Family Reunion, Nancy Thayer [the kiss of deception read online .txt] 📗

she was entranced by their silliness, their giggles, their whoops—their sheer pleasure in being alive. Each child, pale or dark or freckled, was beautiful, and Ari couldn’t help wondering what her child would be like. Then she’d remind herself that the baby was Peter’s, too, and she had to talk to him, and she had to talk to her mother about her father, and it was all so impossibly difficult she almost cried.

That evening, when she returned home from the camp, she told Eleanor she wouldn’t have dinner. She needed to sleep. She fell into bed at six o’clock and didn’t wake up for twelve hours. Her hair was still sticky from yesterday’s sandy water and she was wearing yesterday’s clothes. It seemed to take all the energy she possessed to force herself into the shower.

When, teeth brushed, hair washed, clothes fresh, Ari walked into the kitchen, she found Eleanor there.

Ari managed to smile. “I’m sorry about last night.”

“Nonsense.” Eleanor handed Ari a go-cup of hot ginger tea and a cinnamon bun wrapped in a napkin. “Tonight we’re going to Madaket to get takeout from Millie’s and walk on the beach.”

Surprised, Ari laughed. “Great idea, Gram. But what brought this on?”

“I haven’t seen the other end of the island for weeks.”

Ari laughed. “You make it sound as if Madaket is miles away.”

“Well, it is.”

“Yeah, not even ten,” Ari scoffed, but she smiled as she left the house.

—

Ari drove home after camp. Her grandmother wanted to drive her Range Rover and Ari wanted to fetch a sweater in case it got breezy.

“Here you are!” Eleanor was waiting by the open hatch of her car. “I’ve put a bottle of lemonade in ice in the cooler. I’ve wrapped the glasses in towels—it spoils the taste to drink lemonade out of paper cups.”

“You’re the best,” Ari said. She ran through the house to get a sweater, left the house, and jumped into the Rover.

“Perfect evening,” Eleanor said as she drove.

“Yes,” Ari agreed, biting her tongue so she wouldn’t say that actually it wasn’t perfect for her.

They passed the golf course, Sesachacha Pond, houses grand and modest, and all of the land bursting with green. Eleanor looked over at Ari, who was relaxing against the window.

“How was your day?” Eleanor asked.

“Wonderful and exhausting,” Ari said. “I love those children, but I can’t imagine how anyone has enough energy to be a mother twenty-four seven.”

“Most mothers don’t have fifteen children,” Eleanor reminded her.

“How’s Silas?” Ari asked.

“He’s fine.” Eleanor smiled. “We went to lunch in town today and to a lecture at the library about whales and sharks and other things hiding down in the watery depths. Did you know that killer whales don’t kill people? They kill other whales. Terrible creatures, actually, they prey on baby whales. And they’re so cute with their black-and-white skins. Or is it hides? What is it with sea creatures?”

“I know whales are mammals because they have live births,” Ari said. Oh, no, she secretly moaned, would her every thought be about birth?

They went through the residential area of town and turned onto Madaket Road. As they passed Crooked Lane, the street leading to the animal hospital, a blue convertible with a man at the steering wheel and a young woman in the passenger seat approached the intersection and stopped at the sign.

“Gram!” Ari cried. “I think that was Dad in the car!”

“I know.” Looking in her rearview mirror, Eleanor saw the convertible turn toward town. Without hesitation, Eleanor braked, turned into the first empty driveway, did a pivot turn, and sped to catch up with the car.

Ari clutched her seatbelt. “Gram, wait, what are you doing?”

“I want to be certain I saw what I think I did.” Eleanor’s hands were clutched tightly on the wheel.

“If that really is Dad,” Ari said, her voice trembling, “what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know yet. I haven’t had a chance to think it through. Don’t worry, I won’t cause a scene.”

They followed the blue convertible as it wound through the narrow village lanes out past the Stop & Shop and onto Fairgrounds Road. The convertible turned onto Dionis Beach Road. Eleanor did, too, keeping her distance. She didn’t want her son-in-law to spot her, and Phillip knew her car well, although the island was packed with Range Rovers.

“There,” Ari said.

The blue convertible pulled into the drive of a sweet little Cape with blue shutters, a blue door, and window boxes spilling with pansies.

Eleanor brought her car to a stop at the end of the block, in the shade of an old maple tree. She turned off the engine, wanting to focus on the convertible and its occupants.

The man got out of the car, came around to the passenger side, and opened the door. The young woman smiled up at him as she stepped out. The woman wore a pink sundress. The man wore colorful board shorts and a navy blue polo shirt.

“It’s Dad,” Ari said.

“I never would have believed Phillip would wear board shorts,” Eleanor said.

“What should we do?” Ari asked in a whisper. Her forehead was cold. The world was just a bit blurry.

Eleanor moved her hands from the steering wheel and put them in her lap. “First, let’s take a deep breath. I need a few moments to make sense of what I saw.”

Ari was fiery. “I know absolutely what I saw! I don’t have to think about it! Grandmother, my father is messing around with another woman!”

Eleanor met Ari’s eyes. “Why do you think that is?”

“What?” Tears rolled down Ari’s face. “Grandmother, my mother is your daughter! Shouldn’t you protect her? Why are you siding with my father?”

Eleanor reached out and touched Ari’s cheek. “Sweetheart, I’m not siding with anyone. I do want to protect Alicia. I know very well she’s my daughter, which is why I need some time to think about the best thing to do.”

Ari sagged in her seat. In a small voice, she said, “I can’t imagine that there even is a best