“Victory!” Charlie threw her hands up in the air in a giant V. As she turned around, she spotted Simon headed her way. Hands linked behind his back, head down, he stopped and stared at her castle.
“It looks great,” he said.
Charlie scrunched up her face and nodded. “Thanks. I’m sorry you didn’t get to enter.”
“It’s my own fault. I’m sorry, Charlie.” Simon kicked sand and lifted his chin a bit. “I wasn’t a very good friend.”
Stella nudged Charlie forward. “That’s okay. I guess I wasn’t either. We should have talked about it. I don’t like to fight, especially with you.” She held out her hand. “Friends again?”
“Sure.” Simon smiled, then laughed as Charlie threw her arms around his neck and squeezed. Stella and Marlie joined in.
“You were right, Calliope!” Stella shouted over her friends’ heads before running to her sister. “Everything worked out just fine.” She locked her arms around Calliope’s waist and squeezed.
Calliope hugged her tight. Stella had slept with Calliope for the last few nights, first because she couldn’t stop crying over Xander leaving. And yesterday because they’d said goodbye to Emmaline one final time.
At Holly’s urging, Luke had taken the day off and driven Calliope and Stella to oversee the transfer. They’d sat with Emmaline, who was now confined to a wheelchair. At least she had a backyard and a beautiful garden. Emmaline’s doctor had arrived with the new facility’s patient-care representative and assured Calliope she had made the right decision. In fact, the only decision she could have made.
Calliope held Stella’s hand as Emmaline was wheeled to the transportation van. A solitary butterfly dropped from the trees and flitted around Emmaline’s head.
As they lowered the mechanical platform, Emmaline had sat up straight and held up a hand. Her amethyst eyes brightened.
Calliope’s heart seized in her chest, and she held on tight to Stella’s hand.
“M-mm-my...” Emmaline’s lyrical voice caught as her eyes filled.
“Mama,” Calliope whispered.
“M-my girls. Those are my girls.”
“Mama?” Stella called as the butterfly fluttered away.
And Emmaline disappeared one last time.
“Best Christmas gift ever,” Calliope murmured to herself now as she pulled herself back into the moment, to the beach and the celebratory joy for her sister and her sister’s friends.
“Huh?” Stella looked up at her, nose wrinkled in confusion.
“It’s just a beautiful day,” Calliope explained.
“Did they win?”
Lori and Matt found them among the crowds who were taking pictures of themselves with the castles and those who had created them.
“Oh, they won.” Calliope beamed. “I thought you were working.”
“I was. We are,” Matt said. “Lori found something at the inn she thought you should see.”
“We’re getting all the rooms ready for this afternoon for the wedding guests and film crews, and I was cleaning Xander’s cabin.” Lori reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. “This was in the trash.”
“What is it?” Stella rose up on her toes to see as Calliope took the paper and unfolded it.
She knew, even before she looked, what she’d find. “It was in the trash? But he was supposed to meet with Gil—”
“Xander canceled the meeting,” Matt said as he looked toward the shore, where Charlie and Simon continued to hug it out. “I checked with Gil before we came out here. He lied, by the way.”
“The mayor lied?” Stella’s eyes went wide with disbelief.
“Happens more than you’d think,” Calliope said. “About what exactly?”
“Gil didn’t call any other architects. He thought the idea of competition might kick Xander into gear.”
Lori muttered, “I’m sorry, Calliope. What Xander came up with is amazing. It would have been perfect for Butterfly Harbor.”
“Yes, it would have been.” Calliope couldn’t stop staring. “It’s all him.” She clutched the drawing to her chest.