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“I left nothing behind,” Tony said, laughing.
***
Monday morning, Lisa got up early. The older children had spent the night at Sandra’s and Alison’s houses, and she wantedthem to come home to get ready for school. She stood at the door, hugging each one as they crossed the threshold.
“Is Dad still gone?” Marcus asked.
“Yes, dear. He’s at his new apartment. You can visit him there next weekend, if you’d like.”
“I don’t want to. Dad wants us at Grannie’s on Saturday,” he said, referring to his father Dan, not Ryan. “I’ll go there. And Dan Junior is going to see his mother at the farm.”
“Oh! You don’t want to go along?”
“No. The farm is boring now that the big barn is gone. I’ll stay here.”
“Okay, it’s up to you.”
Lisa ruffled his head. Of all her children, Marcus was the thinker. He’d been exposed enough to the comings and goings of men in her life, and she regretted that.
Megan, too. She saw even more than Marcus. Megan was stalwart. She didn’t say much, but what she said, she stuck to. The latest disappointment had been her grandmother’s broken promise to run together.
That morning, Lisa addressed it. “I went out to the beach twice yesterday and ran.”
“Wasn’t it cold?”
“Freezing. But I got this piece of glass and this little shell. You can have them.”
“Thank you, Mom.” Megan placed the items in her palm, examining them. “I want to run on the beach, but there’s no one to run with now.”
“I’ll go with you,” Lisa said. “I’m not fast like Grannie, but I’ll do it.”
“After school?” Megan asked.
“After school.” Pam answered.
They hugged.
“You’d better get ready,” Pam reminded Megan. “I’ll walk with you this morning.”
The morning walk to school was in Lisa’s normal routine, but from time to time, she let Daniela take the kids in. From now on, Lisa alone would take them. She realized that the need for all the nannies stemmed more from Ryan’s requirements. But she wouldn’t fire Nancy. It would be helpful having another adult in the house.
She left the babies with Nancy for the walk to school. It was too cold out for a stroller ride. Alison crossed the street to meet them. Lisa was struck once again at the resemblance between Alison and Ryan, and herself. Golden hair curled around Alison’s shoulders, contrasting with the black wool of her coat. Alison was beautiful. She was taller than Lisa, and her figure was leaner, too.
“You look great,” Lisa said.
“You look fragile,” Alison replied, hugging her with one arm. “I can’t stand the cold. It’s not supposed to be like this until February.”
They walked down to Sandra’s cottage so Brent could join. Alison had the babies in a stroller because her nanny wouldn’t be in until later, the older Morgan riding on a HitchHiker attachment. They kept the conversation light until they saw the kids off to school.
“How are you doing?” Alison asked. “I know last night had to be rough.”
“It was rough. The empty space next to me is the worst. I might get a smaller bed.”
“Let a kid sleep with you.”
“I had the big girls with me the first night, and that was great. Last night, they were with you.”
“How is it during the day?”
