Authors: Lynda Simmons

Island Girl (59 page)

BOOK: Island Girl

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We were burying my mom’s ashes that afternoon. In the rose garden with Great-Grandma Lucy and Grandma Rose. Only a few people were coming for this part. Mary Anne, of course, Liz’s friends Brenda and Nadia, Mark’s friend Seth Harrison, as well as Benny, Carol, Marla Cohen, Betty Jane Parker’s daughter Chloe, the Watts twins, and Courtney. Fifteen in all. Plus Joe. He had been invited too.

“I thought of your mom the moment I saw this,” Mary Anne said, lifting the lid on the box. She’d asked if she could bring the angel for my mom, and no one could think of a reason why she shouldn’t.

“Your mom will love it,” she said, lifting the statue out of the box and holding it in front of her like an offering—two angels leaning on their elbows, like they were talking to each other.

“Can’t you just hear them?” she said. “It’s like they’re whispering to each other saying, ‘Hey, ever hear of Ruby Donaldson? Have I got a story for you.’”

I smiled and touched the wings on each angel. “It’s perfect,” I said, knowing Mary Anne was right. My mom would love it.

I heard Liz say, “No, go right ahead,” and turned, spotting her three doors down with Nadia and Brenda. They had paused so Brenda could take a picture and I heard her saying, “Really, Islanders love it when people take shots of their homes.”

She saw me watching her over the fence and shoved a hand in front of Brenda’s camera really quick. “To tell you the truth, we hate it. Let’s go.”

Nadia paused when they reached our gate, watching the baby birds hopping on the lawn while the parents dropped grasshoppers and other treats in front of them. “What is this?”

“A cat buffet,” Liz said, and grinned at me. “Wings to go.”

“Your sister is evil,” Nadia said. “You should let birds get her for that.”

I probably should have, but she is my sister, so I went over and opened the gate. “Don’t worry. We’re on the lookout for cats.”

“They are kind of cute,” Liz said, kissing my cheek as she went by with a big black bag over her shoulder. “Hope they make it.”

“They will.” More guests started arriving, so I picked up one of the babies and moved him back from the gate. “I know they will.”

Joe knelt down with me as I put the baby back by the lilac. “It’s amazing the parents let you do that,” he said, checking over his head, not completely sure we wouldn’t be attacked.

“They trust me,” I said, taking his hand and letting him help me to my feet. Knowing my silly face was still turning pink even though he’d held my hand more than a few times now. And kissed me too. Here, by the gate. He’d even asked me to come to the city and meet his family. And I hoped I’d be able to do that for him one day soon. I really did.

Mark came out of the house with Jocelyn behind him, both balancing a tray of champagne flutes filled with sparkling wine and strawberries. She was wearing the green dress from the wedding. “Black is stupid,” she’d said earlier, which was odd because she had so much of it in her closet. “And anyway Ruby liked this.”

I wasn’t going to argue with her choice. Not when I was wearing jeans and an I ❤ Iyengar T-shirt, and Liz was wearing one of her short skirts and a tank top, and Mark was wearing jeans, and all the other guests were wearing casual clothes as well.

“Yesterday was for formal dress and formal speeches,” Mark had said. “Today is strictly for Ruby, and she never did like a fuss.”

The kitchen door opened again and Mary Anne appeared with two bakery boxes in her hands, followed by Brenda bringing a tray of flutes with sparkling water and lime. Jocelyn and Brenda let the guests take their pick from the trays, and then we gathered by the rose garden.

I stood at the front with Liz, Jocelyn, Mark, and Mary Anne. The spot for the little pot of ashes had already been chosen, right between my two grandmas. It still made me a little sad that William wasn’t there with them. Sadder still that I hadn’t been to see him yet. But I would one day soon. I was sure of it.

“Ruby,” Mark said. “You left us too soon, my love. But no one will ever forget you.” He knelt down, put the little pot into the hole and covered it with earth, patted it down with his hands. Then Mary Anne set the angels behind the mound of earth, setting them in solidly, making sure nothing would disturb them. Then I sprinkled red rose petals all around and Jocelyn sprinkled white.

Then Liz reached into the bag by her feet, pulled out an electric-blue shoe box and held it out to me. “This is for you,” she said softly, and lifted the lid.

Inside, nestled in a bed of white tissue paper, was what looked like a little green and blue cookie jar. I lifted out the pot and held it in front of me. “What is it?”

“William’s ashes,” Liz said, and started to speak really fast. “I couldn’t let them put our baby in that place, I just couldn’t. So I stole the ashes from the funeral home and kept them in my closet, hoping that one day you’d be able to put them where they belong.”

“Box under suits,” Nadia whispered to Brenda. “Definitely not shoes.”

I stared at the jar. “These are William’s ashes? They’re not in the city?”

Liz shook her head and motioned to Mark. “I told Mark yesterday that I had them and he suggested I bring them today.” She laid her hands over mine. “Grace, I honestly thought Mom would change her mind one day, that’s why I stole them. I hope I did the right thing. I hope you’re not upset.”

“Upset, no.” I raised my eyes to hers. “But whose ashes did she sprinkle?”

“Nobody’s. They were from the woodstove of some guy I was dating.” Liz shrugged and looked back at the guests. “He didn’t miss them.”

