Rusty Summer (29 page)

“Oh, baby,” I breathe. “Come here, good girl . . .”

The bear really got in a nasty one when it swiped her. There are four deep gouges that run down her shoulder. The flesh is laid open. I think she needs a vet.

Leo appears. She's dragging the shotgun. She drops it and staggers out to join the group hug.

 

We call my grandma and they rush back to take The Bomb to the emergency vet.

She gets twenty stitches. Then they knock her out so she doesn't chew them. They want to keep her overnight. We will return in the morning for her.

“Why did you go outside, Raven?” my grandma asks.

“To throw away my guuuuuummm!” Raven wails. “It was sticky!”

“You need to tell us if you go out. It's important!” Grandma nods earnestly.

“'Kay! Sorrrryy!” Raven sobs. GramMer takes her in her arms.

“It's okay . . . everything is going to be just fine, twinkle-toes.” She rocks her. “My sweet girl.”

For the first time I do not feel a sick stab of jealousy. What a relief!

Everything is going to be just fine.

 

T-minus seven days and counting.

Sorry, I just watched
Apollo 13.
What I mean is there are seven days left till graduation.

We are flying home tomorrow.

It's all very complicated, but here goes: the uncles are flying us back to Seattle. It will be easier on Leo that way. The van is supposed to be ready in about two days, which isn't enough time to get it, drive back, and prepare for graduation. Shane is going to fetch The Bomb in his airplane so she doesn't have to fly on a commercial airplane, because she's recovering too.

Can I just say this has been a hard trip!

Shane and GramMer and Bommy will then fly to Greg, get the revamped van, tell him thanks and bye, then the two of them, GramMer and Shane, will drive it from there to here, bringing The Bomb back to us—hopefully in time for graduation, which they both intend to attend!

Then we will all live happily ever after.

So that's good.

It's time to talk to my dad.

 

“I don't think you should come to graduation, Dad,” I say.

Relief flashes across his face. Then he pulls it into a frown.

“Oh, Rylee Mar—Rylee, are you sure?” He tries to look like someone who wants to go.

Sorry, Bucko, not buyin' it.

“Yeah, no, it's okay. But listen—you need to tell Mom. I don't want to.”

I eyeball him with my best guilt-trip face. It's pretty good; I learned from the master.

He nods remorsefully. Hangs his head.

“I know. I will.”

“When?”

He looks at me like a kid who needs help on a test.

“When do
you
think?” he asks.

I look at him. As a grown-up daughter, for the first time. Really look at him. At my tragic, well-intentioned dad, who has been so deep in trouble for so long, and who tried so hard but always ended up failing or getting hosed and again I am reminded of a lost pet, trying to find his way home.

“Right away, Dad; call before I get home. Then come down for Paul's graduation,” I say quickly, before I start to bawl. “That gives you a year for her to wrap her head around it. And bring Raven and Ruth.” I gently put my hand on his arm.

His face lights up. “O-kay!” he says, sounding very like Raven. “It's a deal!”

 

It's totally dull on the flight home.

We get bumped to business class for some random reason, which is cool. You can recline. The flight peeps bring the uncles cocktails, for money, and ginger ale for us, on the house. Cheers.

Flying in a big plane is nowhere near as amazing as Shane's plane rides. My stomach churns when I think he will be down in one week to see us “matriculate,” even if it is just for Leo and not me.

Leo is already much better. She's moving around normally and has gained back a little weight. She's still too skinny but regaining her health.

And, even though officially she has left school, she is “walking” too. She went through so much in high school she wants to leave with a sense of closure. Plus, Beau's giving the graduation speech! Are you kidding? She's up for graduation and so am I.

I look to see how she's doing. She has the window seat. She stares out the window, remotely. Her face is so sad I am concerned.

“You cool?” I inquire. “Feel okay?”

“Yeah.” Her gaze lingers on the distance.

“Dude, there seems to be a disturbance in the force. What's up?”

She continues looking out the window and doesn't answer right away. When she does, her voice is forlorn. “I'm gaining weight, Rylee. They will never use me now . . . I don't think I can be a super model.” Her face, which is growing incredibly beautiful as her features once again fit, is unhappy to the point of despair. “How am I going to ever repay your mom, Rye? Do you have any idea how amazing she is? No one, my own mom included, has
ever
treated me like she does. Like she doesn't care how I look. It's so relaxing! I promised myself the first thing I would do when we were rich is take her to meet Pope Francis and then take such good care of her.... I was going to take such good care of everyone.” She looks over at me miserably, and shrugs.

I just gaze at her with quiet affection. I habitually underestimate Leonie DuBois.

But then I rally.

“Leo, you are so sweet, but stop stressing! My mom isn't even thinking about you repaying her! Maybe you don't have to take care of everybody.... It could be your path is different than you thought. Just wait a while. Perhaps it will all become clear.”

“You sound like Shane.”

“I know. Remember when I was reading books about Buddhism?”

“The one-eyed guy?”

“No, that was Odin. Different neck of the woods.”

“Um.” Leo looks doubtful. “Was that the one with The Goddess?”

“Nope, that was Wicca.”

“That was cool. I like that moon circle or whatever that we went to that one time.”

“I guess. It's all just fairy tales. To me it felt like same-o, same-o.”

“Not to me. Is Buddha the elephant guy?” (I have a little stone statue of the elephant-headed god, among others, on my bookcase. I forgot to mention I'd started a “deities to die for” collection. Also an “extra-virgin god moms” collection.)

