and heavy furniture, but there were plenty of small things she could move to her bedroom on the upper floor.
As Ellen watched her, all thought of evacuating vanished, and she knew what she had to do. As crazy as it seemed, and she didn’t agree with her, if her mother was determined to stay, she had to stay too. She was sure George wouldn’t like it, but she knew her mother. Grace wasn’t going anywhere. She was refusing to evacuate, and whatever happened next, in the coming hours and days, the die had been cast, and foolish or not, they would face Hurricane Ophelia together, come what may.
Chapter 3
Ellen was carefully removing the kind of things that had been damaged last time, among them her mother’s collection of coffee table books and leather-bound volumes, some of them first editions, and carrying them upstairs to her mother’s bedroom, and to the guest room she was sleeping in. She had found some plastic sheeting from when Grace had had the apartment repainted after Sandy, and she tried to protect the couches and furniture as best she could, while Blanche ran around barking and getting underfoot. She could sense that something major was going on. And as Ellen wrestled with the plastic sheeting and blue tape, the doorbell rang. It was Grace’s neighbor from across the hall. He had a similar apartment, was a pleasant man, and checked on Grace from time to time. He was very fond of her, and Grace liked him. He was a well-known mystery writer and had moved to New York from L.A. Ellen had met him once during one of her visits to New York. Grace talked about him often, and Ellen knew from her that he was quiet and retiring, and somewhere in his late forties. His books were on the best-seller lists for months when they came out. Ellen had read one or two of them, and liked them. Grace had read them all and was a devoted fan, mostly because she liked him so much. Robert Wells was a household name all over the world. But despite his fame, he was an unassuming person, and Ellen had been shocked the first time she realized who he was. There had been many movies based on his work as well. Ellen knew from Grace that he was divorced and had two grown kids.
When Ellen opened the door to him, she was startled to be reminded of how tall he was, and he looked surprised to see her. He seemed younger than she remembered too.
“Is your mother home?” he asked, feeling foolish as soon as he said it, and Ellen smiled.
“She’s upstairs putting things away,” Ellen explained.
“I didn’t realize you were here,” he said, feeling awkward for a minute. He had seemed shy when she met him before too. And something about him suggested that he was a solitary, introverted man, but his attention to her mother indicated that he was a caring person too. “I came to see if she needed help. Can I give you a hand?” She opened the door wider so he could come in, just as her mother came down the stairs with Blanche at her heels. The dog wagged her tail when she saw him, and ran over to him, and obviously recognized him, as Grace smiled and invited him in, and was happy to see him.
“Hello, Bob. Ellen and I have decided to stay. I was just taking a few things upstairs, in case we get flooded again.” Bob Wells looked startled and disturbed by what she said.
“I don’t think that’s wise, Grace,” he said respectfully. “The building took a heavy hit last time. I don’t think you should be here if that happens again. Why don’t you protect what you can and go to a hotel uptown, or stay with friends?” He exchanged a glance with Ellen, who clearly agreed with him, but Grace had made up her mind.
“It won’t happen again, Bob. Lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place, and all that.” But Bob thought that Grace staying in the building was a very bad idea, especially at her age, which he didn’t say. He liked her as a friend and neighbor and never thought of her as older, but in an emergency like this one, it had
As Ellen watched her, all thought of evacuating vanished, and she knew what she had to do. As crazy as it seemed, and she didn’t agree with her, if her mother was determined to stay, she had to stay too. She was sure George wouldn’t like it, but she knew her mother. Grace wasn’t going anywhere. She was refusing to evacuate, and whatever happened next, in the coming hours and days, the die had been cast, and foolish or not, they would face Hurricane Ophelia together, come what may.
Chapter 3
Ellen was carefully removing the kind of things that had been damaged last time, among them her mother’s collection of coffee table books and leather-bound volumes, some of them first editions, and carrying them upstairs to her mother’s bedroom, and to the guest room she was sleeping in. She had found some plastic sheeting from when Grace had had the apartment repainted after Sandy, and she tried to protect the couches and furniture as best she could, while Blanche ran around barking and getting underfoot. She could sense that something major was going on. And as Ellen wrestled with the plastic sheeting and blue tape, the doorbell rang. It was Grace’s neighbor from across the hall. He had a similar apartment, was a pleasant man, and checked on Grace from time to time. He was very fond of her, and Grace liked him. He was a well-known mystery writer and had moved to New York from L.A. Ellen had met him once during one of her visits to New York. Grace talked about him often, and Ellen knew from her that he was quiet and retiring, and somewhere in his late forties. His books were on the best-seller lists for months when they came out. Ellen had read one or two of them, and liked them. Grace had read them all and was a devoted fan, mostly because she liked him so much. Robert Wells was a household name all over the world. But despite his fame, he was an unassuming person, and Ellen had been shocked the first time she realized who he was. There had been many movies based on his work as well. Ellen knew from Grace that he was divorced and had two grown kids.
When Ellen opened the door to him, she was startled to be reminded of how tall he was, and he looked surprised to see her. He seemed younger than she remembered too.
“Is your mother home?” he asked, feeling foolish as soon as he said it, and Ellen smiled.
“She’s upstairs putting things away,” Ellen explained.
“I didn’t realize you were here,” he said, feeling awkward for a minute. He had seemed shy when she met him before too. And something about him suggested that he was a solitary, introverted man, but his attention to her mother indicated that he was a caring person too. “I came to see if she needed help. Can I give you a hand?” She opened the door wider so he could come in, just as her mother came down the stairs with Blanche at her heels. The dog wagged her tail when she saw him, and ran over to him, and obviously recognized him, as Grace smiled and invited him in, and was happy to see him.
“Hello, Bob. Ellen and I have decided to stay. I was just taking a few things upstairs, in case we get flooded again.” Bob Wells looked startled and disturbed by what she said.
“I don’t think that’s wise, Grace,” he said respectfully. “The building took a heavy hit last time. I don’t think you should be here if that happens again. Why don’t you protect what you can and go to a hotel uptown, or stay with friends?” He exchanged a glance with Ellen, who clearly agreed with him, but Grace had made up her mind.
“It won’t happen again, Bob. Lightning doesn’t strike twice in the same place, and all that.” But Bob thought that Grace staying in the building was a very bad idea, especially at her age, which he didn’t say. He liked her as a friend and neighbor and never thought of her as older, but in an emergency like this one, it had
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