Page 116 of Again, In Autumn

Adam tucks his lips into his teeth. He lets out a soft laugh and says, “Are you walking on hot coals?”

“I think I’m going to get motion sickness,” I grumble.

He reaches to the side and catches my hand, holding it up for balance. “Does this help?”

“Not really,” I laugh.

He squeezes my fingers. “I think it helps. I think this is working.”

“I’m no less balanced right now.”

“I’m going to keep doing it. You know, because we’re –”

“Friends.”

“Yeah, friends.” He nods appreciatively at a statue of a woman holding a basket of fruit. “And my friends don’t embarrass me by falling on their ass in a fancy establishment. You hear? I won’t have it.”

I point up ahead with my un-held hand. “Ooh bricks. I’ll be okay up here.”

We make it to the brick portion of the path, but Adam doesn’t let got my hand. He lowers it to our sides, fingers wrapped around mine, commenting on the landscape design and complaining about how much water goes into keeping the yard so green. He even leans over to smell an unseasonably blue hydrangea blossom, taking me with him, as if he didn’t even notice we were still attached.

He can’t not notice.

Before we turn a corner, I hear a deep voice speaking about wine.

Francesca’s voice interrupts, saying, “We’re not spitting this out, right? I can drink this?”

In a panic, I pry my hand from Adam and push him away from me seconds before hearing, “Vee!”

Adam stumbles into a hedge. My sister comes rushing toward me.

“Do you want some free tasting wine?” she asks, pointing to the group of people huddled around a table. The long, belled sleeve of her silky dress drips to the ground.

“No, but that looks like fun,” I gesture to her nicely dressed children running in the grass behind her.

She waves her hand. “David’s over there somewhere, I think.” Her eyes fall on a body slowly walking up behind us. “Adam!”

He smiles and stands beside me, a good two feet away.

“You’ve got a leaf in your hair.”

“Oh.” He picks it off and brushes his shirt clean. “Yeah, I ran into a hedge. It was so forceful, it was almost like someone pushed me.”

She raises her eyebrows knowingly and mutters, “Yeah, I’ll bet this place is haunted.” She downs the last of her plastic cup of wine.

Adam checks his watch. “What time do we eat dinner?”

“Our itinerary says the dining room opens at 5:00, and I don’t know about you guys, but I need to get some food in me.” She squints up to the grassy hill where Alice is running in circles, chasing a butterfly. David has one hand in his pant pocket, the other scrolling on his phone.

Francesca’s voice changes. “Where’s Grayson?”

Adam replies, “I’m sure he’s over there somewhere.”

Her breathing begins to sharpen. “I don’t see him. He’s not there.”

“Fran, calm down,” I begin, knowing exactly where this is headed.

“Vienna, go find him,” she demands, grabbing my arm.

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