The Moon and More (21 page)

“But I was hoping,” he continued, rushing through the words as if they actually did put space between us and this
issue, “that you might know someone who could help me out with Benji. Take him places, keep an eye on him, get him involved in some activities.”

“You need a babysitter?”

“I need a lot of things,” he said, picking up another stack of papers, glancing at it, and setting it aside. “But child care is the first thing I’m feeling up to tackling. I’m sure admitting this isn’t going to win me any parenting awards, but I can’t take this.”

I just stood there, wondering if he expected me to reassure him about, of all things, his fatherhood skills. This day was just getting weirder and weirder.

“The thing is, I had an idea,” he said, sighing, “that this trip would be the perfect bonding experience. Quality time for Benji and me, right before I had to move out. I had visions of him entertaining himself during the day, then us cooking gourmet meals together before reading our respective books by the fireplace in the evening.”

“He’s ten,” I pointed out.

“Yes, I know,” he replied, irritated. I felt a smile trying to creep onto my face and fought it back as best I could. But really, I couldn’t help myself. At that moment, he looked more like Benji than I ever could have imagined: foolish, hopeful, and disappointed all at once. “I guess it’s been a while since I’ve spent an extended amount of time with him without Leah. She does—did—a lot.”

I didn’t say anything. Another pop came from downstairs.

“Anyway,” he said abruptly, shaking his head and looking
at me. “Child care. A few hours a day, just so I can get some work done. Do you know anyone?”

“Not off the top of my head,” I said. His shoulders sank a bit. It reminded me of Theo, so quick to react, easy to read. Weird. “But I can think on it.”

“That would be great,” he said, so emphatically that you would have thought I’d given him ten names and numbers. “Thank you.”

I nodded. “Well, I need to get back to work. I’ve got a ton of stops to make, and—”

“Of course. You’re working.” He grabbed a large envelope off the bed and slid some papers into it. “Which is what I should be doing. Instead, I’m making calls to Realtors, trying to find someone to list this place. It never ends.”

At least you’re not suffering from the African famine,
I thought, but resisted saying this aloud. “We actually have a really good Realtor on staff at the office,” I told him instead. “My sister Margo. She can handle a lot of the details for you.”

“Really?”

I nodded, then fished around for the extra Colby Realty cards I kept stuffed in the outside pocket of my wallet. I found one, then handed it to him. “Just ask for her when you call.”

He looked down at the card, then back at me. “I’ll do that. Thanks.”

“Sure. And I’ll think about the babysitter thing.”

I turned, then started down the hallway. On the stairs, with every step I took, it sank in a bit more that somehow, despite owing him exactly zero, I’d now not only committed to
helping him out, but dragged my extended family in as well. How did
that
happen?

Downstairs, I found Benji at the table, gently forming a ball at one end of a black balloon. Watching him, I felt even more on edge, although it’s not like you can ready yourself for a balloon popping. It’s a spontaneous, sudden act, meant to startle, and all the preparation in the world won’t change—

Pop!
Despite my efforts, I jumped. From upstairs, there came a single word, bellowed: “
Benji!
”

He jumped up, quickly gathering the broken pieces of the balloon from where they’d scattered across the floor, then skulked back to the table.

“Well, I better go,” I said, as he picked up his cards again. “I’ll see you later, okay?”

He nodded. “Okay.”

I walked to the door, pulling out my phone and making a note on the memo app to ask around about sitters. As I did so, I realized that ever since the Last Chance, I’d been burdening myself with more than was necessary. A breakfast sandwich, agreeing to being the bridge between Clyde and Theo, a kiss without demarcation, my father’s child-care crisis. No wonder I felt so weighted down. On the flip side, it wasn’t like one additional thing was going to make much of a difference.

“Hey,” I called out to Benji. “Want to ride along?”

He looked up at me, his face hopeful. “Really?”

“If your dad says it’s okay.”

“He won’t care,” he said, abandoning the cards and literally running over to me, as if at any moment I might rescind the offer. “He probably won’t even notice.”

“Go ask him anyway.”

I stood there, watching, as he ran up the stairs, taking them two at a time. On the landing, he cupped a hand to his mouth and yelled towards the bedroom, “I’m leaving! With Emaline!”

