The sun sparkled off the surface of the water as the boat cut through the small waves. They bobbed up and down, and Emily held onto her stomach protectively. Luckily, she didn't feel seasick.
"I don't think we've ever had this many people in the boat before," Chantelle remarked. "Four adults, one child, two dogs. And a baby in Mom's tummy, of course."
Emily laughed. "It's quite the adventure," she agreed.
Amy was quiet as they went, her arms crossed about her middle, her face turned out to the ocean. She wore an expression of deep contemplation. She was clearly lost in her thoughts, and Emily wondered again what they were. Being out on the ocean, Emily herself had discovered, invited quiet reflection at the best of times, and could easily lead the mind toward an existential crisis. She watched her friend anxiously.
Harry, on the other hand, either had nothing on his mind or was very good at hiding it. He was chatting openly with Daniel and Chantelle about the types of fish that could be caught in the ocean, about their plans for the island and boating in general.
"Now that we have a destination to boat to this will happen much more often," Daniel was saying. "We'll be ferrying people over here all the time, for parties and picnics."
"Sounds awesome," Harry said in his usual cheery manner.
Chantelle was looking up at her father with rapt attention. "Can we have Thanksgiving here?" she asked, wide-eyed.
"I doubt it," Daniel replied. "It will take a long time to get the well installed, figure out the plumbing and the solar generators for power. It's much more work than a few months, and the winter weather that's coming soon won't help. Sorry, kiddo, there's just too much to do between now and Thanksgiving for it to be a possibility."
Chantelle pouted, looking downcast.
"But we can definitely visit the island as much as the weather allows us," Emily told her. "And since we won't be sailing around in circles anymore, but have a place to head to, I think we'll be able to come out more often than we used to."
Chantelle pondered her words for a moment, then returned her expression back to happy.
Emily smiled at Daniel. He seemed relieved that she'd handled the situation so well and Emily felt a surge of pride. Her maternal instincts seemed to be sharpening as her due date grew closer.
After a while, they reached the island and the ancient jetty that was barely still standing. The faded sign that proclaimed the island was for sale was still there.
"You can start by kicking that down!" Emily told Chantelle.
Chantelle didn't need telling twice. She leapt off the boat, ran at the sign, and yanked it out of the ground.
As he tethered the boat, Daniel gestured to a stack of old, rotting fishing crates. "Put it here. We can have a bonfire."
The idea of a bonfire seemed to thrill Chantelle. She jumped up and down with excitement.
Emily stepped carefully from the boat onto terra firma, trying to absorb the strange reality that she now owned this island, that it was hers. Unlike the inn, which she'd inherited, and Trevor's, which had come into her possession through his will, this was the first thing she'd truly ever bought, she and Daniel together. It was theirs, and the overwhelming relevance of that struck her even more deeply now that she was standing on its shoreline.
Behind her, Amy and Harry stepped off the boat. They were both wearing bemused expressions as they glanced about them at the scraggly, overgrown island, the strewn debris from years past. Amy in particular must have thought Emily had gone crazy buying this deserted plot of land, surrounded by ocean, filled with squirrels and birds. If she thought Sunset Harbor was uncivilized, what on earth must she think about the island?
"I know it's not much to look at, at the moment," Emily confessed. "But there's so much potential."
"Of course," Amy said, looking perturbed as she stepped lightly along the uneven ground. Her high-fashion clothes looked more out of place here than usual.
"Do you guys want the tour?" Emily asked.
Harry nodded enthusiastically, but Amy made only a lackluster noise of confirmation.
"I'll show you!" Chantelle cried.
She led the way, heading into the trees with Harry and Amy in tow. Their footsteps and noisy voices disrupted the black squirrels that inhabited the island, making them scurry up the trees.
As Emily trekked after them, slower because of her pregnant waddle, she could hear Chantelle excitedly making announcements.
"We're going to have a tree house here," Chantelle told them. "It will be a pirate ship for me and Charlotte to play in. And that will be where the magical fairy castle ballroom will be."
