‘I need another patient,’ said Sydney, tugging at Hannah’s work shirt.
‘Well, let me get one,’ said Hannah, clambering to her feet. She turned abruptly toward the backyard picnic table where she had placed the flat of seedlings. As she did she saw her neighbor, Rayanne Dollard, gazing at them across the low hedge which separated their yards. Hannah waved and walked over to the hedge to speak to her.
They had been friends and neighbors for years. When Lisa and Rayanne’s son, Jamie, were small, he and Lisa had worn a path through the hedge, crossing to one another’s houses. Lisa was a tomboy with enormous energy. Jamie, though older than Lisa, was always shy, and glad to follow her lead. Their friendship lasted until high school when Jamie became interested in NASCAR while Lisa loved drawing in the style of Japanese anime and reading essays in German. The rift between them, though sad, seemed inevitable. Throughout high school they said hello across the hedge, but never visited. Jamie now worked for a logging company out in Oregon. He’d recently announced to his parents that he’d met the right girl, and a wedding might be on the horizon.
‘How are you?’ Hannah asked.
Rayanne frowned. ‘Oh, I’m fine.’
‘You don’t look fine. You look worried.’
‘I am. It’s Chet,’ she said, referring to her husband. ‘He just doesn’t seem himself these days. He’s very tired.’
‘Has he had a checkup?’ Hannah asked.
Rayanne rolled her eyes. ‘You know men and doctors.’
‘I do,’ said Hannah.
‘How’s your doctor holding up?’ Rayanne asked, nodding toward Lisa.
‘It’s been tough,’ Hannah admitted. ‘Medical school is hard enough. But losing Troy has really hit her hard.’ Lisa’s first real boyfriend, Troy Petty, was a licensed practical nurse at the hospital. He had lived in a rented bungalow out by J. Percy Priest Lake. When he first came around, calling on Lisa, Hannah and Adam had to stifle their desire to object. At twenty-six, he was nice-looking, if not handsome, and five years older than their daughter, whose life experience was in no way equal to her academic accomplishments and her status as a second-year med student. But they knew from long experience that any objection would have been met with stubborn insistence from Lisa. Luckily, though he was of average intelligence and far from prosperous, Troy was certainly a gentleman, and even Sydney seemed to like him. Adam and Hannah liked him themselves. Then, two weeks ago, he was alone in his bungalow when a gas leak from a propane heater caused an explosion which leveled the little fishing camp. Troy was killed in the blast. Adam and Hannah just thanked their lucky stars that Lisa and Sydney weren’t visiting him at the time.
‘Such a shame,’ said Rayanne, shaking her head. ‘A young man like that. He really seemed like a nice guy. I’m sure you were hoping it might turn into something serious.’
‘Well, we want to see her happy, of course. And they did seem happy together. But we never thought it would be something permanent. She’s only twenty-one, and we’re not all that eager for Lisa to leave us. We’d miss her and Sydney so much.’
‘Oh, I know you’d miss that little one like the very devil.’
Hannah followed Rayanne’s gaze to Sydney. ‘It’s true,’ she said. ‘I can hardly imagine life without Sydney anymore.’
‘I don’t know how Lisa even found the time to date anybody,’ Rayanne marveled.
‘She does have a punishing schedule. I imagine it will take her a while to get over this loss. She keeps it to herself but I think she’s been very upset. Still, she’s young. She has plenty of time to find someone.’
‘I’m sure she will,’ Rayanne agreed.
Hannah heard a familiar voice from inside the house.
‘Hey, where is everybody?’
‘Oh, Adam’s back. Listen, honey, I hope Chet gets to feeling better.’ Hannah reached over the hedge and squeezed her friend’s hand. Then she started back toward her house. ‘We’re out back,’ she called.
Adam came out the patio doors onto the back porch, still wearing a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and his loosened tie. ‘How are my girls?’
‘Hi, Daddy,’ said Lisa, hopping up from her chair to give her father a hug.
‘Pop-pop,’ Sydney exclaimed. ‘I planted patience!’
‘Did you now?’ Adam asked. ‘Look at that.’ He gazed in admiration at the lopsided red flowers planted in the new dirt then came down the steps and hugged his wife, as Lisa settled herself back down to her computer and her notes. ‘You two have been busy, I see.’
Hannah smiled and gazed down at Sydney. ‘She’s quite the little gardener.’
‘Sydney, you are doing a fine job.’ He crouched down to the toddler’s level. ‘Any chance you got a hug in there for your old grandpa?’
Sydney threw her arms enthusiastically around his neck, her muddy hands leaving pudgy palm prints on his Tattersall shirt. Hannah looked fondly at the pair of them. Despite his grandparent status, Adam was still youthful looking. His hair was sprinkled with gray, and he wore his glasses a lot more these days. But in many ways he still looked like the sturdy football linebacker she had met on her first day of college. He could still make her heart flip when he kissed the back of her neck.
Adam straightened up.
‘How was your trip?’ Hannah asked. Adam was a supervisor in the IT department of the phone company. His job required continuous updating on innovations, which required that he be on the road a part of every month, meeting designers and programmers.
‘Good. Good,’ he said. ‘It’s still cold in Chicago.’ He shivered playfully.
Hannah hugged him with one arm. ‘Glad you’re home.’
‘I see you were talking to Rayanne.’
Hannah nodded. ‘Chet’s under the weather,’ she said. ‘She seems worried
