Heart Echoes (12 page)

“I'm sure Lacey would have told me if one had been put in.”

“Stop sign?”

“No stop signs. This is the highway.”

“Mom!” Maiya's voice warbled, making it a two-syllable word.

“Turn into that parking lot.”

“Unbelievable.” She flipped on the signal. “You're saying this major highway runs right through town and it doesn't get enough traffic for one lousy stoplight?” She overshot the turn. The car bumped up and down a curb. “Whoops. At least they have curbs.”

“Hush and park the car. I want to show you something.”

Maiya pulled into a slot, or rather two slots. The car straddled a line, but she turned off the engine.

“Maiya.”

She rolled her eyes and restarted the car. “Okay, I'll fix it. It's not like there's anyone else here.” Evidently the two RVs and one minivan did not count.

“It's Labor Day weekend. It'll fill up.”

“Tourists actually stop here?”

Now Teal rolled her eyes. “It's not Disneyland, but it is beautiful, right? You noticed that on the drive.”

Maiya wrestled with the steering wheel until she managed to get the car almost between two lines. “Yeah.” Her tone grudged.

“You mind leaving the attitude here in the car?”

She looked at Teal, her expression sad. “All right, Mom.”

“Thank you. We're going to be okay. Trust me?”

She nodded, her lower lip thrust out, part defiance, part chagrin.

“Maiya, remember: what doesn't kill us makes us stronger.”

The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.

Teal laughed. The old phrase had been their mother-daughter mantra for years, probably up until the day she married River. “We may have to start using that again. Often.”

Steep, narrow paths led down from the parking lot to the beach, a long stretch that hugged the sweeping curve of coastline Teal and Maiya had just driven along.

It was a wild, wind-whipped place. The beach beckoned more to tide-pool explorers than sunbathers. It was strewn with logs and debris washed up by the surf, peppered with stones and boulder outcroppings.

Maiya did not say a word.

Teal touched her arm. “Let's go up.”

She led the way along a grassy path that dipped for a distance and then began to rise. The vegetation soon gave way to rock. The flatness dropped to cliffs on either side. The wind was in her face, the sun on her neck, the land solid beneath her feet, the loud
whoosh
of the sea filling her head. Teal felt again the magic in the majesty of it all.

The path turned vertical, but neither she nor Maiya feared heights. They were climbing one of her giants, which during this time of low tide was not adrift and separated from the shoreline.

“Mom?”

“Yes, to the top.” She answered the unasked question, not turning to look at her teen who played the trumpet, watched ball games, and walked no farther than from the parking lot into the mall. “And yes, I'm out of breath too. Get used to it. This is a physical place. Good grief.” She huffed, muttering to herself. “We need to join a gym.”

“What happened to my mother, the anti-outdoorswoman?”

“I'm only anti–outdoor plumbing.”

“What's at the top?”

The crook of the giant's arm.
“Uh, you'll see.”

It was a hard climb. The trail tapered, requiring attention to keep their feet on it. They passed no one. At last they stood on a fairly flat surface, wide enough for one scraggly shore pine tree, its limbs sheared off on the windward side. A waxy-leafed ground vine covered the area. Sky and water surrounded them on three sides.

Teal said, “A little farther.”

“There is no ‘little farther.'”

Teal smiled and walked to the far edge.

“Seriously, Mom.”

She waved for Maiya to follow, glanced at the crashing waves far below, and turned sideways. “It's right here.” Stepping carefully, she went down and laterally a few feet. The boulder became a wall on her left, blocking sight of Maiya. Bracing herself against it, she bent under a slight overhang and moved into a hollowed-out nook.

“Mom!”

“Keep coming. Hold on to your zingiezangers!”

Maiya appeared and edged her way down. “Whoa, I guess so! This is high!”

“Have a seat.”

They eased themselves down on the damp rock, sitting cross-legged.

Maiya whistled in admiration at the view. “River would love this.”

