(Complete) New Year's Day is a time for resolutions. Jack Harris, still mourning the tragic death of his wife, vows to start living again. Maddie Evans dumps her boyfriend and vows no more meaningless sex.
Jack moves to The Point to live in his pa...
Maddie had always liked Jack's mom. She was friendly and like Maddie loved all the kids. That was one thing that they had in common. Now they had three more things.
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Rory was glad to be going home. She had the feeling of excitement Jack had talked about as they drove across the bridge into Maine. She and Gran were talking about the people she had met. It was weird her friends were Gran and Gramps' friends too. Gran told her about how Megan and Gramps liked to talk about history and how she was friends with Alice. Rory was having trouble counting up all the people she knew on The Point. Gran liked to hear about her school and her friends. She always liked to talk about school since she was a teacher. Although she taught younger kids, she understood school. Jack was pretty lucky to grow up with a mom like Gran. Crap, why did she think about moms. Stop Rory not today.
Gran must have sensed she was quiet. "I bet some days are still hard."
"Yup, it's just if I think about her. I want to think about her and remember her and love her, but not cry."
"Sweet girl, I have the same problem. I loved your mother, just like I love you. The day they married was one of my greatest days ever because I got a daughter and granddaughter all at once. That's the special thing about your mother, so many people loved her. You and Jack miss her most, but we all miss her."
It felt good to know that others loved and missed her mom, but they could go on with their days just fine. Even Mimi, her own mother, could function. That was one of Courtney's favorite words. First, you need to function, she'd say.
Jack ran out of the house when they pulled up and gave her a big hug. It had only been since Saturday, but she missed him. Then she watched as he hugged his mother. She looked so small in his arms. He was once her little boy. The cottage surprised Rory when she walked inside. It looked like Jack had moved a lot more stuff into the porch.
Jack said, "I thought we could go eat up the street. Everyone was glad to hear that you were coming."
They ate lobster rolls and people stopped by their table to talk to Gran.
"Can I go see if Maddie wants to come to the beach?" Rory asked, but she was halfway out of her seat and didn't wait for an answer.
Maddie greeted her with a hug. She really liked Maddie's hugs. She needed Maddie's soft hugs. There were others on the beach. She saw Cassie sitting alone away from the others. When Cassie looked their way, she jumped up and ran to Rory.
"You're home!" Cassie shouted.
Home, Rory thought, this was home. "I just got back before dinner. What have you been doing?"
"Nothing really. The storm ruined half the week."
"I missed all the fun."
"Fun? It wasn't fun. It rained and rained. At my house, the generator is only for the heat, the fridge, and a few lights. It was so boooring!"
