Return to Willow Lake (28 page)

Chapter Twenty-Four

Back at her apartment, Sonnet did a final walk-through,
moving like a wraith through the place she’d lived for the past five years.
She’d cut herself loose from everything—her father, her career path, the life
she thought she was supposed to have. The old Sonnet would have panicked at the
prospect of having a life with no plan. Now she felt liberated—albeit excited
and nervous—at the prospect of all this open white space.

There was sadness, too. She had walked away from Zach. And he
had let her. She came across a stack of mail, mostly catalogs filled with items
she would never, ever buy. Among the letters was a card from her mother,
including a shiny silver disk without a label. Nina’s handwriting was strong and
sure. Her brief message read:

Zach didn’t tell you
everything
.
Here’s a video I asked him to make for me—and for my family. There were things I
wanted to record in case things went badly for me. I couldn’t have gotten
through this without you, baby. You’ve been there for me even when I didn’t know
I needed you. I love you more than words can say.

Sonnet’s hand shook as she put the disk into her computer. The
screen resolved into a shot of her mother sitting on the porch of her house,
with trees blowing in the background. It was the start of a beautifully produced
video chronicling her mother’s pregnancy and illness. There were short and long
sequences showing Nina’s journey, punctuated with some of her favorite
things—music and nature, views of her world, even a cooking lesson and a few
housekeeping tips she’d gleaned from running the Inn at Willow Lake. There were
family stories Sonnet had heard before, and a good number that were brand-new to
her. Nina was very much herself—frank and funny, emotional. There were a couple
of parts showing her completely in despair and filled with terror—bruised and
exhausted from chemo, speaking through painfully cracked lips, and a post-op
sequence that was brutal to watch. She put everything in front of the camera,
holding nothing back. Sonnet could only imagine how Zach felt, filming it.

Like all of Zach’s work, the video was sensitive and honest.
He’d been working with Nina all along, and he’d never said a word about it.

Sonnet clicked on an icon toward the end of the video series.
There was her mother, looking completely exhausted, her cheeks hollowed out by
fatigue. She wore a scarf and no makeup. Her smile was tremulous but still
glimmering with hope. “I’ve been counting the blessings in my life,” she said,
“and I’ve lost count. It’s a good problem to have, right? But it helps me
realize that it doesn’t matter what happens. If everything ended in the next
moment, I would still be blessed. I’m completely bald, I’m eight months pregnant
and I have only one breast. And this morning, Greg told me I’m beautiful. It’s
kind of a miracle, right? Actually, the miracle is not that he said that. It’s
that he made me believe it.”

The screen blurred before Sonnet’s eyes. What her mother was
saying was something so obvious, yet so difficult to grasp. It was terrible,
what her mother had gone through, but now, Sonnet truly understood the gift of
being pushed to the brink of despair. There were only a few things that truly
mattered. Family and friends and connection. Understanding and selfless
love.

* * *

Zach went to the Sky River Bakery to celebrate making
his final payment of restitution to the town of Avalon, and to wait for the last
person he expected to see here—his father.

Matthew Alger had made parole.

Everything felt completely surreal to Zach. It was ironic that
working on a project about the town his father had defrauded had ultimately
given Zach the power to make amends.
Big Girl, Small
Town
had turned out to be a surprise hit for the network. He sat
listening to the familiar sounds of the bakery—acoustic music coming from the
speakers, the murmur of conversation, the hiss and gurgle of the espresso
machine. A pair of workers in white aprons emerged from the swinging doors,
wheeling a stainless steel cart with a tall wedding cake surrounded by flowers.
Around the edge of the cake was a message written in icing:
The beginning of forever.

Good luck with that, thought Zach, looking at his phone. He
wasn’t sure he’d done the right thing, sending the message to Sonnet about
Orlando Rivera. Zach knew he hadn’t been mistaken. Perla Galetti, his assistant
on the
Big Girl
show and resident digital geek, had
pinpointed the ISP of the “anonymous” video uploader. For a smart guy, Rivera
didn’t seem to understand that nothing done on the internet was truly
anonymous.

Sonnet hadn’t called him back or responded to the message. Was
she pissed at him? Or had she already left to go save the children of the world?
Damn. He wished she could see there were children who needed saving right in her
own backyard. But that wasn’t exotic or prestigious enough, he supposed.

“You look like you could use some cheering up,” said Glynnis,
bringing him a freshly baked kolache and a big mug of coffee.

“I’m cheerful,” he said. “I’m cheerful as hell.”

“Sure.” She set his tab on the table and moved on.

