Free The Beach House by Sally John

little mysterious, and totally enthralled with every aspect of God’s creation?”
    “Oh, yes! Exactly. And the house is so like my Grandmère Babette’s apartment.”
    Molly added, “It reminds all of us of it. Even Jo is coming round.”
    “I’m glad to hear that.” He lowered his foot from the wall.“Let me know if you need anything. Goodnight.”
    They wished him goodnight and he left, strolling the opposite direction from his house.
    Andie yawned, suddenly exhausted. “Whew. I feel like I just climbed a mountain. Are you ready to go in?”
    Looking over Andie’s shoulder, Molly murmured, “Wait a sec. I’m guessing he’s going to talk to those homeless guys. Yep, he’s stopping. Isn’t he interesting? He talks like he’s personally responsible for our comfort. If Faith Fontaine really was like Babette, I bet she taught him everything he knows about being neighborly.”
    “Well, an hour ago I would have said he was downright weird and we should avoid him.”
    Molly smiled at her. “Really?”
    “Yes.”
    “Guess we killed two birds with one stone then. We went outside in the dark and bonded with the neighbor as well.”
    “Make it three birds. The dark, the neighbor, and being seen in public with you and your angel chicks!”

Twelve
    Molly and Jo sat at a small round table on a dining patio high above the beach. The morning sky was overcast, the air cool. A handful of other diners spoke in hushed tones or read newspapers, respectfully sharing with each other the singular quiet of early morning. In the distance, visible over the misted plexiglass barrier around the deck, a few scattered surfers floated about in the placid water.
    Relaxed in the Oregon-like environment, Molly inhaled a deep contented breath.“That black-bean-and-egg burrito was perfect. And a latte with soymilk? Well worth a twenty-minute, predawn walk. Can we come again tomorrow?”
    Jo smiled. “And the next day and the next, if you like.”
    “Andie would enjoy it. Char, too, if she managed to get up before lunchtime.”
    “Apparently she hasn’t changed into a morning person.”
    “Apparently not. I wonder if she packed that ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign or found it in the bedroom here?”
    Jo smiled again. Molly thought she looked better today, refreshed. Her thick gray sweatshirt added bulk, hiding her thinness.
    Molly turned and watched the surfers. How good it felt, the four of them together again! “Why do you think…” She fingered the paper ring encircling the coffee cup and reconsidered the question. Maybe she didn’t want to go there. Given her haywire hormones and the emotional stress of recent months, she could give it a rest. The past was over and the morning so pleasant.
    “Moll?”
    She faced Jo.“Hmm?”
    “Why do I think what?”
    “Oh, nothing.” Again she paused. “Looking backward can lead to such a can of worms.”
    Jo smiled. “Better open it now. That’s what vacation is all about, to set those worms free. You only have a week.”
    Molly nodded. “It’s this business about turning forty.”
    “Turn on the can opener!”
    She flashed a smile at Jo’s lighthearted tone. “I’m still processing things.” A stab of homesickness struck her. For a change, it was not for her family but rather for “girl talks,” the kind she’d only experienced with Jo. “Things like us losing touch. Why do you think that happened?”
    “Distance and marital status.”
    “That was quick. I’d say you’ve thought about this.”
    “Of course. I bet you have too.”
    “Yep, and I reached the same conclusion. Distance and marital status. And kids. I sometimes feel guilty for being married and having children. It seemed to ruin a perfectly good friendship. We didn’t have anything in common after my wedding.”
    “Moll, you still have a silly streak. We had our wacko mothers in common.”
    She groaned. “Let’s not open that can!”
    “I noticed you haven’t asked about mine.”
    “And you haven’t