Daniel, having finished securing the boat, came up beside Emily and helped her through the thickets. They drew up beside the others, Emily panting slightly from the effort and exhilaration she felt from being here.
Amy raised her eyebrows as they approached, surprised and interested.
"Are you doing all the work yourself?" she asked Daniel. "It sounds like there's a lot to do. Too much for one man, especially a soon-to-be father."
Emily smiled to herself; her friend always had her best interests at heart and knew how difficult Emily found it whenever Daniel was away from home.
"No!" Daniel exclaimed with a chuckle. "We have great contractors for it. Two kids, straight out of college. They're desperate to add to their portfolio so we're expecting really great things from them."
"And other than pirate ships and magic castles," Harry said, "where will the actual inn parts be?"
"Well, there will be a three-room cabin which we want to start as a sort of writer's retreat. Tracy is also going to do some yoga workshops on the island, like day-long well-being retreats."
"It sounds fantastic," Harry said. "How much do you think you'll get done over the winter?"
"Depends on the weather," Daniel said. "It's a shame it took so long to get the sale through, really. This Indian summer could have given us a head start, but I'm sure it will be over by the time we've organized all the machinery and materials."
Thinking ahead made Emily worry. No longer was the island a fantasy or a dream. It was real. Now everything had to be practical. There was so much to organize and pay for, so many components that had to be in place. They'd barely finished the renovations at Trevor's. It felt a bit like they'd jumped from the frying pan and into the fire!
But still, Emily was thrilled. She couldn't quite believe she and Daniel had had the guts to buy the island. Not only had they been brave enough to make a child together, they'd been brave enough to follow their dreams, no matter how crazy they may seem. Emily smiled to herself, knowing that above all else, they were a team, and that together they were indestructible.
"Now, let's go start a fire," Daniel said, rubbing his hands eagerly. "Chantelle, can you collect all the pieces of wood on the beach?"
She nodded and hurried off, always in need of a task, always wanting to do her part to help. Then Daniel pulled a package of marshmallows from his jacket pocket. Emily laughed with delight, knowing how happy Chantelle would be when she got back from her trip to the beach to discover Daniel's plan to toast marshmallows around the bonfire.
"You should have brought your guitar!" Emily said.
But Daniel just smiled and kissed her tenderly. "There will be so many more opportunities for songs around the bonfire," he said, his eyes going dreamy. "You, me, and the girls."
Emily gazed at him, awed by the man he was, the gorgeousness of him, and so excited for their future together, for all the adventures that lay ahead.
*
Mouths sticky with melted marshmallow, bellies and cheeks aching from laughter, the small party headed back to the boat. Daniel had called it, saying that the light would soon fade. And besides, there was no plumbing on the island yet and Baby Charlotte had a tendency to kick Emily's bladder on a regular basis, so she'd be relieved to be heading back within the vicinity of a restroom.
When they reached the main lane, Daniel found their spot in the harbor. There were very few vessels in the water now, though many more than usual at this time of year. Everyone was making the most of the warm weather, eking out as many trips on the water as they could before winter came along and robbed them of that pleasure.
"Thanks for that impromptu trip to your island," Amy said, hugging Emily farewell. "I don't think I'll ever get over how crazy that is."
Emily smiled at her, tucking loose strands of her hair from her eyes. "When can we hang out just the two of us?" she asked.
Though Amy was often around, they were always surrounded by people. Emily couldn't actually recall the last time the two of them had gotten together for a good chat, and she could tell that Amy needed someone to talk to right now.
"Chantelle's back at school tomorrow," Emily added, "so we'll be able to find some privacy more easily. How about coffee at Joe's once we've dropped her off?"
Amy nodded and Emily noticed the look of relief in her eyes to know she'd finally be able to offload whatever was on her mind.
They parted ways with Amy and Harry, everyone hugging and waving goodbye, then strolled slowly back to the inn, exhausted from the long day. Even the dogs were dragging their paws.
"I'm tired," Chantelle said through her yawn as they idled up the driveway.
