| Romance Fiction posted October 16, 2025 | Chapters: |
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Lucy Hears her Story
A chapter in the book Yesterday's Dreams
The Lighthouse Chap 10
by Begin Again
Claire steadied the page as she scanned the entry.
"What's it say, Claire?"
Claire's eyes met Lucy's and then David's before she read —
May 1 — Dear Diary. Can you believe it, because I can't! We're married. No lace, no bells—just a justice who never looked up. He called me Mrs. Reed, and I almost cried through the oath.
Douglas borrowed a car, and we slipped away to the neighboring village. They have a municipal building, and a judge holds ceremonies every Thursday — ten dollars for vows, five for the license, and five for a wedding picture. We celebrated with French fries and root beer floats at the outdoor stand across the street.
We drove home, and Douglas dropped me off behind the library. I walked home, or maybe I floated. I didn't want to say goodbye, but I knew we had to. I kept my ring in my pocket until I reached my room. I'll keep it close to my heart all night.
David looked down, quiet for a beat. "So, the picture my mom found—it must be their wedding photo."
Claire turned toward him, her hand resting on his.
He nodded. "They look happy. Not posing for anyone. Just — caught in a moment."
Lucy brushed at a tear she didn't mean to shed. "They were in love. You can see it."
Claire turned the page.
"May 17— Dear Diary. First time as husband and wife. We drove back with the windows down and the radio low. I snuck inside like a thief, floating on a cloud. I love him with all my heart.
Claire paused. "The following pages are stuck together."
"Keep going," Lucy said. "When does it start again?"
"Here it is." Claire smoothed the wrinkles from the page. "The ink is smudged but readable."
July 8 — Dear Diary. I've a secret. One I can't share with anyone. I'm sure I am with child — our child. Douglas is gone on a business trip for his father. I can't wait to tell him. For now, it's our secret — just the tiny life growing inside me. I whisper, I love you and pray that he or she knows, too.
July 12 — Dear Diary, I feel as if I might die. I'm running a fever, and my mother won't stop crying. Father called Dr. Avery.
It was horrible. I knew as he examined me, he'd discovered my secret. He held my hand, and my eyes pleaded for his silence. We didn't share a word, but when he squeezed my hand, somehow I knew my secret was safe.
July 14 — Dear Diary. Father found the ring. He said nothing and everything at once. Tomorrow, I go to Aunt Millie's for a season.' I have never felt so married and so alone."
August 23 — Dear Diary. Aunt Millie's smells like starch and judgment. The church ladies look at my shoes when they speak to me. I wrote Douglas on a scrap and stitched it into my hem so I can walk without falling.
Lucy rubbed her thumb along the table. "She must have felt all alone."
Claire slid to the corner of the next page.
February 7—Dear Diary. The storm began with the pains. Aunt Millie called Father. He ranted and raved until Aunt Millie said the neighbors would hear. So he took me to the Lighthouse. Wind pushed through every seam. Dr. Avery arrived soaked. He told me I was brave.
A quick sob cut from Ruth's throat. "Andrew cut the cord, and Dr. Avery handed you to me. I had no idea how my world was about to change."
Tears streamed down Claire's face. "What about Father and Mr. Wheaton?"
"Andrew was as emotional as I ever saw him — that is, until your birth years later. But Wheaton — he acted as if we were just taking out the trash. Never once looked at his daughter or the baby."
David handed Claire a tissue, and she wiped her eyes. "Do you want me to read more?"
Lucy's lip was trembling, but she nodded. So Claire started to read again.
February 8 — Dear Diary. My sweet baby girl is here. She's perfect. The midwife who came with Dr. Avery let me hold her long enough to kiss her cheek and hear her sweet breath —like a seashell pressed to the ear. Father wouldn't even look at her.
Lucy covered her mouth, then let her hand fall. Ruth kept hold of her.
February 9 — Dear Diary. Father left my sweet baby at the Lighthouse and took me home, banished me to my room, and in silence. First, I lost Douglas, and now Pamela Lucile. What purpose is there to my life? None that I can see.
February 25 — Dear Diary. I walked past the tower with the lady in charge of my care. I'm not allowed to speak to anyone, but Father felt I needed the fresh air. A woman stood in the doorway, rocking a tiny bundle. She smiled at me the way women do when they think the world is theirs. I smiled back because she deserves peace. My heart shattered into pieces. I came home and screamed into a pillow until the feathers made snow.
Silence took the room. The kettle ticked as it cooled. Ruth reached out, and Lucy leaned into her arms.
Claire slid a finger lower. "There's a torn line after that—half a sentence. If she ever asks who she is — that's all."
Lucy's jaw set. "I'm asking now."
Ruth met her eyes. "And we're answering."
Claire turned the page. "A few here are watermarked. This one's clear."
March 9—Dear Diary. I left a note for Father saying I've gone to buy thread. I walked to the cliff with my keeper instead. She thought the air would help clear my mind. It didn't."
Lucy's fingers tightened.
Claire drew a breath and turned to the final leaf. "Last page. It's not dated." She read slowly so nothing slipped past them.
If anyone reads this, let the record be plain: Douglas Reed is Lucy's father. His love remains in my heart, but my grief is too much without him or our baby girl at my side. I leave our daughter in kinder arms. I pray that someday he will learn the truth. Tell him I was not ashamed. Tell him I loved him. Tell him our love remains in the Lighthouse's care."
Claire stopped. The room held still. "You were meant to be part of the Lighthouse, waiting for Douglas's ship to return. That's why Father kept the jar — a promise in the dark."
