Page 78 of The Sandbar saga

Chapter 31

"Mommy?" Callie tuggedat Katie's hand. "Open the door."

Katie inhaled, needing a deep breath to go forward, and only wheezed through her tight chest. "Okay."

She unlocked her newly bought home and swung the door open to her past. Her daughter ran inside, touching all the walls, peeking in hallways, rooms, and opening cabinets. She followed on weak legs; afraid she'd crumble at the swarm of familiarity.

"Which one is my room?" yelled Callie, heading for the stairs.

Pressing a hand to her stomach, she swallowed hard, remembering Betsy in the kitchen and the chicken dinners she could barely get down. The fights between her parents. The ugly night her whole world had changed. And, the appointments with Race.

How one man stepped into her life, changing the direction, and showing her a new way to live with promises of finding contentment and love when all she could see were storms and heartbreak.

"Mommy? Don't you hear me?"

"I'm listening." She followed her daughter up the stairs. "You get to pick the room you want to sleep in."

When she'd decided to come back to Astoria, she was surprised to find her childhood home listed for sale. Without seeing the inside after thirteen years, she'd packed her and Callie's belongings, contacted Pete, and before she was ready, she'd put the wheels in motion for her return.

"Look at the wall, Mommy." Callie disappeared in what used to be the guest room. "I want this one."

She stepped inside the room and smiled. It was obviously used as a nursery by the previous owners. Winnie the Pooh decals on the wall with a neutral beige paint theme softened the atmosphere.

Callie darted to her side and jumped up and down. "Can I stay here?"

"Absolutely." Glad Callie had picked that room, rather than Katie's old bedroom. She wanted her daughter to have a fresh start and make her own memories, untouched by her mother's past. "Why don't you check out everything. There's a bathroom right through that door with a bathtub. I'll go find a room for me to sleep in, okay?"

Callie skipped across the room toward one of the doors. Katie slipped out and walked down the hallway. The house was too big for just the two of them, but thanks to a successful year selling real estate, she could afford it.

Peeking in her old room, she approved of the neutral colors and new hardwood floors. Most curious, she wanted to see the master bedroom, hoping it, too, had been remodeled.

Her wishes came true. The previous owners repainted to off-white with a maroon accent wall. Studying the room, she liked it. The color was dramatic but calming.

The hardwood floors matched the downstairs. The old carpet of her childhood a thing of the past. Not needing to see any more of the house, she exhaled in relief. Some of the tension eased from her body.

Right now, she'd concentrate on her and Callie's rooms and the downstairs. Once she put her own stamp on the house, she'd figure out what to do with the extra bedrooms. A home gym would be a good idea, and she'd need an office downstairs.

"Mommy!"

She hurried to Callie's room. "What's wrong?"

Her daughter stood by the window and pointed outside. "Look."

She walked over and joined her daughter, smiling at the sight of a deer in the backyard. Wonderful memories flooded her. Sight of the wildlife was the best housewarming gift she could receive.

"What is it?" asked Callie.

She put her arm around her daughter's shoulders. "That's a deer. It lives in the woods. If you're lucky—and you, sweet girl, are very lucky, you'll see her again."

"I will?" Callie's eyes widened.

"I'm positive." She blinked the wetness out of her vision, remembering her desire to see the deer when she was younger.

And, how Race had indulged her wishes and sent her pictures of the deer when she was living at St. Mary's, during the loneliest parts of her life.

"Okay, let's go see if Pete's ready to get our beds out of storage and help us set them up." She grabbed Callie's hand. "Does that sound like a good plan? Maybe we can buy him and Tara a pizza tonight after everything is setup. What do you think?"

"Yes!" Callie skipped beside her as she walked through the house one more time and went outside. "Mommy?"