The Summer of Our Discontent (23 page)

*******

Faith released a groan as she and Rachel sat by the last campfire of the trip.

“Are you playing with your Virginia over there? I’m afraid to look.”

“I have a cramp in the arch of my foot,” Faith said with another groan as she kicked out of her shoe.

“You didn’t drink enough water today. You’ll probably wake up with a charley horse tonight.” Rachel stood. “I’m thirsty, too. Sit here and I’ll go find something.” She walked over to the coolers by the mess hall and dug around for a sports drink and heard someone walk up but didn’t look up as she fished through the ice.

“Can we talk?”

Rachel froze and slowly withdrew her hand from the cooler. “About what?”

“Walk with me so we can have some privacy,” Lisa said. “Please.”

Rachel glanced at Faith, who was watching them, and held up one finger, hoping Faith understood that she’d be back shortly. She followed Lisa away from the group. They were almost to the chaperone cabins when Rachel stopped. “Faith’s got a cramp. I was supposed to get her something to drink. Can we make this quick?”

Lisa’s shoulders sagged as she turned and faced Rachel. “I wanted to apologize for my behavior earlier.”

Rachel felt a flash of anger. There was so much more Lisa needed to acknowledge. She remained quiet, waiting to hear what she had to say, unwilling to make it too easy on her.

“At home, I’m not confronted with you all the time. It’s easier to pretend that we never existed. I live in a fantasy world most of the time to avoid the reality that I created, but seeing you with Faith…” Lisa looked away and inhaled sharply. “There was a time you looked at me the way you do her. You’re both so obviously in love that it’s hard to watch, but I can’t look away because that’s what I want. I’m so jealous, and I hate you for it one minute, and the next…I hate myself.”

“I don’t know what to say to make this any better. I’m sorry that my being here has made it so difficult for you.”

Lisa looked away. “You don’t owe me any apologies. I was wrong for what I did to you when we were together. I was trying to do what I was taught was right, and it turned out so wrong. I’ve had to confront a lot of things on this trip, it’s been an emotional roller coaster. I’m not going to pour that out on you,” she said with a weak smile. “I just wanted to take one step in the right direction by apologizing.”

“Thanks. I hope everything works out for you.”

“So do I,” Lisa said as she walked away.

Rachel started back toward the fire and stopped when she noticed Faith standing between the kids’ cabins with her arms folded. She slowly stepped out of the shadows. “I wasn’t eavesdropping, but after the way she acted today, I just wanted to make sure you weren’t back here whipping her ass.”

“No, she was just apologizing, but thanks for backing me up.”

“So…you’re friends again now?”

Rachel shook her head. “I wouldn’t go that far. She just cleared the air, so to speak.”

“I could’ve died just so you know. I was dehydrated, evidenced by my cramp.”

Rachel laughed. “Well, you drank something. Your lips are stained blue.”

“I hobbled over to the coolers when it was obvious you weren’t coming back. Seriously, you’re okay?”

Rachel wondered if Faith had heard any of the conversation because Lisa obviously thought they were a couple, and she hadn’t denied it. “I’m fine.”

“Good, the kids were heading in when I got up if you want to say your good-nights.”

“Thanks. You coming?”

“I already gave out my kisses. I’ll see you later.”

*******

After Rachel tucked the girls in and bathed, she returned to her cabin. All was quiet and dark. She stared at something on her pillow for a moment with trepidation. She slowly moved closer and realized that it was a stuffed animal. When she switched on her flashlight, it lit up the face of a stuffed black and white cow.

Faith switched on her flashlight and illuminated the matching cow she was holding up. “I found them at the commissary,” she said as she sat up. “It would’ve been better if they’d have been brown with white faces.”

“They’re adorable.” Rachel picked hers up and hugged it. “Thank you.”

“I wanted to commemorate the night we confronted the otherworld…well, kind of.” Faith’s light went off. “This is our last night like this. I’m going to miss them.”

“Me too,” Rachel said as she climbed into bed.

“Will you miss the talk…or will you miss me?”

Rachel hugged the cow close. “Both.”

“We can still have these chats. You can come to my house, I’ll come to yours. We can sit out under the stars and pretend we’re here.”

“I’d like that a lot,” Rachel said with a smile.

“Sleep well, Rachel.”

“You too…I hate you.”

Faith chuckled softly. “I hate you, too.”

Rachel closed her eyes as Lisa’s words played through her mind on a continuous loop.
You’re both so obviously in love that it’s hard to watch.

Chapter Twenty-seven

“Am I gonna have trouble getting you on the bus again?”

“No, ma’am, not this time,” Faith said with a smile.

The children scrambled all around them as they said their goodbyes to the counselors. Keely walked over with her camera. “You two scoot together so I can get your picture.”

Faith moved alongside Rachel and put an arm over her shoulders. They smiled as Keely snapped the photo.

“Now look at each other like you’re angry, so I can get one more true to life.” Rachel grabbed Faith by the throat, and Faith pretended to scratch her face. Keely clicked the shutter a dozen times. “I’ll email these to y’all. Ladies, print them out, frame them, and label them ‘The summer of our discontent.’ When you get off the bus in Michaud, y’all can go back to being complete buttholes.”

