French Braid(14)

Out on the sidewalk, they paused to look across the street. A lawyer’s office, a chiropractor, a shoe store displaying men’s work boots. A small, dark grocery store called Robinson’s with nothing but a brass scale centered in the window. “Oh, my,” Mercy said wearily. Then she said, “Sometimes I think, is this it?”

Her daughters turned to stare at her. She thought it sometimes? Not just on this one occasion?

But then she gave her shoulders a shake and “Well,” she said, “maybe we can find us a treat in that fancy grocery store.”

So they crossed and went into the grocery, which was indeed fancy, with imported jellies and spices and corked bottles of flavored vinegars. Mercy said, “How about we choose some chocolates for dessert tonight?” and while she and Lily were deliberating, Alice strolled around the rest of the store. The fruits in the produce section were cradled in individual nests of green tissue and they were very expensive, and anyhow the family had all the fruit they needed from the farm stand; but she did select an avocado pear because you didn’t often see those in Baltimore. When she set it on the counter where Mercy and Lily had set their chocolates, Lily said, “Seriously?” which gave Alice second thoughts, but then the customer ahead of them—an older woman buying a tiny can wrapped in gold paper—reached over and picked it up to examine it more closely, and Alice felt a stab of possessiveness. So she said, “Yes, seriously. All the more for us if you don’t want to try it.” And Lily said no more.

When Mercy had paid the cashier—a severe-looking woman who exchanged not a single word with them—they stepped out into the sunshine. Mercy was carrying their purchases in a tiny forest-green Robinson’s bag. “So,” she said. “Shall we get on home?” The girls didn’t bother answering, just followed her down the sidewalk.

In the car, Mercy twisted around to tell Lily, “Here’s an idea. Once we’re back in Baltimore, we’ll buy you a swimsuit at Hutzler’s, how’s that.”

“A bikini?” Lily asked.

“Well…yes, okay, why not?”

Mercy turned and faced forward again. Alice checked the rearview mirror and found Lily looking smug and secretive.

When they reached the cabin, Trent’s red Chevy was parked in their usual space. “Darn,” Lily said, and she started tugging on her door handle even before their car had stopped behind his. “He’s been waiting for me.”

“All the better!” Mercy said. “Let him see you’re worth it!” But she might as well not have spoken; Lily was already out of the car and halfway up the porch steps.

Alice and Mercy, following, had nearly reached the steps themselves when Robin appeared in the doorway. There was something strange about him. He didn’t have his shoes and socks on, Alice realized. He was in his swim trunks and T-shirt—both noticeably wet, and plastered to his skin—but his archless, knobby white feet were naked, and he wore an odd sheepish expression as if he were embarrassed. “Hey there, hon!” he told Mercy brightly.

She stopped short at the top of the steps. “Robin?” she said suspiciously.

“How was your shopping trip?”

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Wrong? Nothing’s wrong!”

“Why are you dressed that way?”

“Oh, I was just, we were just down at the lake, don’t you know, and David had a little incident.”

“Incident?”

“He panicked and thought he was drowning.”

“What?”

She pushed past him and hurried into the house. Alice and Lily followed; their father stood aside for them and then followed too, letting the screen door shut very gently behind him.

In the living room, Trent was lounging on the couch with one leg slung carelessly along the length of it, Alice’s Mademoiselle open on his lap. He raised an index finger to Lily and said, “Hey, babe.”

“Hi, Trent!”

“Where is he?” Mercy asked Robin.

He gestured silently toward their bedroom.

The door of the bedroom was shut, although in the daytime it always stood open. Mercy flung open the door and rushed in, still carrying her Robinson’s bag. “Honey?” she said. “Are you all right?”

David said something muffled that Alice couldn’t make out. Meanwhile Lily was asking Trent, “Have you been waiting long?” and Trent said, “Well, longer than I cared to, let’s put it that way.”

Alice peered into the room. She saw David curled on his cot, wearing his trunks but nothing else, clutching his cowboy doll to his chest. Mercy sat on the edge of the cot, stroking his back. “Did you have a little scare?” she asked him.

He nodded, and then gave a sniff.

“Come on out to the living room with me,” she suggested.

He just clutched his doll closer.

“You don’t want to come out and sit in my lap?” she asked. “Maybe try one of the chocolates the girls and I brought you from town?”

A shake of his head.

She sat straighter and studied him for a moment. Then she rose and returned to the living room. She asked Robin, “What on earth happened?”

“Oh, well, me and Bentley were just, you know, standing there keeping a watch on him—”