Page 99 of Drawing Home
“You’re a sight for sore eyes,” Joyce said, giving her an air kiss on each cheek. But it was clear as soon as she walked into the entrance hall that the only thing she had eyes for was Windsong. Bea should have known she wasn’t driving two and a half hours in Saturday traffic just to spend time with her.
Bea gave her the tour.
“The sculptures are amazing,” Joyce said. “What a shame he never showed them anywhere.”
“Yes, it was greatly frustrating.”
“I can imagine. And then this business with his estate! Honestly, Bea. I’m just happy to see you ended up with this place after all.”
Bea said nothing. Lunch arrived. It was too hot to eat outdoors, so they sat at the dining-room table looking out at the pool.
“Thank you again for including Frank’s work in this auction. It’s great exposure. You know, after all these years, it still gets me in the gut when I see real talent. I know you understand.”
Bea immediately thought of the graphic novel in Penny’s room. Finally, someone she could talk to about it!
“I want to show you something,” she said. “I’ll be right back.”
Somehow, it felt a bit more like a violation to go into Penny’s room this time. Bea wasn’t quite sure why, exactly. Still, she would not be deterred by an inconvenient pang of conscience.
Penny’s manuscript was still on the desk. Bea flipped through the pages, looking for drawings that didn’t include her. No need for Joyce to know thewholestory. She chose a few pages and brought them to the dining room.
“Tell me what you think of these,” she said, sliding them over to Joyce. As the dean of admissions for the Franklin School of Fine Arts, as someone who evaluated young people’s work year after year, Joyce would be able to put Penny’s artistic ability into context for her. Not that she had very much doubt.
Joyce put on her glasses. She took her time examining the sketches, laughing at a few bits of dialogue. She looked up at Bea. “Who’s the artist?”
“She’s a fourteen-year-old.”
“Fourteen? That’s extraordinary. Where is she in school?”
“Out here,” Bea said. “She’s a local.”
Joyce turned back to the drawings. “What a shame. I’d love to have her at Franklin. I can only imagine what she’ll be doing in high school if she keeps this up.” She adjusted her glasses so she could peek over them at Bea. “Leave it to you to discover the next Alison Bechdel. And everyone thought you were out here licking your wounds all this time.”
Bea bristled. “Well, how fortunate that you can now go back to the city and set the record straight.”
It was Saturday and Coopers Beach was packed. Penny’s cast was sealed in a waterproof cover her mom ordered online, so her leg looked like it was wrapped in a blue tarp. It was hot, she was cranky, and her dad was talking to her like she was three instead of fourteen.
“Let us adults deal with the details, Penny,” her dad said.
“I don’t see why you have to fight with Mom about it,” Penny said. “Besides, it’smylife and I don’t want anything to change.”
“Sometimes change is good. Like, the new house—right?”
“That’s different. Besides, when’s the last time you lived in Sag Harbor?”
He was distracted, waving to someone. Penny spotted a tall woman wearing a black one-piece bathing suit and a sarong heading for them. She had short brown hair and wore a thick, ropy gold necklace that really didn’t belong at the beach.
“Sorry I’m late,” the woman said, kissing her dad on the cheek.
It was sort of awkward to be sitting when the two of them were looming over her and smiling, but it was too much effort to get up.
“Penny, this is my friend Diane. Diane, my daughter, Penny.”
“So lovely to meet you, Penny. I’ve heard a lot about you.”
Who was this woman? Her dad never mentioned someone else joining them today. And what, he was in town for a few weeks and already had a girlfriend that he had to introduce to Penny? She knew she should have bailed. She hadn’t even wanted to go in the first place but she felt bad refusing, and her mom said if she didn’t go he would think Emma was manipulating her. But if she’d known her dad would have been just as happy spending the day at the beach with his new “friend” Diane, she would definitely have stayed home.
He helped Diane open her collapsible beach chair and adjusted the umbrella to shade her completely. “Diane’s in town for the summer helping out with that big fund-raiser for the movie theater. Isn’t that great?”
