Chapter 5 - The Tide Turns
Two years later, the salt air of Port Townsend tasted sweeter.
The rain still fell in gentle, misty sheets against the windows of the bookstore, but inside, the second floor apartment was filled with the bright, chaotic music of toddler laughter.
Julian—now a sturdy, bright-eyed two-year-old with dark hair and his father’s sharp, intelligent eyes—was currently attempting to scale a stack of picture books while Martha laughed from the kitchen, pouring fresh coffee.
Claire sat at the bay window, watching the Washington state ferry glide silently across the misty expanse of the water toward the dock.
Her divorce from Grant had been finalized eighteen months ago. She hadn't taken a single penny of his corporate fortune beyond a fair settlement for her independence—enough to buy Tide & Tome outright from Martha and secure a modest, comfortable life for her and her son.
Grant had kept his word about being a father, though.
Every other weekend, he flew into Seattle, rented a modest car, and drove two hours north to Port Townsend. He didn't stay at luxury hotels anymore; he rented a small, unpretentious cottage down the road. He sat on the beach with Julian, built lopsided sandcastles, learned how to change diapers without flinching, and slowly, painstakingly, earned a quiet, respectful civil truce with Claire.
They would never be lovers again. The past was a country neither of them could return to. But as Claire watched Grant walking up the wooden boardwalk toward the bookstore now, carrying a small wooden toy boat he had carved himself, she felt no bitterness.
The door chimed. Julian squealed with delight and toddled across the floor as Grant knelt down, opening his arms wide to catch his son.
Claire took a sip of her coffee, looked out at the endless, beautiful horizon where the gray sea met the grey sky, and smiled.
May you like
She hadn't just chosen peace.
She had built an entire world out of it.
