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Tracey clucked her tongue, shrugged her shoulders, and said, “That Wayne. He’ll never change, will he?”
“I guess not. But I’m grateful he gave Michael a job,” Cindy said. Again, she glanced toward Elise and said, “I really am sorry for what he put you through with Dad the other night.”
“It’s all good,” Elise said. “Actually, Dean came to find me, and we had a kind of... first conversation about some of it.”
Cindy and Tracey exchanged glances again.
“Is that right? Dad’s actually trying to face his ghosts from the past head-on?” Tracey said with a crooked smile. “That doesn’t seem to be his forte.”
“I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks,” Cindy said.
The ferry boat was empty, save for three other passengers that Cindy and Tracey had gone to high school with. The old friends eyed Elise suspiciously and then muttered to themselves after the three women sat near the back.
“Don’t worry about that,” Tracey whispered to Elise. “Mackinac thrives on gossip.”
“And you’re the hottest gossip we’ve had in years,” Cindy said. “I have to thank you, really. If not for you, I think Michael would have gotten a lot more flack for coming back the way he did.”
A few minutes before their arrival to Mackinaw City, Elise headed up from the belly of the boat, placed her arms on the edge of the ferry, and allowed the rain-filled wind to trace across her cheeks.
Lab results in five days.
In five days, I’ll know if these people are my family.
When the ferry docked again in Mackinaw City, Elise felt a funny stab of recognition. She hadn’t been off the island in over a month and, admittedly, had hardly missed it. Cindy and Tracey met her on the walkway and stepped off onto the dock, waving goodbye to the dockhand.
“See you in a few hours!” Tracey called. “You know we can never stay off for long.”
“Island girls,” the dockhand said, clucking his tongue.
Elise’s rental car was still parked in the free lot, several blocks away from the dock. Since the valets had left the island and the surrounding area for greener school-year pastures, the three women made the trek to the lot, then ducked inside the vehicle.
“You’ve had this thing out here for ages,” Tracey said as she adjusted herself in the back seat.
“I know. I guess I always wanted it here as my getaway car,” Elise said. “But I’ve really struggled with the concept of getting away.”
At the clinic, Elise and Tracey both filled out forms, showed their IDs, and swabbed their cheeks. Cindy joked that she had better take one too, “Just in case it turns out I’m not related to either of you.” Tracey laughed at that and said, “I don’t think you can get out of this family, Cindy. No matter how much you might want to sometimes.”
After the DNA test, Tracey suggested that they hit up a little pub in Mackinaw City. “It could be nice to see some new sights, talk to some people we haven’t seen for a while. That kind of thing,” she said. “Plus, if we dig into any gossip, we know islanders aren’t necessarily lurking around us, wanting to hear everything we say and use it for collateral.”
“You got that right,” Cindy agreed with a smile.
The pub’s theme was log cabin, and it very much lived up to that image: logs lined the walls, deer heads were installed near the ceilings, and even a giant, fuzzy bearskin stretched out across the furthest wall. As a kind of funny contrast, a chandelier hung from the ceiling and reflected the soft, grey light from the front windows.
“Hey there, ladies,” the bartender said. “What can I do for you?”
It was just past noon. Cindy suggested they drink up some Bloody Marys, “Because after all, isn’t this all about blood, anyway?”
Elise laughed. “I never turn down a Bloody Mary.”
The women also ordered sandwiches, with a plate of herb and parmesan-crusted fries to share. When their Bloody Marys arrived, Tracey lifted her drink and said, “To a beautiful day off the island. Elise, no matter what happens in the next five days, know that it’s been a really unique pleasure to get to know you. I hope we can continue to do more together, either as sisters or as friends.”
Elise’s eyes filled with tears as she clinked her glass with theirs. When she sipped, she found the cocktail so profoundly spicy that she laughed aloud. “And I thought Californians made a spicy Bloody Mary,” she said, wiping her eyes.
“Don’t dismiss us Michiganders,” Cindy said.
“I should have known better already,” Elise replied. “I’ve been through enough with you guys.”
Somehow, the conversation eased it's way back to Wayne—something that Elise didn’t push for, nor resist.
