Page 14 of After Care

“How are you?” she asked, a touch of concern in her tone.

“Where did you disappear to?” Masie interjected, even though I texted her to say I was using the resort gym instead of finishing the yoga session.

“I worked out,” I said, and Tommy coughed from his end of the line.

“I went to look for you,” Masie said. I hadn’t counted on that, although I knew that her nature was to worry about me.

“I went for a walk.” I hated lying to her. She was a good girl and a great daughter.

“But you’re okay?” she asked, and I sat in the lounger with a huff.

“I’m fine.” I might have said it a bit too brusquely, but I didn’t understand the inquisition. So I was missing for an hour, hour and a half tops, big deal.

“Leave Mom be,” Caleb said, appearing out of nowhere and sitting at my feet. He was a good kid, too, albeit wrapped up in his own world. He hadn’t been home during the worst of the cancer treatment. I didn’t want him missing college to come take care of me, as his protective nature would have wanted to do. I lied to him often, saying I was fine, but I know Masie most likely told him the truth. Some days were rougher than others.

I laid back and listened, the conversation filling with chatter from two little girls, groans of hungover twenty-something adult males, and the occasional teasing of a young married couple. It was heavenly and mind numbing, and the dialogues flowed around me, lulling me into a comfortable state of lazy.

The heat was stifling, despite a swift breeze, and I stood to enter the pool. I wore an orange strapless tankini with a black polka-dot bottom. Not the sexiest, but I was well past bikini days like the slim bodies of Ivy and Masie. As I entered the pool, an older woman stood at the end of the stairs.

“You have a lovely family,” she said to me, and I stopped one step from the pool’s bottom.

“Thank you,” I said, glancing over at my two children, proud of the compliment. Masie had my original hair color, brunette, but streaked with gold highlights from the sun. Caleb was tall, his body filling out, on the verge of manhood, with subtle chest hairs. His hair matched his sister’s, minus the golden streaks. I loved them both unconditionally.

“Your husband is a fine catch,” she offered, and I turned to face her. Following her line of vision, she focused on Tommy who sat forward on his chair, staring in the direction of where I stood. Dark aviator glasses covered his eyes, though.

“Oh, he’s not my husband,” I nervously giggled, glancing back at him before addressing this shrunken raisin of a woman who obviously had eyes for Tommy.

“Oh my, unfortunate man,” she said, patting my hand, and I smiled at the hidden compliment. I twisted slightly to see Tommy shake his head, but I assumed he couldn’t have heard the woman from this distance.

“Are those little ones your granddaughters?” So much for compliments, I decided, as I looked at Ava and Emaline, Gage and Ivy’s daughters.

“Uhm, no,” I chuckled to lessen the sting. How old did I look?

“Didn’t think so, but you never know. Grandparents are getting younger and younger these days.” She smiled sweetly, and I guessed her age to be almost double my own. Just out of curiosity, I had to ask.

“Who did you think was my family?”

She chuckled as she responded. “The whole lot of them. You look like one happy family on vacation together. Those two girls look like sisters.” She nodded at the huddled Ivy and Masie, who were whispering to each other. “Thought you and the man might be celebrating something special, as you both look so happy. My husband and I took our family on a vacation to celebrate our wedding anniversary.” She paused. “That was back when it had been fifty magical years.”

“That’s sweet,” I said, trying to process how she thought I’d mothered all those boys and girls and was married to Tommy. Ava and Emaline saved the day by entering the pool, followed by Gage, West, and Masie.

I didn’t want to notice West paying extra attention to Masie. It had heartbreak written all over it for her. She was only eighteen, and he was a twenty-two-year-old rock star. As the newest member of the band, I assumed he was still trying to find his way amongst the older three, who seemed like life-long friends. Caleb had tried to fill me in, telling me that Collision was one of the hottest bands out there with their alternative rock sound, sultry ballads, and raging songs. After sharing a few titles with me, I was able to admit I’d heard them, but I couldn’t say I knew anything more about its members, or their manager. He was a music buff, and playing guitar would have been his dream, had his father not driven him toward baseball.

I exited the pool to find a margarita by my seat.

“Tommy took the liberty,” Ivy said as I sat. I held up the tempting drink, ready to tip my head in thanks, but found him speaking to a young woman on his right. She wore a red bikini. I sighed as I took a hefty sip of the salty sweet lime combination.

“It must be hard to fight off all the women,” I muttered, referring to Tommy, but thinking of Gage as well. “I don’t know how you do it.”

“Oh, you get used to it.” Ivy chuckled. “Although I’m not the one with a jealous streak. Gage is rather…possessive. I don’t worry. Gage would never cheat. Tommy would kill him.”

I wanted to believe, for her sake, that her man would never stray. I wanted to believe it with my whole heart, but knowing what happened to me, I found it hard to have such faith in complete loyalty. Her comment about Tommy gave me a thought as well. It must be nice to know she was protected from all sides—a sort of checks and balances for her trust.

“Tommy told me you’re his niece,” I said, hoping to learn more about him and her relationship. Ivy didn’t open her eyes as she lay in the Hawaiian sun.

“Yep. My mother was his younger sister,” she whispered without offering more information. “So, what do you do for a living?” she asked, blatantly redirecting the conversation.

“I work for a manufacturing company.”