He reminded himself of something Nina had said in one of her
video monologues—there are some things you don’t have a choice about, but
there’s plenty you can choose. Like happiness. Like focusing on the
positive.

And there were a lot of positive things happening for Zach.
Executives, test audiences and critics couldn’t stop talking about
Big Girl, Small Town,
already known by its initials,
BG/ST
. The impact of Jezebel, her connection
with the kids and the strange juxtaposition of an urban icon with the beauty of
Willow Lake were irresistible. There was even talk of award nominations, because
despite the commercial intent of the series, a deep message of hope and healing
through good works shone through.

These days, offers poured in for Zach and he had to engage an
agent to juggle everything. For the first time in his career, he could name his
price and his program. The industry considered him a seasoned and sought-after
professional. He had offers to work all over the place—L.A., Vancouver, Austin,
New York…
New York
.

He pictured himself going to Sonnet and telling her he wanted
to be at her side no matter where her travels took her…but it just didn’t work
like that. If they couldn’t figure out how to put their lives together, even
love wouldn’t save them. Still, he kept thinking about what Jezebel had said,
that there was a reason he stuck around Avalon, and it wasn’t just due to a lack
of options. This was the home of his heart.

The bell over the door chimed. Somehow, without even looking
up, Zach knew it was his father.

Sure enough, Matthew Alger walked into the bakery. He was pale
and moved with a certain tentativeness, as if he was feeling his way through the
dark. His trousers and shirt bore creases of newness, though he wore the same
scuffed shoes and wristwatch he’d had at the start of his prison term. No one in
the place seemed to recognize him. People moved on, Zach thought. Everyone was
absorbed in his own drama.

“I did it, finally,” said Matthew, spreading his arms. “I made
parole.”

“You did.” Zach rose to his feet and extended his hand. “Have a
seat. You still a coffee drinker?”

“You bet. It’s really good to see you, son.”

As they sat together drinking coffee, watching people come and
go, a subtle rhythm took over. It was as if no time had passed. They were just a
guy and his son, talking about the weather, the local baseball team, the merits
of the strawberry rhubarb pie his dad had ordered.

“So you filmed a hit TV show,” Matthew said after Zach filled
him in on the production. “That’s great, Zach. Sounds like everything is on
track for you.”

“Yep. Sounds that way.”

“Actually, it doesn’t. What’s bugging you?”

“Sonnet Romano,” Zach muttered.

“Hey, I remember her. She was always a go-getter. Pretty little
thing, too.”

And that was when the floodgates opened. Zach found himself
spilling everything—the crazy reunion at Daisy’s wedding, the summer they’d
spent working together, the fact that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t
get her out of his mind.

Matthew grinned from ear to ear. “You’re in love. That’s nice
to see.”

“It won’t work. She’s on her own path, and I’m on mine. She’s
only ever wanted to get away from this place, travel the world, do humanitarian
work. And I…hell, I can’t see myself fitting into that picture.”

“Then look harder,” his father said simply. “There was one
great love in my life—your mother. I ran her off, and didn’t realize I’d lost
something special until it was too late.”

“You never told me that.”

Matthew shrugged. “I’m telling you now. Maybe you’ll learn from
my mistake. If you love Sonnet Romano, then you’ll do what you have to do to be
with her. If you have to follow her halfway around the world just to be with
her, you do it. Just don’t let her walk away.”

“You’re oversimplifying it,” Zach said.

“You’re overcomplicating it,” his father replied. “Hell, while
she’s off working on her international projects, you could be with her, filming
and documenting.”

“That’s not exactly what I had in mind for myself.”

“Love is compromise, and this sounds like one worth
making.”

Zach finished his coffee and paid the check. “Prison made you
smarter.”

“I had a lot of time to read. Promise you’ll give it some
thought, son.”

“Yeah. Okay.”

“Now I don’t know what I’ll do,” Matthew said. “They’re setting
me up with an employment counselor to see what I’m qualified for.”

“You’re going to be all right,” said Zach.

“I hope you’ll come around and see me. Maybe we’ll have a game
of cribbage.”

“Cribbage sounds good.”

Chapter Twenty-Five

Sonnet returned to Willow Lake to take care of one
final piece of unfinished business—Zach. The idea of facing him and telling him
what was in her heart was terrifying, but if she didn’t speak her truth, she
knew she would always regret it. She’d learned a lot from her mother about
having emotional courage and the clarity that could bring.

