I slept on and off through the night and partway into the day on Saturday, waking up to see the sun streaming through the open curtains. I remembered a happy dream about surfing with Ethan, laughing and tumbling in the salty sea. I had to pull the desk away from the door to leave my room, but I noticed the chair had been knocked over on the floor, making me queasy.
When I groggily stumbled into the kitchen I looked out the window to see Ethan’s truck pull away. He had been here working in the garden while I slept, and the thought made me sad again.
Abby came humming into the kitchen. “What do you have planned for today?” she asked.
“Megan’s coming over,” I said. “We’re gonna watch some movies and hang out.”
“Okey dokey!” she smiled. I suppressed a laugh. She was practically levitating with happiness and it was unusual, even for Abby.
Suspicious, I asked, “What do you have planned for today?” She tried to keep it in, but it was impossible for Abby to be circumspect.
“I’m going out on Dutch’s boat for the day,” she beamed.
I smiled, glad for her. “Have fun!”
She skipped out of the room to say goodbye to Cruz.
Megan came over that afternoon with an armload of movies and junk food. “Therapy!” she said, waving a stack of chick flicks at me.
“I’ll make the popcorn,” I said, and we settled down for a lazy afternoon on the couch. Cruz flitted in and out, spending most of the day at his work bench. He was doing some intricate cut lace appliques for Evie’s gown, growing increasingly agitated as he second-guessed his every choice. The work was time consuming but beautiful, and I assured him the dress would be right up Evie’s alley. Megan and I coaxed Cruz out for a break every few hours, and before I knew it the sun began to set.
Day passed into night and we ordered a pizza for dinner, the three of us eating together and listening to Cruz complain about his temperamental sewing machine. Megan gathered up her stuff and went home, leaving Cruz and me waiting up for Abby.
“How do you feel about your mom dating Dutch?” I asked him.
Cruz shrugged. “Ethan’s dad always seemed like a good guy. And I’m gonna be gone in another year. So I think it would be nice if she had a friend.”
“That’s very mature of you,” I said, casting him a sideways glance. He threw a pillow at me. We were fully engaged in a vicious pillow fight when we heard the Volvo pull into the driveway. We scrambled to pick up the mess and sit back down casually before Abby came in.
“How was your day?” I asked her cheerfully.
Abby was smiling from ear to ear. “Dutch and Ethan are coming over for Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday.” She strolled off to bed in a daze. “Can you guys lock up?” she called over her shoulder. Cruz and I exchanged a look and burst into laughter.
I rolled into bed that night, wondering what Ethan thought about coming here. I wouldn’t be surprised if his dad showed up without him. I thought about what Megan had said about Ethan. He looked more angry than hurt to me. I sighed and put it out of my mind. I didn’t have time to worry about next week, I thought, grunting as I moved the furniture in front of my door.