Come Fly With Me (5 page)

“Carol,
you
must
be
seeing
double
at
this
point,
you’ve
been
moving
all
day.
I’m
sure
you
didn’t
sleep
more
than
a
couple
of
hours
on
the
red-eye
last
night
or
this
morning,
or
whenever.
I’ll
finish
up
down
here.”

“I
hear
you
want
to
go
back
to
the
city
tomorrow.”

“It’s
not
like
I’m
leaving
mother
all
alone.
Jeremy
will
be
sitting,
schedule
allowing.
And
Uncle
Martin
is
sitting
here,
too.”
At
that
remark,
Carol
lifted
her
eyebrows.
”I
know
Uncle
Martin
has
just
recently
returned
to
the
family
fold,
but
they
did
have
Dad
in
common,”
Allison
continued.

“This
is
not
about
your
mother.
She
will
be
fine.
This
is
about
you.”

“That’s
what
Mom
said.
She's
such
an
amazing
mother
that
she
could
be
thinking
about
me
at
a
time
like
this;
I
find
that
incredible.
Is
it
any
wonder
I’m
terrified
to
get
married
and
have
a
family?
I
don’t
think
I’m
genetically
capable
of
putting
someone’s
needs
above
my
own.”

“And
you're
changing
the
subject.”
Her
aunt
wagged
her
finger.
“Stay
the
full
seven
days
and
learn
something
about
yourself.”

“I
just
don’t
see
how
this
happened.
How
did
Dad
miss
that
turn?”

“Jeremy
said
the
police
are
opening
up
an
investigation,”
Carol
said.

“What?
Why?”

“We’ll
have
to
wait
and
see
what
they
have
to
say.
Now
go
to
sleep."

"Seriously?
You
think
I
can
sleep
after
news
like
that?"

"Try."

"No
way,
Carol.
My
life
just
turned
into
a
CSI
episode.
I'm
pretty
sure
that
entitles
me
to
a
sleepless
night,
wouldn't
ya
say?"

*****

Allison
came
down
the
next
morning
rubbing
her
back.
Those
low
seats
were
brutal—they
certainly
weren't
making
her
decision
to
stay
any
easier.
She
sat
down
on
a
stool
at
the
large
granite-topped
island
and
numbly
stared
at
the
swirling
pattern
of
dark
green
and
white
occasionally
interspersed
with
burgundy
spots.
How
had
she
never
noticed
those
deep-red
spots
in
there
before?
They
sort
of
look
like
blood.
Didn't
the
decorator
realize
the
spots
looked
like
blood?
She
was
startled
when
Carol
came
in
behind
her
and
kissed
her
on
the
back
of
her
head.

"Did
you
sleep?"
Carol
asked
as
she
went
to
the
sink
to
put
on
the
coffee.

"Not
a
wink.
But
sleeping
has
never
been
my
strength,"
she
said.
"I
was
afraid
to
close
my
eyes."

Carol
nodded
sympathetically.
"I
heard
your
mother
sobbing
quietly
when
I
passed
her
room
to
take
a
shower
this
morning.
It's
a
good
thing;
she's
been
too
composed
ever
since
we
got
back
from
the
cemetery."

"Well,
you
know
her;
she's
not
going
to
cry
in
front
of
strangers."

"Yes,
she's
always
the
lady.
And
that's
why
I'm
glad
you're
here."

"Because
she
can
let
loose
with
me?"

Carol
nodded.

Allison
walked
over
to
the
coffee
machine
after
it
beeped
its
readiness.
Her
hand
shook
a
little
as
she
spooned
sugar
into
her
mug.
She
loved
sugar.
Why
was
sugar
always
the
villain?
She
put
her
hands
around
the
heat
of
the
mug
and
drew
it
to
her
lips.
She
tried
to
clear
her
mind
of
the
endless
rambling
thoughts
that
kept
spinning
around
in
her
brain.
I
will
lose
my
mind
if
I
have
to
stay
cooped
up
in
this
house
all
week
while
everyone
comes
by
with
lasagnas
and
stories
.
She
finished
her
coffee
as
she
stood
there,
already
too
keyed
up
to
sit
back
down
at
the
counter.
She
looked
out
past
the
backyard
onto
the
still
waters
of
the
Hudson
River.
Look
at
those
boats,
so
serenely
bobbing
on
the
water,
she
thought.
Why
couldn't
Dad
have
owned
a
yacht
business?
She
rinsed
the
mug
and
put
it
down
on
the
counter,
the
water
still
clinging
to
it.
I
don't
care
if
it
will
leave
water
stains
on
this
ugly
blood-spotted
granite.
I
don't
care
at
all.

She
turned
to
leave
the
room
and
saw
her
aunt
looking
at
her
carefully.
"I'm
not
going
to
snap,
Carol.
I'm
no
china
doll,"
she
said.