The time she had spent in Avalon had brought her unanticipated
gifts, but that hadn’t become clear to her until she had tried going back to her
old life. At Willow Lake, she’d found herself with blank space in her life,
space that used to be filled with rushing around with work and trying to be the
daughter she thought her father wanted. The time away gave her good breathing
space she hadn’t known she needed. She had not been feeling like herself for a
long time, she just felt like someone who was trying to stay on a path she
hadn’t picked, trying to convince herself that she’d made the right choice. In
reality, she’d been using all the busy-ness and chaos of work and the city to
avoid thinking about the things that really mattered, like the importance of
living a life that felt like the right fit for her, not for someone else. She’d
spent such a long time chasing down her father’s dream that she’d forgotten to
chase her own.

Everything had changed, from the inside out. She felt
completely different, excited and nervous about the future, but not at all
scared. It was funny, she’d been scared without knowing it, scared to face a
future that might not be big enough or impressive enough for people like Orlando
or her father.

There was a peculiar sense of peace that came from knowing
she’d finally made the right choice for the right reasons. Even if she
discovered that Zach had left, or that he didn’t want what she hoped he’d want,
she would always have the peace of mind of knowing her future was going to be
built on her own choices. There was a way to save the world starting right here,
right now, with children like the ones they worked with at Camp Kioga. She
didn’t need to travel halfway around the world in order to find kids who needed
her.

She belonged here, at least for now, close to her mom and tiny
half-brother. Her plans had changed—but they were still big plans and this time,
they felt like the right plans for Sonnet. As for Zach, she couldn’t guess what
he might think of her big change. She’d find out soon enough.

She couldn’t regret anything that had happened. She would
forever be grateful that he was the one who had always been there for her. He’d
been there when she was confused and difficult, and she hoped he would be there
now that she knew it was time to start opening up and trusting her heart and
saying yes to things that used to seem so impossible to her. Being with Zach
reminded her that life was beautiful, that love and adventure were possible even
when times were hard or frightening. The two of them together could be magic,
but there was just one thing she had to do—she had to tell him.

She’d sent him a text, checking to see if he would be in town.
After
Big Girl, Small Town
was a major hit, who knew
where Zach would be? He was a key player in the success of the series; he’d be
able to write his own ticket with any number of production companies now. He
might be heading to the West Coast or anywhere in the world now.

Propitiously, he was in Avalon. He sent her a message saying
he’d meet her at Blanchard Park. She tried to read meaning into his choice for
the rendezvous. The town’s lakeshore park was a part of their shared history. It
had been their regular meeting spot from the time they were old enough to cross
the street without adult supervision. They’d met at the old town park for
swimming in the summer, skating in the winter, boating whenever they’d been able
to scrape together the money to rent a skiff or catboat. Did he want to meet
there because the place on the lake was special to them?

Or because it was an appropriate spot to say goodbye?

She felt exhilarated by the sense of risk, but she wasn’t
afraid. After watching her mother’s ordeal, Sonnet understood what it was to be
truly afraid. She would be devastated if Zach sent her away, but she refused to
let fear keep her from telling him what was in her heart. It took no special
bravery to be honest about her emotions.

He was waiting when she got there, his tall silhouette dark
against the deepening light, his long pale hair catching the last of the sun’s
rays. He looked so good to her, just the sight of him made her pulse race.

“Hey,” she said, unable to keep the smile off her face.

He turned to her, and the breeze lifted his hair. “Hey.”

“I’m glad you said you’d meet me,” she said, nervous in spite
of her resolve. “Let’s walk.”

They wandered down to the lakeshore as twilight gathered and
the first stars appeared. No one was around. It felt like just the two of them
together, and it was a wonderful feeling. If she had to spend forever with just
one person, she would want it to be him. The thought took root inside her and
gave her courage.

“I came back because I have something to tell you. You don’t
have to respond or say anything back to me. It’s just…something I need to get
out there because to do anything less would be cowardly of me, and I’m done
being scared.”

He stared at her aghast, as if she was going to confess to
having an STD or something. “Uh, okay. I’m listening.”

“What I need to say is that what happened at Daisy’s wedding
was not some sweet, drunken mistake. Maybe I didn’t know it at the time, but it
was life-changing. I started falling in love with you that night, Zach, not the
way I’ve always felt about you, but…deeper. More intense, and it scared me, so I
backed off. Pulling away from you didn’t work, though. I just…kept falling. So I
came to tell you I love you, Zach. And not the way I felt when we were just
friends, or kids growing up together. But as the person I’ll love for the rest
of my life, with every inch of my heart.”

He stood statue-still, his face unreadable.

“Sorry to blurt it out like that.” She tried to keep her heart
from sinking. “If you don’t feel the same way, I understand. I wouldn’t blame
you for giving up on me.”

“Tell you what,” he interrupted. “How about you let
me
explain how I feel?”

