“Good morning, Katrina,” Ada said. “How are you?”
Katrina took a strained breath and played with the frayed ends of her hair. “I feel ridiculous.”
“You’re not ridiculous,” Ada assured her. “Where is that feeling coming from?”
“I told you that I was falling in love with someone,” she said. “I was so sure that he was my future, that he was my ticket out of sorrow after what happened with my husband.”
“What happened?”
“Nothing. I mean, he’s been around, sort of. Sometimes. But other times, I feel sure he’s going to disappoint me.” Katrina raised her chin to look Ada dead in the eye.
Ada was caught off guard by how penetrating Katrina’s gaze was.
“Tell me about your relationship,” Ada said after a moment. “What do you do together?”
A smile played across Katrina’s lips. “We have fun in a way I forgot was possible. We go for long walks and take long drives, and sometimes laze around, listening to music. He’s a good listener. I’ve told him all about my husband and how disappointed I am about how my marriage went.”
Ada’s heart pumped. How could she instill in this woman the confidence to persevere despite her many previous hardships?
Ada said, “He sounds kind. Considerate. Have you told him how uncertain you’re feeling with him? Maybe he would be receptive.”
Katrina’s eyes flashed in a way that reminded Ada of Quinn’s on opening night. “No. I don’t know. How do you know if you can trust someone?”
Ada crossed her arms over her chest and thought back to the early days of Peter, when he’d come to all of her performances and sent her bouquet after bouquet. It had taken her ages to acknowledge that she had feelings for him, too. But when she’d finally agreed to go out with him, she’d been struck by how proud he’d been to be in her midst, to introduce her to all his friends, to have her on his arm. It was like she’d been a treasure he’d discovered. And Ada had adored being treasured, especially by someone as captivating and intense as Peter.
“I think it’s about how they make you feel,” Ada said finally, gesturing toward her own heart. “Do you feel safe with them? Do you feel honored and upheld?”
Katrina bit her lower lip, seeming to consider her new relationship—a man in her life who dared her to take another chance.
“I do,” Katrina said after a time. “At least, I think I do.”
“Maybe that’s all you need to know,” Ada said.
For a little while, Ada and Katrina talked about Katrina’s upbringing, her theories about love, and various things her first husband had told her, both before and after his affair had begun. “I’m grateful that we had so many happy years,” Katrina said, “because it makes me think I can build something similar again.”
Katrina began talking about a group of women in Nantucket called the Salt Sisters. “I sort of heard about them by chance,” Katrina said, crimping her fingers. “There are seven or eight of them, maybe, and they meet regularly to talk about grief.”
It rang a bell for Ada. “I think I’ve heard of them! Hilary Salt founded the group, didn’t she?”
“I believe so,” Katrina said thoughtfully. “It was Hilary I spoke to on the phone.”
Hilary Salt was the daughter of a famous Swedish actress and the mother of another famous actress. Ada had heard that Hilary was renowned for her work in costumes, but mostly kept to herself here in Nantucket, spending time with the Salt Sisters and relearning how to enjoy life after a devastating loss. If Katrina wanted to join their group for a sense of sisterhood, Ada was all for it.
When Ada had first heard of the Salt Sisters, she’d felt overwhelmed with compassion for these poor women, these women who’d gone through so much, who’d been wronged by their loved ones. They needed one another.
“I’m nervous that I’m not up for social encounters,” Katrina said. “It’s been so long since I had a real friend, you know?”
Ada’s heartbeat quickened. She hated how much she identified with what Katrina said.
“Friendship can be so essential during times like this,” Ada said. “You can call them before and after dates and talk about how everything went. They can help you with outfits and eat ice cream with you when things go sideways. And true friends are always available for a phone call, no matter the time of day.” Ada thought back to when she and Quinn had called one another at two or three in the morning, crying about one situation or another, or sharing a funny story. The time of day hadn’t mattered—unless one of them had a big show the following day and needed their rest. They hadn’t called in that case. Usually.
When their hour ended, Ada encouraged Katrina to reach out to the Salt Sisters and spend time with them. “It isn’t right to put all your social weight on your new romantic relationship,” she said as she stood. “It’s too much pressure on you and on him.And I think you owe it to yourself to give this relationship a real try!”
Katrina said Ada was right. “He’s really wonderful,” she said as she gathered her jacket. “But you’re right. I need other people. It can’t be only him.”
After a less strenuous day than usual, Ada was off work by four thirty and off to pick up Kade, Olivia, and Hannah, whose tennis practice finished early. To reward them for being so responsible during their parents’ time in the big city, Ada had decided to take them out for a short beach hike followed by dinner at their favorite burger place. Peter hoped to join them for dinner, although he wasn’t sure how late his surgery would go. This was typical of Peter’s career and often made Ada feel sorry for him. With other people’s mouths, he was delicate and took his time.
When they reached the start of the hike, Kade and Olivia began to race, their thin legs stretching out, while Hannah and Ada hung back. Hannah was too adult for such things. When they’d gotten home last night, Hannah had been in her bedroom, listening to music too loudly and eating cookies. Olivia and Kade had been downstairs, watching movies together. Sometimes it felt like Hannah was the outsider in the family, just waiting for her parents to take her to college.
