Florence Adler Swims Forever(103)

By the time Joseph and Esther nodded their assent, Stuart had taken Anna’s hand and begun steering her down Virginia Avenue, toward the Boardwalk. Anna could scarcely breathe. “Where are we going?” she asked.

Stuart laughed. “I have no idea. Somewhere where we can talk.” They had walked less than half a block when Stuart pulled Anna into the entry alcove of a shoe repair shop, closed for the night. “This is going to have to do,” he said. “I have to get this out.”

He retrieved a slip of paper from the pocket of his jacket and pressed it into Anna’s hand.

“What’s this?”

“It’s a receipt.”

Anna turned it over in her hand and examined it.

“This afternoon I went to the bank and established a trust in your parents’ names.”

“A trust?”

“There’s five thousand dollars in it. And it’s all theirs. I couldn’t touch it if I wanted to.”

Anna didn’t understand what he was saying. Nothing—not the receipt with all the zeros and definitely not the words coming out of his mouth—made any sense. “What?”

“For your parents’ immigration visas,” Stuart said. “You said they needed to prove they’d be able to support themselves. With this money and the twelve hundred dollars Joseph already put in the other account, I’d say they can more than prove it.”

“You may never get it back.”

“That’s fine,” he said. “More than fine. I just hope it’s enough.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

“I don’t want you to have to marry anyone, including me, for a visa.”

“Oh,” said Anna, suddenly embarrassed. How had she so obviously misread him? On the beach, when she had so boldly outlined her predicament, she had convinced herself that he might want to marry her. Now she could see how naive she’d been.

“Anna? Are you all right?”

She was sure she looked stunned but she tried to find the words to reassure him. A rolling chair operator passed them by on his way to the Boardwalk, shouting “Five-cent rides!” and Stuart turned to look for the source of all the noise. Anna tried to compose herself but there was no use. Did this mean her parents really had a shot of making it to the U.S.?

“The money’s theirs no matter what you decide,” he said, returning his attention to her.

“Decide?”

“About me.”

Anna raised her eyes to his for the first time since he had mentioned the money. His gaze was steady and sure. “You?”

“I thought that, if we were going to discuss marriage, it might be best to make it a separate conversation.”

“Are we discussing marriage?” she asked, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

“I would very much like to.”

A smile spread slowly across Anna’s face.

“Before you say anything else, there is something I’ve been wanting to do all summer—” With one hand Stuart reached for Anna’s waist and with the other he touched the soft skin of her neck. Her breath caught in her throat. He ran his fingers under her chin and gently guided her face toward his. Anna knew she should close her eyes but couldn’t. The kiss was warm and tasted like all the best parts of the summer—the swimming pool at The Covington, salt air, sun-drenched skin, and saltwater taffy. As she sank into it, her eyes fluttered shut.

“Gussie will be heartbroken,” Anna whispered when Stuart pulled away to look at her.

“Not true,” he said with a laugh. “I asked for her blessing.”

“And she gave it to you?”

“She did,” he said, pulling her close once more. “She said that, if I’m unwilling to wait for her, she thinks you are the very next best thing.”



* * *



The smell of coffee, percolating in the kitchen, lured Anna awake. Out her window, the sun—not yet visible in the sky—had turned the night a periwinkle blue. She looked at the clock on her bedside table. Five o’clock. This was early, even for Esther.

For a few minutes, Anna lay in bed, listening to the sounds of Esther’s morning routine—the opening and closing of cupboard doors, the clanking of dishes removed from the drainboard. Everything sounded louder this morning, as if Esther knew precisely how little sleep Anna had gotten and was trying to summon her awake. Eventually Anna gave up all pretense of sleeping, wrapped herself in a robe, and wandered out into the hall and toward the kitchen.

“Morning,” said Esther, the moment Anna crossed the kitchen’s threshold. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

“No, not at all,” Anna said, stifling a small smile.

“Coffee?”

“Yes, please.” Anna sat down at the kitchen table, tightened the belt of her robe, and readied herself for the interrogation she knew was coming.

Esther poured coffee into a mug and placed it in front of Anna, like an offering. “You were out late last night,” said Esther.

Anna reached for the sugar bowl, already on the table, and scooped two heaping spoonfuls into her cup. She poured enough cream to turn the coffee a rich caramel color. There could be no easing into a conversation like this. She was just going to have to say it. “Stuart asked me to marry him.”