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18
The Cherry BlossomFestival was in full swing, the distant sound of Japanese drummers making its way to Nina’s ears on the walkway. The wide pathways were thick with people enjoying the warm weather, the park dressed in petaled finery in every shade of pink from the palest blush to the most vibrant fuchsia. Nina’s stomach rumbled with the smell of frying meat and teriyaki sauce along with American fare like fried chicken and biscuits, the food competing with the sweet scent of the flowers for Nina’sattention.
She walked alongside Robin and Karen. Amy and Moira walked up ahead with Ruth in her stroller, Moni behind them with Angela. Nina couldn’t help smiling as she looked at the women who had become her family. She could never have expected that her heart would be so full when she left the divorce lawyer’s office all those years ago, boarding a train to Brooklyn and a new life that was a complete mystery toher.
She’d been afraid of being alone. Of being lonely. Instead her life was filled withlove.
“Mommy, look!” Angela shouted. “They have an origami workshop. Can Igo?”
Nina followed Angela’s gaze and saw one of the tents that had been set up with Japanese themed activities forkids.
“What do you say, ladies?” Moni asked. “Want to take a loadoff?”
Karen looked down at her white slacks and eyed the grass on either side of the walkway. “I’m all for taking a break, but I didn’t bring ablanket.”
“We have a blanket,” Moira said, pulling a bundle of fabric from the bottom of the stroller. “Well, it’s a sheet actually, but I think it will do thejob.”
“Go ahead, honey,” Moni said to Angela. “Come get me if you needmoney.”
They stepped onto the grass, waiting as Amy and Moira removed Ruth from the stroller and staked out a spot between a family of four and a young couple holding hands while theynapped.
Amy got Ruth settled on the blanket with a book and an assortment of blocks, and Nina rolled onto her side and pointed to the dog on the cover of thebook.
“What does the dog say, Ruthie?” It was a game Ruth had been playing lately — purposely mismatching animals with theirsounds.
Ruth grinned. “Oink,oink!”
“Oh, you!” Nina tickled her and she fell back on the blanket in a fit ofgiggles.
“So,” Karen said, “this is what people do at thesethings.”
Amy laughed and shook her head. “You act like you’ve never been outsidebefore.”
“I go outside all the time,” Karen said. “I go from my apartment to a cab and from the cab to Bergdorf and from Bergdorf to the Plaza andfrom—”
“We get it,” Robinsaid.
Karen looked around, taking in the Japanese dancers in full costume that had paused to perform on the walkway. “It’s kind of nicehere.”
“Are you saying something nice about being outside?” Nina asked. “About being outside inBrooklyn?”
“I might be considering — and I do mean considering — a move,” Karen said, her eyes on thelawn.
Nina sat up. “Wait… what? Are you saying you’re thinking of moving toBrooklyn?”
“It’s apossibility.”
“But you said, and I quote: I’d have to be dead to live in Brooklyn,” Moirasaid.
“DidI?”
“You definitely did,” Amy said. “I was there. We were in my kitchenand— ”
“All right, all right! I said it. But things have changed,” Karensaid.
“What kind of change could possibly have occurred to get you to change your mind about Brooklyn?” Robin asked. “Because if I had to choose three things that would always be true, it would be that the sun will rise and the sun will set and Karen will always hateBrooklyn.”
Karen sighed. “Well, that was before Doug asked me to move in withhim.”
