he clambered up on to the chair beside his grandmother. Shelby thought about her own mother, whose life revolved around gin and petty grievances. She had never apologized for urging Shelby to abort her child, and never showed any interest in being with her granddaughter. There was a time when Estelle’s indifference could still hurt her. Over the years, Shelby had hardened her heart against her mother. Her loss, Shelby thought. She had chosen the bottle over seeing her only grandchild grow up.
After dinner, Rob offered to take Jeremy to an ice cream store on Main Street while Chloe got packed. Shelby followed her daughter into her tiny bedroom and lay across the bed, resting on one elbow while Chloe dragged suitcases from the floor of the closet.
Watching her daughter carefully setting out piles of clothes, Shelby thought about how much needless worry she had expended on Chloe’s future. Instead of going away to college, Chloe took a course in medical recordkeeping, went to work, met an older man who was on the rebound, and ended up pregnant. Shelby feared that her daughter would end up alone with a baby, uneducated and destitute, just as she herself had been before she pulled herself out of it and made a success of her career.
Chloe insisted that her mother was wrong, and that her life would be completely different. Over the last five years Shelby had been forced to admit that she may indeed have been wrong. Chloe seemed to thrive at work and motherhood, and Shelby had come to think that Rob was a genuinely decent guy.
Chloe held a summery dress up to herself and looked into the full-length mirror, cocking her head and frowning. ‘I don’t know about yellow,’ she said. ‘I’m so pale. And these freckles . . .’
‘You look good in every color,’ said Shelby.
‘Oh Mom,’ Chloe sighed, folding the dress up and putting it to one side.
‘Did you buy any new clothes for the cruise?’ Shelby asked.
‘I don’t need new clothes,’ said Chloe.
‘I know. But I gave you that extra money so you could buy yourself a few pretty things.’
‘All I wear to work are scrubs,’ said Chloe. ‘Besides, I used it to fix our hot water heater.’
‘Oh honey,’ said Shelby. ‘You should have told me. I’d have given you more.’
‘You’ve given us enough, Mom,’ said Chloe. ‘I’m fine as I am.’
Shelby got up from the bed and put her arms around her daughter. They both looked into the full-length mirror. Shelby knew that she could still turn heads, but nothing could compare to the healthy perfection of youth, which Chloe had. Chloe needed no makeup or sleek clothes to enhance her beauty. ‘Of course you are. You are perfect as you are.’
Chloe met her mother’s eyes gravely in the mirror. ‘No, I’m not. I’m anything but perfect.’
‘You stop that,’ said Shelby. ‘You’re always so hard on yourself.’ She peered at her daughter’s somber expression. ‘Is there anything wrong, honey? You seem . . . a million miles away.’
‘I’m fine,’ said Chloe. ‘I’m . . . not used to traveling. I don’t want anything to spoil this, is all.’
‘What would spoil it?’ Shelby asked.
‘Nothing. I’ve just been looking forward to this. Being alone with Rob. Kind of like the honeymoon we never had.’
‘Well, I want you to enjoy this cruise, and not worry about anything. Nothing at all. Just enjoy the weather and the free time and forget everything else for a week. And Jeremy and I are going to have a great time. The week will fly by.’
Chloe’s eyes filled with tears. ‘I know,’ she said. ‘I know I can count on you.’
Shelby had to struggle to fight back her own tears at this unexpected endorsement.
‘That’s right,’ she said, squeezing Chloe tighter for a moment before letting her go.
Early the next morning, amid a flurry of instructions, last-minute rechecking for passports, reminders, and lingering hugs and kisses for Jeremy, Chloe and Rob took off in Rob’s pick-up truck for Philadelphia Airport. They would fly to Miami where they were to board the cruise ship. Chloe waved at her mother and her son from the passenger window until they were out of sight. Jeremy cried awhile when they left, but he allowed himself to be soothed by his grandmother, especially when he saw the Pirates of the Caribbean action figures she had brought for him in her luggage.
The next few days passed quickly. Shelby definitely noticed the difference in her energy level when it came to taking