“She’s really growing on me,” Rachel said as they watched Keely weave through the crowd.

Faith nodded. “Yeah, like a wart.”

Keely climbed atop the picnic table again and blew her whistle. “May I have your attention, please?” The crowd calmed a little, but girls still chattered lowly with the excitement of going home. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know all of the new faces and spending time with veteran campers. I’d like you all to look at the people standing around you and shake their hands. Tell them that you’ll always be friends, and you look forward to seeing them again here next summer. Thank you for visiting Camp Summer Sun, and have a safe trip home.”

Faith turned toward June and put out her hand. “It was a real pleasure meeting you, June.”

“It was nice to meet you, too. Will you be back next summer?”

“That depends. If you come back, then I will, too.”

June’s smile was huge. “I’ll be back.”

“So will I.” Faith gave her a hug and turned to Rachel. “Ms. Chauvin,” she said as she put out her hand, “it was truly a pleasure getting to know you.”

Rachel pushed her hand away and gave her a quick hug. “The pleasure was all mine.”

*******

Noise on the bus was loud and constant. Faith gave up trying to talk to Rachel above the roar. Instead, they sat shoulder to shoulder as they drew closer to Michaud. She hadn’t been totally honest with Rachel the night before. Her intent was to check on Rachel when Lisa led her off, but she didn’t expect to walk right up on them. Hidden in the shadows, she heard Lisa when she gave the explanation for her behavior. Faith’s knees had gone weak when Lisa uttered,
There was a time you looked at me the way you do her.
She needed to hear Rachel’s confirmation and had tried to set her up for it, but that didn’t come.

Faith closed her eyes and leaned her head against the window. She’d not felt insecure since she asked the first girl she ever dated out. She wanted Rachel to make the first move, and that wasn’t like her at all. She’d never been nervous or afraid, but she was now. Her advances had been rejected by others a few times with little consequence. She simply moved on to the next, but there was no next after Rachel. In the matter of two weeks, Faith had lost her heart. The woman sitting next to her didn’t know she’d stolen it.

“We’re home,” Rachel said near her ear.

Faith opened her eyes and saw the parking lot coming into view. “What’re you gonna do with the rest of your day?”

“Laundry. How about you?”

“That and I’ll probably mow my grass because I know Patty didn’t do it.”

Rachel gazed at her for a moment. “I have beer in my fridge. If you want to look at the stars tonight, come over.”

Faith’s heart did a little dance. “Nine o’clock?”

Rachel nodded. “Perfect.”

*******

Patty dropped to her knees and threw her arms open wide. “There’s my baby!” Sophie launched herself into her arms.

Faith dropped all their bags in the middle of the living room floor. There was no sense in taking them to the back; everything needed to be washed. “You,” she pointed at Patty, “unpack everything and get the laundry started. Put away my toiletries. I have to mow the grass since it tickled my butt when I got out of the truck.”

“I don’t know anything about choking turtles or rabbits, sis, you know that.” Patty opened her mouth wide when Sophie pulled out a necklace and put it around her neck. “Oh, this is beautiful. I’ll wear it all the time.”

Faith looked down at the bracelet on her own wrist and thought of Rachel. She wondered if Rachel would cut hers off or wear it. As for her, she’d wear it until it dry-rotted and fell off.

“Momma, let me go, I have to go to the bathroom,” Sophie said with a giggle as she struggled to get out of Patty’s arms.

Patty let her go. “More cuddling when you get back.” She gazed up at Faith, who stood toying with her bracelet. “Well?”

“What?”

“Did you tell her how you feel?”

Faith shook her head and walked into the kitchen. “I lost my nerve.”

Patty got up and followed her. “Wow, for a woman that doesn’t have a shy bone in her body, that’s monumental.”

Faith filled a glass of water and stared at it. “There was a woman there that assumed we were already a couple.” She chewed her lip as she thought of a way to tell Patty what Lisa said without betraying Rachel’s confidence. “I overheard them talking, and she came to that conclusion because of the way Rachel looked at me, how we looked at each other.”

“Well, that’s an indicator that she likes you.”

“But Rachel didn’t confirm or deny. Maybe it was simply an incorrect assumption by the other woman.”

“Okay.” Patty drummed her fingers on the counter. “Let’s say you revealed your feelings to Rachel and she didn’t feel the same. At least you’d know for sure, and maybe that would dispel the whole cloud you’re under. You’ve got a fifty percent chance that she feels the same way.”

“It’s the other fifty that scares the shit out of me.” Faith shook her head. “I don’t want to see pity in her eyes. I don’t want to make what we have feel awkward. I’m so messed up.”

“Yeah,
ya
are,” Patty said softly.

“I’m gonna go mow the grass. It helps me think.”

“Okay, I’ll order pizza when you’re halfway done. Greasy food always makes my soul feel better.” Patty turned when Sophie came running back down the hall. “There’s my baby! More hugs now!”