered from pnter to pnter, there came the crunch of tires on rocks before a white car pulled into the main check-in area. It parked, and a middle-aged couple got out ughing, smiles lighting their faces.

  Her mother, who had been helping to weed the pnters, stood up when the car pulled in. Silka chuckled and started toward the couple, pulling off her multi-colored gloves and brushing dirt from her jeans.

  The couple turned, halting in their tracks to look at the person walking toward them. The woman’s eyes widened as she gasped in surprise, “Silka!”

  A ugh of delight carried in the air as the two closed the distance and hugged. “When did you get in? I didn’t know you were coming.” They pulled slightly away from each other. “It has been so long.”

  Silka ughed, warmth in her voice, “It’s good to see you.”

  “You’re joining us, right?”

  Her mother’s spine tightened at the woman’s question. Silka leaned close and whispered something quietly to the woman, who listened for a few seconds before nodding. In the meantime, the man had walked around the car, joining the two women. He threw his arms around Silka, with simir joy, lifting her off her feet. He kept his voice low as he spoke, and then the three of them walked off toward the reception area.

  Cordelia stood staring at the cooling car where the three had st been. She blinked, wiped again at the sweat, trying to process why her mother had not introduced her to the couple or even said anything to Cordelia before she’d headed off. Surely her mother hadn’t forgotten that she was standing there? Shaking herself, she turned off the water and then carefully coiled up the hose as she pondered the meeting that she had witnessed. From the woman’s words, it seemed as if there was some kind of pnned event for this weekend. And this event must be a long-time recurring event since her mother knew the group. Kind of amazing to think that a group would meet up often for over 15 years.

  With the hose put away, and her mother yet to return, she headed to the kitchen for some lunch. Sandwiches and potato sad were already id out on the table. Her brother sat there talking with their grandfather, but her grandmother was nowhere around. “Where’s Yia Yia?”

  “She’s helping the guests get settled in their room with Mom,” Kai replied, gncing at her before turning back to their grandfather.

  Her grandfather continued to expin something to Kai, so she took a pte, filling it before sliding into the seat across from them. When her grandfather paused, she asked, “They seemed to be friends of Mom.” Cordelia watched her grandfather closely to see if he would react.

  Kostas looked over at her. Then his eyes looked up at the ceiling as if trying to recall something. “Yes - I think they were friends. The Athanasiou’s stay at the resort a few times a year. Your mother got to know them quite well prior to meeting your father.”

  “Interesting - mom seemed surprised they were here.”

  “Your mom probably forgot that their little social group was meeting this weekend.”

  “Social group?”

  Kostas chuckled, “Yes, like a weekend with wine kind of group.”

  Weekend with wine? Her mother rarely drank. Although she did like social groups.

  Cordelia digested what her grandfather had said as she rose, heading over to the refrigerator for some lemonade. The couple must have married young, if they had been coming to the resort for years prior to her mom getting married, because they looked simir in age to her mother. Does everyone around here age slowly? Sitting back at the table, she listened vaguely to her grandfather and brother discuss fishing, something they pnned to do tomorrow. She pushed her food around, taking a bite or two, as she wondered if discovering more about these ‘friends’ might help her learn more about her mother’s past.

  * * *

  Dinner that night took pce in the main hotel dining room, a change from the past few evenings. The room was spacious, its tables arranged in various groupings screened by potted lefty ferns to provide some privacy. Candlelight flickered across white and gold tablecloths and glinted off crystal gsses, giving the space a cozy intimacy. Still, Cordelia missed the homey feeling of her grandparents’ dining room. She gnced across the room at the five guests seated together at a table. Their faces animated as they spoke of things she couldn’t hear.

  That afternoon, the routine their family had settled into since arriving, had been broken. Cordelia had not seen her mother again until it was almost time for dinner, which was unusual. Silka often helped the two of them with their schoolwork. Instead, Cordelia had to help Kai with his math, and she was terrible at teaching. When dinner time arrived, Cordelia wasn’t sure whether to wait for her mother or head over to the main hotel. Just as she was urging Kai to get ready to leave, her mother walked in.

  With a hurried breath, she stated, “Sorry to be te. Are you ready for dinner?” They nodded, and she pushed the door wide for them to walk out.

  As they moved along the path, evening darkness falling around them, Cordelia asked, “Where were you?”

  Her mother’s face grew animated. “Just as I got the first two guests settled in, another couple arrived, followed by an old friend. They had so many questions.” She paused, “Then we had to go over the setup for the weekend. There were guest counts to figure out. We also needed to review tomorrow’s schedule.” Silka exhaled and smiled faintly, “I forgot how much pnning went into these weekends.”

  “Is this a conference?”

  “Oh, goodness, no. Just friends getting together.”

