Ch. 3
Before Mack and Brady went to Oceanview Manor the next day, Mack dug through her jewelry box, and took out a very special necklace. It was a strand of pearls, with a golden pendant in the shape of a Hawaiian symbol for friendship. Mack put it on, then stood in front of the mirror, fingering the flower charm. The necklace had belonged to Lela. Mack admired it once, during that magical Summer. And before she and Brady left, Lela gave the necklace to her. Mack treasured that beautiful trinket. Back then, she might have thought going to Wet Side and meeting Lela and her friends had been a hallucination, since she'd nearly drowned in the ocean that day. But coming back home, still wearing the necklace, was proof that it wasn't her imagination at all. It was not only a reminder of one of her best memories ever, but also a gift from a friend she'd never thought she would see again. Until now.
When they got to the nursing home, Mack entered Lela's room first, while Brady waited in the hall. "Hi, Lela," she said, hugging the elderly woman. Lela, who was propped up in her bed, hugged her back, glad to see her.
Mack lifted the necklace from her chest. "Do you remember this?" She asked.
Lela's face lit up. "Of course I do, silly! I gave it to you. Friendship forever."
Mack nodded, her eyes clouded with emotion. "That's right. Friendship forever." She thought back to the day Lela explained the meaning of the pendant to her.
"This necklace has been my most prized possession since you gave it to me," she told Lela. "I just wanted to thank you again for it."
Lela smiled. "I'm glad you like it so much, Mack. Giving it to you was the least I could do," she confided.
"What do you mean?" Asked Mack. She sat down on a chair next to the bed.
Lela leaned in to talk, as if sharing a secret. "You were the best friend I ever had," she said. "Meeting you changed my life. You introduced me to Tanner. And, you taught me that being a girl shouldn't keep me from following my dreams. Sure, I got married and raised a family, but I also had a career I loved. You gave me what I needed to live a full life. And I'll love you forever for it."
Mack grasped her friend's hand, looking into her eyes. "You know, Lela, you inspired me, too," she said. "You gave me the courage to be myself, instead of what people expected me to be. Meeting you stopped me from making a terrible mistake. And I love you for it, too. You mean the world to me. So thank you."
Just then, Brady knocked on the wall. "Can I make my grand entrance yet?"
"Oh, yeah," said Mack. "Lela, I brought a special visitor. Brady!"
Lela smiled, her bright blue eyes sparkling. "We meet again!" She said. "Oh, it's like the gang's all together again!"
Mack, Brady and Lela spent the afternoon together, talking and laughing about the good times they'd shared on the beach. The young couple stayed until visiting hours ended, then left with the promise to return soon.
To Be Continued