going. It’s never enough, but people give what they can, and she’s wonderful about keeping in touch so everyone knows exactly how their money is being spent.”
“You and the girls must miss them.”
“My mother finds a way to hook up to the Internet two or three times a month. She’s convinced Skype was invented with her in mind.” He leaned in close and nudged her playfully with his elbow. “Enough about me. Let’s get out of here and see what’s washed up on the beach while we were eating dinner.”
She looked outside at the full moon sitting low on the horizon and at the shimmering path it created across the water. “Finders keepers?”
“If it bites, it’s yours.”
She laughed. “I can hardly wait.”
They followed a path along the rocky crest. For the moment, there was no wind, only the sounds of birds gathering for the night and waves clearing the remnants of the day’s footprints. At the end of another hundred yards, the path led them to a wider beach, as deserted as the first.
“The end to a perfect day,” Alison said.
Kyle reached for her hand. “I’m glad you think so.”
They walked that way for several minutes. “I realize we barely know each other,” he said, “but I like the way I feel when I’m with you. I keep waiting for something to happen that will change my mind about what I’m feeling, but being with you every day just keeps getting better and better.”
He stopped and looked into her eyes. “I’m going to go way out on a limb here and assume you feel the same way.”
She did, but was hesitant to say so.
Kyle offered her an apologetic smile. “Too soon?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him yes, that she needed time, when she surprised them both by saying, “No . . . I like the way I feel when I’m with you too.”
“So what are we going to do about this elephant in the room?”
“The only thing we can—talk about it.”
He nodded, but didn’t say anything for a long time. “Should I go first?”
“Please.”
He took a deep breath before he started, plainly going somewhere that wasn’t an easy journey. “Jenny was the love of my life. From the day I met her I never strayed, either mentally or physically—wasn’t even tempted. She was all I ever wanted or needed.”
They came to a weathered bench nestled against a large rock retaining wall. Kyle cleared sand from the rustic wood as best he could. She sat down first and then he joined her.
“What happened?” Alison asked gently after they’d been there several minutes.
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “You’d think after all these years the telling would get easier.”
“There are times I feel like I’m going to punch the next person who asks me how Dennis died.”
Even now, she continued to meet these kinds of people. No matter where she went at home, somehow someone found out she was one of “them.” Either one-on-one, or in a group, the questions would start—which building, which floor were Dennis and Peter on, why were father and son together that day, were any of their remains ever found, how did she feel about the memorial, and on and on and on. After what should have been strictly personal details were revealed, inevitably the questions would continue with someone asking if she’d signed the papers saying she wouldn’t sue the airlines, how much money was involved in the settlement—for some bizarre reason, this was always asked by a man—did the settlement change according to the life insurance payout, and on and on some more. It was as if bearing witness to her private grief would somehow lead to an understanding of something they couldn’t comprehend any other way.
“It was a stupid accident,” Kyle said. “Never should have happened.” He leaned back again. “She’d stopped for a cup of coffee. The lid wasn’t on tight. It spilled. When she tried to clean it up, she unconsciously moved the steering wheel to the right—not far,
“You and the girls must miss them.”
“My mother finds a way to hook up to the Internet two or three times a month. She’s convinced Skype was invented with her in mind.” He leaned in close and nudged her playfully with his elbow. “Enough about me. Let’s get out of here and see what’s washed up on the beach while we were eating dinner.”
She looked outside at the full moon sitting low on the horizon and at the shimmering path it created across the water. “Finders keepers?”
“If it bites, it’s yours.”
She laughed. “I can hardly wait.”
They followed a path along the rocky crest. For the moment, there was no wind, only the sounds of birds gathering for the night and waves clearing the remnants of the day’s footprints. At the end of another hundred yards, the path led them to a wider beach, as deserted as the first.
“The end to a perfect day,” Alison said.
Kyle reached for her hand. “I’m glad you think so.”
They walked that way for several minutes. “I realize we barely know each other,” he said, “but I like the way I feel when I’m with you. I keep waiting for something to happen that will change my mind about what I’m feeling, but being with you every day just keeps getting better and better.”
He stopped and looked into her eyes. “I’m going to go way out on a limb here and assume you feel the same way.”
She did, but was hesitant to say so.
Kyle offered her an apologetic smile. “Too soon?”
It was on the tip of her tongue to tell him yes, that she needed time, when she surprised them both by saying, “No . . . I like the way I feel when I’m with you too.”
“So what are we going to do about this elephant in the room?”
“The only thing we can—talk about it.”
He nodded, but didn’t say anything for a long time. “Should I go first?”
“Please.”
He took a deep breath before he started, plainly going somewhere that wasn’t an easy journey. “Jenny was the love of my life. From the day I met her I never strayed, either mentally or physically—wasn’t even tempted. She was all I ever wanted or needed.”
They came to a weathered bench nestled against a large rock retaining wall. Kyle cleared sand from the rustic wood as best he could. She sat down first and then he joined her.
“What happened?” Alison asked gently after they’d been there several minutes.
He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “You’d think after all these years the telling would get easier.”
“There are times I feel like I’m going to punch the next person who asks me how Dennis died.”
Even now, she continued to meet these kinds of people. No matter where she went at home, somehow someone found out she was one of “them.” Either one-on-one, or in a group, the questions would start—which building, which floor were Dennis and Peter on, why were father and son together that day, were any of their remains ever found, how did she feel about the memorial, and on and on and on. After what should have been strictly personal details were revealed, inevitably the questions would continue with someone asking if she’d signed the papers saying she wouldn’t sue the airlines, how much money was involved in the settlement—for some bizarre reason, this was always asked by a man—did the settlement change according to the life insurance payout, and on and on some more. It was as if bearing witness to her private grief would somehow lead to an understanding of something they couldn’t comprehend any other way.
“It was a stupid accident,” Kyle said. “Never should have happened.” He leaned back again. “She’d stopped for a cup of coffee. The lid wasn’t on tight. It spilled. When she tried to clean it up, she unconsciously moved the steering wheel to the right—not far,
Similar Books
