toucher, kisser. Alicia was strict and fussy about how things looked. Still, Ari didn’t want to hear her grandmother criticize her own daughter, especially when Ari might make her own mother into a grandmother. It was too confusing. It made her head hurt. “Please can we not talk about my parents and sex.”
Eleanor said, “Of course.”
Gathering their picnic blanket and basket, they walked back to the car. It was tough going, walking through heavy sand up a dune. Eleanor was too winded to talk. They rode home absorbed in their own thoughts.
Once inside, with the picnic things cleaned and cleared away, Eleanor said, “I think we should call your mother and invite her down for the weekend.”
Ari groaned. “Mom will freak out. She’ll go mental.”
“Do you think we should do nothing, then? Keep it our secret? Perhaps ask your father?”
Ari shuddered. “I hate him. I never want to speak to him again.”
“Sometimes…” Eleanor paused, considering her words. “Sometimes it’s good to let things play out, and then, after a while, they just go away.”
“No. No! He’s cheating. That’s absolutely gruesome.” Ari burst into tears. She wiped them from her face, tossed her head, and said, “Okay, let’s. After all, my parents usually come for most weekends in the summer. They didn’t come last weekend.”
* * *
—
They flipped a coin to see who would make the call to Alicia.
Eleanor won.
“Hi, Mom!” Ari said cheerfully when her mother answered the phone they had set to speaker.
“Hi, Ari. Are you having a good time?”
“Yes, it’s all grand. I love the camp. The kids are adorable. Listen, Gram and I want you to come down and stay here for a girls’-only weekend. Maybe next weekend, if you’re free.”
Alicia was quiet for a long time. When she spoke, she nearly knocked Ari off her feet.
“Are you pregnant?”
“What? No! Don’t be ridiculous! You always come down on summer weekends. Gram and I just want to spend some time with you.”
“Why don’t you want Dad to come?”
Ari huffed. Every conversation with her mother turned into a battle. “Because it’s a girls’ weekend. I don’t see Dad wanting to stroll Main Street, trying on clothes with us.”
“No, something’s up. Tell me.”
Ari looked helplessly at her grandmother. Eleanor took the phone.
“Alicia, my dear, you are always so perceptive. We do want to talk with you about something, but not over the phone.” When Alicia didn’t answer right away, Eleanor said, “It might involve the house.”
Ari watched Eleanor’s face, which softened into a smile. “Good, darling. Let us know when you can come and we’ll meet your boat.”
“Poor Mom,” Ari said as her grandmother ended the call.
“I know,” Eleanor said. She sighed. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to retire for the evening. I have some favorite television shows to catch up with.”
“Enjoy. I’ll see you in the morning.” Ari kissed her grandmother’s cheek.
* * *
—
The week passed slowly. Ari forgot her worries when she played with the children at Beach Camp, and by evening, she was too tired to go out with friends. Beck called her every night, and they talked for hours, about their families, their pasts, their friends, and their plans for the future. Ari was torn. The sound of his voice made her feel so warm inside. She knew they were becoming attached to one another. She sensed that, for her, Beck was the one. But here she was, pregnant with another man’s child, and she couldn’t tell him. Not yet.
First, she had to talk to Peter. Summoning her courage, she called his cell number, which was still stored in her phone. It went to voicemail.
“Peter? It’s Ari. Please call me. I need to see you. We need to discuss something important.”
All she could do now was wait for him to return her call.
* * *
—
The fuzzy yellow tennis ball came rocketing over the net toward Ari. Ari gently tapped it back. It fell just over the net, and Beck, even with his long, quick, athletic body, couldn’t get to it in time. She laughed, and Beck laughed, too.
“Game,” he called. “I thought you hadn’t played tennis in months.”
“Oh, that was just luck,” Ari told him.
Beck met her at the net to shake hands. They left the court to go to the brick patio. Ari collapsed at one of the tables, grateful that the staff had raised the umbrella and tilted it to provide maximum shade.
“Wow,” Beck said as he pulled out the chair and sat across from her, “you’re a clever player.”