Updrift (5 page)

“Cara Sweeting,” she responded. “I’m the town librarian.” She felt her cheeks flush as she smiled at him. She shook his hand and glanced at Kate. “This is my daughter, Kate.”

John’s attention never left her, and he kept her hand. Cara felt a growing sense of astonishment as he lifted it to his chest, wrapping his other hand around her wrist. His expression become pained. He studied her face with absolute concentration. Then he sagged with what seemed like relief, released her, and put his hands in his pockets again. She couldn’t manage to breathe properly, and her smile felt frozen.

John smiled warmly at her then, and Cara was grateful he’d gotten over his discomfort. She wondered what she had done to cause it.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Kate, he said to her daughter.

“My mom’s not married,” Kate blurted out. “She just wears her wedding ring so she doesn’t have to get set up on dates.”

“Catherine!” Cara groaned. “For crying out loud!” She pinched the bridge of her nose and squeezed her eyes shut.

John nodded sagely. “Good to know. I promise not to set her up with anyone. Although,” he peered at her, “pretending to be married seems a little extreme?”

“No, no.” Cara waved her hands. “It’s my old wedding ring…my husband died when Kate was three. I just wear it sometimes when I go out. I know it’s probably silly.”

John inclined his head to one side. “I know how that is. I lost my wife too.” The look they shared thickened the air around them with intimacy.

Carmen and Michael joined them then. “Hi, guys. We saw you, um, shaking hands with Cara, John,” Carmen said, her eyes glinting with amusement. “Yes, Cara, we thought we’d better come fill you in on this guy.” Michael’s grin was devilish. John stared hard at him. Cara thought she heard him say, “Leave. Now.”

She would have preferred privacy as well but Michael and Carmen seemed disinclined to leave them alone. Which didn’t need to deter her from making conversation, she decided. “So,” she addressed John, “at which university do you currently teach marine biology?”

He frowned. “Marine biology? Who told you I taught marine biology?”

Her eyes widened. “I have met approximately four thousand of your relatives, and with the exception of Carmen here, every blasted one of them is a marine biologist. So, I figure you’re either a marine biologist or you’re not really related to these people.”

John lifted his chin coolly. “I’m an ophthalmologist.”

She was dubious as she considered him. “You’re not a marine ophthalmologist? You’re just a regular, garden-variety ophthalmologist?”

“Well, there was that one whale that needed cataract surgery of course but I can treat non-marine life too,” he replied, his voice even.

“Ooo!” Kate interjected. “You can help all of these people here wearing those kooky thick glasses…” She trailed off as she realized he was one of the people wearing the weird glasses. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“No worries,” John responded with a laugh. “I actually
am
helping all these people with the kooky glasses.” He flashed Carmen and Michael a grin. “It’s a sort of genetic quirk we share in this family. We don’t need to wear them all the time, we just see better in certain situations if we do.” Then he removed his glasses and smiled, and Cara was smitten. “Kate, why don’t you go find Maya and Gabe. I’ll come get you after a bit.”

She saw Kate convene with Gabe and Maya a little ways away but paid her little attention the rest of the night. She chose instead to pursue a conversation with John, who she thought might be the most handsome, charming man she’d ever met.

* * * *

During the next week, Kate gathered from Carmen that John Blake had found her mother attractive and interesting but his professional commitments were to keep him away from Griffins Bay for the foreseeable future.

Her mother took the news well. “That’s perfectly understandable. We all have busy lives.”

Carmen persisted, however. “He really took to you, Cara. His life is a little complicated though, and I wonder if he isn’t thinking it’s better not to start anything.”

Cara’s smile was sad. “Well, it might be that my life is complicated. I kind of went on and on about my job and Kate and our gardens. We might just seem like too much work to an outsider.”

Carmen sighed, and Kate thought she was even more disappointed than her mother over the lack of potential romance with John. “No. I don’t think so.” She brightened. “Cara, have I ever told you about my astrology hobby? Have you ever had your chart done?”

Her mom’s smile was thin, her mistrust evident as she replied, “No. I don’t believe in that kind of thing.”