Ruth whispered, "Andrew always kept watch. Waiting for your father to ask while I held my breath."
Lucy shook her head once, not in denial, just bracing. "There has to be more," she said. "If her heart broke like that—she must have said something else."
Claire looked down. "There's one more line." Tears threatened to spill again as she whispered,
"I am going to the cliff now. The sea is calling. I'll leave my diary on the wall for the woman who holds you in her arms.
Nobody spoke. The clock ticked. The radio gave a slight hiss.
Lucy's mouth opened and closed. She pressed her fingertips to the table as if she needed the wood to hold her up. When her voice came, it was thin. "She chose the cliff," she said, barely louder than a breath.
Ruth slid her chair closer. "She was hurt and cornered," she said. "It doesn't make her love smaller. It means she couldn't find air." Ruth's voice shook. "She chose it because of her pain, not because you weren't enough."
Lucy nodded. "Then that's how we tell it."
David reached across and set his hand on the diary, not covering it, just there. "We have the page," he said. "We have her words. We won't let anyone bend them."
Lucy nodded, once. Tears came, quiet, like her body had decided for her. She didn't hide them. "She loved me," she said. "I need that to be the part people hear first."
"It will be," Claire said.
Ruth took Lucy's hand and held on. "We'll tell it that way," she said."
They sat with it. The radio gave a soft hiss. Rain moved across the glass and let up.
David said, "We'll handle the next steps when you're ready—paper, records, the town. Not this second."
"Not this second," Lucy said. She set both hands on the diary, then moved one to Ruth's. "Thank you for keeping me. For keeping her words."
"I was blessed to hold you in my arms," Ruth said. "I could never let you go."
Claire tied the twine loosely so the diary wouldn't fall open and left it on the towel—present, not hidden.
Lucy looked toward the window and the line of the cliff. "When the time is right, I want to go there. Not for drama. For respect."
"We'll go with you," David said.
"We will," Claire said.
Lucy nodded. "Okay."
Lucy set her palm flat on the cover. "No more secrets."
Ruth nodded. "No more secrets."
Tires crunched over the gravel outside.
David looked up from the window. "Visitor," he said. "I'll take care of it."
Claire rose, but Lucy caught her sleeve. "Let him handle it."
A woman in a raincoat came up the steps, heels clicking on wet boards. She knocked—steady, practiced, professional.
David opened the door just enough to speak. "Morning. Can I help you?"
"Trudy Lansbury with the Gazette," she said, showing her press badge. "May I come in?"
Cast of Characters
Claire Crandon ó A writer and historian returning to her hometown after her father's death. Determined to restore the lighthouse and uncover the truth behind the secrets her father left behind.
David Reed ó Contractor overseeing the lighthouse restoration. Grandson of Douglas Reed, a man whose lost love and unanswered letter lie at the heart of the mystery. Steady, grounded, and quietly protective.
Lucy Crandon ó Claire's cousin, raised by Ruth. Outspoken and loyal, but shaken when she learns the truth about her birth and the secrets that bound her family for decades.
Ruth Crandon ó Claire's aunt and Lucy's adoptive mother. Fiercely protective, burdened by the promise she made long ago to keep a secret that has cost her nearly everything.
Andrew Crandon ó Claire's late father. The former lighthouse keeper who pieced together fragments of a long-buried truth and left a trail for his daughter to follow.
Lily Wheaton ó A young woman from the past whose forbidden love with Douglas Reed and tragic fate shaped the lives of everyone on the point.
Douglas Reed ó David's grandfather and Lily's lost love. A man of quiet honor who never knew the truth about the child he left behind.
Gideon Pike ó The harbor master. Rugged, loyal to the sea, and always first to answer a distress call.
Harper Benton ó Owner of the general store. A practical man with a good heart and a hand in every town effort.
Dr. Avery ó The retired town physician who once delivered a baby at the lighthouse on a storm-tossed night forty years ago.
Trudy Lansbury ó A persistent reporter from The Gazette, digging into local history and stirring up truths some would rather stay buried.
Pays
one point
and 2 member cents. Claire Crandon ó A writer and historian returning to her hometown after her father's death. Determined to restore the lighthouse and uncover the truth behind the secrets her father left behind.
David Reed ó Contractor overseeing the lighthouse restoration. Grandson of Douglas Reed, a man whose lost love and unanswered letter lie at the heart of the mystery. Steady, grounded, and quietly protective.
Lucy Crandon ó Claire's cousin, raised by Ruth. Outspoken and loyal, but shaken when she learns the truth about her birth and the secrets that bound her family for decades.
Ruth Crandon ó Claire's aunt and Lucy's adoptive mother. Fiercely protective, burdened by the promise she made long ago to keep a secret that has cost her nearly everything.
Andrew Crandon ó Claire's late father. The former lighthouse keeper who pieced together fragments of a long-buried truth and left a trail for his daughter to follow.
Lily Wheaton ó A young woman from the past whose forbidden love with Douglas Reed and tragic fate shaped the lives of everyone on the point.
Douglas Reed ó David's grandfather and Lily's lost love. A man of quiet honor who never knew the truth about the child he left behind.
Gideon Pike ó The harbor master. Rugged, loyal to the sea, and always first to answer a distress call.
Harper Benton ó Owner of the general store. A practical man with a good heart and a hand in every town effort.
Dr. Avery ó The retired town physician who once delivered a baby at the lighthouse on a storm-tossed night forty years ago.
Trudy Lansbury ó A persistent reporter from The Gazette, digging into local history and stirring up truths some would rather stay buried.
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