“What?” came my father’s voice, muffled by the door.

“I’m leaving!” Benji repeated.

“What?”

“I’m leaving! Back later!”

The response to this—if there even was one—was lost in the din of him bounding back down the steps towards me. I figured if it wasn’t okay, my father would emerge, but after a beat, it was still just us.

“All right,” I said. “Guess it’s a go.”

“Awesome!” Benji hollered, pushing past me out the door and running down the front walk. He was so excited, even though he, like Morris, had no idea where we were going. I shut the door behind me, then followed him at a more subdued pace, wondering if my father was watching us from his window upstairs. All the way to the car I thought about turning back to look, but in the end, I decided against it.

“Wait a second.” Daisy turned around, the wax applicator in one hand. “You did
what
?”

I glanced at the older woman on the table in front of her, who was lying flat on her back, purse in her lap, her hands folded over it. I’d only come back to the waxing room to let Daisy know I was outside waiting. Sharing my personal life
in earshot of a stranger with a hair management problem was another thing entirely. “I’ll just be outside, okay?”

“Why?”

I nodded towards the woman on the table. “You’re kind of, um, busy?”

“Oh, Jean? Don’t worry, she’s really hard of hearing.” She blew on the wax for a second, then leaned close to the woman’s ear.
“I’m going to start now, okay? Are you ready?”

The woman opened her eyes, blinked, then cupped her hand behind one ear, looking confused. Daisy held up the applicator. She nodded, smiled, then closed her eyes again.

“Okay.” She bent down, carefully smoothing wax under the woman’s already thin brow. “Now go back to the beginning. Because either I’m going deaf, too, or you just said something totally crackers.”

Crackers, I thought. That was one word for it. “Well,” I said, as she picked up a piece of muslin from the shelf beside her and carefully pressed it down on the wax, “Luke and I broke up this morning. And then I kissed someone else at Big Club.”

She ripped off the paper, one quick stroke. On the table, Jean winced, but kept her eyes closed. “And this kiss, was it with someone you know, or just a random person?”

“It was Theo,” I said.

I watched her dip into the wax again. “You kissed a guy you just met in Big Club?”

“We were buying a toaster oven,” I said, like this explained everything.

She turned to look at me, blowing on the wax, her expression incredulous. “Are you
serious
?”

“It just kind of happened.”

“Which part? Breaking up with your boyfriend of three years, or making out with someone else you barely know moments later?”

“It was not moments,” I pointed out as she started on the other eyebrow. “There was at least a couple of hours in between.”

“Oh, well, in that case,” she said sarcastically.

There was a knock at the door of the waxing room. Before we could even ask who was there, Mrs. Ye was sticking her head in, looking at me. “You bring boy here?”

“What?”

“Little boy outside. He with you?”

“Oh,” I said, suddenly remembering I’d left Benji up front, examining the array of polishes. “Yes. He’s my brother.”

Mrs. Ye nodded, then shut the door again without further comment. To Daisy, who was looking at me with a quizzical expression, I explained, “I’m sort of helping my father out. He’s swamped with stuff right now.”

She leaned over Jean’s face, and started plucking, a series of quick little stabs. “Helping how?”

“Just entertaining Benji until we can find someone else to do it.”

“Okay, wait a second,” she said, holding up her free hand. The plucking continued with the other, at a quick speed. “So what you’re saying is that since I saw you yesterday, you broke
up with Luke, kissed Theo,
and
offered to help out your deadbeat, undeserving father.”

I thought for a moment. “Yes. Oh, and I also introduced Theo to Clyde and agreed to help them get together for an interview.”

Now, she stopped what she was doing and looked at me. “Do you understand how insane you sound right now? How could your whole life be so different in less than twenty-four hours?”

“Because that’s the way it is around here,” I told her. “Nothing happens for ages, and then all the changes come at once.”

“Not
that
fast,” she grumbled.

“Well, then, maybe I’m just actually having a summer,” I offered. “You know, a big one where Things Actually Happen. Hey, it’s like I’m a tourist or something!”

