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IN THE SIDE garden that Shelly had brought back from the wild, Ivy snipped stalks of Hawaiian red ginger, orange birds of paradise, and lacy green ferns in anticipation of their first guests. She admired the colors against the yellow linen sundress she wore and thought what a vivid still life the armload she carried would make, especially framed by the brilliant blue sky above. It seemed unseasonably warm today as if summer couldn’t wait to arrive. Turning her face toward the sun, she thought it was a perfect day for new beginnings.
Ivy glanced toward the ocean, where a few solitary souls strolled the water’s edge. Some people had leashed dogs nipping at the waves, while others stopped to contemplate the swell of the sea. If the heat kept up, the summer crowds would come early.
She p
