CHAPTER FORTY–THREE- The Unexpected Confession
The familiar paths of Cove Island Park stretched out before them, dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves of old oak trees. Laura and fen walked arm in arm, their steps slow and meandering, in no hurry to reach any particular destination.
“Remember when Dad used to bring us here to fly kites?” Laura asked, her eyes drawn to a family attempting to launch a colorful dragon kite nearby.
Jen chuckled. “You mean when he’d spend an hour untangling the strings while we got bored and went to chase ducks instead?”
“Hey, those were quality father–daughter moments,” Laura protested with a laugh.
As they rounded a bend in the path, the playground came into view. It had been updated since their childhood days, with new, brightly colored equipment replacing the old metal structures they had once climbed on.
“Oh man, look at that slide,” Jen said, pointing to a twisting tube slide that towered over the playground. “Can you imagine if we’d had that as kids? We’d never have left.”
Laura was about to reply when a frantic voice caught her attention. A woman was hurrying from person to person, her face etched with
worry.
“Excuse me, have you seen a little boy? Blue shirt, about this tall?” the woman asked, holding her hand out to indicate height. “His name is Timmy.”
woman apologetically. “But we’ll I keep an eye out. How
Laura and Jen exchanged a concerned glance. “We just got here,” Laura told the w long has he been missing?”
“Only about ten minutes,” the woman said, wringing her hands. “But he’s only five, and he’s never wandered off befor
off before, and.
“It’s okay,” Jen cut in soothingly. “We’ll help you look. Laura, why don’t you check near the duck pond? I’ll go towards the baseball fields.”
Laura nodded, giving the worried mother what she hoped was a reassuring smile before heading off towards the pond. As she walked, she scanned the area, looking for any sign of a small boy in a blue shirt.
She was nearly to the pond when she heard a quiet sniffle coming from a cluster of bushes. Cautiously, she approached. “Hello? Is someone there?”
A moment of silence, then a small voice: “Are you gonna be mad at me?”
Laura’s heart clenched. “No, sweetie, I’m not mad. Are you Timmy?”
A tousled head poked out from the bushes, tear–streaked face peering up at her. “Uh–huh. I didn’t mean to go so far. I was following a butterfly.”
1? Your mom’s
Laura knelt down, bringing herself to eye level with the boy. “That sounds like quite an adventure. But you know what? been foolding for you, and she’s pretty worried.”
Timmy’s lower lip trembled. “Is she mad?”
“No, honey, she’s not mad. She just wants to know you’re safe,” Laura assured him. She held out her hand. “What do you say we go find her?”
Timmy hesitated for a moment, then took her land, allowing her to help him out of the bushes. As they walked back towards the playground, Laura couldn’t help but think about how much her life had changed since she was Timmy’s age, running around this very park without a care in the world.
They rounded the corner to find Timmy’s mother, Jen, and a small crowd of helpful strangers gathered near the swing set. The moment Timmy’s mother spotted them, she let out a cry of relief and rushed forward.
“Timmy! Oh, thank God!” She scooped the boy up in her arms, hugging him tightly.
“I’m sorry, Mommy,” Timmy mumbled into her shoulder. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s okay, baby. You’re okay. That’s all that matters,” his mother soothed, tears of relief streaming down her face. She looked up at Luura. “Thank you so much. I can’t even tell you
Laura waved off her thanks. “I’m just glad he’s safe. Kids are drawn to adventure, right?”
As the crowd dispersed and Timmy’s mother led him away with promises of ice cream and a serious talk about staying close, Jen approached Laura. “Look at you, regular hero.”
Laura rolled her eyes. “Hardly. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time.”
“Still,” Jen said, bumping her sister’s shoulder affectionately. “Pretty good note to end your time in Stamford on, don’t you think?”
Laura looked around the park, taking in the familiar sights and sounds. The laughter of children on the playground, the rustle of leaves in the breeze, the distant honk of geese by the pond. It was all so familiar, yet somehow different now that she was seeing it through the lens of someone about to leave.
“Yeah,” she said softly. “I guess it is.”
As they made their way out of the park, Laura found herself filled with a sense of bittersweet nostalgia. This place held so many memories of childhood, of her marriage, of the life she had built and lost and was now rebuilding. But as the sun began to set, painting the sky in brilliant shades of orange and pink, she felt a surge of excitement for what lay ahead.
New York was waiting, full of new adventures, new memories to be made. And while a part of her would always belong to this small Connecticut town, she was ready to see what the big city had in store for Laura McKenna.
The setting sun cast long shadows across Jen’s back porch, painting the sky in brilliant hues of orange and pink. Laura and Jen sat side by side on the porch swing, plates balanced on their laps, the remnants of a simple dinner of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup–comfort food for a day filled with emotions.
“You know,” Jen said, breaking the comfortable silence that had settled between them, “I always thought I’d be the one to leave Stamford Start some grand adventure.”
York City at thirty–five. Definitely not
Laura chuckled softly. “Life’s funny that way, isn’t it? Here I am, divorced and moving to New Yo how I pictured things going ”
Jen nudged her sister’s shoulder. “Hey, who says there’s a timeline for adventure? You’re doing something brave, Laura. Not everyone would have the guts to start over like this.”
Laura was quiet for a moment, watching as the first stars began to appear in the deepening twilight. “I couldn’t have done it without you, you know. After everything with Leon I was so lost. You kept me going ‘
“That’s what sisters are for,” Jen replied, her voice thick with emotion. “Besides, someone had to stop you from drowning your sorrows in that awful flavored coffee.”
They both laughed, the sound carrying across the quiet suburban street. As their laughter faded, Laura felt a lump form in her throat.” I’m really going to miss this,” she said softly.
Jen reached over and squeezed her hand. “I know. But hey, it’s not goodbye. It’s just… see you later. You better believe I’ll be crashing on your couch in the city every chance I get ”
“You better,” Laura said, managing a watery smile. “Who else is going to help me navigate the subway system?“
They fell into another comfortable silence, gently swinging back and forth. The streetlights flickered on, one by one, and a cool breeze Garried the scent of late summer flowers
“Jen?” Laura said after a while.
Thank you. For everything I don’t think I’ve said that enough
turned to look at her sister, her eyes shining in the fading light. “You don’t have to thank me, Laura. We’re family. It’s what we do. As the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon, Laura felt a sense of peace settle over her Tomorrow, she would wake u partment, park the last of her belongings into her car, and set off for New York City. It was terrifying and exhilarating all
But for now, in this moment, with her sister by her side and a lifetime of inemories surrounding her, Laura Mckenna
was exactly