Brenda smiled. “That girl is something else,” she whispered to Nadia.

“A real corker.” Benny laughed and slapped Nadia on the back. “Just like her mother.”

Mark held up a trowel. “Would you like me to do the honors?”

“Thank you.” I swiped at a tear and turned back at Liz. “You brought him home.”

Liz wiped tears of her own. “I don’t have an angel.”

“That’s okay.” I was laughing and crying at the same time now. “That’s really okay.”

Mark had William’s spot ready. Right in the middle of the horseshoe formed by his Grandma Ruby, his Great-Grandma Rose, and his Great-Great-Grandma Lucy. I knelt down, lowered the jar into the hole, covered it with earth, and patted everything down. “Welcome home, little guy,” I whispered. “Welcome home.”

Nadia held out a small package of tissues. Jocelyn took one and sprinkled red rose petals. Liz took one and sprinkled white. Mary Anne took two and opened the bakery box. “White chocolate and macadamia nut cookies,” she said between sniffs. “Ruby’s favorite.”

“I knew I liked her mother,” I heard Nadia say to Brenda as I took a tissue for myself.

“Everybody, please raise your glasses,” Mark said. “To Ruby and William Donaldson.”

All glasses lifted. “To Ruby and William Donaldson.”

“Good-bye to one,” Benny said. “Welcome home to the other.”

A blast from the horn on the
Ongiara
drew us all around. Kylie and Brianne’s mom was at the gate. “You better get going,” she said, batting at the mockingbirds while she hurried past the lilac. “I’ll watch the babies while you’re gone.”

“What’s going on?” I asked.

“We’re going to Fran’s,” Liz said. “It’s not a secret, it’s a surprise. Like the ashes. There’s a big difference.”

“Hurry! Hurry!” Mary Anne said, carrying the box of cookies to the gate, making sure everyone took one on their way out. “We don’t want to miss the ferry. Not today.”

Liz put a hand over the box when Nadia reached for a cookie. Smiled and held out a Baggie full of carrot and celery sticks instead. “How about this,” she said. “Just for today, you don’t eat sweets. Tomorrow, maybe. But not today.”

Nadia glowered at the vegetable sticks. “You are saying I am addict?”

“I am saying you will make yourself sick.” She smacked the Baggie against Nadia’s stomach. “Take this and hand over the candies in your pocket.”

“You are pain,” Nadia said, but took the Baggie and handed over the Werther’s. Stuck a celery stick in her mouth and looked as if she might cry when Liz handed the caramels to Jocelyn.

“I do this because I am a good friend,” Liz said, hurrying Nadia and Brenda through the gate before coming back for me. “Don’t worry, you’ll be fine,” she said to me, then motioned to Joe. “Take this girl’s arm and don’t let go until we reach the ferry.”

Sixteen people ran to the dock, arriving with stitches in their sides and cookies in their hands—except poor Nadia, who was probably going to be stuck with celery as long as Liz was watching.

The captain of the
Ongiara
blew the horn. Almost there. Just another minute to wait.

“You okay?” Joe whispered as we joined the line for the ferry.

I nodded. Wiped sweat from my upper lip. I could do this. Liz had made reservations at Fran’s after all. They were holding the back of the restaurant for us. Sixteen for grilled cheese and apple pie.

“Are you going to finish that?” I heard Nadia say. “Hate to waste.”

“I’m eating it,” Brenda replied, and I watched her stuff the last of her cookie into her mouth, both friends working to save Nadia from herself.

“By the way,” Brenda said to Liz. “My brother asked about you.”

“And what did you say?”

“That you were fine. He wants to know if I can give him your number.”

Liz smiled in a way I haven’t seen her smile in a long time. Then she surprised me by saying, “Not yet. I need a little more time to just be me. But tell him not to stop asking.”

The ferry bumped the dock at last. The ramp slowly lowered and clunked on the ground. “It’ll be okay,” Joe said again, and took my hand. “It’ll be okay.”

I shook my head. “I’m not sure, Joe. I’m not sure.”

“Excuse me,” I heard Liz say. “Excuse me.” She came through the crowd to where I stood. “I’m borrowing her,” she said to Joe, then took my arm and pulled me over to where Jocelyn was waiting with her friends. “You,” Liz said, and held out an arm to her. “Come on. All three of us are going to be first on the ferry!”

“Gotta go,” Jocelyn said, looping an arm with me and moving with us to the front of the line. Finally, we stood at the head of the pack. Liz, me, and Jocelyn. Arms linked, facing forward while the deckhand slowly opened the gate.

Liz held me tighter, smiled at me. “Ready?”

I swallowed. “Ready.”

“Don’t look down!” Jocelyn said, and the two of them stepped forward, carrying me along. Taking me onto the ramp and all the way across, not stopping until my feet hit the deck of the
Ongiara
. I looked down, saw where I was, and the three of us whooped and cheered and kept on going, heading for the gate on the other side. Behind me I could hear our friends and family cheering me on as they came across the ramp to join us.

“Goin’ to Fran’s!” Jocelyn shouted.

“Goin’ to Fran’s!” I shouted back, and we were first in line when that ferry bumped the dock on the other side.

BOOK: Island Girl

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