The bell rang, and they blew in with a gust of March air. Despite the gray skies and bone chilling drizzle, they looked like sunshine. Kristi Probst was in her fluorescent green rain slicker, which protected her when she walked the dog in the dark. "No car can miss you," was the comment she got from everyone any time she wore it. Megan Brenner was in her typical black, but had a constant smile and a laugh that lit up any room. They spent some time shaking off the rain and rubbing their feet on the heavy duty mat by the door before they entered The Landing. Megan breathed deep to take in the wonderful scent of the world's best coffee. As she looked around, she saw only a few people sitting having coffee that time of the morning.

The Landing was a convenient store, a coffee shop and a deli that served mostly trades people and lobster and fishing boat crews during the off season. In the summer when The Point came to life, and the population exploded the place buzzed non-stop all day.

The Point was a unique stretch of land on the coast of southern Maine. It had one of the most beautiful sandy beaches, but was surrounded by marsh and tidal rivers on the land side. The only way onto it by car was over the causeway which stretched across the marsh. At low and moderatetide they could cross the river by foot on the southern side of the sandbar to the neighboring beach. The Point was a unique little world for the people who lived there year round and they were like a family.

The population shifted from less than two hundred to over a thousand during the summer months. That did not include the beach goers that came across the causeway each day all summer. As isolated as it could seem on The Point, across the causeway and three miles up to US Route One there was a typical suburban town just outside of Portland. People from town came to The Point for the beach, but also for the best and freshest seafood. Megan grew up on The Point and after going away to school was glad to be back raising her kids here.

Kristi's husband had been transferred to Maine from Chicago and they thought it would be fun to rent by the beach while they looked for the perfect house. It didn't take long for them to realize that the perfect house would have to be on The Point, because it was so easy to fall in love with it.

Megan and Kristi became best friends and practically inseparable immediately. Their kids were almost the same age and also always together. They sat together at sports activities and they watched each other's children for doctor appointments. They often spent snow days all hunkered down together in one of their houses and when the long winter and spring ended, they'd spend hours on the beach together. Even with sunscreen applied throughout the day, they were always brown by mid-July.

March marked the first sign that winter was ending with the opening of the seasonal businesses. First were the seafood restaurants and shacks typically in time to capture the Lenten business on Friday nights. Then later the ice cream stands would open in time for post baseball treats. To those who lived here each opening was one more check mark in the progress towards summer.

There were no thoughts of ice cream today; everyone knew that spring came late in Maine. Hopefully, the rain would help chisel away at the dirty gray snow banks that still lined the roads. It was Saturday and the two friends were stealing an hour for a cup of coffee together while their kids were with their fathers.

"Coffee ladies?" Rick asked.

"Decaf for me," Megan said.

"Make mine high test and large, please Ricky," Kristi added.

"Wet out there. I hope the road doesn't flood at high tide," Ricky commented.

The causeway across the marsh could flood during times of heavy rain. Typically, it only happened when a nor'easter rolled through, but high tides could be tricky. When the road flooded the only way on or off The Point was by boat.

"Good thing it's not a full moon," Kristi said.

"Have you heard from Jen lately?" Megan asked Rick.

"She called last week, but Alice said she only had a minute. She promises to come home, but never does."

Rick and Alice owned The Landing for as long as Megan could remember and their daughter, Jen, was Megan's best friend growing up. They were inseparable biking all over The Point and playing on the beach from breakfast to dinner. Back then all the kids spent their summers that way. When they were old enough, they both worked at The Landing.

Megan's father thought her working would keep you out of trouble. Megan still picked up shifts in the summer on weekend mornings to help make ends meet.

The two women waved at some of their friends enjoying their coffees, as they settled themselves at a table. It wobbled, they all did. Kristi would often fold up her cup sleeve to level the table, but it never seemed to work.

Kristi's husband, Dan, was a bank executive and worked long hours during the week. On the weekend he was all about being a Dad. Their two children, Ben and Ivy were seven and five. They were busy on the weekends with activities. There were gymnastics and swim lessons. Basketball had just ended, but baseball would start soon. Squeezed in between were birthday parties and other events that seemed to fill all the white space on Kristi's big calendar on the kitchen wall.

"Look at you Megan! You sure it isn't twins again?" Alice came out of the backroom.

"Nope, the ultrasound showed only one in here this time. Thankfully!"

"You still feeling good?" Kristi asked.

"Yes, one is so much easier than two."

"Have you heard from him?" Kristi asked.

"You know I haven't. I would have told you, besides I don't expect to." Megan answered as she always did when Kristi asked her this same question. Her answer was also always no, when Kristi asked if she would tell him. He had made it clear he never wanted children.

"Dan just sent me a text; he invited Peter and the kids over. You should come for dinner."

"No thanks. I've got loads of work to do." Although Megan always missed Nick and Sophie, she wasn't in the mood to spend the evening with her ex.

When they finished their coffee, they prepared to go back out into the cold and wet again. Each had their own to-do list to tackle, and they promised to talk soon. Walking into her little house, Megan thought, last summer seemed like a dream, but the kick under her ribs told her another story.

Welcome to The Point. Thank you for reading. If you like, please vote.