Kate knew this wasn’t strictly true. On a lark once, when they were in New Orleans for a library sciences convention, they had ducked into a booth advertising psychic readings with openings that day. The lady read tarot cards for Cara, and the analysis had left mother skeptical. “You will have a long and happy marriage, and you will have two children,” she predicted.

“Well.
That
was a waste of time,” Cara whispered on the way out.

Carmen began gathering her supplies. “Let’s do your chart, just for fun.” She glanced her way. “I’ve actually already started one for you, Kate.” Her mother slumped onto a stool while Kate stared eagerly at the rolls of paper Carmen laid out. Her mom was reluctant but she began answering Carmen’s questions, which stretched well into the afternoon.

* * * *

That same summer, Gabe informed Kate and Maya he would not be coming back to school next year because Carmen planned to home-school him.

“What?” Kate shrieked. “Why on earth would she do that?” Other than Maya, Gabe was her best friend and she thought they should all stick together through their debut into the scary world of high school. The way Kate saw it, their mutual bookishness and high combined geek factor protected her from the onslaught of personal doubt she would suffer outside of their company. Everything embarrassed her when she was alone—her growth spurt, her feet, and her braces—pretty much all of her physical attributes. With Gabe and Maya, she didn’t dwell on these things so much.

Maya was almost mad. “That sucks. Who are we going to hang out with? And who are
you
going to hang out with?”

“Hopefully you two still, if you don’t mind taking time away from your
new
friends.” Gabe was bitter, and Kate could see he was not leaving them by choice. He was so despondent; she and Maya went to him to console him. “You can’t get rid of us, Gabe,” she promised. He seemed a little cheered by their support but they all remained glum.

“It’s gonna suck without you,” Maya reiterated. Kate had to agree.

In August, Kate went to Dana and Will’s in Philadelphia for two weeks, a tradition she would continue through high school thanks to steady petitioning from her aunt. “There are a couple of day programs at the art institute, and a drama camp run by the university here I think Kate would get a lot out of,” Dana proposed during one of her visits. Cara put the offer to Kate.

“It’s only two weeks,” Kate reasoned. “It kind of sounds like fun. What I’ll miss is the time in the garden and reading at the library but I can still do those things when I get back.”

Dana hugged her. “It’s settled then! I’ll make the arrangements. Kate, honey, I’m so excited for you to get a taste of city life!” She left the room with her cell phone engaged.

Her mother’s smile was sad as she stroked her hair. “I’m coming back, you know,” Kate told her.

Her mom continued to sift through the longer locks resting on Kate’s shoulder. “I know. And I think this is a good idea. It just makes me realize someday, and it will get here too quickly for me, you’ll be venturing off on your own.”

“Should I tell Dana I don’t want to go?” She felt conflicted; she wanted the experience Dana offered but was anxious to relieve the ache this desire caused her mother.

“No, honey. I think you should do it. You’ll get some new experiences I’m sure you’ll enjoy. I’ll just miss you, that’s all.”

Her flight to Philadelphia was short, and Dana and Will both waited for her when she arrived, waving when she exited the plane. They chatted steadily with her during the drive home, which seemed to take only minutes.

Kate had been to visit her aunt and uncle one other time with her mother but she’d been too small to remember anything. Now, she found their home intimidating.

The house was gorgeous, of course; a stately colonial Dana and Will had meticulously renovated. It was about three times the size of the two-story Kate shared with her mom in North Carolina—Kate’s own bedroom had a fireplace, a window seat, a bed with a canopy, and was almost as big as their main floor back home. She thought her room—and everything else, for that matter—was like a picture in a design magazine, and while its beauty captivated her, it also made her vaguely homesick.

She worked to hide her awe of her surroundings, as well as the lifestyle that went with it, hoping she didn’t appear as unsophisticated as she felt. Despite Dana’s intimations concerning the comforts she and Will enjoyed, seeing their life first-hand was not the same as hearing about it. They had a cleaning service come once a week, and as they had no children or pets, their home was always spotless and composed. As far as Kate could tell, everything was perfect. The colors, the lighting, the scents, the fabrics, even the towels. And the fact they didn’t physically have to keep up with the place made their situation seem effortless as well. After the first day, Kate admitted she felt enchanted…and a little envious.

