Florence Adler Swims Forever(101)

He jogged through the station building to the train shed, where several hulking trains sat, ready to board. At the sight of them, Stuart’s pulse quickened. The trains blocked his sight line, making it impossible to scan the platforms with any ease. He picked a platform and ran to the end of it, skirting waylaid luggage and clusters of passengers and standers-by. No Gussie.

Stuart tried another platform and was about to give up and turn around when he saw a small figure sitting on a bench at the farthest end of the platform. It was a girl, clad in a pale dress, clutching a leather valise. From this far away, he couldn’t make out her face but he knew she had to be Gussie. He looked for Anna over his shoulder but she wasn’t behind him.

“Harp-ave arp-I carp-aught yarp-ou arp-at arp-a barp-ad tarp-ime?” he asked when he had come to a complete stop, a few feet away from her. He gauged the distance between them—close enough to reach out and grab her, if the occasion demanded. She looked up at him in surprise and began to cry.

“I’m terrible at ARP talk,” she said, between sobs. Stuart sank to his knees beside her and grabbed one of her hands.

“Not to worry, Gus,” he said, switching to regular, old English. “You’re fine.”

She wiped her nose with the back of her free hand.

“I heard yesterday was a bad day.”

She nodded her head vigorously and snorted several times. “Look,” she said, staring over his shoulder. At the end of a nearby platform stood Anna. Her hair had dried in the late afternoon sun, and it hung in loose waves, which she pushed out of her face with her hand. God, she was glorious. Stuart and Gussie shouted and waved at her, and she waved back, excitedly, before disappearing behind a train and out of view.

“I bet she’ll make it over here in record time,” said Stuart. “She’s very eager to see you.”

“She is?”

“Sure, she’s been a wreck all afternoon.”

Gussie looked down at her hands, which were folded in her lap. She seemed embarrassed.

“What was your plan, Gus?” Stuart asked, glancing behind him to check on Anna’s progress. She was already halfway down the platform.

“I thought I’d go to Florida.”

“With your father?”

She nodded solemnly. “But it’s tricky to figure out which train to get on.”

“I agree, said Stuart. “That’s why I rarely leave town.”

Gussie looked ever-so-slightly amused. “That’s not why. Adults know how to take trains.”

Stuart stuck a thumb in his chest. “Not this one.”

Anna flew past Stuart, nearly knocking him over in her urgency to get to Gussie. When she reached her, she squeezed Gussie’s face between her hands and rested her forehead against hers. Together, they rocked back and forth, Anna muttering thanks to God and Stuart in equal measure.

“She was considering a trip to Florida,” said Stuart, when Anna had released Gussie and returned to herself.

“Oh, Gussie,” said Anna, stroking the child’s hair.

“I didn’t have enough for a ticket,” Gussie said, holding out a handful of change, wrapped in Anna’s handkerchief.

“I know this isn’t easy, but you can’t give up on Atlantic City,” said Stuart. “Not when so many people love you and need you here.”

“Nobody needs me,” said Gussie as she hugged the valise to her chest.

“That’s not true,” said Stuart. “I do. And Anna does, too. Why else would we have inducted you into our secret society?”

“Because you didn’t want me to tell my mother about Florence.”

Stuart let out a short laugh. “Perceptive,” he said, to Anna more than anyone. “Well, your mother’s going to have that baby any minute, and then we’re all done with secrets.”

“No more Florence Adler Swims Forever Society?”

“I didn’t say that,” said Stuart. “Anna, wouldn’t you say our society is stronger than ever?”

Anna nodded knowingly, as if the pair had just been discussing the society’s state of affairs on the way over to the train station.

“But no more secrets?” said Gussie.

“None,” said Stuart, looking at Anna. “Well, maybe just one more.”





Anna


It was half-past seven by the time Anna, Stuart, and Gussie arrived at the hospital to find Joseph and Esther waiting in the lobby. Before Anna could get a word out, Esther caught her granddaughter up in her arms. She squeezed her, then turned to Anna. “Dorothy told us you called the ward, looking for Gussie.”

Anna looked at Gussie, who shook her head ever so slightly in discouragement. “There was some confusion,” said Anna, vaguely, before changing the subject. “How’s Fannie?”

Esther relayed what she knew. Fannie had been moved to the labor room sometime early Tuesday morning, and her labor must have progressed accordingly because she’d been moved to the delivery room an hour ago. “It’s her third baby. I pray it comes fast.”

“You won’t see her tonight?” Anna asked.

“No,” said Esther, adamantly. “She’ll need to rest.” Anna wondered at the lot of them, sitting in the lobby. They might as well have been sitting in the apartment’s front room, for all they were going to be able to do here.