Ahead of them sat the inn, silhouetted against a deepening blue sky. Its windows beamed out yellow light, looking like twinkling stars from this distance. Emily smiled, content. Seeing the inn always gave her a sense of peace, and made her feel like she was home.
"Let's have some dinner first and then you can head up to your room," Emily said. "It's your first day back at school tomorrow so you need a good night's sleep."
Chantelle looked a little sad. "The summer's over already?"
Emily nodded. "I'm afraid so, sweetie. But don't worry, you love school! You'll see Bailey and Toby every single day again. And Gail."
"Will Miss Glass still be my teacher?" Chantelle asked.
Emily shook her head. "You'll be in a new class with a new teacher. Does that worry you?"
Chantelle paused, her expression showing that she was thinking about it. "No," she said, eventually. "I'll still see Miss Glass on the playground sometimes."
Emily smiled, then caught Daniel's eye. He was smiling too.
They went inside the inn, the foyer bright, warm, and welcoming. Bryony was in the side lounge on her favorite couch, surrounded by half-drunk coffee mugs as usual. She leapt up when she saw them, her metal bracelets jangling as she did, and hurried over. Her perfume smelled of spices.
"Guys, I can't believe it!" she gushed. "An island!" She hugged Emily. "Do you know how few islands there are in the hospitality world? This is going to be a gold mine!"
"I'm glad to hear that," Emily replied. "Or else it might have been a very expensive mistake."
Daniel and Chantelle went into the kitchen to make food. Emily decided to head up to the nursery while they were cooking. She wanted to look through another one of Charlotte's boxes to see whether there were any toys she could pass on to the baby.
She went inside the nursery and sat on the floor beside one of the many boxes that contained her sister's old toys and clothes, which had been brought down from where they'd been carefully stored in the attic.
This task was always tinged with melancholy. Though Emily felt that Charlotte's spirit was with her in this house, smiling down on her and the family she'd built, it always felt a little bit like she disappeared more with each day that passed. Time was supposed to make pain lessen but for Emily she felt that the more days that went by without her sister the more she missed her, because the last time they spoke was that little bit further in the past.
She opened up the cardboard box, a smell of dust wafting out with it. Like most of the boxes, this one was filled with cuddly toys. It surprised Emily to see that Charlotte had owned so many stuffed toys. She hardly had any memories of her sister playing with bears or dolls. They spent most of their time imagining worlds and acting out plays. Other than their twin rag dolls and Charlotte's favorite bear, Andy Pandy, Emily couldn't recall them ever playing with such toys at all.
But as she reached in and pulled out a faded pink toy, Emily felt a sudden surge of a memory. She turned the toy over in her hands and saw it was a unicorn, its once shimmery sequined horn now dull.
"Sparkles," she muttered aloud, the name of the toy appearing on her tongue before her mind had even kicked into gear.
Then suddenly she felt a familiar swirling sensation, one she had not felt for a very long time. She was slipping back into the past, into her old memories.
The flashbacks had begun once she'd first returned to the inn. They'd been terrifying at first, frightening memories such as the night Charlotte had died, and the raging arguments between her parents. But then as time had passed, as she processed those repressed memories, Emily had started to experience some of the more pleasant ones. Times when she and Charlotte had played together; had been carefree. This memory filled Emily with a sense of calmness, and she knew it was going to be a nice one.
She and Charlotte were in the attic, in one of the rooms her father had filled with antique items. On the floor beside them was a bronze globe, and Charlotte was spinning it idly with a finger. Sitting next to Charlotte was Sparkles, the beautiful unicorn toy. Brand new, fluffy pink, with a sequined horn.
"Sparkles is sad," Charlotte told Emily.
"Why?" Emily asked, curiously, hearing a child's voice coming from her throat.
"Because she's the last unicorn," Charlotte explained. "She doesn't have any other unicorn friends."
"That's sad," Emily replied. "Maybe you should take her on an adventure to cheer her up?"
