“Don’t be rude.” Van shook her head, then passed a photo to Zoe. “This was me at your age. Or maybe a little younger.”
Zoe glanced at the photo, her eyes wide. “Oh my god, are those flares? Why is the waistband so low?”
“They’re bootcut jeans, not flares. I wasn’t born in the seventies, thank you very much. And it was the fashion to have low waistbands.”
“Who’s the boy with you?”
“That’s Tanner.”
“As in Tanner Hartson?” Zoe’s mouth gaped. “But he’s shorter than you. And his jeans are even worse.”
Van laughed. “He was shorter than me until seventh grade. I hated it when he grew and I didn’t. Felt like I was losing a race or something.”
“What’s that?” Zoe asked, pointing at an egg-shaped piece of plastic.
“A tamagotchi.”
“A what?”
“It’s an electronic pet. You had to keep it alive by feeding it and cleaning up after it. I used to sneak it into my pocket at school, because if I left it at home it’d be dead by the time school was finished.” She pressed the tiny button at the top, but nothing happened. “I guess the battery’s dead.”
“And the pet,” Zoe pointed out.
“Touché.” Van put the tamagotchi back in the box, and replaced the lid. “Actually, while you’re here, there’s something I want to talk to you about.”
“What?”
“Tanner’s found a rental house to live in. And he’s asked if I’d like to stay over with him sometimes.” Her words came out in a rush, like she couldn’t wait to be rid of them. “But that would mean leaving you here with mom. Unless you want to come with me. He has lots of rooms.”
Zoe frowned. “Why would you want to stay over with…” Her words trailed off, as realization covered her features. “Is he your boyfriend?” she whispered, her eyes wide.
“Um, I don’t know. Sort of. Though it’s early days and we’re just getting to know each other again.” She gave Zoe an awkward smile.
Zoe nodded and looked away, her face serious as she took it all in. “Are you planning on moving in with him forever?”
“No. Absolutely not. It’s too soon, and neither of us are ready for that.” Van flashed her a smile. “We just want to spend a bit of time together. And I don’t want you waking up and being scared because I’m not here. Though if you do, you can call me. I’ll always have my phone on.”
Zoe pressed her lips together, then looked at the photo in her hand again. “I like Tanner,” she said. “He’s always nice to me.”
“Yeah, he’s a good guy.”
“So, it’s okay with me if you want to have sleepovers at his place.” Her expression was so serious it made Van want to laugh.
“Thank you. It won’t be all the time. Maybe twice a week.”
“Does Mom know about him?”
Van shook her head. “No, I haven’t told her yet. I haven’t told anybody, really. Except you.”
Zoe smiled. “Wow. So now I know all your secrets. You’re gonna have to bribe me with chocolate.”
“It’s not a big secret. Just something I don’t want people knowing about yet. I’ll talk to Mom and tell her. I don’t want you feeling like you need to keep things from her. But I’d prefer it if you didn’t share it with anybody else just yet. We’re both getting used to being close again, and I’m not ready for the whole town to stick their nose in.”
“A bit like when I learned to ride a bike. I didn’t want anybody knowing in case I failed.” Zoe pressed her lips together. She put the old photograph carefully back in the box and pulled another one out. “Is that me?” she asked, pointing at a photo of an eighteen-year-old Van holding a baby.
“Yeah. The day Mom brought you home.” Van smiled. “You were so tiny, I was scared to even touch you. Eventually she persuaded me to hold you, and it felt perfect. Can you see how happy I look?”
“I look happy, too.”
“That’s because you were full of gas. You were always burping.”
“Hey!” Zoe mock-pouted. “That’s rude.”
“And true.” Van winked. “Come on, let’s finish sorting through these, and then I’ll take you out for ice cream. It’s too nice of a day to stay inside for long.”
“Can you meet me at the drive-in in twenty minutes?” Tanner’s voice echoed down the phone line, like he was on speaker.
Van lifted her head from the book she’d been reading. Zoe was playing a game on Van’s laptop, and their mom was staring at Alex Trebeck on the TV, her hands curled around a cold mug of coffee. She showered today, and washed her hair. With no make-up on, and just a cute top and jeans, she looked young and beautiful. It made Van’s heart ache.
“Sure. Why? What’s happening?”
“They installed the audio visuals earlier. I want to check them out.”
Van caught Zoe’s eye. “I need to head to the drive in,” she said, covering the mouthpiece. “Will you guys be okay if I’m gone for a couple of hours?”
Zoe bit down a smile and nodded, her eyes never leaving the laptop screen.
Their mom looked up from Jeopardy. “Fine by me.” She lifted the remote control and turned the volume up, curling her legs beneath her on the sofa.
Ten minutes later, Van pulled her car up at the entrance to the drive-in. It was still unpaved – that would be the last thing done once all the heavy vehicles no longer needed access. The construction team had started to erect a brand new overhead sign that could be seen easily from the road. She and Tanner had gone back and forth about whether to change the name or not, but in the end nostalgia had won out.
The Chaplin Drive-In Theater, Virginia’s First and Best was outlined in bulbs on the pale-blue painted wooden sign. Once the electrics were finished, they’d illuminate the way they had back when she’d worked here as a kid. Looking up at it made her chest feel all tight.
“You staying in there all day?”
She looked up to see Tanner walking toward her, wearing jeans and a black Henley, his dark hair hidden beneath a grey Boston Bobcats hat, no doubt given to him by Cam.
“I was just admiring our handiwork.” She grinned at him, climbing out of the car. “I can’t believe we’ve got so much done in such a short time.”
He pulled her into his arms, pressing his lips against her brow. “Everything okay at home?”
She knew what he really meant. Is your mom sober? “Yeah, it’s all good. Mom and Zoe are in the living room watching a Jeopardy rerun.”
“Here’s your question for two hundred. What’s the most boring program on television?”
“Stop it.” She smiled up at him. “Just because you never get any of the answers right.”
“They’re not answers, they’re questions.” He pressed his lips to hers, making her toes curl in delight. “And for the record, I always beat you in quizzes.”
“Because I let you.” She kissed him back, already breathless at his touch. “Otherwise you’d cry like a baby.”