“Emaline, stop. Seriously.” She shook her head, then switched to the other brow. Outside, I could hear Mrs. Ye barking at someone in Vietnamese. “Although I will admit you are acting like one. I can’t believe you’re already in a relationship. What’s next, chest hair and Jell-O shots?”

I made a face. “It’s not a relationship. Or Jell-O shots. It’s one kiss.”

“You were with Luke for more than three years.”

“He cheated on me, Daisy. Went to meet some girl at Tallyho.”

She looked at me again, this time with pity. “Oh, Emaline. Really?”

I nodded. You’d think each time I said this, it would hurt less. Nope. I felt tears gathering in my throat again. “Look, I should go. Benji’s here, I have stuff to do. Can we talk later?”

“Wait, I’ll walk out with you.” She picked up a hand mirror, then leaned down to Jean again.
“I’m finished,”
she yelled, loudly and close enough to her ear to cause deafness, had it not already been accomplished.
“Would you like to take a look?”

Jean opened her eyes. When she saw the mirror, she sat up, then took it, surveying her reflection. “You do such a lovely job,” she told Daisy, in a normal tone. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,”
Daisy hollered back at her.
“Have a good day.”

Jean nodded, then slid off the table, still clutching her purse, and I stepped back to let her pass. Then I watched as Daisy ripped off and replaced the paper cover on the table, put the top back on the wax, then dropped the tweezers with a plunk into a container of cleaning solution. Just like that, everything was clean and reset. Unlike so much else in the world.

Outside in the salon, we found Benji examining the display of gel fill-ins. “Hey Emaline,” he called out when he saw me. “Did you know they use wood sanders to file these things?”

“I did not,” I replied.

“It’s so cool! They have to wear masks and everything.”

I smiled, then turned to Daisy, who was behind me. “Benji, this is my friend Daisy. Daisy, Benji.”

He stuck out his hand. “Pleased to meet you.”

Daisy, impressed, took it. “And you as well. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

“I’m just along for the ride right now,” he explained, all casual. “I’m hard to entertain.”

She looked at me, raising her eyebrows. I shrugged, then said, “We’re on our way to the office. There’s some kind of towel crisis.”

“Sounds serious,” she said, as we started outside.

“Margo’s got some new system, all computerized,” I told her. “It’s working as well as you’d expect.”

“Well, maybe you can totally shake it up for her,” she suggested. “Change everything, really quickly. Since you’re on a roll with that today, and all.”

I just looked at her. “I’m really not doing it on purpose.”

“I know. It’s just …” She glanced at Benji, choosing her words carefully. “A lot to take in.”

“Tell me about it.”

“Oh!” She snapped her fingers. “Before I forget.
This
will cheer you up. Wait right here.” I watched her as she went back inside, over to the coat rack by the door, and removed a hanging bag. She unzipped it as she walked back. “Check these out. I found them last time I was at Dolly’s, that vintage store in Durham I told you about? They’re for the Beach Bash.”

I looked at the contents, which appeared to be two very fluffy and ruffled dresses, one pink, one blue. They looked like something Little Bo Peep would wear. In Candy Land. “The thought of wearing this is supposed to cheer me up?’

“They won’t look like
this
,” she said, sounding offended. “Once I’m done, you won’t even recognize them. But the colors are perfect, since I’m thinking of going with a candy theme.”

“We’re wearing candy?”

“The
theme
, the
vision
, is candy.” She sighed, looking at Benji. “Do you know your sister has no sense of fashion-forwardness whatsoever?”

“What’s fashion-forwardness?” he asked.

“Must be genetic,” I said. She zipped the bag back up, turning her back to me. “Hey, hey, I’m just joking. I know they’ll be great. They always are. You’re a genius, Daze.”

This made her smile. “We do have a reputation to uphold.”

“
You
do,” I said. “All I have to do is wear what I’m told and show up.”

The truth was, I would have liked to be able to take some credit for the fact that Daisy and I had won the Best-Dressed Couple award at the annual Colby Beach Bash for two years running. But it was
all
Daisy, ever since we’d started attending together in middle school. She was the one who spent the year searching out fabrics, patterns, and inspiration in order to come up with the perfect vision, which she then executed, single-handedly, to her typical high standards. I just got fitted a few times and poked with the occasional straight pin, a small price to pay for half the bragging rights.