"The door is a little bit sticky, so you have to turn the key a few times to get it to unlock." Ms. Star said with a grunt as she shouldered the old door open. "Ah, there you are, dear. If you need anything, my number is on the counter. Oh, and before I forget." She reached into her jacket pocket and handed Maye an envelope. "Mr. Harold wanted you to have the first letter when you arrived." She paused for a moment, smiling as though lost in thought. "Well, best be on my way. Take care, dear." She patted Maye on the shoulder as she walked out the door.

As Maye looked around the house, she couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for her grandmother. She hoped to see her walking around the corner holding a tray of something delicious, but the rooms were now empty of the smell of baked goods. Instead, the house was left with a scent of emptiness and sea air.

Maye sat down on an old recliner, which was covered by a white sheet. She placed her elbows on her knees and stared at the envelope in her hands. She let out a quiet sigh before slowly opening it.

"The key to a loving home Is a full stomach."

Maye let out a tearful, breathy laugh. Her grandma would always feed her, constantly cooking. She loved to cook and could make anyone smile with a simple dish. She would consistently deliver baked goods to the townspeople. Maye paused for a moment, remembering what Mr. Harold had said.

"The notes will lead me to a letter from her." She whispered to herself as she stared at the scribble on the page.

She stood up and rushed over to the cabinets, opening them one by one, only to find that they were all empty. She quickly went over to the pantry and opened it, only to find it completely empty. Feeling defeated, she turned around and leaned against the pantry door, her eyes searching the room with a lost look.

As she looked towards the fridge, she noticed a giant collage of her grandmother's recipes covering the door. Walking closer, she spotted one recipe that seemed out of place. She removed the magnet and began to read the writing on it.

"My Darling Maye,

If you are reading this, you have accepted my offer on the house. I want to make sure that you are pleased in life. None of this is meant to be a punishment. Think of it more as an adventure; my dear, life is full of adventures. One needs to look for them. For today's requirement, I want you to bake the goodies I made for you on your 16th birthday. Eat them and think of me. I love you very much and hope this journey brings back our beautiful memories.

Love Always, Grandma"

Maye sat on the floor in front of her fridge, tears welling up in her eyes. It suddenly dawned on her that she hadn't yet allowed herself to grieve for her grandmother. Despite attending the funeral, she had remained stoic until now. Her grandmother had always been a constant presence in her life, and holding the letter made Maye realize that her grandmother was truly gone.

Maye stood up and wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her shirt. After a few moments, she mumbled, "My 16th birthday." She scanned the fridge for a clue, and finally, it hit her. "It was peanut butter brownies," she said with a smile, reminiscing how delicious they were. She grabbed the recipe but realized all the groceries were gone; she had to rush out to buy them.

As Maye drove to the grocery store, she was flooded with memories. She remembered the times spent at the park with her grandma, pushing her on the swings. She also recalled when Mr. Johnson ran a red light and bumped into Grandma's car. This memory made Maye laugh out loud as she imagined her grandmother giving Mr. Johnson a piece of her mind.

Upon entering the store, Maye swiftly scanned the ingredients on her list, hoping to avoid encountering people who may recognize her from her past. Unlike her grandmother, Maye preferred socializing over the camera rather than in person.

After grabbing the last item, she whispered, "Mission accomplished."

At the counter stood a beautiful woman. She was reasonably tall; her eyes were a gorgeous shade of golden brown. They looked very considerate and peaceful. She wore a yellow scarf highlighting her eyes and a natural hairstyle. Her name tag read "Kiesha."

Kiesha glanced up from scanning the items and noticed Maye staring at her. "It's a beautiful day, isn't it?" she said gently. Maye was startled and snapped out of her daze. She looked at Kiesha and nodded, smiling.

"Cash or card?" Kiesha asked.

"Card." Maye reached into her purse and searched for the machine to scan her card. Kiesha stuck her hand out to take the card from her.

"Sorry, the boss says that the machines distract from customer interactions. I can ring that up for you right here." She took Maye's card and hit a few buttons on her computer.

"Hudges... Are you Ms. Olive's daughter?" Kiesha glanced up at Maye, examining her face.

