disappoint.” Maybe this trip that verse would prove true. She quit drawing and closed her eyes for a moment, daydreaming as the road carried her closer to Sunset.
eight
M acy lugged her mother’s unwieldy suitcase up the stairs, bumping it against each step as Emma hopped eagerly ahead of her and Max opened the door with a flourish, holding his hand out with a sweeping motion and a bow. “Ladies,” he said in a false bass voice.
“Entrez-vous.”
Below them on the driveway, Brenda hoisted luggage from the trunk like a woman half her age.
Emma giggled and sashayed past Max while Macy struggled up the last of the steps leading into the house. Just as she made it up the steps, Max took the handle of the suitcase from her.
“Allow me, Sis.”
With a smirk he pulled the suitcase into the house, leaving Macy to blink and sputter, “Oh, sure. Now!” before turningback to get more supplies from the line of items Brenda had created in the driveway.
Emma was already running from room to room exclaiming, “I can’t believe we get to stay here for two whole weeks!”
Macy knew it sounded like a long time now, but she feared it would go by in a flash.
She grabbed Emma’s portable DVD player, pillow, and small suitcase from the trunk and started up the stairs again. Who needed an elliptical after this kind of workout? As she trudged up and down the stairs, Emma darted in and out of her path like a cat, hollering at anyone who would listen over this new discovery and that new thought:
“Uncle Max said we can go fishing on the pier!”
“Did you know there’s a roof deck and you can see for miles? When can we go up there, Mommy?”
“Grandma said we have to go to the grocery store today. Right away!”
“Can we get ice cream after dinner tonight?”
“Is it true you have to eat fish for dinner every night when you’re at the beach? Uncle Max said you do.” This exclamation was laced with fear and punctuated by a jutting lower lip.
“Max! Don’t get her all riled up!” Macy hollered in the direction of Max’s room before turning back to Emma. “No, honey, you can have all the regular foods you love, just like at home.”
Max poked his head out of his room. “What did I do?” He narrowed his eyes at Emma. “You selling me out, girl?Don’t go busting on me to your mom, or I won’t tell you all my secrets.” He smirked at Macy. “Or your mom’s secrets either.”
Emma ran off to inspect Max’s room, and Macy rolled her eyes before turning back to the box of food staples she was unloading in the kitchen. She pulled out a half bag of something unrecognizable and squinted at it, wondering why on earth her mother had packed it and what it was.
“Mom?” she yelled over the noise of Emma’s laughter coming from Max’s room.
Her mother didn’t answer.
With the package in her hand, Macy went in search of Brenda, checking the master bedroom first. Her mother wasn’t there. She peeked out of the window at the car parked below, but her mother wasn’t unloading the last few items. She pursed her lips and squinted her eyes as she left the bedroom. As she passed the back door, she caught a glimpse of something white, the color of the knit polo Brenda was wearing. She stuck her head out the door and studied her mom, who was standing at the railing of the back porch, staring at the tiny strip of land that served as the backyard.
“Mom?” she ventured, slipping through the crack of sliding glass door and going to stand beside her mother. She inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of the air and wondering how anyone ever got used to the rich scent, the way even the air teemed with life here.
She placed one hand tentatively on her mother’s shoulder, the mystery food bag swinging from her other hand. When hermother turned to look at Macy, there were tears in Brenda’s eyes. Brenda tried to smile despite them.
“I was just listening to you guys inside, teasing each other, thinking how much he would’ve
eight
M acy lugged her mother’s unwieldy suitcase up the stairs, bumping it against each step as Emma hopped eagerly ahead of her and Max opened the door with a flourish, holding his hand out with a sweeping motion and a bow. “Ladies,” he said in a false bass voice.
“Entrez-vous.”
Below them on the driveway, Brenda hoisted luggage from the trunk like a woman half her age.
Emma giggled and sashayed past Max while Macy struggled up the last of the steps leading into the house. Just as she made it up the steps, Max took the handle of the suitcase from her.
“Allow me, Sis.”
With a smirk he pulled the suitcase into the house, leaving Macy to blink and sputter, “Oh, sure. Now!” before turningback to get more supplies from the line of items Brenda had created in the driveway.
Emma was already running from room to room exclaiming, “I can’t believe we get to stay here for two whole weeks!”
Macy knew it sounded like a long time now, but she feared it would go by in a flash.
She grabbed Emma’s portable DVD player, pillow, and small suitcase from the trunk and started up the stairs again. Who needed an elliptical after this kind of workout? As she trudged up and down the stairs, Emma darted in and out of her path like a cat, hollering at anyone who would listen over this new discovery and that new thought:
“Uncle Max said we can go fishing on the pier!”
“Did you know there’s a roof deck and you can see for miles? When can we go up there, Mommy?”
“Grandma said we have to go to the grocery store today. Right away!”
“Can we get ice cream after dinner tonight?”
“Is it true you have to eat fish for dinner every night when you’re at the beach? Uncle Max said you do.” This exclamation was laced with fear and punctuated by a jutting lower lip.
“Max! Don’t get her all riled up!” Macy hollered in the direction of Max’s room before turning back to Emma. “No, honey, you can have all the regular foods you love, just like at home.”
Max poked his head out of his room. “What did I do?” He narrowed his eyes at Emma. “You selling me out, girl?Don’t go busting on me to your mom, or I won’t tell you all my secrets.” He smirked at Macy. “Or your mom’s secrets either.”
Emma ran off to inspect Max’s room, and Macy rolled her eyes before turning back to the box of food staples she was unloading in the kitchen. She pulled out a half bag of something unrecognizable and squinted at it, wondering why on earth her mother had packed it and what it was.
“Mom?” she yelled over the noise of Emma’s laughter coming from Max’s room.
Her mother didn’t answer.
With the package in her hand, Macy went in search of Brenda, checking the master bedroom first. Her mother wasn’t there. She peeked out of the window at the car parked below, but her mother wasn’t unloading the last few items. She pursed her lips and squinted her eyes as she left the bedroom. As she passed the back door, she caught a glimpse of something white, the color of the knit polo Brenda was wearing. She stuck her head out the door and studied her mom, who was standing at the railing of the back porch, staring at the tiny strip of land that served as the backyard.
“Mom?” she ventured, slipping through the crack of sliding glass door and going to stand beside her mother. She inhaled deeply, savoring the smell of the air and wondering how anyone ever got used to the rich scent, the way even the air teemed with life here.
She placed one hand tentatively on her mother’s shoulder, the mystery food bag swinging from her other hand. When hermother turned to look at Macy, there were tears in Brenda’s eyes. Brenda tried to smile despite them.
“I was just listening to you guys inside, teasing each other, thinking how much he would’ve
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