Thanksgiving? It’s okay for us to come?”
“Totally sure.”
“Love you, Luce. I don’t know how I’d be getting through this divorce stuff without you.” They hugged, and Reyna asked, “What are we going to do with them? The ashes?”
“We?” Lucy laughed.
“Obviously. It was my idea!”
“I’m not sure. Maybe spread them at Seal Rock or something?” Every year for Lucy’s birthday, her grandma had taken her to the Cliff House for dinner, and afterwards they’d stand at the cement wall and watch and listen to the waves. “But maybe I want to keep some. I don’t know.”
“Then don’t skimp when you have your moment. Get a nice big scoop.”
Martin stood over the dishwasher, unloading and polishing and putting away dishes. “Hey, doll,” he said.
Lucy put her bag on the island. “Are there any of those brownies left?” Martin gestured to a plastic container on top of the fridge. She took it down, removed two brownies, and put it back. “What do you drink with vegan brownies instead of milk?”
“I shudder to think.”
She poured herself milk and sat at the island. “Can I tell you a secret?” He would understand about her grandmother’s ashes. He’d loved her at least as much as Lucy had.
“Not if it’s going to get me in trouble later.” Martin closed the dishwasher, then wiped out the sink and ran the disposal.
When the grinding stopped, Lucy said, “Never mind. I’ll tell you after it’s too late to stop me.”
“I appreciate that. Anything you need before I take off?”
She shook her head and watched him roll down his sleeves, put his watch back on, and take off his black apron and hang it on the pantry hook. They said goodbye and Lucy sat still, feeling herself there, in her kitchen, the sweetness of the brownie on her tongue, the cold milk glass in her hand.
These little things, even, were a kind of beauty.
She held them close.
It was difficult to wait until Tuesday afternoon to talk to Will. She nearly texted him Monday night to see if he could talk then but stopped herself, picturing Carson’s and Reyna’s faces if they could see her.
When she got home, she bolted into the house and went straight to the piano room, where Will and Gus were working. She paused just outside, listening.
“…hear that odd repeated note?” Will asked. “It’s a striking thing about the theme, right?”
“Sometimes I can’t hear it,” Gus confessed.
She shouldn’t barge in.
“That’s because you’re getting too caught up in the measure-to-measure stuff. Let yourself mess up a little on that and listen for the big picture. You want a map of the piece in your head, but don’t think about it step-by-step. Here.”
Unable to wait any longer, she burst into the room. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Gus stopped playing. Will, leaning on the piano, smiled. “You can interrupt any time.” He wore black jeans and sneakers, a chocolate-brown hooded sweater. He had really good style. Casual but classy.
Gus slid off the bench and came over to her, making fake punches in her general vicinity. “Wii boxing. Let’s go.”
She put her hand on his forehead while he threw fists at the air, giggling. She caught Will’s eye and they both laughed. “I want to talk to Will for a minute.”
Gus let his arms drop to his sides. “Why?”
“Just because.”
“You can go box or take a quick run,” Will said to Gus. “It’s almost time for a break, anyway.”
He left them, reluctant. And Lucy felt shy, suddenly, not sure where to stand. She chose a spot behind her grandfather’s armchair; Will sat on the piano bench, his hands holding the edge of it on either side of his legs.
“Hey, I heard you stuck up for me with your grandpa the other night,” he said. “I appreciate that. I like this job, you know. And I do sort of feel like I’m on probation here.”
“Gus told you about that?”
He nodded.
“If you haven’t figured this out yet,” Lucy said, “my grandfather
“Totally sure.”
“Love you, Luce. I don’t know how I’d be getting through this divorce stuff without you.” They hugged, and Reyna asked, “What are we going to do with them? The ashes?”
“We?” Lucy laughed.
“Obviously. It was my idea!”
“I’m not sure. Maybe spread them at Seal Rock or something?” Every year for Lucy’s birthday, her grandma had taken her to the Cliff House for dinner, and afterwards they’d stand at the cement wall and watch and listen to the waves. “But maybe I want to keep some. I don’t know.”
“Then don’t skimp when you have your moment. Get a nice big scoop.”
Martin stood over the dishwasher, unloading and polishing and putting away dishes. “Hey, doll,” he said.
Lucy put her bag on the island. “Are there any of those brownies left?” Martin gestured to a plastic container on top of the fridge. She took it down, removed two brownies, and put it back. “What do you drink with vegan brownies instead of milk?”
“I shudder to think.”
She poured herself milk and sat at the island. “Can I tell you a secret?” He would understand about her grandmother’s ashes. He’d loved her at least as much as Lucy had.
“Not if it’s going to get me in trouble later.” Martin closed the dishwasher, then wiped out the sink and ran the disposal.
When the grinding stopped, Lucy said, “Never mind. I’ll tell you after it’s too late to stop me.”
“I appreciate that. Anything you need before I take off?”
She shook her head and watched him roll down his sleeves, put his watch back on, and take off his black apron and hang it on the pantry hook. They said goodbye and Lucy sat still, feeling herself there, in her kitchen, the sweetness of the brownie on her tongue, the cold milk glass in her hand.
These little things, even, were a kind of beauty.
She held them close.
It was difficult to wait until Tuesday afternoon to talk to Will. She nearly texted him Monday night to see if he could talk then but stopped herself, picturing Carson’s and Reyna’s faces if they could see her.
When she got home, she bolted into the house and went straight to the piano room, where Will and Gus were working. She paused just outside, listening.
“…hear that odd repeated note?” Will asked. “It’s a striking thing about the theme, right?”
“Sometimes I can’t hear it,” Gus confessed.
She shouldn’t barge in.
“That’s because you’re getting too caught up in the measure-to-measure stuff. Let yourself mess up a little on that and listen for the big picture. You want a map of the piece in your head, but don’t think about it step-by-step. Here.”
Unable to wait any longer, she burst into the room. “Sorry to interrupt.”
Gus stopped playing. Will, leaning on the piano, smiled. “You can interrupt any time.” He wore black jeans and sneakers, a chocolate-brown hooded sweater. He had really good style. Casual but classy.
Gus slid off the bench and came over to her, making fake punches in her general vicinity. “Wii boxing. Let’s go.”
She put her hand on his forehead while he threw fists at the air, giggling. She caught Will’s eye and they both laughed. “I want to talk to Will for a minute.”
Gus let his arms drop to his sides. “Why?”
“Just because.”
“You can go box or take a quick run,” Will said to Gus. “It’s almost time for a break, anyway.”
He left them, reluctant. And Lucy felt shy, suddenly, not sure where to stand. She chose a spot behind her grandfather’s armchair; Will sat on the piano bench, his hands holding the edge of it on either side of his legs.
“Hey, I heard you stuck up for me with your grandpa the other night,” he said. “I appreciate that. I like this job, you know. And I do sort of feel like I’m on probation here.”
“Gus told you about that?”
He nodded.
“If you haven’t figured this out yet,” Lucy said, “my grandfather
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