“No, that's Ganesh and that's Hinduism. And did you see the vid I sent you—where the elephant
cried
when he got rescued? Omg, girl, sign that petition! We have so much to answer for!”

“Rye, yes, no, don't—I know, I sign ALL the petitions you send me. But which one is Shane?”

I snort. So fixed on the object of her affection.

“Buddha was the one who sat by the river and figured everything out. But not the chubby guy—that's Budai, and he's actually someone different. Buddha's the dreamy-looking one who's outside in gardens a lot. I like his mom, Maya, more. I pretty much like the mom myths best, what with the virgin births and all. I've noticed that's kind of an industry standard for god babies. Anyway, Buddha's deal was to not get attached, like to riches or a certain outcome. That's exactly what Shane suggested to me, that time I told him about my dad. To expect nothing. Just let 'er go. Thus, Shane talks like a Buddhist.”

“A super-hot Buddhist!” Leonie smiles.

 

Mom and Beau's mom are at the gate, waiting for us. I feel like a little kid when I see my mom.

I hug her like I've just gotten back from Mars. She smiles in delight at my unironic affection.

“You should go to Alaska more often!” she tells me.

We look into each other's eyes. I can see that she knows. Dad finally called and told her.

I swallow hard. Her eyes are red, but dry.

“We'll talk later,” she tells me, and smiles bravely. Then turns her attention to Leonie. I laugh.

“Lookout, Leo! Saint Teresa, Head Nurse, is on the case. You're so gonna get fed!” I tell her.

We part ways for the day at the gate. Beau goes with the uncles and his mom. Leo, The Bomb, and I go with my mom. But first Beau hugs me. His eyes are twinkling. I can tell he's glad to be back.

“Listen, I'll call you later. I'm staying at my mom's tonight. Then I'll see you at our house tomorrow, okay? Let's work—I really need to start polishing that speech.”

“Okay.” I hug him back. I won't be home till tomorrow either. I'm staying at my mom's too.

When we get home, Paul is there—with a girl! He grins hugely, and we all hug. This girl is adorable and she looks right about his age too. We smile at each other shyly. Her skin and hair are all different shades of coffee brown, with long mocha cornrows and espresso dark eyes.

“You guys, this is Billie. I met her at the dojo; she's a purple belt.”

I snicker affectionately. My bro—so typical. I was just dying to know her belt color!

“Hi, Billie,” Leo and I say in unison. My mom squeezes Billie's shoulder in a familiar way.

“Hi,” Billie says shyly, and takes my brother's hand like she's nervous. I smile.
Awwwww.

Seriously, though—I am enchanted. Also, YAY!!!! He's over Leo!!!

We all sit down to dinner in like the first time in forever.

Beau is stoked. He is going to give a speech at graduation. He wasn't sure about it when they asked him but now he wants to. He asked me to look it over for grammar and mistakes after he writes it. I said sure.

They are giving him a commendation for “standing up to injustice.” Cynically, I have wondered if it's just so they won't look so douchey during the lawsuit, but hey, we'll take it anyway!

He's been writing things in a notebook that I haven't read yet but I'm so ready to applaud!

We all settle in for a couple of days and Beau and I work on his speech.

It's not ready, which isn't good. Everything is starting to speed up and happen all at once. If it was finished it would be one less thing on the list. There are a
lot
of things on the list, all due at once.

For example:

Shane and the van are due in tomorrow, bringing us my grandma and the nearly healed Bomb!

Woo-hoo!! They'll make it in time for graduation! I can hardly wait to see Bommy.

And Shane . . . the thought keeps giving me butterflies.

I clean our house like an insane person. I suddenly want everything to look beautiful. And, in spite of the maniacal interior decorating, it does!

Shane & Co. drive in the next afternoon, all smiles, all present and accounted for. He comes to my mom's house first, to drop off GramMer and The Bomb. Beau and I are there waiting for them, with Leo and my mom.

GramMer looks great and the same, but Shane looks even
more
handsome than I remember.

And The Bomb! She looks amazing! You would never know she'd been hurt, she's so frisky!

She runs around, so glad to see us that I fear she thought we'd abandoned her. She sings. She kisses. She jumps. I inspect her shoulder. It's healing cleanly and the fur is already starting to grow back where they had to shave it.

My mom breaks down when she sees GramMer. She goes to her and they hug and rock and cry.

I know GramMer is going to make Mom feel better. She can better explain Dad with empathy.

Leo and Shane stand looking at each other. Her cheeks are wild roses. His eyes glow.

The sparks just fly off them.

Then he breaks the spell, and turns to Beau and me and gives us each a big ol' hug. I melt. I lean into it and feel his strong chest and his arms encircle me. I inhale . . . omg, omg—he smells sooooo good!

Oh, dear . . .

Then he and Leo set off on a walk. They take my heart and The Bomb with them.

 

“Rylee, did you write this?” Beau is reading the things I've been noodling on for his speech. He looks up with shining eyes. “This is awesome! I love it—most of it! You wrote it for me?”

“Yeah. Use whatever. Knock 'em dead, champ.” I shrug, faux-nonchalant.

He goes to the computer with my scraggly notebook. Starts typing away.

“Don't lose that. It's my think pad,” I tell him.

“Your think pad is safe with me,” he says, staring at the screen as his fingers fly.

 

And all of a sudden, it's graduation day:

I am sitting in the center of a very large array of robe-clad students. Our millinery is a flat moribund cap and a school-colored tassel. I think we look great. A restless sea of students.