Charlotte seemed to perk up at the suggestion. "Where do you want to go, Sparkles?" she asked her toy. Then she spun the golden globe and stopped it with a pointed finger. It was a small island to the east of the continent of America. "Sparkles wants to go to an island," Charlotte informed Emily.
Emily nodded. "In that case, we'd better get in the boat."
They pulled out old chairs and coffee tables, disturbing the dust and stirring the smell of mildew, then configured them in such a way that satisfied their imaginations that they'd constructed a boat. Then they used a threadbare curtain as a sail and clambered into their boat with Sparkles.
Emily could almost feel the wind in her hair as they sailed across the ocean to a distant shore. Charlotte used a kaleidoscope as a telescope, scanning the room as if searching.
"Land ahoy!" she suddenly cried.
Emily threw the anchor-which was in fact a wooden coat hanger tied to a curtain cord. Then they leaped from the boat and swam to shore.
Panting from exertion, the two girls began exploring the island, poking through the piles of antiques, pretending it was a volcano.
"Look in here," Charlotte cried to Emily. "Down in the volcano!"
Emily peered behind the hat stand that Charlotte was pointing at. "I don't believe it!" she exclaimed, playing along.
Charlotte's eyes were wide. "It's the rest of the unicorns," she said. Then she spoke hurriedly to Sparkles. Her face dropped. "Sparkles wants to go down the volcano to be with them," she said to Emily.
"Oh," Emily said, a little sad. "Even though that means leaving us?"
Charlotte looked at her dear unicorn friend and nodded. "She says this is her home island. She misses it a lot, and all her friends. She wants to live here. But we're allowed to come and visit."
"That's okay then," Emily said.
They tied their cardigan sleeves together to make a sling for Sparkles. Then they lowered the unicorn down the back of the furniture and left her there.
"Are you sad to say goodbye?" Emily asked Charlotte as they climbed back into their makeshift boat.
Charlotte shook her head. "No. Because I know I'll see her again."
Emily suddenly snapped back into the present day. She was holding Sparkles tightly against her chest, and the toy's head was wet with her tears. On one hand she felt desperately sad, because she knew Charlotte had never had the chance to see Sparkles again. But the other part of her felt buoyant with joy. The toy was a sign from Charlotte, Emily was certain. Sparkles had been left on that island, down the back of the furniture, completely forgotten about until this moment, perhaps even specifically for this moment.
She hugged Sparkles tightly, then placed her, poignantly, on the shelf overlooking Baby Charlotte's crib. She felt the circle of life continuing, and smiled knowing that once Charlotte arrived she would have a guardian angel watching over her as she slept.
*
Emily snuggled up into bed beside Daniel. It had been a long and tiring day, and she found herself quickly drifting off to sleep.
"I can't believe we own an island," she murmured into the darkness as she began to fall asleep. "My future is looking nothing like I thought it would once."
Daniel let out a sleepy laugh. "How so?"
"Well, I never thought I'd be married and pregnant. I never thought I'd have Chantelle, or this inn." She stroked Daniel's chest as it rose and fell slowly.
"I never thought I'd have Chantelle or the inn either," he replied.
"But you're happy you do?"
"Of course."
"Are you happy we're having another girl?"
He kissed her forehead. "I'm very happy," he assured her.
"And that our daughter is going back to school tomorrow where she's doing fabulously?"
Daniel laughed again. "Yes. I am glad that Chantelle is doing well at school."
Emily smiled, contented. Sleep seemed ready to take her.
"I'm only sad about one thing," she said.
"What's that?"
"That my dad won't be around to enjoy it all with us."
Daniel fell quiet then. She felt his arms tighten around her.
"I know," he said. "I'm sad about that too. But let's just make the most of the time we have with him now. Let's make sure every day is as good as it can be. Let's make each day count."
Emily nodded with affirmation. "I think we made today count," she said, yawning. "We bought an island, after all. It's not every day that happens."
She felt Daniel's chest shudder with his laugher. She squeezed herself even more tightly against him, overjoyed and welling with love. Wrapped in one another's arms, their heartbeats synchronized. They fell asleep in unison, in perfect harmony, two people united by love.
