moon, or if there was it was just a sliver, and the sky’s clouds still swirled above the horizon, masking any possibility of light. Tiny stars scattered behind the blanket of clouds. Some people can’t sleep without blinds or curtains. I can never sleep with them; they make me claustrophobic, I have to see the sky.
Blotting paper, I thought, has a limited lifespan. You throw it away when you’re done.
Ten
As I drank my morning tea I thought about the triplets. That could have been me. Could’ve been me having triplets. If only. If only Juan and I had had children. Pippa and my mother wanted me to find a new man. But I didn’t want a new man. I wanted what wasn’t possible: my husband. Despite his betrayal, despite his lies.
Tires crunched on the driveway. I pricked up my ears like an alert dog. Was I imagining it? Had the gate not clicked shut? I needed to be more careful, under the circumstances, to protect myself, be on my guard.
A car door slammed. I cautiously got up and limped to the front door—my ankle was still really sore. I pressed my bruised eye up against the spy lens and saw a distorted Dan. A grinning face. He tried the door handle. It was locked. He buzzed the bell.
I opened the door. “Dan, what a surprise!”
“Hey,” he said. “I won’t come in. Just swung by to bring you some organic eggs from Joe Flynn’s farm over the hill and thought we’d come and cook you dinner tonight. You know, figured you might need some help with your ankle and all.” He held out a box of eggs and a posy of wild flowers.
“Oh, wow, that’s so kind. Hand-picked flowers, how thoughtful.” I stood there, still in my pajamas, cupping my mug of tea in one hand and taking the flowers with the other. It was only around nine a.m. Too early, surely, for a visit? My mother had always taught me never to call anyone before ten in the morning or after nine at night, especially on weekends, unless you knew their habits extremely well. Apart from being a beauty and having cancer, I had no idea what kind of person the triplets’ mother was. I craned my neck around the door and caught a glimpse of Kate and Jen waiting in the car. It was a black pickup, with a dented fender and bashed all over. Marks of a young, inexperienced driver.
“You okay?” Dan lightly touched my eye with his hand. “Looks like a bad bruise.”
“I’m fine, really. Gosh, you didn’t have to go to all that trouble. These flowers… thank you so much.”
“You’re welcome. See you later then.”
“By the way, was the gate not closed?” I asked.
“Wasn’t clicked shut. The automatic arm must be broken or the electronics out.”
“Really? It was working just fine before.”
Dan smiled his lopsided smile. “I can fix it for you if you like. I’m pretty handy with a tool kit and security systems.”
I must have looked dumb and blank, still groggy from sleep, still wondering how they drove right on in. But I wasn’t going to pick holes and was happy that they all cared to be so friendly, especially after my indirect rejection—not following through on my proposal. It was wonderful to have new acquaintances, albeit a little overwhelming. Maybe I’d take Dan up on his offer to fix my gate and the video intercom?
“Let me give you some money for groceries.” I turned to get my purse.
But Dan stopped me. “We’ll take care of it, okay? Just enjoy your day, and we’ll swing by around five. Dinner at seven, so don’t be late.”
“It’s my house, why would I be late?” I said, realizing a beat too late I’d missed his joke. “I’ve got wine so no need to buy any,” I said, then realized under the circumstances how bad that sounded.
“We don’t drink, we’ll bring juice. See you later,” and then he added with a grin, “alligator.”
He turned and strode back to the car. Kate and Jen smiled and waved, and then they all drove off, the wheels squealing a little when the car was out of sight. Their bright, excited faces filled me with happiness. It was great to know I wouldn’t be eating alone this evening. And with my ankle so sore, I wasn’t sure I could even drive my car anyway—the clutch was really stiff. The kitchen cupboard was practically bare—I was a lazy shopper. Dinner sounded great.