Before she could ask, a few of the tennis girls came inside, shivering from too much hot tub time. One of them wasCarleigh, who said, “Oh, Dad. You’re here. I’ll get my stuff.” She disappeared into the study to put on an oversized sweatshirt and grab her bag. Soon, she was hovering next to her father, her cheeks soft and blue, waiting.
Ada thought,These people have been through so much together; they’re a team.
It offered greater context for her next steps with Nick in therapy.
“Great playing today, Carleigh,” Ada said, reaching for the doorknob to let them out. “Really glad you were on the team this year.”
Carleigh smiled. “Thanks. And thanks for the pizza.” Then she ducked into the night.
Nick saluted Ada and waved goodbye to the few other players who were hanging in the hall. “Nice work, girls. See you at graduation!”
With that, Nick and Carleigh were gone, leaving Ada the rest of the night to ponder what he’d said,but you must know all about that. All about—your body as a means to make money?He’d been in New York City the same years she’d been. Had he known about the opera? Had he heard her name, whispered on every corner, excitement brimming till the collapse?
When Ada returned to the kitchen, she was surprised to remember her mother was still here, sitting sleepily in front of a glass of wine, waiting for something. When Ada didn’t say anything, Kathy smiled and stretched her arms over her head. “He’s handsome,” she said. “I’m going to bed.”
Chapter Eight
It wasn’t till Tuesday that Peter came home from Manhattan. When he did, he brought gifts: a pearl necklace for Ada, expensive designer sneakers for Kade, diamond earrings for Olivia, and a bracelet for Hannah. Everyone was already home from school when he came in, which meant Ada couldn’t corner him and ask any questions about his trip until later. At dinner that night, he sat and used his booming voice to talk about the city, the restaurants and cocktail bars where he and Max had gone, the baseball game they’d attended, and why he thought Manhattan was the best place in the world, except for Nantucket, of course. The kids were captivated with him, as always. They thought he was a superhero.
For some reason, Ada couldn’t help but think it felt like a performance. But maybe the best thing about Peter was that he could hold a crowd and tell a story. It had always worked on Ada.
“But how is Max doing?” Hannah asked, narrowing her eyes. She knew that Max was going through a divorce, presumably because her father had mentioned it to her on the phone. She wanted the real drama to unfurl.
“He’ll be fine,” Peter said. “Even during their wedding, your mom and I were never sure if that marriage was right for him.Sometimes two people get together and do everything you’re meant to do to create a life, and it still isn’t right.” His eyes flickered, and he took a drink of water.
“Did you see her at all?” Ada asked, surprising herself with how shivery her voice sounded. Although she’d never really gotten along with her, she hoped Abby was all right.
“No. She’s staying with her mother till she finds another place,” Peter said.
“But what did his wife do wrong?” Hannah asked, her voice filled with a sense of urgency.
“I don’t think they loved each other enough, is all,” Peter said. “There’s nobody to blame when that happens. You have to dust yourself off and move on.”
Hannah leaned back in her chair, her chicken forgotten, her arms crossed. Kade and Olivia looked vaguely bored, like they couldn’t wait to be excused so they could play video games. Romantic relationships were not yet at the forefront of their minds. There was a gentle May rain coming down the panes, keeping everyone inside for the night. It gave the ocean a purple tint.
Peter switched the subject easily, asking Hannah how her tennis matches had gone. Hannah regaled him with the drama of her best points and left out her mistakes, which allowed Peter to love her fully and without obstacles. Ada knew that if Peter had seen some of the times Hannah had hit the ball into the net, or served badly, Peter would have grumbled, saying,Come on, Hannah, you’re better than that.It was because he loved her that he wanted her to be the best.
After the kids disappeared upstairs for video games or music or brooding, Ada piled the plates in the dishwasher, cleaned the kitchen, and collapsed on the sofa next to Peter, who was watching a documentary about baseball. She reached for his hand and kissed it.
“I missed you,” she said.
Peter smiled dreamily and bent down to kiss her on the lips.
“Was it hard?” she asked. “Talking Max down?”
“It was okay,” Peter said. “It was good to see him. Good to pretend that we were a lot younger, talking about girl problems.”
Ada giggled. “The tennis players were doing that in the hot tub on Saturday. Talking about boys and breakups. I wanted to stay and eavesdrop, but I forced myself inside.”
Peter was quiet for a moment, his eyes reflecting the light of the television. “You know, I think we should take the kids on an excursion on Saturday. Something just the five of us. I mean, when was the last time we all hung out as a family?”
“No Kathy?” Ada joked.
Peter threw his head back. “Unless you insist on bringing your mother, I’d prefer not.”
“No! She drove me a little crazy this weekend,” Ada said, which was mostly a lie, but sounded true enough. “What kind of excursion?”
“Maybe sailing? Shopping? The kids probably need clothes for summer, right?”
