Chapter Twenty-Nine #2
“Must have gotten stuck in your pores after all these years.” He opened one eye, then grinned at her. “I’m just teasing you. I heard your voice and debated on getting up and going out there but I knew if I waited just one more minute you’d be in here, so slug that I am, I opted to wait you out.”
“Are you okay? Just tired?”
“Just tired.” He looked at a spot on the wall behind her for a moment, then said, “Are you okay?” He paused. “I saw Dad last night.”
“Oh. Well, then you know.”
He nodded. “So I repeat, are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m good, Ned. Seriously. I am. I just want to know that you’re okay with it. I know that divorce can be hard on kids regardless of how old they are, and I just want to make sure you’re all right.”
Ned sat up and leaned his forearms on the desk. “It’s not my place to be all right or not, Mom. It’s your life.”
“It affects you as well.”
“It’s my family, but it’s your journey.” He laughed. “Wait, did I actually just say journey? I must have spent too much time in the yoga studio this week.”
Kit laughed in spite of herself. “Well, it is a journey. And you’re right, it does involve your family, and we always will be your family. Your dad and I are trying to keep things as amicable as possible.”
“That’s so you, Mom. Always the peacemaker.” He hastened to add, “That’s a compliment, by the way.”
“Thank you.” Kit reached out for his hand. “And thanks for—for not being too upset.”
“I didn’t say I wasn’t upset. Not traumatized, maybe, but not happy, I’m not gonna lie.
It does change things. I’m pissed off at Dad and he knows it.
I guess we’ll have to deal with that sometime and work it out, but not just yet.
” He appeared to think for a moment. “But between you and Dad and Abby and Evan, even Aunt Beth and Uncle Kevin, it’s all a little crazy.
Like, can’t anyone in this family get it right?
” He hurriedly added, “That did not come out the way it was intended. I’m sorry, Mom. ”
“We’ll chalk it up to fatigue.” She gave his hand a squeeze. “So will you come see us in Maine?”
“As soon as I can find someone to spell me here. Aunt Beth’s counting on me to take over, so unless I have someone competent and trustworthy to be here on their own, I’m kinda stuck here for a while.” He grimaced. “Don’t tell Aunt Beth I said that. That, too, did not come out right.”
“If you don’t want to buy the café—”
“I’m not in a position to do that,” he told her.
“Aunt Beth offered to give me a huge break on the price and the terms, but I don’t know that this is what I want in the long run.
I told her that, and she understands.” He flashed a boyish grin.
“But the real question is, why do I have to be the only one who doesn’t get to see the camp and fish on the lake and sleep in a cabin? ”
“You’re welcome anytime you can get away.”
He appeared to fall thoughtful for a moment. “Mom, Abby said the baby you found—the remains, she called them—was your brother.”
Kit nodded. “So says the DNA.”
“She also said that they don’t know whose baby it was.”
“Also true.” Kit swallowed the lump in her throat.
“Are you all right if—I mean, if you’re not—” He obviously didn’t want to say the words aloud.
“I’m going to have to be since I can’t do anything about it, either way. We have to wait and see what else develops. The results from your aunt Beth’s DNA are not back yet. We’ll know once we see the report.”
“Abby says Maxine was like a superwoman.”
“I don’t know about that, but she was apparently pretty special.” Kit pulled out her phone. “Oh, here. I can show you what she looked like.”
Kit opened her phone and pulled up the photo and handed it to Ned.
“That’s Maxine?” His eyes lit up. “Holy sh— Crow. She’s a smoke show . . .”
“I know. We all know. She was a beauty. And apparently incredibly smart and an accomplished athlete. The whole package for sure.”
He stared at the photo. “She looks a little like Abby. But do not tell my sister I think she looks this good. She’ll never get over it.”
“Your secret is safe with me.” She held out her hand for her phone and dropped it back into her bag.
One of the baristas rapped on the door. “Ned, Peggy has to leave in about five minutes.”
“I’ll be right out. Oh, have you met my mom?” Ned stood and stretched.
“I did. When she came in.” The young woman smiled. “Can I get you anything, Mrs. Porterfield?”
“I’m going to come out and get myself a coffee, but thanks.”
“Sure.” The barista smiled and closed the door as she left.
“Come on, Mom. I’ll buy you a drink.” Ned held out his hand to Kit.
“Nothing fancy this time, please. Last time all that sugar. Yow.” She stopped and put her hands on his forearms. “Don’t feel you have to make any decisions until you are one hundred percent certain you know what you want. I’d hate to see you stuck here if you’d rather be somewhere else.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’m in no hurry,” he reassured her.
“Good. If you ever need to talk things over, I’m as close as your phone. FaceTime me. Oh, and speaking of electronic communicating, I hear you and Elly Crosby have been texting,” she said as they walked toward the door.
“Did you know that woman catches fish that weigh hundreds of pounds with a fishing rod? And then she reels them in? Then she gaffs them—hooks them with a big hook—and hauls them onto the deck, then hangs them up. Can you imagine?”
Kit laughed. “She’s not a very big girl, so no, I can’t imagine that.”
“She’s got my attention, but I don’t know if I’m up for meeting a woman stronger than me.” He laughed as he let go of her arm and pointed to a table. “Go sit and I’ll bring you a coffee and something good I made a while ago.”
“You baked today?” Kit made her way around the counter. “When did you have time to bake something?”
“Please. You insult me. I bake every day.”
Saying goodbye to her son was the toughest thing Kit had done in a long time.
Tougher than saying goodbye to Russ, than acknowledging that her family history might be rewritten.
All his life, Ned had been a bright, shining light.
Always upbeat, always happy, the helping hand to whoever needed it.
She almost wished Beth hadn’t offered to let him take over the coffee shop, so she could talk him into coming to Maine.
She didn’t know when she would see him again, and the thought made her so sad.
Time back in Pennsylvania might be hard to come by if they got the camp up and running as Abby was certain they would do.
Kit would be busy from the time they opened until whenever they closed for the season.
Or the year, since Abby wanted to do a winter sports camp.
Of course, if she had her way, Abby would be building new cabins on the other side of the lake and have that place humming twelve months of the year.
Kit suspected one of her greatest challenges would be talking Abby down from moving too quickly.
But that was Abby: Jump in with both feet and your eyes closed. Ned tended to have a more studied approach. Where Abby had always been the first through the door, Ned had been more cautious. In retrospect it had made a nice balance within the family.
And now the balance was slightly off kilter and Kit knew that whatever awaited her in Maine would only make it more delicate.