streets, trailer parks, cars on cement blocks, and crack houses where pinball arcades used to be.
“It’s a dangerous area?”
“Oh, no, it’s perfectly safe.”
“Bad schools?”
“Great schools.”
“No jobs?”
“Actually it’s a great place to raise kids.”
“Then why don’t you want to live there?”
Nicole turned away. “It’s not the right place for me and Luca.”
“I don’t understand. Why isn’t it the right place?” Evie placed her cup on the end table hard enough to make a noise, but not hard enough to break it or spill the contents. Nicole whipped around.
“It’s just not. You don’t want to go back to where you’re from, do you? I heard you say so. Why should I?”
Evie did not want to go back to Delaware, but she hadn’t lived there since she was eighteen. Plus, she was woven into the fabric of Lakewood. Sam and Sophie were entrenched in school, sports, and friends. Nicole, on the other hand, was on the cusp of a life. She could plant her roots anywhere. Why choose Evie’s basement?
* * *
“I can’t go to school,” Sam said.
“Sure you can.” Evie patted Sam’s back through the comforter. “You and Soph have already missed a week—you’ll be okay. It’s time.”
Sam burrowed under his blanket as if in a long-ago game of blanket monsters with Richard. Although this time the monsters were in Sam’s heart and Evie couldn’t get rid of them by turning on the lights or tickling him. But it was time to go back to school. He’d get up. He’d get dressed. He’d muddle through today, and tomorrow would be better. She left his room and headed to Sophie’s . Seven-twenty.
“Soph? You ready to get up?” Evie put her hand on Sophie’s shoulder.
“School today?” Sophie squinted even though it was still dark in her room.
“Yep.”
“I don’t want to tell anyone what happened.”
How long was Sophie thinking this that it was the first thing out of her mouth? Not “I’m cold” or “I’m hungry” or “I have to pee.” A little girl should not have to protect her own heart until she’s grown. Evie would do it for her.
“You don’t want them to know about Dad?”
“No, I want them to know, I just don’t want to tell them.”
“You don’t have to tell anyone anything, sweetie. They know. When the kids went back after winter break, Mrs. Thomas told them. Remember? They went back last week.”
“What if I start crying in the middle of the day?”
“Then they’ll call me and I’ll come spend time with you or take you home. You’ll be fine.” You have to be fine. Just from nine to three, then you can fall apart.
“Okay.” Sophie rose from her bed and headed to the bathroom. The door closed. One click closer to normal.
Seven-thirty. Back to Sam’s room.
“It’s time to get up, Sam. You’ll be late.”
Sam didn’t move. Evie sat on the bed and put her hand on his back. The slow motion of his breathing was always a relief.
“I can’t go,” he mumbled. “I can’t do math or listen to science. When I try to think about something else, I can’t think about anything but Dad. I wish I could just spend every day with my friends.”
His burden was more than that of missing Richard; it was that he knew his own mind and heart.
“But your friends are all in school.”
“I want to be home. I want to be with you and Nicole and Luca and my friends and not go to school. I want to go, but I can’t. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” He shook his head until Evie put her hands on his face to stop it.
“Kids have to go to school, Sam, it’s the law.” She looked into his blue eyes and he looked away. When she mentioned “the law,” it was always the last resort. When the twins were little, it was “the law” to eat fruits and vegetables.
Evie’s trick was past its prime.
What she didn’t say was that she wanted—no, she needed—some time to herself. How would she have enough energy for the long nights if they
“It’s a dangerous area?”
“Oh, no, it’s perfectly safe.”
“Bad schools?”
“Great schools.”
“No jobs?”
“Actually it’s a great place to raise kids.”
“Then why don’t you want to live there?”
Nicole turned away. “It’s not the right place for me and Luca.”
“I don’t understand. Why isn’t it the right place?” Evie placed her cup on the end table hard enough to make a noise, but not hard enough to break it or spill the contents. Nicole whipped around.
“It’s just not. You don’t want to go back to where you’re from, do you? I heard you say so. Why should I?”
Evie did not want to go back to Delaware, but she hadn’t lived there since she was eighteen. Plus, she was woven into the fabric of Lakewood. Sam and Sophie were entrenched in school, sports, and friends. Nicole, on the other hand, was on the cusp of a life. She could plant her roots anywhere. Why choose Evie’s basement?
* * *
“I can’t go to school,” Sam said.
“Sure you can.” Evie patted Sam’s back through the comforter. “You and Soph have already missed a week—you’ll be okay. It’s time.”
Sam burrowed under his blanket as if in a long-ago game of blanket monsters with Richard. Although this time the monsters were in Sam’s heart and Evie couldn’t get rid of them by turning on the lights or tickling him. But it was time to go back to school. He’d get up. He’d get dressed. He’d muddle through today, and tomorrow would be better. She left his room and headed to Sophie’s . Seven-twenty.
“Soph? You ready to get up?” Evie put her hand on Sophie’s shoulder.
“School today?” Sophie squinted even though it was still dark in her room.
“Yep.”
“I don’t want to tell anyone what happened.”
How long was Sophie thinking this that it was the first thing out of her mouth? Not “I’m cold” or “I’m hungry” or “I have to pee.” A little girl should not have to protect her own heart until she’s grown. Evie would do it for her.
“You don’t want them to know about Dad?”
“No, I want them to know, I just don’t want to tell them.”
“You don’t have to tell anyone anything, sweetie. They know. When the kids went back after winter break, Mrs. Thomas told them. Remember? They went back last week.”
“What if I start crying in the middle of the day?”
“Then they’ll call me and I’ll come spend time with you or take you home. You’ll be fine.” You have to be fine. Just from nine to three, then you can fall apart.
“Okay.” Sophie rose from her bed and headed to the bathroom. The door closed. One click closer to normal.
Seven-thirty. Back to Sam’s room.
“It’s time to get up, Sam. You’ll be late.”
Sam didn’t move. Evie sat on the bed and put her hand on his back. The slow motion of his breathing was always a relief.
“I can’t go,” he mumbled. “I can’t do math or listen to science. When I try to think about something else, I can’t think about anything but Dad. I wish I could just spend every day with my friends.”
His burden was more than that of missing Richard; it was that he knew his own mind and heart.
“But your friends are all in school.”
“I want to be home. I want to be with you and Nicole and Luca and my friends and not go to school. I want to go, but I can’t. I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” He shook his head until Evie put her hands on his face to stop it.
“Kids have to go to school, Sam, it’s the law.” She looked into his blue eyes and he looked away. When she mentioned “the law,” it was always the last resort. When the twins were little, it was “the law” to eat fruits and vegetables.
Evie’s trick was past its prime.
What she didn’t say was that she wanted—no, she needed—some time to herself. How would she have enough energy for the long nights if they
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