JUNE 2023
Peace. Kind of.
Mari sat in her sunroom, relishing the quiet. It was 6:00 am and she'd been nursing a cup of Earl Grey for fifteen minutes.
She sat and rocked with a blanket wrapped around her, closing her eyes and humming a lullaby. Days like these, she needed this time to gather her wits about her before she headed to work.
She'd settled in to her new home; the quirks of her new house became welcome surprises to her. The mundane routine of a new life was comforting as it gave her a mental anchor during the times when grief just became too much.
She'd taken to walking around her neighborhood now, unafraid. Serenbe was the type of place whose residents prided themselves in early-morning endeavors, so she fit right in. In the first week she moved in, she counted fifteen regulars strolling down her street at 4:30 am, presumably, high-profile execs who needed the same slow moment before a whirlwind day.
With her morning jog finished, she went straight home and lifted weights. A shower, change of clothes, makeup and hair fixed, then a protein-packed breakfast awaited her afterwards. Now, in the early morning, she took the time to slow down with her tea.
I love this. I'm not lonely, Kenz. I'm adjusting to living without you and Lucas and Elise. I don't quite know how I'm doing this, but I am. Forgive me, baby... it's taking me a while to be happy again, she thought.
--------------
DECEMBER 2023
It had been eleven months since the accident. Isaac was nervous. He found himself driving up 75 North wondering if they'd grill him, wondering what they'd think of him. He wasn't worried about what they thought, but he was concerned about what they'd say to Mari.
Just be honest, dude. You can handle it, and this is really nothing compared to what she's already gone through, he told himself.
A few hours later, he pulled into a circular, gravel driveway, next to a convoy of cars. Don went outside to greet him.
"Hey man, glad you made it. Come on in, everyone's inside," he said, turning around and leading the way.
Isaac looked up at the log cabin. This is a mansion, he corrected himself. He stepped inside and was greeted by eight families. Don and Liza, their two kids, Aaron and Rachel, with their four kids, Scott and Regina, Daniel and Shea, and their golden retriever, Nacho, then Kevin and Nora with their four, Jake and Heather with their three boys, Brandon and Carrie with their baby, and Ben and Natalie with their three kids.
"Wow, a full house. Thanks for inviting me, guys," said Isaac, by way of greeting. He looked around, then suddenly felt sad, wishing his three kids were with him too.
"Hey man, we were just about to go outside and take a walk. You wanna join us? Or would you rather stay here and chill?" asked Ben.
"You know, man, it was nice country driving up here. Sure, I'll go," Isaac replied.
The whole group headed outside and the kids scattered on the trail, leaving the adults to catch up with them. They'd been walking for twenty minutes when Don stayed back with Isaac.
Here we go, Isaac thought.
"Hey man, I'm glad you took us up on the invite. Glad you're here," Don started.
"Thanks for inviting me man. Glad I could make it. I wish the kids were here too," Isaac replied.
"Well, I wanted to talk with you about Mari. I know you and Kenzo and her were friends before... the accident, and I know you've been friends with her since then. I feel a sort of responsibility for her.
I love that whole family. I've known Kenzo since he was a boy and I've seen him grow. I saw him grow into a mature young man, and I know a lot of that was because of Mari. We prayed for those kids, man, when they struggled with infertility for years," Don explained.
"What I want to know is... what are your intentions? The last thing I want is for Mari to get hurt. She's already been through more than most of us can only dream of. She's tough, that one, don't get me wrong, but she's my sister, man. We all feel responsible for her," he finished.
Isaac put his hands in his pockets. "Don, to tell you the truth, I think she's way out of my league."
Don nodded. "She is."
He chuckled. "See, I knew that. She's incredible, Don. I'm telling you now, I don't know how she does it. But what I do know is that I really like her. I admired her when she and Kenzo hosted those open invitation dinners on Friday nights. She's generous, she's kind. I know she loved her family."
Don cleared his throat. "Did you like her even when she was married?"
Isaac didn't hesitate. "I did. That sounds so terrible when I say it out loud, but you deserve honesty. I did, Don. But I made sure never to disrespect her or Kenzo or do anything inappropriate. I wanted to be married again, and I'd prayed for someone like Mari. I didn't think it would be her."
"But as I've gotten to be her friend, she's unlike anyone I've ever met. There's something about her. The kids love her. They were excited when I told them I liked her. I know the age difference makes some people uncomfortable.
To be honest, I didn't know if we were going to be ok with that, but she's not worried about it at all. The last thing I'd want to do is hurt her. Even if we never worked out, I'd want her to be happy."
Don nodded. "Thanks for being honest. That's all I wanted. She's an adult; she can make her own choices. But I'll tell you this," he stopped walking and turned around to face Isaac.
