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"Hey," he said, bending down to kiss her.
She kissed him too long, too hard, clung to him, then finally forced herself to draw back.
Mrs. Haynes was looking at her with understanding. "Hello, Lauren. Angie. Conlan. "
For the next few minutes, they stood there, talking about nothing. When the conversation fell into an awkward pause, David said to her, "You want to come to the beach after this?"
"No. " She found it hard to say the word.
His relief was obvious, but he said, "Are you sure?"
She couldnt even blame him. Shed looked forward to grad night for years. It was the talk of Fircrest. It just . . . hurt. "Im sure. "
They talked for a few more minutes, then headed for the car. It wasnt until later, when they were pulling into the driveway, that she realized that no one had taken a picture of her and David.
All their years together, and there would be no senior grad day photograph.
At the house, Lauren got out of the car and went to her room. She thought she heard Angie and Conlan talking to her, but there was a white noise in her head, so she couldnt be sure. Maybe they were talking to each other.
She sat on the bed, staring at the bedpost for a long time. Remembering.
When she couldnt stand it anymore, she went downstairs and walked out to the porch.
The rain had stopped, leaving a scrubbed, robins egg blue sky behind.
She stood at the railing.
There, down on the beach below, was a bonfire. Smoke puffed into the air.
It probably wasnt the senior party.
Certainly it wasnt.
And yet . . .
She wondered if she could lumber down the steps to the beach and walk all that way across the sand . . .
"Hey, you. "
Angie came up behind Lauren, put a heavy woolen blanket around her shoulders. "Youre freezing. "
"Am I?"
"Yes. "
She turned around, saw Angies worried face. "Oh," Lauren sighed shakily. Then she burst into tears.
Angie stood there forever, holding her, stroking her hair.
When Lauren finally drew back, shuddering, she saw that Angie had tears in her eyes, too. "Is it contagious?" Lauren asked, trying to smile.
"Its just . . . youre still a little girl sometimes. I take it David is going to the grad night party alone. "
"Not alone. Just not with me. "
"You could have gone. "
"I dont belong there anymore. " She pulled free and went to the porch swing and sat down. She wanted to tell Angie that lately it felt as if she didnt belong anywhere. She loved this house, this family, but once the baby was born, Lauren wouldnt belong here anymore.
