Page 124 of Summer After Summer

“That’s a terrible accent.”

“Does that mean I don’t get the eggs?”

“It does not.”

“Good.”

We grin at each other, and it feels weird, but familiar.

Sometimes I forget, because of all our tragedy, how well we got along between our problems. If we could only have a stretch of time between catastrophes, maybe we could’ve made this work. But we never got that, and sometimes you have to listen to the universe when it’s telling you something isn’t meant to be, no matter how much it might feel like it is.

“Are you making it or …”

“What? Oh yes. Coming right up.” He whisks my plate away and takes it back to the stove.

The second omelet is just as good as the first—better even, maybe—and I devour it, along with a second glass of wine.

When we’re done, I help Fred wash up and put everything away. And now it’s late, almost eleven, but I’m awake. I resign myself to a long wind-down to sleep. But Fred has other ideas.

“I’m not tired,” he says. “Though I should be.”

“Me neither.”

“Why don’t we take this to the beach?” he says, holding up the half bottle of wine. “It’s a nice night.”

“Okay,” I say, feeling nervous.

“Don’t worry,” Fred says.

“About?”

“My intentions are pure.”

I laugh because he’s read my mind, and though I’m not sure I believe him, I cast my doubts aside. “All right, then. Let’s go.”

We find an exit into the backyard, then scramble over the dunes to the beach. I can’t imagine what Fred and James must’ve paid for this property—it’s four times the size of my father’s place.

“Can I ask you something?” I say.

“Sure.”

“How could you afford this? With this and my father’s …”

Fred swings the wine bottle between his fingers. “Remember the shipping company I was working for? De Keurig?”

“Yes.”

“Tomas died and left it to me.”

“What? The whole company?”

“He said I was like his son and he had no one else. I told him not to—to leave it to charity—but he insisted.”

“What did your mom think about that?”

“She was happy for me. My aunt too. They loved Tomas. We all did. And it’s enabled me to help them out. And James too.”

“And my house?”

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