The name is James. Grandpa Jamie to Meara. I'm a fisherman by trade, come from a long line of 'em. My father, his father before him, his father before him, well, you understand. Fishing is one of the main industries in Peggy's Cove. You'll hear that it's hard work. I'm not going to lie to you, it is. You also get to see the sun rise, glorious and gold, over the water, and see it set, fiery and red. When the wind is at your back and the sun's warm rays on your face... there isn't a better feeling in the world. I own my own boats, manage a small crew, and I wouldn't pick another job in the world. I love it.

The hard part of spending long hours at sea is having less time to be with your family. It was manageable when my daughter, Sharon was home to keep my wife, Mary, company. Then Sharon moved away, and I regretted leaving Mary alone. Good thing she's a social one, my Mary. She has her gardening , the occasional lunch with the other wives, and her clubs to keep her busy. The town loves her almost as much as I do.

I'm pleased to know that my daughter's coming home. She's bringing my granddaughter with her. Haven't met her, Meara, but from her pictures, she's a mix of her mom and her dad. David - that good for nothing - I hope she takes after him in looks only. Sharon is better off without him. At any rate, I'll take care of my girls. Always have, always will.

They say that food is the way to a man’s heart. I say a good meal can bring people together like no other magic on earth. My name is Mary, but folks in Peggy’s Cove call me Grandma Mary. All of ‘em, and truthfully, I don’t mind. I like taking care of others. Being the local grandma means that I represent warmth, home, and love – all decent qualities, if you ask me.

When I’m not taking care of others, I like to garden or go into town and catch up on the latest news. Cooking is another hobby of mine, if you haven’t figured that out. But it gets a bit dull cooking for just myself and my husband, Jamie. Thankfully, my daughter is coming home, and she’s bringing her daughter, Meara, with her. I’m so thrilled to see Sharon again and meet my granddaughter, I can hardly contain myself. Jamie grumbles at me every morning over his coffee, but I just ignore him. There’s nothing wrong with a little anticipation and excitement, is there?

I’m planning to cook Sharon’s favorite childhood meal for her homecoming. As I said before, food can be a powerful thing--evoking memories, creating memories, or just adding another layer of specialness to something that’s already pretty darn special. Join me in welcoming them to our little town, would you? I always make extras.

Hey there! I'm Katie. You already met my brother, Evan. Not sure why he had to go before me, but whatever. What can I tell you about me? Like most teen girls, I like hanging out with my friends and shopping. I’m on the volleyball team, and I try to catch most of Evan’s hockey games. If you asked me what I want to do more than anything else, my answer would be to travel. I haven’t been many places yet, but I'll take any opportunity to get out of this stifling little town.

Unfortunately, we can’t really leave. My family owns the local bed and breakfast, The Cove Inn. Before we owned it, my grandparents did, and my mom worked there when she was younger. Meara’s mom worked there, too, as a teenager. The business is okay, I guess. Sometimes interesting people stay with us, and once or twice, I’ve met a cute boy. Too bad that families tend to stay a night or two and not longer, I can’t really get to know someone in that short of time. The guests who stay longer are retired and just like everyone else in Peggys Cove. The median age is around 65. No kidding. If you don’t believe me, come and visit.

This summer, my parents let me take a job somewhere else. I love my family, but working for them is no fun. I may have complained about it a few times. At any rate, one day my mom sighed and said I was welcome to find something else if I could. Now, I’m waitressing at the diner in town. It may not be exciting, but the tips are decent and so are the French fries.

I’m super thrilled that Meara has come to live here. She’s the only girl my age in town. My other friends live in Halifax, which is much bigger, a real city. That’s where we go to high school, too. Meara is going to love my friends and fit right in. Senior year will be epic, and then after that, it’s college in the city. This year can’t go fast enough. I’m ready for the real world!

I'm sure you've already figured out that I'm Meara's mom. My name is Sharon. Until recently, Meara and I lived in Cedarburg, WI. I loved it there. It's a friendly, artsy community that suited us perfectly. Working for my friend Rebecca at her sewing and quilting shop was more fun than any job has a right to be. I wish we could've stayed there forever, but life likes to throw curve balls. Mine threw me a major one.

Meara isn't all that happy with me right now. I've kept things from her. Maybe I should've told her more, but it's a mother prerogative to do what's best for her child. I felt that it was important to protect her, and in doing so, I may have unintentionally sheltered her more than necessary.

Ultimately, everything I've done has been out of love. Well, almost everything. I'm looking forward to reuniting with my parents, my best friend, and many others in Peggy's Cove, Nova Scotia. It's not the biggest town, but it's home. I hope Meara will come to consider it home, too.

While we're there, I'll do everything I can to fight my illness, but at the same time, I'll sleep better knowing that Meara will be taken care of by my parents should I lose this battle. My best friend, Lydia, will also keep an eye on her. She's in good hands. That said, I hope to be here with her a long time yet. I don't plan on leaving anytime soon.