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“I’d better send Chris a text. He was supposed to be here at noon and it’s afternoon now. I’ll just let him know we’re out on the water.”
The women handed their bags to Maggie and climbed down into the boat.
“Dave knows,” Katrina said. “What about Justin?”
“He knows,” Maggie scoffed. “I’m not a child, but having to account for every second of my day makes me feel like one.”
They settled on their benches and waved to Gus as Maggie pulled away from the dock.
“Annie, this is the best idea you’ve had in a while,” Katrina said.
“We wanted to do something special for Epiphany and I think this is it. We’re together and enjoying nature.”
“We have our Saturdays together, but it’s not enough. I’m glad we’re going this,” Maggie said. “It makes me happy that we aren’t forgetting each other.”
“Oh, hell no,” Katrina said, laughing. “Annie, dig through that bag next to you and hand me the corkscrew. I’m not waiting to open this bottle.”
“Just keep it down in case the Coast Guard drives by,” Maggie said.
“Is that apt to happen?” Annie asked, grimacing. “I mean, unless the men on board are cute…”
“Uh-oh, what about Chris?” Maggie asked.
“I love Chris,” Annie said. “But I’m kidding myself when I think that things are the same between us. He’s bringing his boys with him today. Yep, they are all going to be together in that house.”
“What about Cindy’s funeral?” Katrina asked.
“They are having a memorial service at a future date, according the obituary. Did you know she was a high school math teacher?”
“No! Wow, still waters run deep,” Katrina said.
“I had no idea. She looks—looked—like a Barbie doll, but she obviously had a brain. That made me sad to read. I’m sorry I didn’t probe for more information when she was here on Saturday.”
“Annie, you didn’t have to. She was nothing to you. She was Chris’s ex, that was it.”
“She told me that his MO is that he takes the path of least resistance and honest to God, she’s right. He didn’t call me last night and then a one-line text this morning in answer to my response. I can’t believe how mellow I am, like, whatever dude, I’ll be here waiting when you get around to acknowledging me.”
Katrina and Maggie made eye contact but didn’t reply, letting Annie vent.
“I’m beginning to wonder if I didn’t make a mistake jumping in so fast.”
“Well, if you did, you’re resolving it now by backing off,” Katrina replied. “It’s okay, Annie. You’re doing the right thing, letting him take care of his boys. It will give you time to finish your thesis and to deal with the crap with Beverly Casson.”
“Ugh, I actually forgot all about her,” Annie groaned.
In the courthouse, Beverly Casson sat with her attorney, the same guy who did her divorce.
“This isn’t exactly my specialty,” he had said. “If you plead anything but guilty, you’re going to have to get a criminal defense lawyer to go to court with you.”
“Why in the hell would I do that?” she cried. “I’m not guilty.”
“Well, you sort of are, Bev. Just tell him it was a temper tantrum that got out of hand. You placed the kid in his crib before he fell to the floor and the bruising must have happened at that time, when he thrashed around, trying to get loose. Don’t mention wobble boards, for God’s sake.”
So that was what she did, and the judge was stern with her. The sentence? Parenting classes and one year of supervised visitation. “And Mrs. Casson, get back to AA.”
He had spoken. Afterward, the humiliation was intense, her boyfriend stony and judgmental, her son and ex-husband, furious. The only person who would speak to her was her daughter, Kelly.
“Mother, get it together, for God’s sake. You know better than this. Why did you stop going to AA?”
