Page 92 of Atmosphere

“What about birthdays? Do you remember a really great birthday you had as a kid?”

“I remember that my mother got a clown for some birthday I had before my father died and the four girls I’d invited screamed and then we all had nightmares.”

“Cotton candy?”

“Disgusting.”

“Unicorns?”

“Imaginary.”

“Who cares?”

“I do.”

“Rainbows?”

“A function of wavelengths.”

“Where is your inner child?” Joan finally said.

“Gone!”

“I can see that.”

“Ground down to dust and blown away with the wind and now it’s one with the clouds, by way of your God.”

Joan laughed.

“Did I take it too far?” Vanessa said, laughing.

“No, I loved it.”

“Look, I care about who you care about,” Vanessa said. “But I feellike if you’re a part of a kid’s life you have to…take that seriously. You have to be there. You have to put them first. My life is not like that. And I can’t let a kid down. I don’t want to let anyone down.”

“Has it occurred to you…” Joan said. “That you’re bringing some real gloom and doom to something that is very simple. Which is that I need to pick my niece up and we’re now late?”

Vanessa laughed.

“You’re going to take a left at the light up there,” Joan said. “When she gets in the car, you say, ‘Hey, I’m Joan’s friend Vanessa.’ You ask her how school was. You ask her teacher’s name.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It is easy. And it’s important to me. Which is why you’re going to do it.”

Vanessa closed her eyes again and then opened them and put the car in gear.

“Wonderful choice,” Joan said. “By the way, you’re underestimating Frances. She has excellent taste.”

—

They drove to the elementaryschool, where they found Frances sitting on the ledge by the stairs.

“Hey,” Frances said, with a disbelieving look at the sight of her aunt in a convertible.

“This is my friend Vanessa,” Joan said, getting out of the car to fold her seat back.

“Hi,” Vanessa said. “I’m Joan’s friend Vanessa.” And then she cringed slightly. “I think we actually met briefly on the camping trip last year.”

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