“why’d you come back?”
THIRTEEN
T he wind whined around the building, and for a moment a shaft of light splintered down from the cloudy white sky, streaking the room with a ripple of sunlight and shadows.
“Last year was hard…” she stopped. She took a deep cleansing breath. She started over. “Clare…Clare, I’m so sorry about the way I was when I left. I saw my family last night, and I apologized to them, and geez, I guess I ought to take out a full-page ad in the newspaper apologizing in general to everyone in town.”
Clare quirked an eyebrow at Lexi. “A full page might be excessive.”
Clare was giving her a break! Lexi laughed with relief. “Do you really want to hear some stuff?” She waved her hands, indicating the room with its tables laden with boxes waiting to be folded and bows waiting to be tied. “I mean, I don’t want to keep you if you’re busy.”
“Now’s fine. I’ve got plenty of time for cleaning.”
“Looks pretty clean to me.”
“Yes, but I like it to be spotless. Sterile. The State Board of Health inspects, but never mind—I want to hear about you.” Clare drew her legs up and tucked them sideways beneath her, settling in.
Now that the moment was here, Lexi felt suddenly reluctant. “Could I ask you not to tell anyone?” She cleared her throat, surprised at how little-girl her voice sounded. “I mean, I don’t mind looking pathetic to you, you’re used to it, but I just don’t think I could live on this island with everyone else thinking I’m pathetic, and I really want to be here.”
Clare made a face. “Pathetic? You’re afraid you’re going to look pathetic? Give me a break.” Then she softened. “All right, fine, I won’t tell anyone.”
“Not even Jesse.”
“Oh, come on. I’ve got to tell Jesse something! I can’t say, well I saw Lexi and we talked and I have no idea what the past ten years were like.” Clare folded her arms stubbornly over her chest.
Lexi looked down at her various rings and turned them this way and that. “Well, could you give him a sort of expurgated version?”
“You mean this is going to be an X-rated tale?” Clare waggled her eyebrows.
Lexi hedged, “You know what I mean, Clare.”
“All right,” Clare agreed. “Just spill.”
A truck rumbled past, clanking and banging like the timpani section of an orchestra.
“My gosh!” Lexi strained to stare down at the truck. “I can’t believe old Mr. Wallins is still doing trash removal.”
“That’s not old Mr. Wallins,” Clare informed her.
“But I saw—”
“That’s Dougie Wallins.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“He’s thirty-three now. He married Alyssa Santos. They have three kids. One is ten years old.” Clare waited until the last bang and rattle faded into the distance. “You’ve been gone a long time, Lexi. A lot has happened.”
Lexi shook her head, trying to take it all in.
“You were saying?” Clare prompted.
Lexi capitulated. “Okay. Remember that summer. How it was for me. My parents were overworked at the shop, and totally freaked out about money. They were going to have to take a second mortgage out on the house to pay my tuition at UMass. Adam was off in veterinary school. And you were totally with Jesse.”
“Not totally,” Clare started to object, but shrugged and grinned ruefully.
Lexi continued, “So I didn’t have you. I didn’t have
anyone.
At La Maison I was the outsider who couldn’t do anything right.” She unzipped her boots and kicked them off, then pulled her knees up against her chest. She hugged her knees and nestled her chin in her arms and sat there for a moment, reflecting. “I was so lonely.”
“Have another chocolate,” Clare suggested quietly. “Try this one.”
Lexi accepted it, took a small bite, and closed her eyes while she savored the taste. “Nice.” She ate the rest of it and this time she licked her fingers. “So that’s how it was for me that summer. It was like I was
THIRTEEN
T he wind whined around the building, and for a moment a shaft of light splintered down from the cloudy white sky, streaking the room with a ripple of sunlight and shadows.
“Last year was hard…” she stopped. She took a deep cleansing breath. She started over. “Clare…Clare, I’m so sorry about the way I was when I left. I saw my family last night, and I apologized to them, and geez, I guess I ought to take out a full-page ad in the newspaper apologizing in general to everyone in town.”
Clare quirked an eyebrow at Lexi. “A full page might be excessive.”
Clare was giving her a break! Lexi laughed with relief. “Do you really want to hear some stuff?” She waved her hands, indicating the room with its tables laden with boxes waiting to be folded and bows waiting to be tied. “I mean, I don’t want to keep you if you’re busy.”
“Now’s fine. I’ve got plenty of time for cleaning.”
“Looks pretty clean to me.”
“Yes, but I like it to be spotless. Sterile. The State Board of Health inspects, but never mind—I want to hear about you.” Clare drew her legs up and tucked them sideways beneath her, settling in.
Now that the moment was here, Lexi felt suddenly reluctant. “Could I ask you not to tell anyone?” She cleared her throat, surprised at how little-girl her voice sounded. “I mean, I don’t mind looking pathetic to you, you’re used to it, but I just don’t think I could live on this island with everyone else thinking I’m pathetic, and I really want to be here.”
Clare made a face. “Pathetic? You’re afraid you’re going to look pathetic? Give me a break.” Then she softened. “All right, fine, I won’t tell anyone.”
“Not even Jesse.”
“Oh, come on. I’ve got to tell Jesse something! I can’t say, well I saw Lexi and we talked and I have no idea what the past ten years were like.” Clare folded her arms stubbornly over her chest.
Lexi looked down at her various rings and turned them this way and that. “Well, could you give him a sort of expurgated version?”
“You mean this is going to be an X-rated tale?” Clare waggled her eyebrows.
Lexi hedged, “You know what I mean, Clare.”
“All right,” Clare agreed. “Just spill.”
A truck rumbled past, clanking and banging like the timpani section of an orchestra.
“My gosh!” Lexi strained to stare down at the truck. “I can’t believe old Mr. Wallins is still doing trash removal.”
“That’s not old Mr. Wallins,” Clare informed her.
“But I saw—”
“That’s Dougie Wallins.”
“I don’t believe it.”
“He’s thirty-three now. He married Alyssa Santos. They have three kids. One is ten years old.” Clare waited until the last bang and rattle faded into the distance. “You’ve been gone a long time, Lexi. A lot has happened.”
Lexi shook her head, trying to take it all in.
“You were saying?” Clare prompted.
Lexi capitulated. “Okay. Remember that summer. How it was for me. My parents were overworked at the shop, and totally freaked out about money. They were going to have to take a second mortgage out on the house to pay my tuition at UMass. Adam was off in veterinary school. And you were totally with Jesse.”
“Not totally,” Clare started to object, but shrugged and grinned ruefully.
Lexi continued, “So I didn’t have you. I didn’t have
anyone.
At La Maison I was the outsider who couldn’t do anything right.” She unzipped her boots and kicked them off, then pulled her knees up against her chest. She hugged her knees and nestled her chin in her arms and sat there for a moment, reflecting. “I was so lonely.”
“Have another chocolate,” Clare suggested quietly. “Try this one.”
Lexi accepted it, took a small bite, and closed her eyes while she savored the taste. “Nice.” She ate the rest of it and this time she licked her fingers. “So that’s how it was for me that summer. It was like I was
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