Page 23 of The Summer We Mended
Anna laughed and set down the bottle of chilled rosé she’d brought in from the porch fridge.“I vote for not me,” she said, grinning.“But I’ll help with the summer succotash.”
They were making Vineyard scallop boil with corn, shrimp, and sweet potatoes, a dish Claudia insisted tasted best when shared with family.The scallops, caught fresh that morning, had been delivered by a neighbor who ran a skiff down the coast.Margot was also making a stone fruit galette for dessert, the kitchen heavy with the scent of ripened peaches and plums.
“You want to start on the corn?”Claudia asked, handing her a clean knife.“We’re going rustic, so no need to be fancy.Just slice it off the cob and into the bowl.”
Anna nodded and fell easily into the rhythm, the sound of knives tapping against cutting boards punctuated by laughter and teasing.Margot leaned toward her and whispered, “You missed the great basil debate.I thought Claudia was going to launch me into the bay.”
“That’s because she was trying to put Thai basil in the stuffing,” Claudia said, not looking up.“Thai.Basil.In New England.I love you, honey, but this isn’t fusion night.”
Anna laughed.It had been so long since she felt this light and at ease.
“Did anyone call Cody?”Anna asked.
“I did,” Claudia replied quickly.“He said that he was working late tonight.”
Anna nodded, grateful that her aunt had thought to include her brother.She didn’t believe that he had to work late, but she couldn’t blame him for staying home either.
As she worked, she glanced through the open windows toward the backyard, where her mother sat on one of the wide, low benches David had built years ago.Lily was laughing at something Blaze said, her head thrown back, the lines around her mouth soft.Nora was balanced on one foot near the garden beds, demonstrating some elaborate yoga pose for Maisie, who was trying to copy her with giggles.Henry, ever the reserved patriarch, was crouched in the grass, tapping Blaze on the shoulder before dodging out of reach with a surprising burst of speed.
“Is Uncle Henry playing tag?”Anna asked, incredulous.
Claudia peered out the window and beamed.“Looks like it.I haven’t seen him move like that since the ’98 softball game against the fire department.”
Margot gave a mock gasp.“And he’s not even in orthopedic sneakers.”
They all laughed again.
Anna kept glancing at her mother, half in disbelief.Lily looked almost relaxed.She had one arm slung around Maisie now, her other hand gently brushing the child’s hair out of her face as she whispered something into her ear.Maisie beamed and nodded.Jess, standing a few steps away with her arms folded loosely over her chest, offered a small, forced smile.
Anna excused herself and stepped outside, wiping her hands on a dishtowel as she crossed the flagstone path to Jess.“Hey,” she said softly.
Jess turned, startled.“Oh… hey.This is nice, huh?”
Anna nodded.“It really is.I didn’t expect it.Mom usually shuts down when too many people show up.”
Jess glanced over at Lily, who was now letting Blaze drape a plastic lei over her head.“I’m glad the family time seems to be working on her.”
Anna followed her gaze.“It really does.”
There was a quiet moment between them, filled only by the calls of children and the occasional clang from the kitchen.
“I know you haven’t been back long,” Anna said carefully, “and I get it.About San Francisco.”
Jess’s jaw tensed.“I just… I really thought it was going to work.Five years of my life.All in.”
Anna reached out and squeezed her hand.It wasn’t much, but it was something.“Failure doesn’t mean you wasted your time.It means you were brave enough to try.”
Jess blinked rapidly and nodded.“Thanks.”
Back in the kitchen, the women were moving like clockwork.Claudia was adding scallops to the pot, steam rising with a hiss, while Margot arranged a tray of cucumber salad with dill and lemon.Anna stepped back in just as Claudia was tossing a dish towel over her shoulder.
“There you are.We were about to send out a search party.”
“Just checking on Jess,” Anna said.
Claudia nodded knowingly.“That girl’s been carrying a heavy load.It helps to know she’s not carrying it alone.”
Margot added, “We should have a girls’ day sometime.Just us.No kids.No casseroles.”