"I'm her granddaughter, Maye."

"Well, it is very nice to meet you, Maye. Your grandmother was in here a lot. I live a few houses down from her with my son." She smiled and stretched out her hand. Maye took it and gave it a soft shake. "Well, Maye, welcome to Nearpoint. If you need anything, I'm just three houses down. The bright yellow house with the sea foam door." As she handed Maye the card, she grinned brightly.

"Thank you, Kiesha."

After gathering her groceries, she walked out of the store and couldn't help but wonder if the town had always been so lovely or if she had simply forgotten what it was like after living in the city for so long. She loaded the groceries into the passenger seat and returned home.

Blink 182 blared through the house, and the smell of brownies in the oven danced. Maye spun around the kitchen, singing with a spoonful of peanut butter. "What's my age again? What's my age again?"

As she spun and twirled her apron around her head, she couldn't help but laugh. She scooped up some peanut butter between songs and poked the brownies occasionally. The excitement was almost overwhelming. She was transported back to when she was 16 and could smell the brownies baking in the oven. She felt just as impatient waiting for them to finish as before.

   She shut the oven door and grabbed her peanut butter microphone when a knock at the door startled her, causing her to drop the spoon she was holding. "Well, that's a mic drop for you," she muttered as she sighed and threw the spoon into the sink. She wiped her hands on her apron before walking to the front door to see who was there.

She opened the door and halted abruptly. The softest gaze she had ever encountered was staring back at her. His eyes were green, a unique shade only found in the sea at dawn. His hair was dark brown, spiked to the side. He was tall, tan, and, from what she could tell, well-built. They stood there for a moment, gazing at each other in silence. Finally, he spoke.

 "Maye?" he said in a deep southern accent.

"Yes?"

"Hi, I'm Ethan. I was your grandmother's neighbor. I'm so sorry for your loss," he said, lowering his head as if her passing personally affected him. "Your grandmother and I were good friends and spent a lot of time together. I enjoyed helping her with her gardens," he added, looking around at the plants with a soft smile.

"Thank you." She glanced around, "Have you been caring for them this whole time?"

Maye observed the man standing next to her, who wore a smile on his face while touching a beautiful flower.

"She loved these plants so much. They brought her tremendous joy; she told me these plants would attract hummingbirds to the beach. I always laughed at her because all we have here are those annoying squawking seagulls," he chuckled.

His laugh was so bright and silly that it caused Maye to laugh with him.

"Anyways, I heard music and smelt chocolate. So, I decided to check on the place. It was nice meeting you. Sorry to bother you." He stuck his hands in his dark blue shorts and turned around to walk off.

She watched him walk away; she considered inviting him in, but her thoughts were interrupted by the scent of burning brownies.

Batch number two of peanut butter brownies was a complete success. Batch number 1 found itself in the trashcan.

Maye was seated at the counter, savoring every bite of the brownie in front of her. She couldn't help but stare at the letter in her hand, which brought back memories of her 16th birthday. It had been a day of terrible storms; a hurricane had just passed, and the tail-end of it was still being felt. Plans for her birthday party had to be postponed. But her optimist grandmother decided to celebrate in the kitchen instead.

After taking the brownies out of the oven, the power went off. She and Maye sat at the counter, laughing and eating brownies by lantern light. This was a memory that Maye had not thought of in a while.

She fell asleep on the couch, her belly full of brownies and her mind filled with beautiful memories. Just before drifting off, an image of Ethan flashed through her thoughts.

Squawk!!!!

Maye suddenly jolted awake, confused about her whereabouts. She swiftly got up from the sofa and tumbled onto the floor. With her messy bedhead hair covering her face, she lifted her head and noticed the window she had left open.

The sound of waves crashing on the beach had put her to sleep, but the loud seagulls had startled her awake. She struggled to stand up, feeling as if she was stuck to the floor with glue, and checked the time.

9:15 am

Maye walked over to her suitcase and brought it into her old room, a space she had not visited since her arrival. In one corner of the room was a small dresser with a mirror and a soft pink stool tucked beneath it. The center of the room was occupied by a four-post old iron frame bed with a pink comforter and pillows adorning it. Everything in the room appeared untouched, including her stuffed animals in a net in the corner.

