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I’d called Vi earlier and explained that I needed to go shopping for my niece’s visit. She suggested we have lunch at the food court at the mall.
Vi slipped into the passenger seat of my Volvo. She leaned over and kissed my cheek. “I’m sorry to hear about your sister.”
“Me, too, but maybe this’ll make her realize she needs to make some drastic changes. I spoke to my mom this morning, and Dana is much better. My mother hopes to persuade her to go into rehab, if not for herself then for her daughter’s sake.”
“I’ll ask Father Thompson to keep your sister in his prayers.”
“If only that were all it took to turn Dana’s life around.”
“People change, dear,” Vi reminded me.
“I hope so.”
Dana had been through rehab two other times; once as a teenager, and three years ago. She’d refused to give up her friends, and within weeks of her discharge she was back to her old ways. “I’m glad you’ve come along because I’m going to need your help to pick out some truly special gifts for my niece. I was thinking of buying a few accessories for the bedroom she’ll be using, something frilly and girlish.”
“A visit with you is what that poor child needs.”
As I steered my vehicle into the mall parking lot twenty minutes later, I noticed Vi’s lips were pursed and her eyes filled with doubt. “What’s wrong?”
“I don’t know if I dare say, dear.”
I parked the car and dropped my keys into my purse. “There’s nothing you can’t discuss with me.” Except for Tony. Let’s not ruin what little progress we’ve made.
Vi glanced down, toyed with the strap of her handbag.
“Your niece needs to be in a stable home with an adult she can emulate.”
Her worried gray eyes met mine. “Thirteen is such an impressionable age, and up until now, she hasn’t had a strong role model.”
I sucked in my lower lip. What was she getting at? “I plan to help Summer any way I can. I still have a few vacation days left, and Monday I’m going to call my supervisor and explain I have a family emergency and need to take a few days off.”
“That’s nice dear, but…what about Tony?”
“What about Tony?” I braced myself for what she’d say next.
She reached over and pressed her hand over mine. I felt a slight tremor in her fingertips. “What will that poor child think when she discovers her aunt is living with a man without being married? What kind of message will you be sending her?”
“These are different times and people think nothing about couples living together.”
“In my day we called it shacking up.”
“We don’t call it that anymore.”
Vi was quiet for a moment. “I won’t say any more about this matter. It’s clear we’ll never agree, and I don’t want to cause a greater rift between us. It’s your decision to make. Be sure you aren’t making a mistake.”
I wonder what was best for my niece. But then, Tony had experience with girls Summer’s age. He might be able to provide some insight on what I should do. In the past few months I’d grown to depend on him and value his opinion.
“I’ll discuss this with Tony and see what he thinks.”
True to her word, Vi didn’t pursue the matter. She opened the door, swung her feet out, and threw me a brittle smile. “I’m ready to do some serious shopping. Are you?”
“You want me to move out.” Tony’s voice was louder than usual—close to shouting.
“No, I don’t want you to go, but I’m wondering whether you’d want to leave…just while Summer is here.” When he’d explained he didn’t want any more children, he’d said I was free to do what I wanted but if I babysat a friend’s kids, he’d make himself scarce. So I expected he’d be relieved at my offer.
“And where am I supposed to go?”
“To your house, of course.”
He inhaled a ragged breath. “I didn’t have time to tell you my good news yesterday. I found someone to rent my house, and my tenant moved in today.”
“Oh…”
“You spend one afternoon with that old bag, and I’m already heading out the door.”
I hated that he referred to Vi that way, but in a way I couldn’t blame him. He’d expected her to greet him with open arms. “This has nothing to do with Vi.”
“Of course it does. And that’s why I’m upset. That old lady has you by the throat, and she’s squeezing hard. You’re an adult. You shouldn’t bow down to what your ex-mother-in-law thinks is inappropriate for the kid.”
The muscles in my neck cramped. “I’m worried about Summer and the influence Dana’s had on her. Summer will be here for such a short while, and I want her to be able to open up. If you’re here, she’ll be less likely to come to me. I’m sorry. I know this isn’t fair to you.”
After a moment, he said a bit begrudgingly, “All right. I don’t want to stand in the way of you helping your niece. This means a lot to you.”
“You mean a lot to me, too, but this is an emergency. Under other circumstances, I would never ask you to go.”
After a moment the hard planes of his face softened. He reached for me, rested his hands on my shoulders. “You’re right, of course. Your niece needs to come first.”
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “Thanks. I want Summer to get to know you.”
He grinned. “You aren’t afraid I’ll corrupt her?”
“Never, you’re a great guy, the best.”
“I’m sorry if I gave you a hard time about this. Before you got here, I’d been thinking much along the same lines. Just knowing that Violet wants me out of your life put me on the defensive. I didn’t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing she’d won. But this isn’t about her and me. It’s about your niece, and I want what’s best for the kid.”
“I’m glad you understand.”
“I don’t want to be away from you for even a few days. But I’ll move out first thing tomorrow morning. When you return from the airport, I’ll be gone.”
“Thank you. Where will you stay?”
He sent me the crooked grin I loved. “At the Holiday Inn in Portland. That way if you decide to visit wearing a skimpy maid costume, you won’t have far to drive.”
This was the Tony I knew.
And loved.
“What do you think?” I asked Tony, surveying my handiwork.
“Any girl would be happy with this room.” He set down the television he was carrying on the cedar chest that I’d moved against the wall across from the bed. He plugged in the portable DVD player I’d bought for Summer so she could have some privacy while she was here, especially if Tony’s daughter and her friends came to visit.
