Part Forty-Five

The morning was not completely dark: in the east a dull glow of purple and crimson stretched across the sky. As the ferry eased out into Puget Sound the outlines of the Cascade Range became visible, and the taller buildings of the city skyline gradually emerged.

Peggy stood on the deck watching the first light of day, sipping tea and waiting for her phone to ring. She had played phone tag all weekend with Marjorie. Down below, in the cabin, Raoul and Kelly laughed over a book Raoul was reading. Every other page left Raoul shaking with laughter and saying, 'Listen to this...' Peggy was amused, but she was a little irritated that Raoul was in such a jolly mood.

Her phone vibrated. "Good morning, Marj," said Peggy.

"Finally. It seems like forever since we spoke."

"How's the pregnancy going?"

"I'm settling into it, but I get depressed when I think of the time I have left."

"And then you get to raise the child," said Peggy.

"I'm counting on having a surge of motherly adrenalin to get me through it."

"That plus a couple of good naps," said Peggy.

Then Marjorie changed the subject abruptly. "I've been wanting to ask you what happened in Maine."

"Lot's of things happened," said Peggy quietly.

"I talked to Taylor and he's kind of worried about you. He said you played a trick on someone and the person almost drowned."

"I was only trying to help Taylor," said Peggy. She then told the story of the man who followed them and the incident in which he fell out of his canoe while spying on the house.

"I agree it's kind of scary to be followed, but what were you hoping to accomplish?" asked Marjorie.

"I was angry at the stupidity of it all. Imagine paying good money for someone to follow a kid like Taylor all the way from New York to Maine. Meanwhile there are probably dozen rapists prowling the streets of Brooklyn. Who's following them?"

"Taylor's not a kid, Mom."

"I hardly think that's the point," said Peggy. "I don't like our government spying on its own citizens."

"Taylor's a grown man."

Peggy rubbed her eyes. Five-thirty on a Monday morning was not the time to argue with your adult daughter three thousand miles away. "If he's so grown up then why did he look so stressed out about being questioned by the police?"

"Anyone would be. I didn't see him myself, so I don't know how he looked. But he could have been simply tired. He's doing his art stuff and holding down a job; and maybe he was seeing someone."

"He can't even find his shoes in that apartment of his. How's he going to have a girlfriend?"

"Mom, you're treating him like a kid. Before I got married I was a lot messier than he is, by a long shot. Did you think the same way about me?"

"You're different. You've always been the smart one."

"I have news for you. Taylor is ten times smarter and more creative than I am. We just prioritize things differently. I was into getting good grades. He didn't care about grades, but he did care passionately about the things that interested him."

"So what if I am an overprotective mother? How does that change anything? I still don't approve of my son being followed."

"I know you don't. The real issue is that I don't want you to do something that you might regret. Let's face it, how would you have felt if that man had drowned?"

A thought nagged at Peggy: was she using Taylor as a means of getting angry with Raoul? Was she subconsciously searching for an obstacle to come between them?

"So why are we discussing this on a Monday morning?" Peggy asked.

"Because Taylor is going to call you to tell you something and I don't want you to be shocked. He's an adult, Mom. Don't freak out."

Peggy tensed. She wasn't in the mood for bad news. "What is it?"

"He spent the weekend in Philadelphia."

"What's the big deal about…" Then it hit her. "No. You mean, Deidre?"

"Yes."

"He went to see Deidre?"

"Yes."

"But I hope he realizes that I'm not getting along with Raoul."

"Why should he care about that? That's your business. If he likes Deidre then that's his business."

The sky had grown much lighter and the city was upon them. Peggy traced the city skyline with her eyes from the Space Needle over to downtown.


View of Seattle from ferry at 5:50 a.m. this morning.

Peggy took a calming breath. Best not to rush to any judgments. "Thanks for telling me, Marj. I'll try to behave."

"Okay, Mom. Call me any time."

Peggy returned to the cabin and rejoined Kelly and Raoul. Raoul had tears in his eyes from laughing. He was explaining a scene from 'The Bear Went Over The Mountain,' by William Kotzwinkle. "…you see this bear is hanging around New York City, trying to learn how to act human, and he's with this woman who gets mad at him, and then, listen to this, …' The bear heard the dangerous female sound and reminded himself that male bears who ignore that warning can wind up minus a large patch of fur and skin. So he did what male bears do in such circumstances: he pretended he was looking the other way. ' "

Peggy laughed as she took her seat. She wondered if she had been sending the dangerous female signal. Raoul had, in a sense, been looking the other way for a week.

"How was your call?" said Raoul.

"Oh, just got caught up on things," said Peggy. "Do you think I could borrow that book when you're finished?"

"Sure. In fact, why don't you come to our book club meeting and discuss it with us?"

Peggy was shocked it was the first invitation she had received from him since returning from Maine. "Why, uh, okay, if I finish it in time."

"Knowing you it will be finished in two nights," said Raoul with a friendly smile.

Peggy wondered if Raoul already knew about Deidre and Taylor.