The insurance company had come out to assess the damages. Just as he’d known it would be, the boat was declared totaled. But still, it smarted when he had to sign insurance forms. In addition to the boat damage, there was the matter of the repair work to be done to the Dunlaps’ dock, where the accident had occurred. Perry had accompanied the adjuster to the site, and again, Mr. Dunlap kindly made no fuss. But he had requested his own assessment, as well. The two quotes would be compared. Negotiations would be made. Perry did not take any of it personally. This was the business of insurance. Still, having the insurance company’s official paperwork completed somehow made all of it feel worse. Perry knew he should feel grateful. Boats and docks couldbe replaced. People could not. But Perry couldn’t help himself; with Jake at the helm of this accident, Perry found he was unable to shake a growing ire within him. His only recourse for now was avoidance. Avoidance of the water and of his brother.
But there were others to consider. Emma first, of course. And Olivia and Luci. Perry worried about Olivia being on her own. He had no idea what kind of insurance she had, though, frankly he’d been surprised she had any. Usually those artistic types just didn’t. And he still didn’t know if she was a US citizen or on some kind of visa, an assumption that only further undermined any confidence he had in her holding good health insurance.
But Perry knew this was not a matter of insurance. He also felt a responsibility for Jake. People had been hurt and property was damaged. And though Perry felt badly for his little brother on some level, he couldn’t help but feel that Jake was burdening Olivia further with his own injuries and needs. After all the harm he’d caused, poor Olivia was the one who’d end up taking care of him.
He tried to think of alternatives. Perry didn’t exactly want his parents stepping in to rescue his little brother; something they were not only known to do but also famous for. They had Grandma Elsie to take care of, and now Phoebe and her family on top of it. Which only left Olivia and him.
But before he could consider what to do about Olivia and Jake, first there was Emma.
Something wasn’t right. It went beyond the obvious fact that she was still in recovery. It also went beyond the explanation Amelia kept circling back to: “She’s a teenager, honey. They’re surly. They’re aloof. She’s just doing her job.” Boy, was she! But all that was too convenient a package to wrap this in. Perry’s gut told him there was something else. Something that kept his daughterdistant, if polite. Troubled, despite appearing put together on the surface. Emma was simply not herself.
As he walked across the commuter lot to his car, he dialed Amelia. “Do you think she needs therapy?” he asked the moment she picked up.
“Who?” There seemed to be music playing in the background.
“Emma,” he said impatiently.
There was a pause. “Did you have a bad day at work?”
Perry was used to this. Amelia answered questions with questions. But given his commute and the heat, and yes, a not-so-great day at work, he was less patient than usual. “Something is off about Emma, and I don’t think we should ignore it. I’m wondering if she might have PTSD.” Perry knew plenty about PTSD. A growing claim in insurance suits. Difficult to prove. Difficult to valuate. Which often worked to the insurance company’s advantage. Now, on the victim’s side, Perry suddenly felt differently.
“Hang on,” Amelia said. On the other end of the phone he could hear some activity. Then the music faded. “Emma’s here now. With Alicia.”
“She has a friend over?” Perry was heartened.
“Yes. They came home together after camp. Emma asked if she could sleep over.”
Well. Perhaps he’d jumped the gun. Maybe he just needed to give Emma more time to come around. She had been acting withdrawn, but if she had a friend over and was out of that cave of a room of hers, then this was a positive development.
“Can she?” Amelia asked. “I told her I thought it was fine, but maybe it’s too soon for a sleepover. She’s still supposed to be taking it easy.”
“No, no. Let her have Alicia stay over. She could use a change of pace, and Alicia is a quiet kid. It’s not like they’re going to be upall night, partying.” He was feeling so relieved, he laughed when he said it. Alicia was even more of a bookworm than Emma. She was shy, an honors student, and straightlaced. “Do you have popcorn at home?” he asked suddenly.
“Um, I think so. Why?”
“So the girls can watch movies. The doctor said she could have some screen time back now.”
Amelia seemed distracted. “If that’s what they want to do.”
Perry had reached his car and he fumbled for his key. “Oh—here’s a thought! Maybe I can fix the Ping-Pong table in the bonus room, like I’ve been meaning to. The girls can spread out their sleeping bags and camp out in there like old times.” This was an excellent turn of events. Perry and Emma hadn’t played Ping-Pong in years. She’d gotten pretty good, before the net broke. And he was working more. And then it just sort of stopped. Tonight he would change that. Maybe he’d challenge both girls to a tournament.
There was silence on the other end. “Well, sure. You can fix the table, I guess.”
Perry sensed some disagreement with his idea. “Is that too strenuous for her? Now that I think about it, the doctor did say no heavy exercise…”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then what?”
Amelia paused at the end of the line. “Nothing. It’s sweet. It’s just… she’s older now. So don’t be disappointed if you get the Ping-Pong table all set up and they end up doing something else instead. She’s not ten years old anymore.”
“Okay.” Perry knew darn well Emma wasn’t ten anymore. The fact that she’d drank beer with her uncle on the boat was proof of that. Which is exactly why he wanted to reintroduce some of the more wholesome things she enjoyed. Like Ping-Pong. What didAmelia, or American youth over the age of ten, have against Ping-Pong? You could barely get a turn at the table at their beach clubhouse on any given weekend. Once again, he felt that Amelia was being overly critical. But he wouldn’t say so. Not today. Today was turning out to be good. Emma was home with a friend. And she wanted to have a sleepover. Perry checked the time. If he hurried, he could stop at Dick’s Sporting Goods and get that replacement net on the way home.
By the time he pulled in his driveway, the late-day sun had shifted to an orangey-pink hue, stretching its fingers over the lake. Perry stood by his car and admired the view. “How lucky we are to live here,” Amelia often said. Perry appreciated the sentiment. But it had nothing to do with luck.
The moment he opened the door, the smell of sautéed garlic met him. He found Amelia in the kitchen, humming over a skillet of pink shrimp. “Hi, honey!” She turned for a quick kiss. “The girls are hungry, so I started dinner. I was worried you wouldn’t make it. Traffic tonight?”
He held up the box he’d picked up at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
