Page 36 of The Sky in Summer
My mother returns to the topic she wants to hear more about. And she is using her hands. I know what that means. She is wildly excited.
“All this time we knew the boys through Sam and Teddy, but we never put it together. We only know you by your maiden name,” my mother adds. “Can you believe it, Van?
She is aiming to uncover more of the truth.I read you, Mom.
“It was funny when we found out. Sam, Teddy, and I ran into Layla and the twins at the lake.”
Layla is my wingman. She jumps in.
“I recognized him. But he didn’t recognize me! I was highly insulted,” she chuckles.
“I recognized her when she started talking. Take it however you want,” I tease.
It is Layla who thinks what I said is funny. She’s laughing. My parents are reading my face. Then hers. They chuckle despite thinking it was a rude comment.
“Well, I think it was a great compliment. I remember you as being one of the brightest children I ever knew.”
Our attention is pulled to the field, where the batter has just connected with the pitch. It barely misses the pitcher’s outstretched arm, and flies between second and third base. Right Field dives for it and makes a good save.
“Is your husband coming?”
Just when you think it’s safe.
Gaston consistently goes where no man should. He knows not to ask about someone’s marital status like this. Except that he thinks he is being stealthy. Some people don’t like talking about their personal lives to a virtual stranger. But he could not care less about anyone else’s rules of behavior. His entire life has been an exercise in marching to the beat of his own drum.
He and mom are like a superpower tag team. Working together to uncover what they want to know. Especially when it involves their children. Doesn’t matter that we are all circling our forties. I have a clear vision of the future. Me and my siblings on our walkers, receiving unsolicited advice from the beyond.
“We’re divorced. He’s usually here to see the boys play, but he has a new baby and so you know how that goes.”
I feel excitement emanating from my mother’s pores. Oh God help us.
“By the way Layla, thanks for the note you sent last month. It was nice. The boys had fun,” Nobel says.
What? What the hell is that about?
“They loved being at your place. The pictures are stunning,” Layla says.
She sees I am lost.
“Teddy and Sam invited the twins to your brother and sister-in-law’s home. They went fishing.”
“Nice,” I say, filing the information for future reference.
“I didn’t know your last name either,” Layla says. “Otherwise I would have connected the dots. The boys just referred to you as Uncle Nobel. I talked to your wife on the phone, and she seems very nice.”
“Thank you.”
He doesn’t correct the wife thing. Think he wants to move on to a new topic.
“Finding out who she was was a shock. We have the latest album on our playlists. Love Montana’s music,” Layla adds.
I can read my brother’s mind. He just said,Shit! I hope no one heard that.Nobel nods and goes back to watching the game. He is too familiar with what usually happens. Dove’s fame can dominate not only the conversation, but the entire scene. People get crazy when they find out Dove Solomon is his girlfriend. Almost wife. Luckily, Nobel is a confident man who loves his woman. That’s an understatement. He and Dove are a match made in heaven and everyone sees that.
He is not afraid of how Layla will act, it’s the strangers around us that worry him. There would be requests for pictures with my brother and pleas for an autograph to be sent in snail mail. Or free tickets. It’s a shit show in my opinion. Losing your anonymity looks like a big price to me. But then, I have no talent.
Even talk of Nobel’s stunning home and Dove’s celebrity doesn’t deter The Searchers from their goal. That’s what I will call the parents from here on in. As the sides change, and the players take their positions, my dad is coming up with a plan.
“I have an idea,” he says like it just now occurred to him. “We’re having an Independence Day celebration next week at Nobel’s. Would you and the twins like to join us? It’s going to be lots of fun.”