"If you EVER hurt her, I mean it, Isaac. If you think you're going to treat her less than she deserves, or if you're not prepared to lay down your life for her, or... if you don't put her first in your family, back out now and spare yourself the trouble. If you're going to commit to courting her and marrying her, or anyone else for that matter, they come first. Not your kids. So think about that before you do anything else.
This is not a time for games. No one's going to hold it against you if you decide not to go through with it, but if you do win her heart then change your mind, we're going to have some problems, you and I. I'll wager you won't be making any friends with that lot over there either if you do that."
Isaac squared his shoulders and met Don in the eye. "Don... I appreciate that Mari has friends like you. Thank you for caring about her. As for me, I'm prepared. If this is what the Lord has for me, I'll accept it. I've been praying for this and now it's here. I'm not squandering this blessing."
Both men resumed their walk on the trail. Don sped up to catch up with Liza and Isaac saw him speak to her. Was it just him, or was it that when they all walked back down to the cabin, everyone else seemed more relaxed around him?
Thank God, thought Isaac. If I'm going to spend five days here, I'd rather it be with friends and not suspicious acquaintances.
In the next couple of hours, all the kids had worn themselves out playing outside and went inside for bed. All the adults congregated outside around the giant firepit, some lounging in the hot tub, some nursing their drinks in hammocks.
Everyone was in good spirits after dinner and good conversations flowed. Isaac noticed that Liza kept checking her phone every couple of minutes, and his questions were answered when Don announced, "She's here."
They heard the sliding door open as he finished his sentence, and everyone raised their glass as Mari appeared in the doorway.
Isaac took her in and his breath caught in his throat. She looked lovely. She hadn't worn anything dressy, but the simple jeans, bulky sweater, and boots she had on made her simplicity beautiful. She had a flushed look on her face and he wondered if she'd been crying on the drive up.
Don stood up and greeted her. "Glad you're here, girl. We were getting worried."
Mari blushed. "I had to stop a couple times on the way to compose myself, but I'm here. Glad I made it too."
She was surprised to see Isaac, but she smiled at him as she made her way to the group. She sat opposite from him, and before he could say anything, Nora, Natalie, Liza and Rachel had pulled her into conversation.
For three hours, everyone talked and made jokes. Isaac actually felt himself getting comfortable. He was laughing out loud at something Aaron said, but he stopped when he saw Mari throw her head back and laugh.
She's beautiful, Isaac. You've gotta do this right, man, or you'll regret it forever, he told himself.
The firelight danced in her eyes as she spoke, and she'd shed her sweater and boots hours ago. Now, she was relaxing in the Adirondack chair in a long-sleeve shirt, jeans, and fuzzy socks, holding her drink.
This was the first time in months he'd heard her belly laugh, and he realized he'd missed that sound. She must have felt him stare at her, and she turned to face him. She blushed, then looked down. The ladies resumed their conversation while Isaac smiled and turned back to his own.
"Alright, y'all... I'm turning in. Gotta get ready to ski, tomorrow," said Ben, getting up.
One by one, everyone stood up and said their goodnights. Soon, it was just Mari and Isaac left. Mari looked at her watch and made a move to get up, but Isaac stopped her.
"Hang on, Mari. I wondered if you could stay a while."
She held a questioning look on her face. "Sure, what's up?"
He looked down at his hands for a while, and Mari was getting nervous. "Penny for your thoughts?"
He smirked. "You're gonna need a lot of those."
"I've been thinking about you a lot. In fact, I can't stop thinking about you." That earned a blush from her.
"You're incredible. I think you're too good for me. But... I can't shake what I feel for you. I like you a lot, and I'd like to ask if I could court you. If you're not ready, it's okay."
She let out a breath. She didn't meet his eyes and now it was her turn to be silent. Isaac took that as a sign and walked up to her. Her skin looked luminous in the light of the bonfire and her eyes sparkled as she looked up at him. He resisted the sudden urge to take her face in his hands and kiss her.
"What about the kids?" she said, finally.
Isaac smiled. "The kids are crazy about you. Henry's been upset with me because I've taken so long to ask."
She laughed. "Isaac, I love those kids."
"I know you do, Mar. The first time they met you and you baked with Jade, I could tell you loved them," he answered.
Mari looked at him. There was so much sadness in her eyes, but he could also see hopefulness.
"Isaac, I've been wondering if you would ask. I've thought about you constantly. To be honest, even while Kenzo was alive... I'd thought about you. I knew it was wrong. And I've felt nothing but guilt and myself to blame when they died. It's like somehow, I was the one who caused them to have that accident," she confessed.
