enthusiasm of a person going to the gallows. I’m fine, darling. I won’t go far.”
“No, no, I’ll go with you.” Haley grabbed her walking stick. “Which way?”
Augusta frowned. “I’m not a child. You know I value time alone. I need creative time. I won’t be coddled. You all are smothering me.”
“I’ll be quiet, and you can think. Which way shall we go?”
Augusta sighed, then shrugged. “Toward the hills. Maybe we can climb a bit and get some good landscape pictures.” Her grandmother skirted Cary and Erika Waters, the couple in charge of sound and film editing, and took off away from the lake. “I don’t mean to be unkind, but those two don’t look like they go together,” Augusta whispered when they were past. “Erika is a head taller and orders him around like he’s her younger brother.”
“I think he is.”
Augusta stopped, then burst into laughter. “I thought they were married.”
Haley giggled. “You’re such a romantic. They even look alike if you consider their noses.”
“I never noticed.”
They hiked for fifteen minutes before they reached the base of the rocky hillside. “You sure you want to go up there?” Haley asked. Climbing would be difficult for her.
“You wait here. I’ll just go up a little ways.” Augusta stepped to the top of a large black-and-white rock.
Haley sighed. She couldn’t let Augusta go alone. Oscar barked and ran past her. He disappeared behind a bush. His barking changed to a frightened yip. She frowned and walked to where he’d disappeared. She prodded the large bush with her walking stick, then flattened it slightly. The opening of a cave yawned in front of her. She stumbled back and dropped her stick.
“What is it?” Augusta came back down the few steps she’d taken. She stooped and peered into the cave. “Oscar, come back here.” The dog was practically crying. “I think he’s trapped.”
“No, he’s not,” Haley said. “Oscar, come here, boy.” She tried to sound excited and coaxing. The dog responded with more pitiful howling.
“He’s trapped. We have to get him out.” Augusta got on all fours and started to crawl into the cave.
“No!” Haley sprang forward to prevent her grandmother from entering the cave. “Don’t go in there.” Her knees wobbled along with her voice.
Augusta looked up at her. “We can’t leave him, Haley. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll go.” She got on her knees and pushed the bush farther out of the way. She poked her head into the cave, but it was too dark to see anything. The rush of musty cave scent, hatefully familiar, closed her throat.
She jerked her head out. “I can’t.” She covered her face with her hands and sat down with her boots splayed in front of her. She was such a failure, such a coward. Hugging herself, she rocked back and forth.
“Oh, Haley, darling, don’t.” Her grandmother embraced her.
“Don’t go in there, Nana, please don’t.” She buried her wet face in Augusta’s neck.
Her grandmother ran her hand over Haley’s hair. “You haven’t called me Nana in years.”
“You told Aunt Caroline it made you feel old.”
“It did. Is that why you stopped?”
She nodded, her face still against her grandmother’s neck. “I know it wasn’t easy to have your life disrupted by an eight-year-old. I thought if I was your friend and not just your granddaughter, you wouldn’t send me away.”
Augusta didn’t answer right away, but her arms tightened around her. “I won’t lie to you, Haley. I was furious with your parents for doing that to me and expecting me to give up my freedom. It was hard to write at times with a child around, not to mention the doctor visits your leg demanded. I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to live with. Both of us have an artistic temperament, and that’s made life interesting, but I wouldn’t give up the years we’ve spent together. I would never have sent you away. Right from the start, there was a
“No, no, I’ll go with you.” Haley grabbed her walking stick. “Which way?”
Augusta frowned. “I’m not a child. You know I value time alone. I need creative time. I won’t be coddled. You all are smothering me.”
“I’ll be quiet, and you can think. Which way shall we go?”
Augusta sighed, then shrugged. “Toward the hills. Maybe we can climb a bit and get some good landscape pictures.” Her grandmother skirted Cary and Erika Waters, the couple in charge of sound and film editing, and took off away from the lake. “I don’t mean to be unkind, but those two don’t look like they go together,” Augusta whispered when they were past. “Erika is a head taller and orders him around like he’s her younger brother.”
“I think he is.”
Augusta stopped, then burst into laughter. “I thought they were married.”
Haley giggled. “You’re such a romantic. They even look alike if you consider their noses.”
“I never noticed.”
They hiked for fifteen minutes before they reached the base of the rocky hillside. “You sure you want to go up there?” Haley asked. Climbing would be difficult for her.
“You wait here. I’ll just go up a little ways.” Augusta stepped to the top of a large black-and-white rock.
Haley sighed. She couldn’t let Augusta go alone. Oscar barked and ran past her. He disappeared behind a bush. His barking changed to a frightened yip. She frowned and walked to where he’d disappeared. She prodded the large bush with her walking stick, then flattened it slightly. The opening of a cave yawned in front of her. She stumbled back and dropped her stick.
“What is it?” Augusta came back down the few steps she’d taken. She stooped and peered into the cave. “Oscar, come back here.” The dog was practically crying. “I think he’s trapped.”
“No, he’s not,” Haley said. “Oscar, come here, boy.” She tried to sound excited and coaxing. The dog responded with more pitiful howling.
“He’s trapped. We have to get him out.” Augusta got on all fours and started to crawl into the cave.
“No!” Haley sprang forward to prevent her grandmother from entering the cave. “Don’t go in there.” Her knees wobbled along with her voice.
Augusta looked up at her. “We can’t leave him, Haley. I’ll be fine.”
“I’ll go.” She got on her knees and pushed the bush farther out of the way. She poked her head into the cave, but it was too dark to see anything. The rush of musty cave scent, hatefully familiar, closed her throat.
She jerked her head out. “I can’t.” She covered her face with her hands and sat down with her boots splayed in front of her. She was such a failure, such a coward. Hugging herself, she rocked back and forth.
“Oh, Haley, darling, don’t.” Her grandmother embraced her.
“Don’t go in there, Nana, please don’t.” She buried her wet face in Augusta’s neck.
Her grandmother ran her hand over Haley’s hair. “You haven’t called me Nana in years.”
“You told Aunt Caroline it made you feel old.”
“It did. Is that why you stopped?”
She nodded, her face still against her grandmother’s neck. “I know it wasn’t easy to have your life disrupted by an eight-year-old. I thought if I was your friend and not just your granddaughter, you wouldn’t send me away.”
Augusta didn’t answer right away, but her arms tightened around her. “I won’t lie to you, Haley. I was furious with your parents for doing that to me and expecting me to give up my freedom. It was hard to write at times with a child around, not to mention the doctor visits your leg demanded. I know I haven’t always been the easiest person to live with. Both of us have an artistic temperament, and that’s made life interesting, but I wouldn’t give up the years we’ve spent together. I would never have sent you away. Right from the start, there was a
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