“His children are on the way. But he wants to see you, as soon as possible.”
“I’ll come now.”
Jade never took cabs. She couldn’t spare the money; she barely knew how to hail one. But she was worried that the subway would take too long.
Mrs. Sanchez was waiting for Jade in the lobby. Mrs. Sanchez in the lobby was as unexpected as the revelation of a first name. Jade had never seen Mrs. Sanchez outside the apartment.
“I wanted to ride up with you,” she explained, nodding at the concierge as they passed. “To tell you a couple of important things.” She pressed the button, and the elevator doors yawned open. They stepped inside. “First. He’s on a low dose of morphine, for the pain.So if he seems not quite like himself, that’s why. Second, his daughter will be here in twenty minutes. If I were you, I’d be gone before she arrives. Say your goodbyes, and be on your way.”
“Morphine,” said Jade. “Daughter. Got it.” Then she said, “I knew he was dying. But I thought he was dying slowly.”
“We’re all dying slowly,” said Mrs. Sanchez.
Nicola
After work on the third Tuesday in July, Nicola is sitting on her patio with her phone, watching an Instagram reel of a lost border collie being reunited with its owner, when she hears the purr of mopeds. She looks over and sees three of them moving up Juliana’s driveway. Has Juliana been out for a ride? Has she found company she prefers to Nicola’s?
Her phone buzzes, a text from Juliana:CAN YOU COME OVER? NEED BACKUP.
Nicola thinks for a moment, and then texts back:?
TAYLOR IS HERE
WITH DAVID?
NO
Then an emoji, this one:??.
Then one more word:HURRY.
Nicola’s a rule follower at heart—you’ll find that many who end up at law school are (though certainly not all), and besides that she tries to do what’s asked of her, for a friend, even (especially?) a new friend. She hurries.
Allison meets Nicola at the front door and tells her everyoneis on the back patio; she says Nicola can go around or through the house. Nicola chooses the former, and as she nears the patio she spies a party of three arranged on the furniture: Taylor and another woman about her age, with dark hair, on one of the love seats, and a redheaded male, practically an Ed Sheeran lookalike, same carefully tousled look and alabaster skin, in a chair. Juliana, in denim shorts and a white tank top, messy bun—Nicola knows these to be her working clothes, when she doesn’t have video calls—is hovering on the outskirts, and beyond her, also hovering but much less desperately, is Allison, who, having taken the through-the-house route, arrived before Nicola.
“Lemonade?” Juliana is asking. “No? Does anyone want adrinkdrink? Champagne or a glass of rosé? How about at least a seltzer—”
“I’m fine,” says Taylor coolly, then adds, “Thank you.” Ed Sheeran’s lookalike asks for a beer, maybe a lager, and the other woman says she’d love a seltzerif it is naturally flavored,and otherwise just water, thank you. No ice. “Actually, never mind all that. Did you say you have champagne? I feel like we’re getting into champagne hour—does anyone else?”
“Of course. I’ll have that too.” This seems too eager of Juliana; she isn’t someone who starts drinking before the day is done. She hardly drinks at all. Juliana signals to Allison, who hurries toward the house.
Juliana sees Nicola and says, “Nicola! Hey!” The relief in her voice is so thick you could have stood a spoon up in it. “What a nice surprise. I’m so glad you stopped by.”
“Yeah, I just...” Nicola tries to figure out the best way to play along. “Sorry, I just came to say hi. I didn’t know you had company.”
“That’s okay!” says Juliana with an unfamiliar brightness that feels forced. “The more the merrier.”
Taylor says, “Oh, hello there, Nicola. I forgot you lived right next door.” No way, thinks Nicola, has Taylor forgotten. Taylor is not a person who forgets things. Nicola tries not to think again of theCountry Cousin comment, she really should let it go, but she can’t help it, it still rankles.
Taylor introduces her companions, Michael and Mo, the twoMs, if she prefers. (Nicola doesn’t prefer.) BothMs half stand, offer their hands. Old friends from her high school days, Taylor says. “This is David’s cousin,” she tells them. “And Jack Baker’s—” She clears her throat. “Friend.” She looks at Nicola questioningly. “Summer friend?”
“Sure,” says Nicola, blushing a little. “Summer friend.” Imagine, she wonders, if she said out loud that she’d seen Taylor with her own “summer friend”?
“IloveJack Baker!” says Mo, suddenly coming alive. She looks Nicola up and down and Nicola is pretty sure she finds her lacking. Michael hits Mo lightly on the leg and says, “I’mright here.”
“No, I just mean from like a distance,” clarifies Mo. “He’s just so—he’s adorable, that’s all.” And Michael says, “Oh, from adistance,then I guess that’s fine,” and Mo smirks.
“We were just out for a moped ride,” Taylor says. Her voice is so smooth and cool—can a voice be blond? “And we thought we’d come and check things out here. We obviously weren’t going to invite ourselvesin,but Juliana happened to be outside—”
