Page 76 of Spindrift

AnnaMaria’s Subaru Forester pulled into the driveway a few hours later, playing thesort of music Emilia was positive she didn’t listen to with kids in the car. Nellraced off the porch to greet her with leaping bounds that never quite managedto land on any physical part of the new arrival.

“Atleast someone’s excited to see me,” her sister said. Anna Maria and Emilialooked like they shared blood relatives, thanks to her stepfather’s equallyItalian heritage. The main difference between them lay in Anna Maria’s largerchest, which she crushed Emilia into mercilessly.

“Ican’t breathe.”

“You’retoo skinny. You’re not eating enough.”

“Iam eating—”

“Don’tworry, Mom sent lasagna, gnocchi, and some vegetable thing that looks like barfbut tastes amazing. Oh, and half a thing of chocolate chip cookies.”

“Half?”

“Theremay have been more a few hours ago.”

“Isee.”

“So,this is it?” Anna Maria looked around, sweeping her dark hair into a sloppybun.

“Iforget you’ve never really been here. Yeah, I need to fix up the yard, but theinside is coming along.”

“It’sreally nice. Mom always made it out to be so . . .”

“Iknow. Oh, and I hid the animal heads.”

“Hid?You mean you didn’t get rid of them? I’m not going to find one in my closet, amI, because I swear to god, Emmy, that isn’t funny.”

“ButI saved some squirrels for you.”

“You’rekidding, right?”

“Yes,I’m kidding. Let me help you with your stuff.”

AnnaMaria opened the trunk, and Emilia balked.

“Pleasetell me all those coolers aren’t for me.”

“Yep.You have a freezer, right? Otherwise you’re gonna have to throw a party.”

“Ihave a freezer, but it’s the normal kind, not a restaurant walk-in.”

Emiliaseized one end of a cooler and hauled it out of the car, irritation andaffection vying for supremacy. Leave it to her mother to forestall anyimpending disaster with a wall of food.

Oncethe bulk of the edible matter had been stowed away and Anna Maria’s smallsuitcase huddled against the banister, Anna Maria collapsed into an armchairand leaned her head back.

“Ilove my children,” she said, “but I cannot wait until they turn five.”

“What’sso special about five?”

“They’lluse words besides ‘no’ and ‘why.’”

“You’llmiss this in a few years.”

“Probably.Mark has so much more patience with them than I do. They’re good kids.Monsters, but sweet when they want to be. I’ll be crying because I miss them bythe time I leave, but god it feels good to get away.”

Emilia’sphone vibrated. She glanced at it, hoping it was Morgan, but it was just a textfrom her mother.

“So,”Anna Maria said, coming back to life. “What can I help you with while I’mhere?”

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