Chapter Twenty-Six

Hindsight

“Claire. Claire.”

Claire felt someone pushing on her arm. Her eyelids felt glued to each other. The scenes in her mind were playing like a movie on a big screen. She fought to keep her eyes closed. To find out what would happen before the lights came on, again.

“Claire, wake up.”

She knew that voice, too. It was Alex. Alex had come back. He’d returned to her. But still she couldn’t open her eyes. She struggled, moving her head back and forth. Suddenly one eye opened. It was blurry. Then the other eye. Things began coming into focus. She must’ve passed out. Where was she? Where was Pearl? Was she all right?

“Alex?” Her voice sounded strange. It was groggy and it hurt to speak. “Alex, where am I?”

“You’re here, in the guesthouse. If you want to make the first ferry out, we have to get going.”

She moved her head. It felt like loose marbles were inside it and it weighed all of ten extra pounds because of it. “What are you talking about? What happened?”

“Last night you couldn’t sleep. All you did was cry. Frieda came in and gave you some kind of pill. She said it would give you good dreams so you could wake up and feel like a new person.” He turned toward the doorway. “Isn’t that how you put it, Frieda?”

“What?” Claire pushed up from the bed with her arms and tried to see past Alex. The second she moved her ankle, it stung. “What are you talking about? Frieda? Are you crazy? She’s dead. I went to her funeral.”

“What funeral? I’m standing right here.” Frieda came inside the room and stood at the foot of Claire’s bed. She smiled. It was a beguiling smile, with a hint of something behind it.

Claire jumped at the sight of her. “Frieda! What are you doing here?” She looked down at her dress. It was the one she wore the day everyone went on the boat trip. The one she wasn’t allowed to go on.

“I’m late getting to the main house to serve breakfast. I just wanted to make sure you were all right, Ms. Claire.”

Claire looked around the room, then at the two standing in it. Alex was young, Frieda was alive, and she had a sore ankle. The twilight zone had surely taken over her body. Maybe when she fell on the hospital floor, it took her to another time. To the past. Maybe she was in a coma, imagining all of this.

“What am I doing here?”

“Honestly, Frieda. What was in that pill you gave her? Are you sure it was FDA-approved? She looks like she doesn’t know where she’s at.”

Frieda smiled and shook her head. “It was something that made her sleep better—clear her head from all the cobwebs. Now Claire, you better get to the main house with me before the Hamiltons take Colin for another boat ride around the island.” She gave the young girl a wink.

“Claire, aren’t you going home with me and Dad? He’s downstairs, getting ready to leave now.”

Claire rubbed her forehead, trying to make sense of all this. It must’ve been a dream. But it was the most vivid dream she’d ever had in her life. It was almost like a movie playing in her head all night. Or was is something that had to do with Frieda?

“I’ve got something to do first, Alex.” She looked at him, studying his face. Although in reality she’d only known him less than twenty-four hours, she’d known him all his life. Knew the touch of his skin against hers, known how his breath felt on her cheek, and how his fingers felt when he held her hand. She rose off the bed and limped down the stairs. She heard Frieda cheering her on.

Claire made it to the main house. Her ankle burned with each step, but she enjoyed the pain. Knowing that it meant she was still able to do something about her life. Change the direction it would take. She rushed into the dining room and found the couple there eating cereal and Danishes. Melanie looked up with popping eyes and opened mouth.

“Claire, dear, I thought you’d gone back with Alexander and his son. He phoned and said you all were going to be catching the first ferry out.”

“Well, I changed my mind, Melanie.”

Mr. Prescott was less interested in Claire’s entry and more interested in who was standing behind her. He pushed his beady eyes together and pinched his lips. “Good Lord, Frieda, what are you doing getting here so late? Didn’t you remember we had guests for breakfast? Melanie had to find some juice in the fridge and Danishes in the pantry. I swear, what’s gotten into you lately?”

Before Frieda could take the lashing with dignity and run for the kitchen to pan fry omelets, Claire spoke up. “You know, Mr. Prescott, you shouldn’t talk to your mother that way. You only get one in your lifetime. Treat her real special. Your daddy, Buddy Jr., thought the world of her.”

James Prescott’s eyes opened large enough to have them roll right out of their sockets. Melanie grabbed her gaping mouth and the Hamiltons looked at one another with question marks.

Claire winked at Frieda, who stood behind her with a smirk on her face. Then she left the house in search of where she thought she’d find Colin. As she made it closer to the beach, she noticed him sitting on the edge of the dock. The sparkling water threw brilliant gold light on him. He turned, as if knowing Claire was approaching. He stood to greet her.

“Claire, Mom told me you left with Alex.”

Claire ran to him and grabbed him by the neck, kissing him passionately on the lips. She kept her eyes closed, remembering how good it felt to feel him so close to her. When she opened her eyes, she saw him staring at her with wonderment on his face.

“I thought you told me you didn’t love me. That you were moving in with some other guy? What’s changed?”

“I thought I wasn’t good enough for you, Colin. I thought you’d be better off marrying Emily and having Mirabel. I thought it would be fine just to go day after day trying to forget what happened here. But I was wrong. I was so wrong.”

He pulled her close, pressing her tight to him. “You are good for me, Claire. You’re the best thing to ever happen to my life.” He pulled away slightly. “Mirabel?”

“It’s no one. Forget it. I just want to run away with you right now. Like you wanted to last night when you came to the guesthouse. Tell me we can still do it, Colin. Tell me we can fly off into the sunset and never look back. All I need is you.”

“Let’s fly.” He took her by the hand and ran up the dock with her.

By now, all the Prescott family stood on the back lawn, along with the Hamiltons. Colin stopped briefly, and looked at Claire before addressing the clan.

“Claire and I are cutting our time here short, Mother. I’ll be in touch with you when we’ve decided where we’ll be living.” He turned to his father. “Dad, I won’t be running the company in North Carolina, or for that matter, anywhere. I’m going to be flying planes. And Emily, you’re a good enough girl, but you’re not and will never be what Claire means to me. Go and find someone who loves to shop as much as you do.”

Claire let out a tiny laugh and looked at Mallory, who had snuck up behind the group with Jason. “Mallory, I can’t thank you enough for keeping me straight. I’ll call you when we’re settled.” She looked around Mr. Hamilton’s large head to see Jason. “And Jason, go and do what you want in life. Otherwise, you’ll never be happy enough to make Mallory happy, too. Her happiness is yours.”

Colin pulled her by the hand and walked toward the driveway. He stopped abruptly.

“What?” Claire asked.

“I don’t have a car. How are we going to get to the plane?”

Alex stood, leaning against his dad’s rental car. He’d been watching as Claire and Colin discussed their transportation problem. His dad was on the phone in the passenger seat, talking to his wife, Evie.

Alex threw Claire the keys to the car. She tilted her head and looked at him.

“What can I say? I’m a sucker for love. Take our car. Dad and I can catch another ride to the ferry.” He winked at Claire and leaned in to tell his dad the change of plans.

Claire walked over to where he was retrieving his bags from the back. She stood on tippy toes to reach his cheek. She gave him a peck and whispered in his ear. “Alex Prescott, some lucky girl is going to get to spend the rest of her life with you.”

He smiled and walked her to the passenger seat and shut her door. He watched as Colin backed the car up and disappeared out of sight. Claire turned to see him standing in the middle of the driveway, knowing she made the best choice for all of them. When she couldn’t see him anymore, she leaned over and kissed Colin.

It’s not every day you’re given the gift of hindsight.