“Oh. Yes, sorry.” She flushed, aware that she had a habit of
getting ahead of the conversation.

“Listen, I’m not good with words,” he said, “but ever since I
got your message, I’ve been thinking about what I need to tell you.”

She braced herself. Made herself be still and listen for
once.

“So I was watching this video clip online,” he said, “about
these Chinese watermelon farmers who gave their melons too much chemical growth
accelerator.”

She frowned. He was always watching clips of strange phenomena,
filing them away in his mind like bits of fluff in a lint trap. “Interesting,
but what does that have to do with us?”

“I’m trying to make a point here, okay? Anyway, the watermelons
are all starting to explode. That’s right, they’re exploding from growing too
fast. Sometimes I feel like my heart is like one of those giant watermelons that
is about to explode from being too full.”

“Oh, Zach.” Her arms felt chilled. She started to tremble all
over. “Don’t ever say you’re not good with words.”

“It’s the best way I can think of to describe how my heart
feels. What I’m trying to tell you is that I’m in love with you, too. You’re
right about Daisy’s wedding. Something happened that night we were together. We
both felt it. That night changed everything. I kept waiting for it to go away,
or to fade, but that’s not what’s happening. This is the kind of love that’s
going to grow and withstand time and keep growing until it becomes this
immovable, unconditional love that people always dream of finding and only a few
ever do.”

“Oh, Zach. Really? Oh, my God…I was afraid you didn’t feel the
same way I do.”

“You should have checked with me before assuming I didn’t.”

“I know. I’m sorry.” With every cell in her body, she wanted to
touch him. No, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and never let go. “So…now
what?”

“Hey, check it out.” Something glimmered in the light. He
pointed out a clear glass bottle bobbing against the lakeshore.

“Looks like somebody littered.” She walked over and picked up
the bottle. “At least they have good taste in champagne—whoa, there’s a message
inside.” She held the bottle up to the light, immediately thinking about the
last time she’d found a bottle floating in the lake. “Maybe it’s the same one I
threw out into the water at Daisy’s wedding.”

“You should check it out.”

“No, I should throw it back into the lake and continue this
amazing conversation with you,” she said.
I’m in love with
you
. Had she heard him right? She was starting to think she’d
imagined it. Exploding watermelons and unconditional love…

“Just open the damn bottle,” Zach said.

She thrust it at him. “You do it, then. I don’t want to be
responsible for prying into someone’s private business.”

“Jesus, Sonnet. Could you just open it?”

She sighed in exasperation. “I don’t want this conversation
with you to end.”

“Trust me, it’s not going to end.”

The expression on his face startled her. She saw tenderness and
honesty in his eyes, and she recognized that this was the way he’d always looked
at her. And she realized he was the only one who ever had. He saw her. He saw
who she was, and he loved her. She didn’t take her eyes off him as she worked
the cork out of the bottle with hands that couldn’t stop trembling. Then she
glanced down at the scrolled note in her hand. The slender tube was bound by an
elegant diamond ring.

“I have goose bumps,” she whispered.

“Don’t be afraid. It’s okay. Read it.”

She unrolled the slip of paper, instantly recognizing his
handwriting. There were only two words: Marry me. On the back of the note was
one more word:
Please
.

Her eyes filled with tears. “Zach…”

“Don’t cry. Here, try the ring on.”

It was a simple band of white gold with a glimmering diamond
solitaire. She handed it to him. “Put it on me, Zach,” she whispered. “My hands
are shaking too much.”

He lifted her hand to his mouth and gently kissed it. Then he
slipped the ring on her finger.

“It fits perfectly,” she said.

“Your mother told me your ring size.”

“My mother? She knows about this?”

He nodded. “And yes to the next question—she’s totally cool
with this plan.”

He had a plan. She shivered even more.

“That last bottle, the one I found the night of the wedding…was
that planted by you, too?”

“It was, actually. And yeah, you were meant to find it.”

“Oh, God. Please tell me there wasn’t a diamond ring in
it.”

He laughed softly. “Nah, just a note.”

“What did it say?”

He laughed again and took her in his arms, then leaned down to
whisper in her ear.

“Okay, my goose bumps just got goose bumps.”

“That’s a good sign,” he said. “There’s one problem, though.
You haven’t given me an answer…to either question.”

Happiness radiated from a deep inner core, shining through her.
It seemed so long ago that she’d fought with herself, determined to tell him no
but desperate to say yes. Everything was clear now. The answer had been written
on her heart forever, and she could finally see that, finally give voice to what
she’d wanted all along. She threw her arms around him and kissed him, at the
same time whispering a single word against his lips. “
Yes
.”