  “How many friends?”

  “The count was up to fifty, and that didn’t include your grandparents’ fr. . .” her mother trailed off.

  Cordelia looked around, half-expecting someone to be coming towards them, but the path was empty. When she turned back to her mother, her mother’s eyes had a tightness that wasn’t there minutes ago, and her hand was clenched at her side. “I think we’re te. We should hurry.” And she picked up the pace, leaving Cordelia and Kai staring after her.

  Now they sat in the community dining room, the usual dinner debate more subdued, punctuated by occasional ughter from behind them. Cordelia twisted again in her seat, trying to get comfortable. When dessert was served, her mother took slices of key lime pie over to the group’s table. Then sat with them. Cordelia strained to hear what they were talking about, but only their ughter drifted over to her. Her grandparents tried to distract her, asking about her upcoming exams, questions she answered with single words.

  Eventually Cordelia, Kai and their grandmother cleared away the dishes and put them in the industrial-sized dishwasher in the resort kitchen. Her grandfather washed a few of the pots and pans while they dried them. It wasn’t long before Silka came in to take them back to the cottage.

  “How about a movie?”

  “It’s Thursday night. You don’t normally allow us to watch movies te.”

  “True, but I thought I would make an exception since I was going to meet the Athanasiou’s for drinks on the patio.”

  “Who?” Cordelia asked. After all, her mother still hadn’t introduced her to the couple.

  “The couple that arrived this afternoon while we were watering the pnts. They are old friends.”

  So her mother hadn’t forgotten that Cordelia was out front when the couple arrived; rather, her mother decided not to introduce them to her daughter. Why was her mother acting so out of character?

  Silka suggested, “Let’s rent a newly released movie on TV. It will be a fun break.”

  “Yes,” Kai whooped as he ran on ahead.

  “Does a movie sound good?” her mother asked, smiling over at her.

  “Whatever,” Cordelia muttered, looking down at the walkway.

  “Is something upsetting you?”

  Cordelia stopped abruptly. Did her mother just ask her that? A rush of heat, sharp and sudden, climbed from the pit of her stomach. “You’re wondering if I’m upset?” The words came out in a rush, her voice rising as she threw up her hands, “This entire week has been upsetting. Being pulled out of my bed in the middle of the night is upsetting. Learning that I have grandparents I didn’t even know were alive is upsetting.” Her voice wobbled as she fought back tears, “Everyone is lying to me. Then I watch you talk to people who clearly know you, and I am standing right there, and you walk away like I don’t exist.”

  Her mother stood rooted beside her, cheeks reddening, eyes filling with emotion. “Sorry - of course. I just thought maybe . . .”

  Cordelia searched her mother’s face. Would she finally expin? Their eyes locked, a silent plea hanging between them.

  Her mother looked away.

  The tears she had been fighting stung her eyes, and her lips trembled. But instead of breaking down, she whipped around and strode after her brother. The coolness of the night offered no relief to the throbbing that had begun in her head. She walked briskly, but her legs felt heavy, as if she were pushing through mud.

  Soft footfalls came from behind, and both entered the cottage within a few minutes to find Kai already browsing for movies. When he saw the two of them, “Cordelia - action or horror?”

  “Is horror a good idea?” her mother asked.

  “Ugh. I’m not going to get scared.”

  Silka’s eyebrow quirked up.

  He crossed his arms as he dropped onto the couch, “Fine - whatever.”

  Cordelia dropped onto the couch next to where he stood, watching him flip through the options. Her mother headed to the small kitchen area, and Cordelia could hear the pops from the microwave as a buttery smell drifted over to them. After scrolling through the options twice, they decided on a new action-adventure just as their mother brought out the snacks.

  Handing them each a bowl, she said, “I’m just meeting them for a drink. Probably be gone for an hour or two at most. If the movie finishes before I’m back, brush your teeth and get ready for bed. If you can’t sleep, try reading a book.”

  “Bye, Mom,” Kai said as he jumped up to give her a hug and a kiss.

  “And stay in the cottage. No wandering around outside.”

  “Sure, Mom,” Cordelia muttered as her mother headed for the door. Kai jumped on the couch, picked up the remote, and hit py.

  Cordelia settled back against the couch corner, curling her feet under her. The movie started to py, and she resolved to just let it go for two hours and enjoy the movie. She’d come up with new pns while getting ready for bed.

  * * *

  Sleep eluded her as she stared at the shimmer of faint moonlight on the ceiling, listening to the waves roll in and waiting for footsteps signalling her mother’s return. The movie had sted around ninety minutes, and then she and Kai had gotten ready for bed. Kai fell almost immediately to sleep, not unusual for him, while Cordelia had tried to distract herself with some videos on her phone. She couldn’t focus. Her thoughts moved again to the guests ughing with her mother. She remembered how, when their voices got too loud, they would gnce toward her family’s table before lowering them again. What did they want to hide?

