“If you want it to be,” Victor says. “But you should sleep more, if you’re tired.” “If you’re up, I’m up,” Alvin says, smiling at him and sitting up in the bed. “Can we have breakfast?”“Sure,” says Victor, standing up and putting out a hand for Alvin. “Pancakes, or cereal?”Alvin considers for a m
At the beach the next day, Evelyn leans back, enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin. Though Delia had paid for the hotel, and its quality reflected her therapist paycheck, Emma had sprung for the beach facilities and here her wealth was…evident.The three women stretch out on lounge chairs in a
Emma doesn’t confirm or deny, but instead just gives Evelyn a little look that clearly says don’t push it.“Seriously,” Evelyn says, sitting up fully now and putting her feet down on the sand. “What the hell is stopping you? You hate your life, Emma. Why don’t you just leave him?”Evelyn reaches out
When Victor and Alvin finally pull into the town of Rockport, Victor is struck anew at the charming nature of the town, almost despite himself. He’d been here before, as a child mostly, on vacation with his brother and his parents. But today, he is all business. He pushes his impressions aside and
“What is it?” Victor asks, a little breathless, suddenly horribly worried. Had something happened, someone gotten hurt?“Mommy’s really mad at us,” Alvin says, his lower lip starting to tremble. “What?” Victor says, confused. “Who? About what?”“At me and Ian, for telling you where they went,” Alvi
Evelyn also didn’t know what to do with Ian’s other piece of information. That Alvin had reported that Victor came in peace, an apology on his lips, wanting to make amends – not just to retrieve his stolen son or something equally bad. Evelyn bites her lip, thinking about it, wondering if it could
The plan comes together swiftly in the night, snapping into place almost as if it had already been there in each of their hearts. The simplicity of it astounds Evelyn, even as they spend the rest of the evening working out the details and figuring out how, precisely, they would put it into action.I
Part of the joy was the knowledge that it was a distraction from her problems at home - from missing her other son, from wondering about Victor and what he wanted from his life, about what the hell she was going to do with her future. Instead of sending her mind to these very important questions, E