had started the Heirs party. “Her summer home is just down the road.”
“Has been for generations,” Delilah drawled, draping an arm around Mom’s shoulder; her long crimson-painted nails resembled talons. “Growing up, your mother and I wereinseparable. It’s such a shame we drifted apart.” I did my best not to meet my mother’s eye; I doubted she mourned this loss.
“You have a son, too, don’t you?” Delilah asked Mom, who quickly explained that Wade was in Los Angeles with his father.
“Well, it’s more fun for mothers and daughters to spend time together, anyway,” Delilah said, grinning first at Mom and then me. “You can swap lipstick and jewelry, and shop together.”
This time, Mom and I couldn’t help but exchange a glance. Neither of us wore much makeup or jewelry, and Mom never had time to go shopping. In the Mother and Daughter Olympics, it seemed, we would have finished last.
“Oh, speaking of which!” Delilah exclaimed, clearly capable of keeping a conversation going all on her own. “Miranda, I have to introduce you to my daughter, Cecile. Everyone calls her CeeCee. She’s fifteen and absolutely precious, and the two of you will get along like a house afire.”
Once again, Mom and I looked at each other, and Mom appeared to be holding back a laugh. We both knew that if CeeCee was anything like her mother, our friendship prospects were very slim.
“And,” Delilah was saying, “y’all can meet CeeCee this afternoon at the Heirs party. I assume you got an invitation?”When Mom nodded, pursing her lips, Delilah grinned at me again. “Every summer, Amelia and I got dressed up together for the Heirs party. And how the boys would stare when we entered the restaurant! It was no wonder that your mother won the affections of the most eligible—”
“Is it almost noon already?” Mom interrupted, taking my wrist and studying my watch. Her face was suddenly flushed. “Miranda and I still have a lot of work to do in the house…” Mom trailed off, looking at Delilah pointedly.
No! I almost cried, my heart thumping with delayed suspense. I wanted Delilah to keep going. I’d never thought of my mother as having had a love life; she hadn’t really dated anyone since she and Dad split up.
But the moment had changed, had taken on a charged quality. Delilah looked miffed as she removed her arm from Mom’s shoulder and slid her sunglasses back on.
“I need to pick out my outfit, anyway,” she sniffed, glancing disdainfully at our cleanup gear: Both Mom and I wore cutoffs, ratty T-shirts, and sneakers. “I’ll see you ladies later.” She waggled her fingers at us, but before walking off, added in a teasing tone, “And there are others who will be pleased to see you, Amelia.”
I wanted to ask Mom what Delilah had meant—and also how the two of them had ever been close—but I felt dazed by the human hurricane that had just swept over us.
“It’s amazing,” Mom said once Delilah was out of earshot. Her face had returned to its normal shade. “That woman hasn’t changed a bit. I’m exhausted just thinking about spending time with her at the Heirs party.”
“Should we skip it?” I asked reluctantly. Delilah was crazy-making, but I wondered what else she knew about my mother, or even about Isadora.
“You should go, my love,” Mom said, wiping perspiration off her forehead, “but I’m afraid I may have to conveniently come down with a headache.”
However, after two hours of cleaning and mowing the lawn, Mom was ready to get out a little bit. So was I. As we left The Mariner, freshly showered and dressed—Mom in a linen shift and Grecian sandals, me in my red drawstring skirt and black tank top—I felt a jumpiness, an excitement in my stomach. The afternoon smelled of fresh-cut grass and flowers, and possibility hovered in the air along with the seagulls.
Mom led me through the town, which was comprised of a gourmet food market, a swimwear shop, a store dedicated
“Has been for generations,” Delilah drawled, draping an arm around Mom’s shoulder; her long crimson-painted nails resembled talons. “Growing up, your mother and I wereinseparable. It’s such a shame we drifted apart.” I did my best not to meet my mother’s eye; I doubted she mourned this loss.
“You have a son, too, don’t you?” Delilah asked Mom, who quickly explained that Wade was in Los Angeles with his father.
“Well, it’s more fun for mothers and daughters to spend time together, anyway,” Delilah said, grinning first at Mom and then me. “You can swap lipstick and jewelry, and shop together.”
This time, Mom and I couldn’t help but exchange a glance. Neither of us wore much makeup or jewelry, and Mom never had time to go shopping. In the Mother and Daughter Olympics, it seemed, we would have finished last.
“Oh, speaking of which!” Delilah exclaimed, clearly capable of keeping a conversation going all on her own. “Miranda, I have to introduce you to my daughter, Cecile. Everyone calls her CeeCee. She’s fifteen and absolutely precious, and the two of you will get along like a house afire.”
Once again, Mom and I looked at each other, and Mom appeared to be holding back a laugh. We both knew that if CeeCee was anything like her mother, our friendship prospects were very slim.
“And,” Delilah was saying, “y’all can meet CeeCee this afternoon at the Heirs party. I assume you got an invitation?”When Mom nodded, pursing her lips, Delilah grinned at me again. “Every summer, Amelia and I got dressed up together for the Heirs party. And how the boys would stare when we entered the restaurant! It was no wonder that your mother won the affections of the most eligible—”
“Is it almost noon already?” Mom interrupted, taking my wrist and studying my watch. Her face was suddenly flushed. “Miranda and I still have a lot of work to do in the house…” Mom trailed off, looking at Delilah pointedly.
No! I almost cried, my heart thumping with delayed suspense. I wanted Delilah to keep going. I’d never thought of my mother as having had a love life; she hadn’t really dated anyone since she and Dad split up.
But the moment had changed, had taken on a charged quality. Delilah looked miffed as she removed her arm from Mom’s shoulder and slid her sunglasses back on.
“I need to pick out my outfit, anyway,” she sniffed, glancing disdainfully at our cleanup gear: Both Mom and I wore cutoffs, ratty T-shirts, and sneakers. “I’ll see you ladies later.” She waggled her fingers at us, but before walking off, added in a teasing tone, “And there are others who will be pleased to see you, Amelia.”
I wanted to ask Mom what Delilah had meant—and also how the two of them had ever been close—but I felt dazed by the human hurricane that had just swept over us.
“It’s amazing,” Mom said once Delilah was out of earshot. Her face had returned to its normal shade. “That woman hasn’t changed a bit. I’m exhausted just thinking about spending time with her at the Heirs party.”
“Should we skip it?” I asked reluctantly. Delilah was crazy-making, but I wondered what else she knew about my mother, or even about Isadora.
“You should go, my love,” Mom said, wiping perspiration off her forehead, “but I’m afraid I may have to conveniently come down with a headache.”
However, after two hours of cleaning and mowing the lawn, Mom was ready to get out a little bit. So was I. As we left The Mariner, freshly showered and dressed—Mom in a linen shift and Grecian sandals, me in my red drawstring skirt and black tank top—I felt a jumpiness, an excitement in my stomach. The afternoon smelled of fresh-cut grass and flowers, and possibility hovered in the air along with the seagulls.
Mom led me through the town, which was comprised of a gourmet food market, a swimwear shop, a store dedicated
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