“It really was fantastic,” a familiar voice says, and then, screw my new song, I have the desperate urge to hide. Somewhere.Anywhere. Beneath the table! In Ember’s bass drum! In that big-ass beverage cooler over there!
“Ah, why are you here?” Mom says, giving Vivian a huge hug. “I thought you were back tomorrow!”
“I switched my flight to come home a day early,” Vivian says. She’s wearing a sleeveless black top and hoop earrings and somehow looks stunning in spite of traveling here from another continent. “I mean, after missing Maggie’s first two performances, I couldn’t missthis onetoo. That felt unacceptable.”
“You were watching?” I asked, sounding dazed even to myself. “I didn’t see you.”
“More like lurking. I didn’t want to distract you.”
“Oh,” I say. “Thanks.”
“Glad you finally got to witness the magic for yourself,” Ron says.
“Me too,” Vivian says.
“Can we talk?” I ask, the words popping out of my mouth like it’s a jack-in-the-box.
“Me and you?” Vivian has this panicked look in her eyes that people other than me probably wouldn’t notice. “Of course, sure. You mean right now?”
“I do,” I say.
“Okay. Yeah. Let’s talk.”
We look around Shana’s backyard, scoping out a spot for this conversation we’re both terrified to have. Finally, I take a few steps, and Vivian follows.
I would still prefer to hide in that gigantic cooler with the seltzer cans, but I keep moving forward instead.
Maggie
Vivian and I find a spot a healthy distance from the rest of the party, sitting on the worn-down patch of grass where Shana’s family swing set used to be. Her parents finally got rid of it last week to make more space in the yard for this party. Shana said her dad cried as he disassembled it.
“You want some?” Vivian asks, holding out some fancy bottle of sunscreen. “It’s bright out here.”
“I’m good, thanks.” I definitely have not sunscreened yet today, but I can’t start this conversation by admitting weakness.
“Okay, good.” She cracks open a grapefruit LaCroix—I guess she pulled it out of one of the big pockets on her pants?—and takes a sip. “Feel free to have some if you want.”
“Thanks. I hydrated a lot before the show.”
Vivian nods.
“So you’re back from Europe,” I say. I can’t lead with the Carter stuff. Need to warm up into it.
“I am.”
“How was it?”
“It was great. It was really great.”
“Nice!”
“Yeah.”
I pull out a blade of grass. I try to tie it into a knot.
“As great as living with Dad for a week?” I ask.
Vivian smiles. “Maybe even a little greater, if you can imagine that.”
