“Did your boyfriend say that’s why he and his ex broke up?” Ada asked, reeling herself in.
“He said it was complicated, and we left it at that, for now,” Katrina said. “There are kids, which I’m totally fine with.”
“Did you ever want children?”
Katrina’s cheek twitched, as though a memory had passed through her. “My husband and I talked about it. We tried for alittle while, but it became too stressful. Sometimes I wonder if that’s why he cheated on me. Maybe he’d decided that he wanted to try the family thing with someone younger.”
“That’s tough,” Ada said. “But how do you feel about children? If it were only up to you?”
“Well, I’m obviously a little too old, but I think they’re wonderful,” Katrina said. “I’m sure they are. Actually, I think I saw one from a distance. I was meeting up with him after he’d said goodbye to his daughter. It made me wonder about what it would be like to be raised by such a strong and wonderful man. My father died when I was young, and I think when I met my husband, I was looking for someone strong, a protector. Is that terrible to say?”
Ada’s heart opened.Now, we’re getting somewhere, she thought, grateful that Katrina was finally telling her things about her deep and painful past. It meant they were building trust.
“The other day, we were driving around,” Katrina said, “and I had all this island wind in my hair, and my stomach was full of seafood, and he looked at me and said, ‘You make me all starry-eyed.’ I laughed because it sounded silly. But then I thought, when has a strong, masculine man ever said anything like that to me? And I decided to embrace it.”
Ada smiled and tapped the tip of her pen against her notepad. “It’s wonderful, Katrina. You deserve it.”
Chapter Nine
Saturday morning, bright and early, Peter and Ada woke up at the crack of dawn, shared a quiet hour of coffee, crosswords, and reading, then burst up the stairs to wake their kids. Ada felt as though they were all in their teenage years, all five of them, celebrating life and adventure. With their fists on the door and the house erupting with their children’s groans, Ada and Peter wore enormous smiles.
“We know! We torture you! It’s awful!” Peter cried as Olivia came out of her room and leaped on his back like a monkey.
Before long, pancakes were on the griddle, syrup oozing over the stacks. Bruce Springsteen played on the radio, and Ada and Peter sang along at the top of their lungs. Hannah, Olivia, and Kade were still in their pajamas. Still, the sunlight that came through the kitchen curtains illuminated everything, making their laughter louder and causing them to eat faster and want more.
“Why is everyone in such a good mood today?” Kade demanded, looking sheepish.
“Is that such a bad thing? To have a happy family?” Ada asked, dropping another pancake on his plate.
“It’s just weird,” Kade said, grinning.
“You’re weird!” Olivia cried, stealing a pancake off his stack.
“Hey!” Kade stole it back, and it disintegrated into seven pieces, which he and Olivia shared, getting the table and their fingers sticky. Ada didn’t care.
Peter announced that they were going sailing, after which they’d go shopping and go out to eat. “Everyone needs new clothes,” he said. “You’re growing too fast. You’re going to break the bank!”
“I need clothes for college,” Hannah reminded them, her voice stiff. Fear shimmered in her eyes.
“We’ve decided, honey,” Peter said playfully. “We’re not going to send you to college. We’re going to keep you here with us.”
Hannah rolled her eyes into a giggle. “Yeah, right.”
“You think we’re joking?” Peter looked at Ada, who made a stern face.
“We need you here!” Ada said. “There’s no way around it. Vassar can’t have you.”
Hannah took another piece of bacon and ate it, smiling in a way that reminded Ada of what she’d looked like when she was little: giggly and always singing songs. Her parents had been her favorite people in the world.
By ten thirty that morning, the Bushner family was on the open seas, sweeping through the turquoise waters, their faces bright with smiles. A massive picnic was tucked away in the fridge below deck, but they needed to work up an appetite first. As Kade helped his father with the ropes, Ada took numerous photographs, floored at how adult her son looked. Was it possible that he’d grown another inch in the past two weeks?
Olivia was eager to swim, but they reminded her it was too early in the season and probably frigid. They didn’t have wetsuits.
“I don’t care!” Olivia cried. “I want to!”
Eventually, they stopped the boat a little ways off a soft, sweeping white beach, where they dropped anchor and told Olivia she could jump in whenever. The sun was warm, and the air was almost eighty degrees. Because it was past noon, Peter poured himself and Ada the smallest glasses of champagne, sat beside her, and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. Hannah decided to join Olivia on her mad campaign and changed into a swimsuit. Soon, they were at the tip of the bow, holding hands, counting to three.
“I’m scared!” Hannah cried.
