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“Joshua? No,” she said. “He’s head over heels for Cricket.”
She told him how when she’d first seen him, she thought she recognized him. It was still bothering her to be honest. But she was too tired to probe into the recesses of her memory further.
“One of your many conquests?”
“That must be it.”
“No,” said Bruce, nudging her with his shoulder. “Hewasthough. In a weird way. Almost sad.”
Bruce was a sensitive guy, nearly empathic. He always seemed to know what she was thinking, was very in tune with what Gigi needed which most fathers she knew were not.
“Hedoeshave a strange vibe,” she admitted.
“Hannah!”Cricket.
“You guys better put your clothes on!”Mako. His voice was getting closer.“We’re going to find yooouuuu.”
“Oh no,” said Bruce. “They found us.”
“You thought they wouldn’t?”
Mako came into view on the path, covering his eyes. “Are you guys decent?”
“Of course,” said Hannah, tugging at her skirt. “We’re old married people. We’re not romping out in the gazebo like two teenagers.”
“Anymore,” added Bruce, earning a guffaw from Mako.
“You always weresucha slut,” put in Cricket, coming up behind Mako. She slipped in next to Hannah, and pulled her into a hug.
“That’s my wife you’re talking about,” said Bruce, mock offended.
“And my sister,” said Mako, with a hand to his heart. “But yeah—a total slut.”
It was only funny because Hannah was the straight arrow, the rule follower, the eternal good girl. The designated driver—for life. She was fine with that. She didn’t mind being the one to take care of the wild kids, the one who made sure that everyone else was safe.
“I took the cover off the hot tub,” said Mako. “Let’s have a soak.”
“And a smoke,” said Cricket, producing a joint from her pocket with a wicked grin. Cricket was a walking pharmacy—she always had weed, gummies, all manner of pills.
“Where’s Joshua?” asked Hannah, looking down the dark path.
Cricket rolled her eyes. “He had some work to do. He might join us later. But he’ll probably just turn in. He’s a chronically early riser.”
“For now, it’s just us. The OGs,” said Mako, pulling Cricket up and leading her back toward the house. “Let’s chill.”
“Private party?” asked Bruce when Cricket and Mako disappeared up the path. Bruce and Hannah followed behind the other two, hand in hand, listening to their laughter. A hot tub, a joint, significant others MIA. That was a recipe for Cricket and Mako to get into trouble. What was it with those two?
Hannah frowned, thinking of poor Liza, sick in bed with a migraine while they all partied on. “Not on my watch.”
18
Henry
2001
Graduation day dawned gray and cool.
Miss Gail had bought him a suit and it was the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes that morning. The suit, navy blue, was hanging on the hook on the back of his door. His first thought was of Alice, though he didn’t think about her as much as he used to. Something about the way the suit hung, the way Miss Gail had placed the red-and-navy-striped tie over the shoulder. He felt a knot in his stomach. Alice would have been happy, proud of him.
