Thirty-Seven—Bo
I
called my sister. Or that was the intent. She’d been gone over a week, and she had a new phone number, which I had misplaced, so I had no choice but to call Geneva Talbot. I’m not very good at small talk with people I don’t know well. But Geneva had somehow infiltrated my comfort zone with amazing ease, and speaking with her came as natural as a conversation with my mom.
“Bo! How lovely to hear your voice! I’ve been thinking about you, sug. How are you?”
“Pretty good,” I said, smiling but not believing her for a minute.
“What have you been up to?”
“I’m busy. I’m always busy. I need to hire a fulltime IT guy, but other than that…”
“So, your business is growing! That’s wonderful. Wonderful! Hop on a plane to Savannah so I can hug you! Come right now!”
I coughed. “I don’t fly, Geneva. Ever. All that uncirculated, recycled, microbial-laden air—it would absolutely kill me.”
“Oh, my.” Geneva laughed, deep and gravelly. “I guess I’m lucky to be alive.”
“Anyone who flies is lucky to be alive, Geneva.” I informed her with complete solemnity.
Again, she laughed. “Well, maybe someday you’ll risk it—when you’re properly motivated. But for now, you just consider yourself thoroughly hugged.”
“Okay,” I said. “I will. I actually called to check on my sister, but I lost her new number. ”
“Well, I can get that for you, but she’s taken the girls swimming, so I’m not sure she’ll answer.”
“Oh. Well, I can call her later. How is she?”
“Bo, she’s finer than frog hair split four ways.”
“Ummm, is that good?”
Geneva laughed. “It’s very good. Your sister’s only been here eight days, but I tell you, the difference in her is night and day. I brought a beautiful but dying girl to Savannah, and she has simply blossomed. And those little ones—oh, my gracious, but they have become my heart. And Olivia’s little arm is healing up nicely. All is well, Bo. All is well.”
I was truly relieved—and surprised. “It’s been a long time since Camille—or her girls—have fit that description,” I said. “Do you know…has she talked about her plans? Her marriage? Peter?”
“Well, I’m not sure about him, but I think your sister is planning to stay in Savannah for a while. Which I think is grand.”
“Really?”
“I think so. She enrolled her girls in Montessori Summer Preschool—they start next week. And my Bree has talked her into helping out at her shop in the afternoons while the girls are gone.”
“That…that sounds great,” I said, again surprised and not sure what I’d expected. “You’ve really worked your magic, Geneva. How can we ever thank you?”
The old woman chuckled. “I’d love to take the credit, Bo, but the simple truth is Camille was suffocating with that man—and so were those angels. Now they can simply breathe,” she said. “Everyone breathes better in Savannah.”
“That’s…good to know.”
“And what about Peter?” said Geneva. “Has he been a bother?”
“Oh, that’s all he knows how to be,” I said. “He’s been here looking for Camille a few times. And he’s been stalking my parents, but there hasn’t been any ugliness. I think he’s too worried about his heart exploding. ”
Geneva laughed. “Well, we can hope, sug,” she said. “Now, how is my Ivy?”
I swallowed.
“Bo?”
I swallowed again.
“Bo, what’s happened?”
“Geneva…did you know about Tim?”
“Did I know what about Tim?”
“That he married the… dancer ?”
“What?”
“And they had a baby? Did you know, and you didn’t tell Ivy?”
“I’m sure I do not know what you are talking about, Benjamin. Tim Marsh is married?”
“Apparently so. And when Ivy found out, well, she pretty much crashed and burned.”
“Well of course she would. My poor girl. That little toad—how could he? Of course, I didn’t know. Did he call her?”
“No. It was her mom. It was Bree.”
“Bree? What are you talking about?”
“She gave Ivy a note just before you left to go home. It wasn’t very nice; in fact, parts of it were pretty mean. I guess they had an argument in Carmel… and…Anyway, the news messed Ivy up pretty good for a few days. She’s still having a hard time, and we’re—”
“A note? A note! What is wrong with that daughter of mine? That kind of news should come with hugs and hankies. Lordy, now she’ll never come home. Is my sweet girl all right? You be honest with me, Benjamin.”
“She’s had a rough week,” I said. “But you should call her. She was afraid that you knew and didn’t tell her.”
“I would never do that!”
“That’s good. I’m so happy to hear that, Geneva.”
She groaned. “Has her father…has Daniel been any help at all?”
“No,” I said. “He seems mostly annoyed by the whole thing. ”
“Sounds just like him. Useless little pissant!” she spat. “Oh, I wish Ivy would come home. She feels humiliated, but she shouldn’t. Timothy Marsh is despised for what he did to her. And now this? He won’t be able to show his face around here. But my girl is simply beloved. She’d know that in the first five minutes, if she’d just come home.”
I don’t know why this caught me. To hear Ivy tell it, she was nothing and no one without Tim. Now Tim was married and had a family, and Ivy was hopeless. “Geneva, is she going to be okay?” I asked, sounding ridiculous.
“Of course she is! She’s my granddaughter.”
“I wish I knew her better,” I said stupidly. “Um…then maybe I could help her…”
“Sug, you already know everything you need to.”
“I…I don’t...”
“Oh, I think you do, Benjamin.”
I swallowed. Benjamin . She meant business, and I was letting her mean business.
“I…”
“Dear man, you know she’s hurting—what else is there? You’ve probably figured out she’s been bruised and not just by that boy. But I’ll tell you this, she’s a survivor and she’ll survive Tim—course it would help mightily if he would just die—or tragically break a hip or two,” Geneva said. “But right now, Ivy’s confidence has taken a blow, she’s in mourning. But that is not her regular self, Bo. Far from it. She’s just smack in the middle of a very bad year—we call it a year of ashes around here.”
“What is that?”
“Her life blew up, Bo. All that’s left of her dreams and hopes and wishes—or what she thought they were—is a big fat pile of ashes and no wind. It’s a refining process. There’s no hurrying it, but my Ivy will get through it. She will. You don’t come out of a year of ashes weaker. Only stronger and more formidable. I surely hope you’re still around to see it, Benjamin, because it will be a beautiful sight. ”
“I…I do, too,” I said.
“Now, you tell my darling girl to call me so I can set her straight on this Tim situation. You hear?”
“I will, Geneva.”
“And I will tell Camille that her sweet brother called.”
“Okay.”
“You take care.”
“I will. Thank you, Geneva.”
“For what, hon?”
“Uhhh…” I panicked and hung up, because I’m insane.