“Okay.” Amelia did not ask to where or what time he’d be back. Frustrated, Perry grabbed his keys. He’d been looking forwardto the weekend. But his daughter did not need him tonight, and apparently neither did his wife. He let himself out into the warm night and closed the door behind him.
When he pulled into the gravel driveway thirty minutes later, Perry turned the headlights off quickly. He didn’t want to wake anyone. The windows of the big house were dark. In the rear of the property, he could see lights on in the cottage. He reached into the backseat for his reusable shopping bag.
Perry made his way down the walkway with his bag and knocked lightly. The barking was instant and voluminous. He jumped back.
Olivia appeared at the door, a look of surprise on her face. “Perry! Come in.”
But Perry could not. Buster blocked the door and thrust his wet nose against Perry’s leg and began his TSA-level sniffing. “I’m sorry,” Olivia said, dragging him back by the collar. “Buster, leave it!”
Perry edged cautiously onto the threshold, clutching the bag close to his chest and wondering at Olivia’s strange command. A guest, unexpected or not, was not anit.
“What a surprise,” she said, releasing the dog. Perry closed his eyes, but only briefly. Buster, having found him unworthy of further inspection, had already turned back toward the living room. Perry winced as he watched the hairy dog clamber up onto the couch.
“Sorry to just show up,” he said, suddenly feeling self-conscious. He didn’t want to intrude. And he really wasn’t sure why he was here. But he’d felt compelled to come.
The house was what he imagined someone like Olivia considered tidy. Books and papers stacked on tables. Toys strewn across the area rug in the living room. The kitchen surfaces teemed withfruits and vegetables he rather thought would be best preserved in the cool confines of the refrigerator, but clearly Olivia preferred all of her things to be out and visible. Still, aside from a few dishes he spied by the farmhouse sink, there was no evidence of her falling apart. Which for a fleeting moment he found disappointing. Except for her eyes. When he finally looked into them, they seemed rimmed in sadness.
“Luci is sleeping,” she said, glancing toward the stairs. “Otherwise, she’d have loved to see you.”
Of course she was sleeping. It was late, and Perry suddenly felt badly. “I didn’t mean to just drop in,” he began. “But I imagined you had your hands full both here and with Jake at rehab. I figured you may be running low on things.”
He handed her the shopping bag. Olivia set it on the counter and peeked inside. “Bread, milk, eggs.” She reached inside and smiled. “Blue cheese?”
Perry shrugged bashfully. “I remembered you liked it. From the picnic on the boat that day.” At the mention of the boat they both fell silent.
“This is very thoughtful,” she said.
“Well, Amelia and I were worried.” Which wasn’t completely true. Amelia was flat out on the couch back home with her blaring Bravo program, ignorant of her husband’s errand.
Olivia began unpacking the bag. “Well, thank you,” she said. “How’s Emma?”
“Good. She’s out tonight, in fact. With some friends.”
Olivia raised her eyebrows. “That’s wonderful. She must be feeling better.”
Perry wasn’t sure he agreed with “wonderful,” but hearing Olivia’s take on it was reassuring. “It’s good she’s getting back to normal,” he allowed.
Behind her, Olivia’s teakettle began to sing on the stove. She whisked it off and poured the steaming water into a mug. Tea. He had not thought of that! Perry wondered what kind she liked. “Would you like a cup?” she asked.
“Oh no. No thank you. I should go.”
There was a pause and Perry knew it was his cue to leave. He’d brought the groceries. All appeared to be good here.
But as he watched Olivia return the kettle to the stove, he regretted not accepting her offer. “Well, thank you again, Perry. It was so kind of you to check in. Really.” She followed him to the door and let him out.
“Good night,” he said, as the screen door closed between them.
She smiled. “Good night.”
But Perry was not done. He hesitated. “Olivia. I wondered if I might share something.”
She’d already stepped away from the door, but she turned back. “Oh?”
“It’s about Jake.” He looked at her carefully. This was not easy for him. “I know you two are engaged, and I want the best for you both.”
Olivia pursed her lips uncertainly. Was he overstepping? It didn’t matter. Jake had already done so. Upstairs was a little girl in a cast, and one town over was his daughter, still not quite herself.
“Jake is not the man you need him to be.”
