When she releases Leo, he shoots out like the car is a cannon, stopping only because Mae is holding the leash. Then the passenger door opens, and out comes Kara. Jordan hasn’t seen Kara since Theresa’s funeral but she looks the same. Her hair is a little shorter, a little straighter. When she smiles, as she does uncertainly, she has the same space between her front teeth.
“Jordan,” says Kara. “Hi. It’s really good to see you.” Jordan has the straitjacket arms ready, but Kara, probably reading the body language, doesn’t go in for a hug. Jordan had vowed to remain stoic, even stiff, so she’s surprised and offended by the rush of emotions that hits her. Kara is a reminder of the worst time of their lives, but she’s also a link to the days when Theresa was still with them, to some of the last best days too. She was someone who cared for Theresa but also cared for the rest of them, who explained to them what they could expect at each stage, all the way until the end. Jordan can’t encapsulate all of this into words, nor does she want to, because the emotions feel tooraw and close to the surface, so she says, “Hi, Kara,” and turns away before any dampness in her eyes gives her away.
This is when Calvin comes out of the house in his new glasses. He and Kara embrace, but they are mindful of their audience, and the embrace is short. It’s tight, though, definitely tight. Calvin takes Kara’s bag and says, “I’ll give you the tour.”
“I’m going to walk Leo over near the patio,” says Mae.
Jordan follows her sister and watches Mae guide Leo away from the beach, where he really wants to go, and to the small grassy area. After he does his business she has him sit, then lie down, then sit again.
“How was it? Was it awful?” Jordan asks.
Mae looks up, startled. “What? Well, there was this one guy, and Leo—”
“NotLeo.Kara!”
“Oh! Sure, yeah, pretty awful. I mean, I survived.”
“But barely?” asks Jordan hopefully.
“Right. Barely.”
Then Natalie is there, holding Caspian, who has her ponytail in his fist. “I snuck down when they were in Mom and Dad’s room. The girls are in the sunroom. I don’t think I prepped them enough. What do I call her? ‘Your new grandmother?’”
“Definitely not,” says Jordan.
“What, then?”
“Your grandfather’s child bride.”
Natalie rolls her eyes. “Much better.” She releases her hair from Caspian’s hold and sits on one of the loungers. Caspian, still sleepy, lays his head on her chest. Mae sits in one of the regular chairs, holding Leo’s leash, and Jordan hovers, full of confused energy.
“They were so young when Mom died,” continues Natalie. “Only Evangeline has any real memories. It breaks my heart to realize they didn’t really know her. Or she, them.” Jordan watches her sit withthat for a moment, then Natalie says, “Did she do anything egregious yet? Anything we can complain about?”
“Not yet,” says Jordan. “Frankly, it’s annoying.”
“How about on the drive, Mae?”
“Hmm. Nope.”
There’s a long silence while all of the Shipman girls look out at the beach. The beachgoers are like characters in a play, and the Shipmans are the audience, in their own private box. Families, young couples, people walking alone, the occasional runner.
“You know,” says Mae. “I don’t think it was having no glasses that made Dad look vulnerable.”
Jordan turns to her. “What do you mean?”
“I thought he looked like not himself without his glasses, but I don’t think that was it. I think it was solitude.”
“Oh, please, Mae.”
“What?”
“Where’s yourloyalty?”
“It’s not about loyalty.”
“Of course it is,” says Jordan. “Dad marrying Kara is disloyal to Mom. It’s that simple. And if you’re okay with that, you’re disloyal to Mom too.”
She almost saysand that’s that, and makes a motion like she’s dusting off her palms, because Mae is so much younger and has always listened to Jordan. So she’s surprised when Mae meets her gaze and shakes her head.
