“Who were you talking to?” said her mother.
“Do you remember Sabrina and Arthur?” said her father. He spoke casually, and Lisa marveled at the distortion of his character that allowed him to pretend nothing was wrong. “They’re coming to visit tomorrow.”
“What?” said Lisa’s mother.
“I hope you don’t mind,” he said.
“Are you being serious right now?” she said, her voice rising. “Andrew, I’m not ready. I haven’t entertained anyone since the funeral. It’s hard enough for me to get up every morning without having to take care of a bunch of people.”
“You and Sabrina used to be friends,” said Lisa’s father.
“Twenty years ago,” she said. “The house is a total wreck.”
“It’s not that bad,” said Lisa’s father. “Don’t worry about it. You can fix it up tomorrow. It will be good for you to have something to do. You’ll see.”
He patted her on the back and went down the steps. There had been a time when Lisa’s mother wouldn’t have tolerated such condescension, but she followed him without saying a word. Lisa tried to remember when her mother had surrendered, but she couldn’t pinpoint the exact moment. The decline had begun long before the funeral. Perhaps after years of being torn down with dismissive comments, she had finally gotten tired of fighting. Lisa felt a pang of guilt and glanced at Veronica.
“I shouldn’t have been obnoxious to you earlier,” she said.
“No, it’s fine,” said Veronica. “I know you didn’t mean it. I’m glad you’re willing to pick a fight. If Dad keeps being rude, someone’s going to have to call him out, and I would rather not have it be me. If I got annoyed enough, I might use bad words, and then he would have a fit. I wish Mom would stand up for herself. They’re both such hypocrites. They ought to be ashamed.”
“I’m sure they’ll work everything out,” said Lisa.
“I’m not,” said Veronica. “They’ve been acting weird ever since the funeral. You’d expect them to come together and support each other, but they’re doing the exact opposite. I know they’re upset, but I’m starting to think there’s something else going on.”
Veronica’s candor terrified Lisa.
“You’re imagining things,” she said. “They just need more time.”
“I hope you’re right,” said Veronica. She grabbed Lisa’s arm. “Come on. I can’t wait to see this creepy garden gnome you told me about. Maybe the others rounded him up and chopped off his head because they didn’t want him to join the tribe. He’s probably plotting his revenge even as we speak. I hope Molly keeps an eye on him. There’s no knowing what he might do.”
They walked down the beach, and Lisa observed the footprints of her parents in the sand. For a while, they remained side by side, her mother’s on the dry sand and her father’s on the wet sand, but as she watched, a wave washed up and obliterated her father’s footprints.
∞∞∞
Molly and Graham welcomed them inside with excessive joviality. Molly’s cheeks were flushed with excitement, and she never stopped smiling. Graham matched her enthusiasm. He was wearing an enormous apron over his suit, and the evidence of his labor stretched from one end of the table to the other. A delightful aroma filled the air.
Graham had gone to the greatest of pains to make sure everything was perfect, and as he pulled out a chair for Lisa’s mother, his satisfied expression illuminated the room. Lisa’s father, who appreciated a good meal even though he tended to be cynical about everything else, shook Graham’s hand and complimented his efforts. Only Lisa remained ill at ease. She thought Graham was trying too hard, and she didn’t believe such a talented man would fall into Molly’s lap by coincidence.
After everyone sat down, Graham brought out a bottle of wine. He removed the cork with a few clever twists of his hands, and leaned forward with a conspiratorial grin as if he were revealing a secret.
“I like to imbibe before a meal,” he said. “Not excessively, but enough to set the mood. It stimulates the appetite as well as the conversation. I’m ordinarily a man of few words, but I’m looking forward to sharing this occasion with all of you, and I hope we can make this a habit. Savor the moment. That’s what I always say.” He poured a generous portion of wine into his glass, did the same for Molly, and turned to Lisa’s mother. “May I?” he said.
“You’re very kind,” she said. “Thank you.”
“And for your lovely daughters?” said Graham.
Lisa and Veronica looked at each other in astonishment. Graham’s outrageous suggestion delighted them. They had never tasted wine before. Graham held out the bottle and began to pour, but Lisa’s mother shook her head.
“No,” she said. “They’re too young.”
“It’s fine, Nora,” said Lisa’s father.
Graham ignored their conversation and continued what he was doing. Lisa’s mother remained silent, but the frown on her face revealed her displeasure. Lisa knew she didn’t want to make a scene in front of Molly and Graham, and she hated seeing her so helpless.
“So, Andrew,” said Graham, handing the bottle of wine to Lisa’s father. “Molly tells me you’re a very important person.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” said Lisa’s father.
“Oh, but you are,” said Graham. “I was so intrigued that I took the liberty of looking you up online. You used to be quite prominent in the research game, but you haven’t published anything during the past couple of years.”
“I’ve been mostly focusing on my clinical practice,” said Lisa’s father. “When the director of oncology quit, I was asked to take over until a replacement could be found. It was supposed to be a temporary thing, but it’s been more than a year, and there’s no end in sight. Unfortunately, I’ve been so busy that I haven’t had time for anything else. I’m