She placed her suitcase on the bed and took a moment to survey the room before heading to the bathroom to get ready for the day.

At 10:47, she heard a knock on the door. Standing behind the door was Mr. Harold.

"Hello, Ms. Maye. I am on my way to a business meeting in town and thought I'd deliver today's letter in person," he said, pausing to inhale deeply. "Do I smell brownies?"

She smiled at him and replied, "Yes, those were yesterday's requirements." She went to the kitchen and came back with a plate of two brownies. Mr. Harold's face lit up with joy.

"Thank you, Ms. Maye. Have a great day. It seems like a fun 30 days with brownies involved," he said while stuffing a brownie in his mouth. He turned to leave, dusting off brownie crumbs from his jacket without a care. She smiled as she watched him go.

She returned to the chair from which she had opened the envelope the day before and removed the sheet draped across it before sitting down to tear open the envelope.

"X marks the spot. Shiver me, Timbers."

Maye was perplexed as she stared at the note in front of her. However, she soon broke out into a belly-full laugh as she tried to decipher what her grandmother was trying to say this time. Still laughing, she got up and walked around the room, looking for clues to help her solve the puzzle. As she scanned the living room, she couldn't find anything resembling an "X," so she decided to check the dining room next.

As she looked around the dining room, her gaze eventually settled on a small set of boat paddles hanging on the wall above the fireplace mantle. The paddles were arranged in an "X" shape, likely for decorative purposes. She quickly concluded that "shiver" might refer to feeling cold, while "timbers" could refer to the wood used to fuel the fireplace. Curious, she walked over to the fireplace and discovered a stack of old wood. As she lifted the first log, she noticed a small piece of paper nestled between the bottom logs. Maye smiled excitedly and quickly grabbed the letter before returning to her chair.

"My dearest Maye,

If you are reading this, you have solved my riddle. Funny, I didn't say shiver me booty. :) When you were young, a boat tour opened in Nearpoint. This was our first adventure together. We had so much adjusted to each other to do. That I thought a fun boat ride would soften the air. A lot of sad things have happened to us. Believe me when I say your parents and grandfather would be very proud of you. Please revisit the boat that took us on our first bonding adventure today. That set us on a course of healing. The ship is called "Silverstorm." You probably don't remember this trip; you were very young. However, a walk down memory lane may help you remember. I love you, dear.

Grandma."

Maye sat still momentarily, clutching the letter and rereading it. According to her grandmother, they had taken a trip together that Maye had no recollection of. It was true that she had lost both her parents at the age of four and her grandfather when she was only six, so the memories from that time were blurred with sadness. But she couldn't shake the feeling that this boat trip had been significant in some way. How had it helped her grandmother and her to connect?

Maye finally arrived at the docks after two hours. As she approached the entrance, she noticed a small booth with a sign that read "Silverstorm Boat Rides." She was relieved to have found the right place. When she got closer, she saw a man standing behind the glass at the booth.

   "Hello, I am Damien; welcome to Silverstorm boat rides. Would you like to purchase a ticket?" He spoke with a smooth South African accent.

"1 ticket, please." Maye smiled, passing him a $20 bill under the glass.

Damien glanced at her, baffled, as he stood up, then glanced down where the booth blocked his view. "No kids?"

Maye was confused and wasn't sure whether or not she should be insulted. She stared at him till he shrugged his shoulders and then spoke. "Okay then, hand me your arm."

She placed her arm under the glass, where he put an armband on her—then handed her a ticket.

Confused by the exchange, Maye walked down the dock, looking for the Silverstorm. Passing many boats, she looked up at the last one at the end of the pier.

"You have got to be kidding me..." she gaped in disbelief at the sight before her.

 Maye found herself standing in front of the Silverstorm, a pirate ship. A man dressed in a full pirate costume was helping parents and kids aboard. She felt unsure about what to do next.

Would she have to board the ship to complete a requirement and avoid losing her house?

With these thoughts weighing her mind, she walked towards the man and handed him the ticket.

