The Rest of the Story(45)

“You went to Club Prom?” I asked him now.

“Oh, yeah.” He was quiet for long enough for me to picture him on the boat, with a faraway look on his face, smiling. “Twice, actually. And both times with your mom.”

“Mom went?” I asked. “She never mentioned that.”

“Because it wasn’t a great night,” he replied with a sigh. “Either time.”

“What happened?”

Another pause, but this one felt different, like he wasn’t thinking as much as deciding how best to answer this. “Well, you know, she always felt out of place at the Club. Even though she knew a lot of people there. And when she was nervous, she . . .”

“. . . drank too much?” I finished for him.

“Well,” he said. “Yes.”

Even after all this time, it was hard for my dad to talk about my mom’s issues. He preferred to avoid the subject as much as possible, as if bringing it up did some disservice to her or her memory. This was in marked contrast to what I’d seen of Celeste, Mimi, and the rest of the family at the lake, for whom my mother’s problems were as much a part of her story as, well, I was. There were lots of ways to love someone, I guessed, both by remembering and forgetting.

“I wish you’d taken pictures,” I said now.

“I’m sure somebody did,” he replied. “All I remember is that even barefoot in a borrowed dress, your mom was gorgeous.”

“Until she got drunk,” I said.

Another pause, this one to let me know I’d crossed a line. “Anyway,” he said a moment later, “you must need something to wear. I left you a credit card, didn’t I?”

He had, for emergencies: it was tucked in a spare pair of sneakers in my closet. “I should be able to borrow something from Bailey, I think.”

“Well, if not, buy something,” he replied. Then, quickly: “Within reason, of course.”

“Of course,” I agreed. How hard could that be?

“I just filled it up, so there’s plenty of gas,” Mimi said, handing me her keys. “Bly Corners is pretty much a straight shot once you get into Delaney. You can’t miss it.”

“Great,” I said. “Thanks.”

“Oh, I remember when Waverly and Matthew were going to that dance over at the Club,” she said, somewhat wistful. “Ancient history, but it feels like yesterday.”

Then she just stood there, clearly waiting for me to get behind the wheel. So with dread building in my gut, I did.

In a perfect world, driving Trinity to birth class would have been just what it took to get me over my fear of being behind the wheel. In reality, though, it just made everything worse.

Sure, I’d gotten us there and home alive. But between the traffic jam and near panic attack going, followed by having to slam on brakes to avoid hitting a car that stopped suddenly on the way home, I’d stepped out from behind the wheel swearing I’d never return. Which wouldn’t be a big deal, I figured, because this was North Lake, a place small enough to get anywhere on foot. Except, as it turned out, a place to buy a dress for Club Prom.

It had all started innocently enough. That morning, I’d been minding my own business, having breakfast and reading the obits, when Bailey came down to go to work.

“It’s dress day,” she informed me as she loaded slices of bread into the toaster.

“Actually, it’s Thursday,” I replied, still reading about Daniel Polk, 74, who had left this earthly plane after a long illness.

“I just wish I didn’t have to work,” she said, ignoring this. “I’m worried about you picking out something at the mall on your own.”

“Well, don’t,” I said, “because I’m not doing that. I’ll just find something around here that will work.”

She turned, looking at me. “Here? What are you going to wear, a Calvander’s tie-dye? One of Trinity’s maternity dresses?”

“Maybe.” I felt her glare at me. “Look, you have your dress, so what are you worried about?”

“Your dress,” she replied, as if I was stupid. “We’re going together, remember? And this is a big deal.”

“I’ll find something,” I said again.

“I know you will.” BING! went the toaster, spitting out her slices. “Because I told Mimi you were borrowing her car to go to Bly Corners today.”

This got my attention. “You what?”

She walked to the fridge, pulling it open. After scanning the contents, she sighed, then shut it. “I told her you needed to borrow her car to go buy a dress. She’s fine with it. Said to come grab the keys whenever you’re ready to go.”

“Never,” I said. “That’s when I’ll be ready.”

“You don’t like shopping?”

“It’s not that,” I said.

“Then what is it?”

I just sat there, not wanting to get into the whole driving thing with another Blackwood sister. “Well, I have to work, for starters.”

“No, you don’t.” She took a crunchy bite. “Mimi says there’s no turnover and only three rooms for housekeeping. Trinity can do it.”

“She can’t even bend over,” I pointed out.