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‘If there’s any goodness in me, it’s because you raised me.’
‘Charmer,’ she says, tapping the tip of my nose. Then she turns to the doorway. ‘Oh, Becky, good morning, sweetie. Would you like toast, coffee?’
‘Coffee would be wonderful, thank you, Maggie.’
She is back in leggings and a shirt, her hair knotted on top of her head, her face makeup free. Her fresh look reminds me that she is only twenty-seven.
‘Did you sleep well?’ I ask.
‘Once I got to sleep.’
She struggled too. Was she also fighting to keep her right hand out of her underwear? I decide not to ask.
* * *
After breakfast, Becky and I agree, under the duress of high-pitched begging, to take Annalise and Timmy to the park.
We sit on a bench and watch them playing on the small jungle gym and slide. The air between us doesn’t feel as easy or comfortable as usual. I know it’s because I’ve crossed so many lines this weekend. Those transgressions have been mostly in my head, I think, but I’m sitting here now wondering where her head is in all of this. Did I imagine the looks, the touches?
‘Can we swing, Uncle Drew?’ Annalise asks, bounding toward us.
‘Sure.’
I lift Annalise into one of two swings. Timmy is man enough to climb onto his own. Becky and I stand behind the two swings, me behind Annalise, her behind Timmy.
‘Hold on tight. Don’t let go,’ I instruct them.
‘I’m not stupid, Uncle Drew,’ Annalise chastises me.
Becky sniggers and bites down on her lip.
‘Not a word,’ I tell her.
‘I was only going to say it looks like you have a lot of authority there, Uncle Drew.’
I scowl at her and push the swing.
The kids scream and giggle, begging to go higher.
‘So, this morning, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop or anything, but I overheard that you paid for your brother to go to college.’
‘You heard that, huh?’
‘I think it’s an incredible thing for you to have done.’
‘It was the least I could do. Jake doesn’t know about it. Neither does Millie for that matter. And I’d appreciate it if you—’
‘Hey, of course. I would never share your secrets, Drew.’
‘Higher! Higher!’ Timmy shouts. Becky pushes him higher after telling him to keep tight hold of the chains.
‘Millie never went to college. We don’t discuss it. She always said she wanted a family, and she got a job working for a construction company right out of high school. She and Eddie met when they were twelve or something crazy. He got a job with the state police. They just got on with things. They got married and moved out to New Jersey. Thing is, I’ve always suspected she knew our parents couldn’t afford for both her and me to go to college and she decided not to go. It kills me to think she sacrificed what she wanted for me.’
‘Well, I’ve only known her all of two days, but I’d say your sister seems perfectly happy to me. She’s got a great husband, two gorgeous kids. Some people don’t want more than that from life.’
‘Maybe. Anyway, when it came around to Jake going to college, it would have cost my folks everything they had managed to save. They would have spent their retirement pot.’
‘So you paid for him.’