"Arr fair maiden, where be ye, children." He said in full character.

"No kids, just me." She grinned, embarrassed by the fact she was getting on a kid's pirate ship tour.

"Then have fun me maiden. And watch out for Davy Johns. He is a strong captain, but he doesn't like stowaways! Arrr." He shook his fake hook at her.

"Noted." She said with a raise of her eyebrows. She boarded the ship and joined the parents and children.

The sound of a loud horn filled the air, followed by a booming voice that echoed through the wind. "CAPTAIN ON DECK!" A small man on top of the ship shouted. However, his voice was muffled by the captain, who stepped out in front of the children. She craned her neck to see beyond the people and caught a glimpse of a pirate. He had a long beard, a peg leg, and a red and black coat that reached his knees. She couldn't determine if the parrot perched on his shoulder was real or fake.

"Is this me, new crew?" He scoffed. The kids giggled. "I said to be this, my new crew!"

The kids shouted at him, "AAR."

"I am Captain Davy Johns," he announced. "And you have boarded my ship for adventure, treasure, and parrots." He tickled the bird perched on his shoulder, and the children giggled in delight. "But before ye can serve on me ship, we must get ye dressed as pirates!" He whistled to the other pirates. "Men, fetch some proper gear for these pirates." With hands on his hips, he walked around as the crowd of kids rushed towards the chest, brimming with eye patches, fake hooks, and swords.

Maye laughed when she remembered what she had taken from the chest. As she laughed, the captain turned around, and their eyes met. She saw his green eyes shining through his beard and the dust. It was Ethan. He looked at her for a moment before remembering that he was in character. "Miss, what be yer name?" he growled.

 Maye chuckled and introduced herself, "I am Maiden Maye."

"Ye be a fair maiden no more. Yer a pirate now; gather ye gear now, or ye be scrubbing the poop deck."

The kids began laughing at his word choice. He leaned out of the kids' ear range but not close enough to make Maye uncomfortable. "And be sure to grab an eye patch." He chuckled under his fake beard before turning around and barking orders at his crew.

 The boat ride was quite impressive. The crew swung from the ship and walked the plank. They taught the kids about pirates and how to speak like one. Of course, in a way, that didn't get them in trouble.

Maye's memories came crashing back to her like the waves against the ship. Her grandmother brought her here to cheer her up. It worked; Maye had the time of her life. Her grandmother even played into character as well. Dancing a jig on the deck in a pirate's hat, singing "Row row row your boat" to Maye.

Maye smiled as they headed back to the dock, reminiscing about the memories made at sea.

The sound of laughter from the main deck drew her out of her thoughts. Looking down, she noticed Ethan dancing to a sailor's shanty with the children. She clapped her hands along with the rhythm of the music.

Maye headed to the parking lot after everyone had disembarked from the ship.

"Maye!" She spun around and saw Ethan jogging toward her, still half-dressed as a pirate. He stopped before getting too close to her. "Well, you weren't supposed to see that." He said while catching his breath.

She grinned. "Shiver me, timbers; I never took you for a pirate." Ethan burst into laughter, and she joined in. "It was a lot of fun; I'm glad I got to experience it again."

"Again?" He asked.

"My grandmother brought me on this tour when I was 4. Honestly, I'm surprised the ship is still going." She glanced back at the ship.

"Oh, this is Silverstorm 2. Silverstorm 1 was damaged during a hurricane. However, given this is the only entertainment aside from the fairgrounds, the town put in to keep it. Of course, your grandmother hosted the bake sale that helped fund it."

Her heart swelled with joy, knowing her grandma had saved this for the kids. "Thanks, Ethan, for telling me. She was always looking out for others."

"Listen, Maye, I was wondering..." he stopped talking when her phone began to ring loudly.

She glanced at her phone and saw Sean's name on the screen. "I'm sorry, Ethan. Let's catch up soon." She smiled, waved, and got into her car to answer the phone.

Ethan stood in the parking lot and waved goodbye to her. He gazed at her car with a thoughtful and happy expression. After that, he removed the eye patch he had forgotten he was wearing and headed back to the Silverstorm.