Straight ahead was nothing but a few far-flung giants, the horizon, and two fishing boats the size of bath toys. Waves crashed at the bottom of the rock, but even at high tide it would remain far below.

The crook of the giant's arm was just large enough for the two of them to sit squished together. Above them, his shoulder hid them from view. His elbow curved out to the left as if in an embrace.

Teal breathed in the thick salt air.
Thank You, God. I needed this.
“Nice, huh?”

“Yeah, it is. I don't remember it, though.”

“I didn't bring you when you were six. It was winter and everything was fogged in for our whole visit.” Fogged in, in more ways than one.

“I saw the plaque by the tree. Warrior Rock?”

“Yes. It was named after a band of Indians who made their last stand up here.”

“They got chased out here and killed?”

“Yes.”

“Sick.”

Teal hesitated to go on. How much was too much for a fifteen-year-old?
Sick
permeated not only the first settlement's history but Teal's childhood. “Anyway, I used to come here to be alone. I felt safe up here.”

“Because of Owen and Gran Randi?”

“Mm-hmm.”

“I don't remember this coastline, but I do remember them. He was one ticked-off dude. All you and Gran did was hiss at each other like a couple of cats.”

“I'm sorry.”

“Mom, get over it already. You've apologized like a million times. She's probably still a grump, but she always sends me nice birthday cards. And he's gotta be really old and decrepit by now, don't you think? I'm not afraid of a monster who sits around and drools.” She made a silly face, her tongue lolling out.

“Mai.” Teal's reprimand was halfhearted.

“Just trying to get you to lighten up.”

She smiled to herself. There was no need to describe the specifics that sent her racing to Warrior Rock as a kid. She could trust in her daughter's intuition to set boundaries when it came to Owen and Randi's dysfunctional behaviors.

Maiya said, “So how come nobody ever came to visit us?”

“I don't think any of them wanted to, especially not after our trip here. Long before that, when I left for college, we more or less disowned each other and were happy to do so. Not Lacey so much; she was only twelve at the time. But we were never close.”

“Then why are we here now?”

“Fair question.” Teal took a moment to word her reply, glad to at last have Maiya's full attention. “I wanted to mommy you through this ordeal, away from regular life distractions.”

Maiya gazed straight ahead toward the ocean and worked her mouth.

“You don't have to accept or understand that.”

Still not looking at Teal, she said, “You could have done that anywhere else in the world.”

“That's true. But Lacey kept bugging me and suddenly I had this overwhelming desire to bring you here.” She lowered her eyes and traced her thumb along a seam of her jeans. “She had a miscarriage recently, and I guess I wanted to share my baby with her.”

Maiya scooted closer until her arm pressed against Teal's. “That's really cheesy, Mom.”

“Promise not to tell?”

“Sure.” She laid her head on Teal's shoulder. “I can see this working up here. It feels totally safe. It's kind of like climbing into the Incredible Hulk's lap.” She touched a patch of lichen. “He's even green.”

Teal chuckled and peeked sideways down at her daughter. How she enjoyed the unlined face when it was at peace, like now. The wide-set, forest-green eyes sparkled in reflection of the ocean's deep blue. The little bowtie mouth sported a hint of gloss, a sign that Maiya wanted to look her best to meet the relatives.

Okay.
Teal sighed. Maybe it was time she let go of the past and put on her own lipstick.

Chapter 23

“Nervous?”

Lacey jumped at the voice. “Holly!”

“Sorry.” The woman beside her chuckled. Dimples creased her face, ringed by a mass of curly, short brown hair. “I thought you were with us here on earth.”

“Physically only, I guess.” She looked out again over the top of the pastry display case and realized that the Saturday-morning crowd had fuzzed from view.

“Lacey, go outside and wait for them. I'm here to cover for you all day.”

“I know. Thanks.” She gently elbowed Holly's arm. “They were supposed to be here by now.”

Her best friend since third grade elbowed her back. “Teal never was punctual.”

