turn.”
I stared at her for a long while, then sighed. “I like your new style. I like the jeans and the sweaters and the no makeup. You’re prettier without all that gunk.”
It took a moment, but her mouth finally twitched up in a smile.
“Thank you,” she said.
Involuntarily, I found myself smiling back. “So that’s how you do it, then? Just say ‘thank you’ and shut up about it? That’s the trick?”
“Yes,” she said. “That’s the trick.”
The waitress delivered our goods, and as Mom was squeezing the lemon into her water, a tall man in a gray suit passed by behind her, talking on a cell phone, and suddenly my entire body stiffened. I glanced up, trying to process consciously what my body seemed to know on instinct, and saw only the back of his head, his hair dark and well-tamed, so it couldn’t be... except...
“Emmy?” My mother’s voice was alarmed, but I couldn’t drag my eyes away from the café doors, through which the man had disappeared. My eyes were acclimated to the brightness outside, and I couldn’t see in, but still, I knew. I knew his voice. I’d heard him.
“Emmy? You look pale.” I pointed in the direction of the café. She glanced at it and then back at me. “What, sweetheart? Are you okay? Let me get you some water.”
She raised her hand to command a waitress and I leapt across the table to lower it.
“Don’t bring attention to us!” I hissed, sitting back down and flipping up the paper placemat to hide my face as though I was starring in some 1980s teen flick. “It’s Luke! He just passed behind you. At least, I think it was him. I don’t know. That guy was wearing a suit and his hair was all combed and...” I took in a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. Maybe it wasn’t him.”
But my mother’s face only confirmed my suspicions. “I’m not the only person who has changed, Emmy.”
I swallowed hard. “Oh, God. I think my throat is closing up. He’s probably ordering a cup of coffee or something and will be out in a minute and he’ll see you. He’ll see me. Oh, my God. Mom...” I met her eyes. “I’m not ready.”
She nodded, glanced around, and pointed. “Go. Sit with her.”
I turned and looked in the direction she had indicated. A woman sat by herself, reading a newspaper and sipping her coffee while nudging a baby stroller back and forth with her foot. I turned back to Mom and ducked lower behind the placemat.
“I don’t know her,” I said.
“Go. Introduce yourself. Sit down with your back to us and maybe Luke won’t know it’s you. Your hair is longer, and Digs told us all you weren’t coming, so...” She glanced at the café door and her eyes widened. “Go! Go now!”
I shot up from our table and knelt-walked to the woman with the baby stroller, who froze mid sip and stared up at me.
“Hi,” I said. “My name is EJ and this is very complicated, but there’s a man I need to avoid and... can I sit here? Just for a minute?”
She shrugged and nodded. I took a seat and leaned forward, talking in a light whisper. “So, behind me, the woman I was just sitting with... is anyone talking to her?”
She glanced up, then looked back at me. “Yes. She’s talking to a tall man in a gray suit.”
My heart started pounding. I looked down at the baby, who smiled back up at me with a fat-faced, toothless grin. “He’s cute. What’s his name?”
“Elizabeth.”
“Oh.” I smiled down at the baby. “Sorry, Elizabeth.” I glanced up at the mom. “Are they still talking?”
The woman shifted to look past me, then nodded. “Yep.”
I leaned forward and whispered, “Is he looking this way? Do you think I could look without him seeing me?”
She leaned forward as well. “Is he, like, stalking you or something? Because I’ve got a cell phone. We can call the police if you’d like.”
I sat back. “No. It’s nothing like that.” I motioned to her watch. “That’s pretty.”
“Thanks.” She glanced up, then looked back at
I stared at her for a long while, then sighed. “I like your new style. I like the jeans and the sweaters and the no makeup. You’re prettier without all that gunk.”
It took a moment, but her mouth finally twitched up in a smile.
“Thank you,” she said.
Involuntarily, I found myself smiling back. “So that’s how you do it, then? Just say ‘thank you’ and shut up about it? That’s the trick?”
“Yes,” she said. “That’s the trick.”
The waitress delivered our goods, and as Mom was squeezing the lemon into her water, a tall man in a gray suit passed by behind her, talking on a cell phone, and suddenly my entire body stiffened. I glanced up, trying to process consciously what my body seemed to know on instinct, and saw only the back of his head, his hair dark and well-tamed, so it couldn’t be... except...
“Emmy?” My mother’s voice was alarmed, but I couldn’t drag my eyes away from the café doors, through which the man had disappeared. My eyes were acclimated to the brightness outside, and I couldn’t see in, but still, I knew. I knew his voice. I’d heard him.
“Emmy? You look pale.” I pointed in the direction of the café. She glanced at it and then back at me. “What, sweetheart? Are you okay? Let me get you some water.”
She raised her hand to command a waitress and I leapt across the table to lower it.
“Don’t bring attention to us!” I hissed, sitting back down and flipping up the paper placemat to hide my face as though I was starring in some 1980s teen flick. “It’s Luke! He just passed behind you. At least, I think it was him. I don’t know. That guy was wearing a suit and his hair was all combed and...” I took in a deep breath. “Okay. Okay. Maybe it wasn’t him.”
But my mother’s face only confirmed my suspicions. “I’m not the only person who has changed, Emmy.”
I swallowed hard. “Oh, God. I think my throat is closing up. He’s probably ordering a cup of coffee or something and will be out in a minute and he’ll see you. He’ll see me. Oh, my God. Mom...” I met her eyes. “I’m not ready.”
She nodded, glanced around, and pointed. “Go. Sit with her.”
I turned and looked in the direction she had indicated. A woman sat by herself, reading a newspaper and sipping her coffee while nudging a baby stroller back and forth with her foot. I turned back to Mom and ducked lower behind the placemat.
“I don’t know her,” I said.
“Go. Introduce yourself. Sit down with your back to us and maybe Luke won’t know it’s you. Your hair is longer, and Digs told us all you weren’t coming, so...” She glanced at the café door and her eyes widened. “Go! Go now!”
I shot up from our table and knelt-walked to the woman with the baby stroller, who froze mid sip and stared up at me.
“Hi,” I said. “My name is EJ and this is very complicated, but there’s a man I need to avoid and... can I sit here? Just for a minute?”
She shrugged and nodded. I took a seat and leaned forward, talking in a light whisper. “So, behind me, the woman I was just sitting with... is anyone talking to her?”
She glanced up, then looked back at me. “Yes. She’s talking to a tall man in a gray suit.”
My heart started pounding. I looked down at the baby, who smiled back up at me with a fat-faced, toothless grin. “He’s cute. What’s his name?”
“Elizabeth.”
“Oh.” I smiled down at the baby. “Sorry, Elizabeth.” I glanced up at the mom. “Are they still talking?”
The woman shifted to look past me, then nodded. “Yep.”
I leaned forward and whispered, “Is he looking this way? Do you think I could look without him seeing me?”
She leaned forward as well. “Is he, like, stalking you or something? Because I’ve got a cell phone. We can call the police if you’d like.”
I sat back. “No. It’s nothing like that.” I motioned to her watch. “That’s pretty.”
“Thanks.” She glanced up, then looked back at
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