Page 14 of Chasing the Horizon

Rebecca hurried out of the kitchen to kiss her father and tell a long and arduous story about her time at the fish market and her fear that what she’d wanted to cook today was long gone. Esme and Bethany had heard the story at least once, but they followed along with Rebecca’s retelling in a way that spoke of their love for her.

Bethany showed Victor and Aaron to a corner table, where they sat with glasses of light white wine and watched the sunlight dim over the main street. Their dinners arrived: pasta with capers and olives and anchovies, which was to die for. By Victor’s second bite, the restaurant was full, with Esme and Bethany racing around to get everyone’s orders and say hello. This being a small town, it was difficult to get from place to place without having a full-scale conversation, and Victor and Aaron amused themselves in watching them, wondering how they got everything done.

Valerie and Alex arrived a few minutes later. Victor’s heart started beating in overtime. But to Valerie’s credit, she waved and immediately approached them, gesturing to the two remaining seats at their table and asking if they could join.

“We’re actually saving them,” Aaron said.

“For who?” Valerie asked.

“You said Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman were coming?” Aaron said to Victor.

“They’re running late.” Victor erupted with laughter. “I think they’re like thirty years late.”

“Oh, that’s right,” Aaron said. “You can sit till they get here.”

Valerie and Alex were both glowing with the kind of joy that came from a first pregnancy. Victor remembered it well from those long-ago months with Esme, Rebecca growing in her womb like a promise. At the time, he and Esme had thought they’d been through all their hardships and come out the other side.

He wondered what was waiting for Valerie and Alex after this, then cursed the thought.

Maybe they’d be happy and only happy from here on out.

“That looks amazing,” Valerie said. “But I don’t think I can have anchovies?”

Quickly, Alex looked it up on his phone. “Anchovies are okay!”

They high-fived, and Victor and Aaron laughed.

“That’s a team effort,” Aaron said.

Valerie beamed and ordered a glass of nonalcoholic wine from Bethany, who’d had it delivered to the Sutton Book Club especially for Valerie and Alex. It had already turned into a boon for business. Surprisingly, some Nantucketers were moving further and further away from alcohol these days, pursuing cleaner lifestyles and thinner waistlines. Victor couldn’t imagine that he’d forever abandon his glass of wine with dinner or his whiskey at night. But who knew what would happen next?

Maybe he’d change. Perhaps that couples therapist would help him.

When Victor took his final bite of pasta, he blinked up to see—to his tremendous surprise—Hannah, the couples therapist. There she was, walking through the restaurant (his daughter’s restaurant!) with the air of someone who’d been here many times. Esme got up to greet her and shake her husband’s hand. Victor was suddenly petrified.

What was she doing here? This thirty-two-year-old who knew too much about him? She couldn’t dine at the restaurant he dined at. She couldn’t meet any of his peers.

His palms were clammy.

“Dad, are you okay?” Valerie asked under her breath.

“Sure. I just need some water.” Victor got up to take his bowl to the kitchen and somehow got his toe caught on the leg of the table. He nearly fell flat on his face but managed to catch himself at the last minute. Mortified, he knew his cheeks were red hot.

“You good?” his brother asked, trying to laugh it off.

And then his brother said, “Oh! It’s Hannah.”

If Victor was ashamed before, now he was mortified. His brother knew his couples therapist? It felt too cruel.

“Hi, Mr. Sutton! And other Mr. Sutton!” Hannah said, approaching the table.

Aaron smiled broadly and asked questions that made Victor understand that Victor’s niece and Hannah were friendly if not full-blown friends. Victor’s breathing was weak.

Why had Esme gotten them a couples therapist who was so firmly ingrained in the Nantucket scene? Didn’t she know that Hannah had the capacity to ruin him?

“I’ll be right back,” he said to Hannah and his brother, speeding off for the kitchen.

Little did he know, Valerie was hot on his heels. When he paused at the kitchen counter, both hands flat on the cold slab and his heart pounding, Valerie whipped through the double-wide doors and asked, “What is going on, Dad?”

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