Lacey swallowed. Her sister's reputation made it impossible for townspeople to accept that maybe she had changed. “But she's a lawyer. She has meetings and court times. I'm sure she's more punctual now.”

“She's probably just as nervous as you are and procrastinating.”

Lacey turned to her. “Really? You think so?”

“Oh, Lacey. So what if she's a big-time Los Angeles attorney with movie star clients? So what if Maiya is a spoiled, rich, 90210 ditz? They will be nervous about coming here.”

“Teal has only worked with one big-name actress, and she's not super rich. Some client practically gave her the house. Her loans were atrocious, and River is a teacher. And—”

“And Maiya doesn't hang out in Beverly Hills.” Holly laughed. “Lacey, my point is they're human just like you. The only difference is you're nice and Teal was always a pain in our tushies.”

“She . . .” Lacey shook her head, tired of defending Teal. “Have you seen Will?”

“He's gabbing out back with some guy. I could say he's being your typical male, making himself scarce, but your husband does okay with emotional moments, that's for sure.”

That
was
for sure. He didn't have much of a choice in the face of her round of doctors and hospitals. Holly had been a part of it all. “He wanted to give me space, but I think I want him here.”

“Then go get him or go out front. You're making me nervous.” She turned to two young people approaching the counter, huge knapsacks on their backs. “Good morning. What can I get for you?”

Lacey let her attention drift off again. Yes, she was incredibly anxious about their first meeting after almost ten years. She wanted to be inside the shop when Teal and Maiya arrived so that customers might act as a buffer zone. It would be best for Will to greet them with her, thicken the buffer zone. She tended to hold herself together when others were around.

The bells on the front door jingled. The sound that should have been lost in the din of two dozen people jabbering at the tables and the gift-shop area resounded in Lacey's ears like pealing church bells.

Two shadows filled the glass and then the door opened all the way.

Suddenly she did not want a buffer zone because there stood her favorite person in the whole wide world. Elusive as she had been through the years, her sister remained the central figure in Lacey's life. Her face and her voice colored Lacey's memories more than any other. Teal had taught Lacey how to tie her shoes, how to read, how to comb the beach for treasures, how not to fear the ocean, how to stay out of sight when their parents went off the deep end.

And now at last, here she was, with a ponytailed clone beside her.

Lacey laughed and clapped her hands and flew across the shop, darting between tables and around browsing shoppers.

Teal grinned and held her arms open. Lacey melted into them.

Her big sister was home.

They giggled and hugged tightly. Teal was shorter by a couple of inches; she felt solid in Lacey's arms. Lacey used to be heavier than her sister's average build, more muscular because she was the athlete.

They parted, holding each other at arm's length, looking at each other, smiling. As ever, Teal's eyes held in them the Oregon winter coast, every shade of gray from the sky's ash to the water's slate. There were crow's-feet around them now and purplish circles beneath them, more than age alone would add.

“Yeah,” Teal said, “I've aged.”

“I love your hair.” The bob suited Teal's smooth, black hair.

“Love yours, all casual and scrunched. The braid's gone. You look younger than ever.”

Lacey shrugged.

Teal squeezed her bony upper arms.

Lacey saw understanding in the tilt of Teal's head, in the fading smile, the narrowing eyes.
Later,
Lacey prayed.
Later.

Teal smiled briefly and stepped aside, beckoning Maiya to approach.

There had been a resemblance between them when the girl was six, but now she could pass for Teal's twin. Same heart-shaped face, same olive-tone skin, same black hair, same height and build. Only the eye color set her apart.

“Maiya.” Lacey wrapped her in a hug. “Welcome to Camp Poppycock.”

Her niece burst into youthful laughter, a sound of hope and healing to Lacey's tired soul.

In the huge pool of genetics that made up each of them, they shared only a smidgen of DNA from Lacey and Teal's mother, but for Lacey it was enough to claim. This child was family to the childless aunt.