I glanced at my watch again and noticed only ten minutes had elapsed. My stomach felt queasy. The last time I’d seen Summer, she’d been eight, a freckle-faced angel who giggled at everything I said. She’d squealed with delight at the doll and the tea set I’d bought her. By the way her voice had rung with excitement at doing simple things like feeding fries to the seagulls on the wooden pier at Old Orchard Beach, and playing skeet ball, and going on rides, you’d have thought she’d never been to an amusement park. But according to Dana, she had.
Summer’s visit had been too short. I’d catalogued our time together under special memories and thought of my niece frequently.
What was Summer like now?
Was she into drugs?
I hoped not, but the possibility existed. What had become of the happy child left to fend for herself in the worst possible environment?
“I can’t wait to see her again,” I said to Tony who’d finished hauling up my purchases.
“Summer is one lucky kid to have you for an aunt.”
“I hope she feels that way, too.”
“Even my daughter would love these CDs. So a kid who hasn’t had much of anything should be ecstatic.”
“I hope so.”
He took my hand and led me down the stairs into the bedroom we shared. I watched him fold a few pairs of pants and several shirts and stack them into a duffel bag he’d put on the bed. “I’m only taking a few things. Keep my side of the bed warm, I’ll be back in a few days.”
Vi and I arrived at the Portland Jetport half an hour early. On the second floor, a glass wall and security guards prevented us from going farther so we waited near the glass door where we’d see Summer the instant she walked through.
“Thanks for coming with me,” I said.
“I wouldn’t have missed it. The poor child needs lots of support. I’m here for you and for her.”
I checked my watch once more. Only five minutes had gone by since the last time I’d checked.
Vi held her purse in one hand and a purple gift bag in the other, containing a small stuffed moose with the word Maine embroidered on its belly.
I carried a small brightly wrapped box tied with a red bow, which contained the charm bracelet I’d bought. I’d spent way more than I’d intended. At first I’d gone to the jewelry store wanting to buy a silver bracelet, but the gold ones had looked so much nicer. Since I only had one niece and no children of my own, I’d decided to splurge.
I hoped our gifts would help to cheer up Summer.
Some time later a group of passengers started toward the glass doors. I spotted a pretty blond girl at the same instant as Vi.
“Is that her?” Vi asked.
“I don’t know.” I waved a small card with the name Summer.
The girl looked at me blankly right before she was greeted by two people who could have been her parents.
I kept a watchful eye on the door. Several guys with Bates College lettermen jackets walked out, an older couple, a few businessmen with briefcases and a mother and a toddler pushing a stroller.
I’d begun to worry that something was wrong when a strange-looking girl appeared. Her short hair was dyed black with a red stripe along one side of her head. White makeup covered her face, and her eyes were ringed with black. She wore a dark, wrinkled shirt with holes at her elbows, and a black skirt that skimmed the top of scuffed army boots. Her ears, eyebrows, right nostril and her lower lip were pierced, her mouth traced in black. In her hands she carried a partially filled trash bag.
I waved the card. When she started to walk toward us, I prayed this wasn’t Dana’s child and instantly felt remorse.
“Summer?”
“’Fraid so.”
I reminded myself to breathe. “We’ll go collect your luggage.”
“No need. Got everything right here,” she said, indicating the plastic bag she was holding.
Vi spoke up, and I introduced them. “Summer, how nice to finally meet you,” she said.
“Whatever,” Summer replied.
I spotted a large silver bead on her tongue.
Reaching around her thin shoulders, I gave her a hug, but she stood stiff and unyielding.
“I was starting to worry you’d missed your flight.”
“Wouldn’tcha know, I was the last one allowed to leave the plane. The dude sitting next to me said I’d stolen his wallet. Come to find out the idiot forgot he’d put it in his backpack.”
CHAPTER 4
A s we walked across the street and entered the parking garage, I smiled and tried to make conversation with Summer, who dragged her plastic bag along the pavement and kept her gaze riveted on her boots that looked several sizes too large.
“Are you tired, or would you like to go somewhere? The mall isn’t far from here, and I have a credit card that’s begging to be used.”
She grunted out an impatient sound that was neither a yes nor a no. I chalked up her behavior to exhaustion—and being worried about her mother. I decided to make the most of our short while together. I’d concentrate on the positive and ignore…everything else.
If Summer were spending more time with me, I’d have loved to do something about her clothing, her hair and her makeup. Was that even makeup? Why would such a pretty child want to cover her face with white goop and outline her eyes and mouth in black?
Ghoulish.
Another pang of remorse struck me.
Summer needed my understanding, not criticism. Yet it was difficult to glance at her for even a few seconds without wanting to help transform her—to change everything from the tip of her head right down to her boot-clad feet.
I needed to accept her the way she was.
But could I?
Determined to do my best, I said, “If you’re hungry, we can stop to get a bite to eat.”
“That’s a fine idea. I wouldn’t mind stopping for a piece of pie. How does a burger and some fries sound to you?” Vi asked my niece in a hopeful tone.
Summer’s downcast eyes never wavered. A moment later she gave a halfhearted shrug and bobbed her head from side to side, which I took to mean she wasn’t hungry—or she might be. Since I didn’t want to press the issue, I decided to offer her a sandwich once we arrived at my house.
I tucked the small box with the charm bracelet into my purse, planning to give it to her at a better time.
