Chapter 14 - The Gathering
On a Saturday in July, Mark and Amy hosted their first real gathering in the Cape Haven house to celebrate Leo’s third birthday.
There were no white tablecloths, no caterers in black vests, and no multi-tiered fondant cakes. A long wooden picnic table was set up in the backyard under the shade of an old apple tree, covered with butcher paper and bowls of fresh strawberries, grilled corn, and sourdough bread.
Their neighbors had come: the baker and his wife, an elderly lobsterman named Cal who brought Leo a hand-carved wooden boat, and a young couple from down the road with twin toddlers.
Children ran barefoot through the sprinkler, their laughter ringing out over the hum of cicadas. When Leo tripped and scraped his knee on the lawn, four different adults reached out to catch him. Mark picked him up, kissed his forehead, and set him back on his feet within seconds, the boy laughing as he sprinted back toward the grass.
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Amy carried a large bowl of potato salad out from the kitchen. As she set it on the table, she looked over at Mark, who was laughing with Cal by the barbecue grill.
His face was weathered by the sun, tiny laugh lines etched permanently around his eyes. He caught her looking, smiled, and gave her a subtle, knowing wink across the yard.