  It was te. Should she check on her mother? It could be a chance to listen in on her mother’s conversations with her friends and gain some insight into either her mother or this resort. Her eyes drifted closed before she popped them open again. Rolling to her side, she wished sleep would take her. How long should she wait for her mother?

  The shrill bre of her arm startled her awake. The wisps of her dream, running from room to room searching for something just out of reach, faded. Had her mother returned?

  Grabbing her sweatpants, she hurried out to see if her mother was in her room and found Silka in the kitchen making some coffee.

  “Pastries.” Her mother announced, a healthy glow radiating from her.

  Cordelia blinked and blinked again, wondering at the scene before her.

  “Go wake Kai and get dressed.” Her mother said, “We need to go into Beaufort for some supplies for the weekend.”

  Go into town. A joyful shout rose within her. No happier words could have been said. Cordelia forgot about her mom’s te night and even her strange behavior, distracted by the news of shopping. A break from chores and school. A chance to go shopping. Thank you, God! She hurried back to her room, shook Kai and told him to get up, picked out clothes, and ran to the bathroom to get ready.

  As she finished up with her hair, she looked over through the open doorway and saw that Kai had fallen back asleep. “Wake up - we have to go.”

  “Go without me,” he moaned, rolling over before mumbling, “I got up at 5am to fish with Papou and now I get to sleep.”

  “Fine, but you are missing out. We might be able to convince Mom to get us some candy or some other treat.”

  “Don’t care,” came the reply from under the covers.

  Don’t care about candy! Hearing a snore from under the bnket, Cordelia rolled her eyes and headed out of the room. “I guess Kai is taking a nap and not coming since he got up early to fish with Papou,” Cordelia announced as she strode into the kitchen.

  Her mother smiled at her, “That is fine. He probably wouldn’t enjoy shopping, anyway. Papou is staying behind, so it is safe to leave him here. We’ll only be gone two, maybe three hours tops.”

  Cordelia lifted the lid of the pastry box. She debated between a fky croissant and a bear cw before deciding that the bear cw was more than she could eat. Taking the croissant, she pced it on a napkin, opened the fridge, and grabbed the milk. It would have been a perfect start to the morning if the pastry had been a chocote sprinkle donut. Still, she wouldn’t let that dampen her joy.

  “I’m going to change into some jeans and put on some makeup. Then we’ll go.” Silka got up from the bar stool, pced her cup in the sink, and headed toward the back room. Cordelia sat down with her food and pulled out her phone to see if there were any recent YouTube videos that looked interesting. A funny cat and dog video ter, she heard her mother walking down the hall, so she took the st bite of her pastry and gulped down the milk.

  “You ready?”

  “Yep,” Cordelia rushed, already hopping off the stool. She deposited her cup in the sink and tossed the napkin into the trash.

  Silka chuckled, “If I had known that a shopping trip would help with your long face, I would have suggested it sooner.”

  Cordelia wished she could have hidden her smile, as she certainly hadn’t forgiven or forgotten anything that had happened in the st week, but she felt like she could give that anger a few hours’ break just as she had st night. She shrugged.

  Her mother smirked as she turned toward the door.

  The day was already warming, rays of sun kissing her skin, as they strolled along the path to the main hotel and around to the drive. A white van, with Siren’s Cove written along the door in the same style of the lettering at the gate, sat running in the curved drive. Cordelia saw her grandmother at the wheel, looking at her phone. Her mother jumped into the passenger seat while Cordelia took the bench seat in the back. There was only one row of seating for passengers, as the rest of the van had open space in the back for hauling supplies or other rge items.

  “Good morning,” her grandmother sang as Cordelia leaned over to slide the door shut.

  “Morning,” Cordelia responded, looking over at her grandmother. Maria was all smiles, dressed up in a cute light blue sun hat, a blue and white striped dress, and light makeup. Clearly, a trip to town was a call for her grandmother’s best. Cordelia flushed, feeling a little out of pce in her flowery blouse and light blue jeans. Gncing at her mother, Silka didn’t seem self-conscious dressed casually as well. It must be typical for her grandmother to dress up to go into town - another old-fashioned trait that fit others she’d glimpsed over the past week.

  “Excited to see our big town?” Her grandmother asked as she pulled out of the circle drive toward the main road.

  “I love to shop, so anytime I can go, I take advantage.” Cordelia slid closer to the window so she could watch the scenery outside.

  Silka was looking out her side window when she chimed in, “Cordelia gets that from you, Mom.”

  Maria ughed, “My best trait.”