Page 56 of Ebbing Tides

I knew she wasn’t talking about work, and again, I cursed myself. “No,” I grumbled. “Didn’t have time.”

“Yeah, I figured. With Dad and everything. It’s okay. Laura understands.”

I nodded as if she could see me and turned off the stove burners. “I, uh … I gotta finish making dinner here.”

“For you and Dad?”

I squeezed my eyes shut and sighed. “Um … yeah, and also, um, this, uh—”

“Wait, do you have a date?”

I swallowed. “Yeah. She’s coming here with her kids, and—”

“Max! Oh my God. Grace called earlier and said you were bringing her to their place on Saturday. Ahh!” She squealed with excitement. “Her name is Melanie, right?”

“Yes,” I grumbled.

Another squeal pierced my ear. “I’m so excited! This is a good thing. You know that, right?”

“Sure.”

I pinned the phone between my ear and shoulder and carried the pot of water to the sink to drain the potatoes.

“Grace said you told Sid about her years ago. How did you know her?”

Sid and his big mouth.

I sighed. “I can’t get into this right now, Lucy. I have to—”

“No, I know. I’m sorry. Okay. You can tell me this weekend or, um … call me later? If you have time? Well, I mean, if you’re not with Melanie or … actually, you could call me then too. I’d love to talk to her.” She was talking quickly, prattling on in the way she did when she was excited. She squealed once again, and I winced, my hearing aid crackling against my eardrum. “Okay, okay, I’ll shut up. I’m so happy for you.”

I wanted to say,Don’t be.

I wanted to say,She’s leaving, and none of this is going to matter.

But instead, I muttered, “Yeah, I’m happy for me too,” because, apart from the annoying little fact that she was leaving, I was … truly, honestly happy.

But I couldn’t believe I’d forgotten my wife.

***

Half an hour later, Dad was bathed, and his aide left the house just in time for Melanie’s car to pull up in Helen’s spot. I stood at the doorway, holding my breath as she climbed out of the SUV. She only glanced at the house for a moment, not long enough to notice me, but there was that look on her face. The surprise, the wonder, reminding me that I’d grown up in a nice house. An enviable house.

Funny I never saw it that way when nothing within its walls had been all that nice.

She got the kids out of the back seat, undoing car seats in varying sizes, before finally closing the door and leading her gaggle of little boys to the flagstone walkway, with her hand wrapped around CJ’s. I opened the door, stepping onto the porch to greet them.

“I like your house, Max!” CJ shouted from the bottom of the porch steps.

“Oh, yeah?” I answered, watching Melanie slide her sunglasses from her eyes up to the top of her head.

“We live in a big house too,” Luke muttered, squinting up toward me as they ascended.

“Are you rich?” Danny asked me.

I snorted and shook my head. “Not really,” I replied.

Melanie reached the top of the steps and smiled up into my eyes. “You sure about that?”