But both of her day camps were a tremendous, engrossing pleasure. She vowed to take the techniques she learned in theater class back to her school in Childress and put them to good use in drama club. The classes at the art institute opened her eyes too, for the first time, to the beauty of pieces she’d previously taken for granted. The teacher spent ample time considering the perspective of a particular painting and the subtle use of color or shading to suggest a mood or create a dynamic.

On a more practical level, she learned to write descriptively about her new experiences. She was assigned to keep a journal in her art class, and she so enjoyed the endeavor, she began a private journal as well. After her classes each day, she came back to Dana and Will’s stimulated and restless, which drove her to try cooking in her aunt’s magnificent, chef’s-grade kitchen. She then wrote about what she made in her diary, finding the analysis she employed at the art institute worked just as well for meal descriptions.

Dana and Will were impressed by her culinary efforts and made every night into a celebratory affair with wine, linens, candles and fresh flowers on the table. And the more Kate complimented their home and lifestyle, the more satisfied they seemed.

Half way through her stay, her aunt queried her. “Are you having a good time here, Kate? Would you rather be helping your mother back at the library?” Will refilled their drinks and smiled at his wife over her glass.

“No way! I mean, I love helping my mom out at the library but this is so great. It’s so beautiful here, like a story.”

Dana and Will appeared gratified. “Maybe we can make this an annual event?” Will offered.

“And I get to cook as much as I want?” Kate countered.

Dana pretended exasperation. “I
suppose
we can endure a couple of weeks of home-cooked meals from you each year.” She smiled quickly. “But we might have to make an extra run to the health club each day if we eat like this every night.” Everyone laughed and tucked into the cobbler Kate had prepared for dessert.

* * * *

As much as Kate enjoyed Philadelphia, she was relieved to come home. She’d missed Maya, Gabe, and her mother, she realized; the familiarity of her life washed over her like a warm, soothing bath when Cara hugged her. Kate hadn’t thought she was lonely at Dana and Will’s until she felt the easy intimacy of her life in Childress again.

“Did you have fun?” her mother asked.

“Oh, Mom, it was so
interesting
. Dana and Will’s place is completely stunning, of course, and they have this unbelievable kitchen I cooked in every night—I have to show you the journal I kept—and the classes were just the best. I feel like I learned so much…”

Belatedly, she checked her mother’s expression to see if her enthusiasm was hurtful. Cara didn’t seem jealous but just in case Kate told her, “Of course, I missed you like crazy. Can we go to the library first thing tomorrow so I can check out the garden?” Her mother squeezed her. “Of course, honey.”

Maya reported via texts she was up to her eyeballs in sporting activities that summer, attending multiple camps in succession; and Gabe was curiously busy as well, although he wouldn’t specify with what. Kate found herself with more time on her hands than usual but she focused on writing and her hobbies rather than seek out other friends. Aside from Gabe and Maya, she decided she didn’t particularly want other friends.

One afternoon when she did feel lonesome, she went over to the Blakes’ to see if she could catch Gabe. “Kate! You should have called ahead,” Carmen chided. “Gabe’s not here.”

“Drat. Where is he?”

“Swimming, I think.” She made a vague gesture toward the water.

“I’ve got my suit on. Could I catch him?”

“He and his dad are quite a ways out. They’re on the boat. Come in, though. I have something to show you.”

In her office, Carmen reached for a scroll from her bureau, which she spread on her drafting table. “I’ve been working on your astrological chart,” she announced, beaming.

The sheet before them covered the entire table and contained a plethora of planetary maps, dates, and lunar schedules. Carmen employed a complicated color-coding system Kate couldn’t decipher, although the effect, despite the dizzying amount of information depicted, was organized and beautiful.

“I could put this into a digital format but I think it’s kind of pretty in ink, don’t you?”

“I would frame this and hang it on my wall,” Kate told her solemnly.

“No you wouldn’t!” Carmen laughed. “This contains a lot of personal information you might not want on display.”