MAYA
“Well,” Renee said, standing. “I should hit the road.”
“No, wait!” Maya said, jumping up. “We have to take a picture first.”
She made them gather for a tense selfie and pretended not to notice Blue deliberately stepping on her foot. “Man, you guys need a tan,” she said, shaking her head as she looked at the results.
“And you need an off switch,” Blue said.
“I have one! It’s right—” Maya dug into her pocket, pulled out her middle finger “—here!” She laughed at her own joke. Blue did not join her. Fleetingly Maya considered that she really might have been wrong to have invited Renee. Up until that point she’d figured the ends justified the means, but now she was starting to think she wasn’t going to get the end she hoped for. It gave her an uncomfortable constriction in her belly, like her pants were too tight, so she discarded it quickly. Any minute now Blue would get over it. It was easy to maintain disconnection when you didn’t have to look someone in the eye. That’s why the internet was such a hellhole. But once Blue and Renee had some real face-to-face time together, Blue would be forced to see Renee’s humanity, to remember the whole of her, their friendship. And that’s what Blue needed—to remember Renee. In the end Blue would thank Maya. They all would. Maya just had to stall Renee.
“Okay, well—” Renee said.
“Oh! Speaking of photos,” Maya said quickly, “look what I have.” She ran to her bag, dug into it. Brought out the picture she kept taped to her locker at work, the one of the four of them at the fair the last time they were here twelve years ago. “Look how cute we were.”
The other three moved in closer to get a look. The air changed, charged with wonder and wistfulness that they could ever have been that young, that carefree.
“Ah, the pre-cellulite days,” Renee said.
“I miss my high alcohol tolerance,” Blue said.
Hannah said nothing. They all knew what, or who, she missed.
“That reminds me!” Maya said, pulling out the list she’d made of all the fun things they’d ever done at the house so they could do them again. “Is there anything you can remember that I need to add to this list? I know we need to get wine coolers and cheap beer.”
“We’re thirty. How about vodka?” Blue said. “I’m sure there’s plenty in the house.”
“Nope. We’re doing it old-school. Exactly like before. Also, we need stuff for a bonfire on the beach. Hey, Renee, remember that summer you accidentally set the beach grass on fire and almost lit up a multimillion-dollar mansion? Good times. I guess we can skip that part. And we need to go whale watching for sure, since we missed the boat last time...”
“Wasn’t that because you got pulled over?” Renee said.
“She mooned a cop,” Blue said, looking at Maya.
“You dared me!”
“To moon someone. Not a cop.”
“You should’ve been more specific.”
“Hey,” Renee interrupted, “does your list include those cute boys we met?”
“Ooh, almost forgot about them,” Maya said. “Remember that dark-haired guy who loved Blue?” She wiggled her eyebrows and Blue turned a stunning lobster red. “You introduced them, right, Renee? He was hot. What was his name again?”
“Jack,” Renee said. She glanced at Blue as if hoping to see she’d scored a point. “Jack was his name. He was adorable.”
“A local, right?” Maya said. “They were all townies.”
Maya remembered how hard they’d been rooting for Blue the night she’d met him, eighteen, and never kissed. They knew it bothered her—not that she’d ever admit it. Even back then Blue never showed vulnerability. Which was part of the problem. You had to let yourself be vulnerable in order to be kissed.
And then to see her face after her night with him. The change in her. For days after she glowed like she’d swallowed the sun.
“I wonder where he is now,” Renee said.
Blue shrugged, but Maya caught a glint in her eyes and, she thought, the hint of a smile.
“Anyway,” Renee said. She made a move toward the door.
Maya stepped in front of her. “So—check this out—you guys are gonna laugh.” She went back to her suitcase, pulled out a bright pink bikini and held it up. It was about four sizes too small. “Remember this? My thirty-year-old ass is going to be hanging like Christmas stockings, but see if I care!”
“Yeah, I don’t think that’s structurally sound,” Hannah said.
Renee giggled. “That thing definitely won’t meet code.”
“Hmm, what’s the inspector look like?” Maya said. “Might be worth having him check it out.”
“I brought mine too,” Hannah said. She dug into her bag and pulled out a pair of bikini boy shorts and a bandeau top. It looked two sizes too big. She’d lost so much weight in the months that Henry was first in the hospital and she’d never gained them back.
Maya watched Hannah hold the top up to herself and observe her reflection in the glass door. She was certain she saw a glimpse of the old Hannah in her eyes—that wide-eyed girl with the quick laugh, so easy to amuse and delight. She was sure Hannah had seen it too.
“What about you, Blue?” Maya said.
“I did not bring the same bathing suit,” Blue said, “considering how much you guys mocked it last time.”
“I didn’t,” Renee said softly. “I thought it was cute.”
“That’s true,” Maya said. “See how nice Renee is! She would never make fun of your banana-colored old-timey swim dress, no matter how justifiable.”
“I wasn’t just being nice,” Renee said.
For a moment Maya thought she saw Blue’s face soften. It seemed like Renee saw it, too, because something like hope seemed to flare in her eyes.
Maya’s “Uptown Funk” ringtone cut off the moment. She looked down, didn’t recognize the number. “Dammit! Hold that thought!” She brought the phone to her ear. “Hello?”
“Hi, I’m calling for Maya Marino.”
“This is she.”
“This is Donald Mason. From Mid-Atlantic Bank and Trust. We spoke on Tuesday.”
“Hi!” A bolt of anxiety slashed through her, sharp and quick like the bright startle of a razor. “Hold on a sec.” She stepped out onto the porch, let the screen door shut behind her.