she got the hell out of there.
The bell had stopped jangling before Mya remembered to breathe. She had no idea what that had been about, and yet she’d won that round. The fact that Elle hadn’t put up more of a fight made her uneasy.
Elle inspired a curious urgency in her. It was similar to the way she used to feel the last week before school started when she’d been a child, when the sun was still scorching and the days still felt endless, but she knew the end lurked like an alligator under the bed. Back then, she’d never wanted school to start, not because she didn’t like school, but because she hated endings. She used to cram every summer experience into that last week, from ice-cream cones, to lobster bakes on the beach, to catching fireflies in Mason jars.
She felt that same sense of urgency now. She wanted to get to know Elle. She wanted to flip the Closed sign in the window and spend the day at home. With her daughter. She didn’t know whether to be shocked about that or worried. Somehow she doubted Elle would appreciate being smothered. Mya knew the feeling. For years, she’d backed away whenever her mother tried to hover.
Oh, no. Her mother. Claire and Jeffrey knew about Elle. She had to tell her mom.
In Elle’s words, the house was rocking.
Mya didn’t remember the last time it had been this noisy in her living room. The television was on, Claire and Suzette were engaged in a heated debate over the president’s foreign policy, Jeffrey was refereeing, and Elle was changing the baby.
“Mom,” Mya said into the phone. “Would you listen?”
“What’s all that noise?”
“There’s something I need to tell you.”
“What are all these cars doing in front of your place?” Millicent asked.
“You’re on my street?”
“Are you having a party?”
Mya had to plug one ear in order to hear. “Mom, don’t come inside yet.”
“Just a sec. I need two hands to park.”
“Mom, wait. Listen.”
Static. Great, she’d laid the phone down.
“Mom?”
Silence.
“Mother!”
The line went dead mere seconds before Millicent burst into the house, smiling all around. “Why, it is a party.” She beamed at Jeffrey, and didn’t seem to notice that everyone except Kaylie had quieted. Talking to anyone who was listening, she said, “Who does Mya know who has a baby?”
Her gaze found Elle, and her mouth dropped open.
Suzette closed the door. And Claire caught the oversize red purse before it hit the floor.
Somebody turned down the television, and Millicent traipsed forward, stopping a few feet in front of Elle, who looked shy suddenly.
Mya said, “Mom, as I was trying to tell you—”
“It’s you,” Millicent said.
Looking from Elle to her mother, Mya said, “This is Elle Fletcher and Kaylie. Elle, this is—”
“I’m your grandma. I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you properly.” Millicent’s voice shook with emotion. “And this is Kaylie, you said? Hi, sweet thing!” Ducking down slightly in order to be at the baby’s eye level, she said, “It looks like somebody’s having a bad day.”
Jeffrey said, “I checked her over. I think she’s cutting teeth.”
Millicent straightened again, patting Elle’s arm. In a whisper loud enough to penetrate steel, she said, “Teething’s a bitch, isn’t it?”
She let Jeffrey take her coat. Speaking to Mya on the way to retrieve her purse from Claire, she said, “A little forewarning would have been nice.”
The chaos resumed while Mya was still holding the phone.
“The last time I kissed a girl goodbye on the front porch, I was in the tenth grade.”
Mya had to tip her head back in order to look into Jeff’s eyes. “At least this brings back fond memories.”
“Not that fond. Any idea how long Eleanor plans to stay with you?”
He called Elle by her full name. Not five minutes ago, Elle had referred to him as Minute Man, and Mya was pretty sure he’d overheard. Either he didn’t mind, or he wasn’t letting on. It was hard to tell with him.
Mya’s mind was spinning. Claire and Suzette were two of the best friends Mya could ask for. Both had come over as soon as she’d called to tell them her daughter was here. Keeping the conversation lively, Suzette had gone off on one of her favorite tangents, insisting there was a reason all this was happening in Mya’s life at precisely this time. Evidently, it all had to do with Mercury conjoining Uranus, and not one but two black holes. Or did she say Pluto was retrograde and the moon was in Taurus? Which didn’t explain anything to Mya. She didn’t even know why she was thinking about Suzette, except that Suzette had been even livelier than usual tonight, sharing a plethora of knowledge of everything trivial all evening.
“Did you know,” she’d asked Jeffrey, “that rubber bands last longer when refrigerated?”
While poor Jeff was still struggling to find the relevance in that fascinating information, Elle had reached into her pocket and brought out a rubber band she’d found on the floor. Handing it to Suzette, she’d said, “Better put this in the fridge so we’re prepared for the imminent shortage.”
Suzette wasn’t amused, but Claire, Millicent and Mya couldn’t help laughing. Jeffrey had looked at them as if they’d lost their minds. Maybe they had. Or maybe the moon really was responsible.
“Mya?”
What? she thought, feeling irritable suddenly.
Oh. His question. “I get the feeling Elle isn’t planning to stay in Maine for long,” she said. “I’m surprised she accepted my invitation at all.”
Jeff squeezed her hand. Although she knew he would have preferred a different scenario for his night off, he’d been a good sport, all things considered. He really was a nice guy. Loneliness twisted and turned inside her. There was no reason for this. The man who wanted to marry her was standing right here. Closing her eyes, she felt guilty and selfish, two of her least favorite emotions.
“Tired?” Jeff asked.
“I guess.”
“It’s been a rough few days. I’ll call you tomorrow.” He tucked his hands into his pockets. Instead of leaving, he transferred the contents of his right hand to hers. “My contribution to the cause.”
Mya found herself staring at more rubber bands, and surprised herself by laughing. Watching him walk away, she thought that maybe, just maybe, everything would be all right.
