Page 10 of The Paradox Club

Later, Vivian took Tess to the other side of the island to gather blueberries while Harry and Marie took a nap. Tess had a pretty good idea from the smirks on their faces what “taking a nap” meant.

“Aunt Vivian. Is it true that you’re not my real aunt?” Tess asked as they crested the hill where the blueberries grew.

“Of course not, honey,” Vivian said. “A real aunt would be your father’s sister or your mother’s sister. But I’m something much better. You call me Aunt because there’s not really a word for what I am.”

“What’s that?”

“Your best friend and Marie’s best friend and Harry’s best friend.”

“Why do you and Marie laugh so much?”

“Your mother and I have always made each other smile and laugh and feel…happy.”

“Does Harry make you laugh?”

“Harry makes me think.”

“Yeah, me too.”

“Ooh, look, this bush is full of them,” Vivian said. “You pick the low ones, and I’ll pick the high ones.”

“How did you and Harry and Marie meet?”

“Your father never told you?”

“Harry tells me stories and he tells me about science, but he doesn’t tell me about things that happened.”

“We were all at college together. Marie and I were neighbors in our dorm. One night she invited me to come along with some of her friends to see a play and the boy who sat next to her was your father.”

“Were they already married?”

“No, sweetie, they weren’t even dating yet. But we started hanging out together. I talked to Harry about science, and I talked to Marie about art and history and literature, and Harry talked to Marie about love and marriage and family. And together we all did what college students have always done—tried to figure out the meaning of life.”

“And did you?”

“I think we discovered that life is all of that—physics and art and love and family. But most of all we discovered how to be friends.”

“And you still are,” Tess said.

“Yes,” said Vivian. “We still are.”

“I hope you’re always friends,” Tess said, taking Vivian’s hand as they walked back toward the house.

“So do I.”

That night, with a belly full of Marie’s blueberry pie, Tess lay on the dock with Harry calling out the names of constellations.

“What’s that bright red star?” she asked, pointing in the general direction of the sky.

“I’m guessing you mean Arcturus,” Harry said. “Also known as Harry Maxwell’s star.”

“It is not!”

“I didn’t say it was widely known as Harry Maxwell’s star, but here on the island it’s mine. That was the first star my father ever told me about when I used to lie on the dock with him looking up. He told me everyone should have their own star and that one would be mine. So, Tess, whenever you need me, just look to the night sky and I’ll be right there.”

“That’s silly.”

“Perhaps.”