ChapterEighteen
The week after Brodie Thomkins was released from court was a scattered and tumultuous one, especially for Elsa. To her, it seemed so clear that Brodie had been involved in the robbery.Why else had he lied about where he got the ring? Why else was he so cagey on the details? And if he hadn’t done it, why wouldn’t he just give them some kind of clue, anything to lead them to their beloved things?
These days, nobody was clear about anything. The only thing Elsa knew for sure was this: the Remington’s familial antiques and most-beloved objects were out in the world somewhere, perhaps being sold for thousands and thousands of dollars, while the Remington House remained echo-y and strange. It felt as though they were all waiting for something to happen.
Perhaps that’s why it was a perfect time for Bruce to announce that he’d finalized the sale of the property down the coastline and had arranged a meeting with his architect friend at the site itself. “He says we can get started on building right away,” Bruce said over the phone when he called. “Could you meet me there? July 30that 5 p.m.”
True to herself and her forever-promptness, Elsa arrived at the property that would one day hold her future home with Bruce a full fifteen minutes early. As she waited in the car, she lifted her head toward the sun. She buzzed with images of the future: Bruce and Elsa, hand-in-hand on a sunrise morning walk along the beach. Bruce and Elsa, up late reading in separate armchairs as an island rain pattered across their bay windows. Bruce and Elsa, who’d made a decision to be happy again, despite tremendous sorrow. Bruce and Elsa, forever.
Elsa had very little comprehension of architecture or the shaping of grounds, or the positioning of buildings to allow the ocean winds to blow by them easily. Throughout Bruce and the architect’s conversation, she smiled and nodded, moving her hands from her hips, down to her thighs, and back again. After a full hour of a very slow walk across the gorgeous property, the architect suggested that they all head to Edgartown for a drink. “Come on, Bruce. We haven’t caught up properly in years.”
Elsa told the guys to go on without her. “I have to run home and talk to Nancy,” she explained to Bruce. “I still haven’t broken the news yet.”
Bruce nodded, drawing his hand over her smaller one. “She’ll understand.”
Elsa walked through the smattering of woods between the properties, her arms crossed. The wind rushed through the leaves, ruffling them, and birds twittered overhead, a cacophony of sounds. When she reached the far end of the woods, she stood in awe of the Remington House, her heart lifting into her throat. It was just a house, yes. But to her, it would always mean so much more.
Nancy sat out on the back patio, texting with Carmella, who’d just returned from a prenatal checkup.
“I don’t know why she asks for advice from me,” Nancy said, clearly pleased. “I had my baby when I was sixteen years old! I didn’t exactly read any how-to manuals during that time.”
Elsa laughed. “I’ve fielded a few questions from her, myself. But Nancy, you’re basically her mother. There’s something about being pregnant that makes you want your mother. I remember feeling that big void when I was pregnant with my babies.” She paused for a moment as Nancy’s eyes filled with tears. “It’s a void you filled not long after when you met my father. I’ll never be able to translate just how much you’ve meant to me since then.”
Nancy removed her reading glasses and tapped at her flowing tears. A smile broke out as she said, “I don’t want to mess up my eye makeup!”
Elsa laughed, grabbed a napkin from the far end of the table, and passed it over. Nancy dotted it gently over her cheeks.
“I’ve just come from a meeting with Bruce,” Elsa began, her voice wavering.
“Oh? Is that what they’re calling ‘dating’ these days?”
“Maybe. What do I know? But, Nancy. Gosh, I don’t even know how to say this. Bruce bought a property down the coastline, not far from here. We’re going to build a house there. A place where we can have a fresh start.”
Nancy’s jaw grew stiff. She padded the napkin across her upper cheeks a final time. “Of course, honey. It makes sense for you to do that.”
“We’ve had such a time here,” Elsa offered, her voice breaking. “I was such a mess when I first moved in.”
“So was I,” Nancy offered. “First, Aiden. Then Neal. We couldn’t get through a single meal without bawling our eyes out.”
“I was heartbroken to the millionth degree,” Elsa agreed. “But slowly, bit-by-bit, the women here in the Remington House helped me heal. Now, Bruce has offered me an olive branch to a brand-new life. On top of it all, he’s going to help me sell the place I had with Aiden. I’m going to sell all my old stuff and start anew. I know that sounds funny, especially so soon after the devastating robbery. But the thing is, we might never know who did that to us. Maybe it’s better to choose to start again.”
* * *
The antique place outside of Edgartown was open till eight o’clock. It was a passion project for its owner, an older woman who’d collected antiques for years and finally decided to use her know-how and antique-purchasing prowess to create a little post-retirement career. Rumor had it that she’d been an investment banker back in New York City, but she never spoke about anything but antiques, so it was difficult to tell.
After Elsa’s confession that she wanted to move on and move out, Nancy suggested that they grab Mallory and Zachery and head out to the antique store. “It’s high time I start filling this big place up again,” Nancy affirmed primly. “I’m tired of living in this empty house. It gives me the creeps.”
In the backseat, Zachery babbled happily, stringing the occasional sentence together as Mallory spoke back as though he was an intellectual. Elsa watched them from the front seat as Nancy drove. Since Brodie’s courtroom sentencing, Mallory had spoken very little about him. What was in that head of hers?
“How’s it going at the Sheridan Law Offices these days?” Nancy asked at the streetlight.
“Oh, gosh. Busy as ever,” Mallory said.
“Still liking it?”
“Law is my new passion,” Mallory affirmed. “I’ve never fallen for something like it. It’s like this weird puzzle where you can almost make up the rules as you go along. I’ve even signed up for community college classes this autumn. The counselor suggested I take four classes this first semester just to get in the flow of things. After, she said we could discuss transferring to a bigger university, with online classes, of course. I need to be here. On the Vineyard.” She locked eyes with Elsa as if to say: I’m not going anywhere.
“Honey, that’s fantastic,” Nancy said. “It took me about a million more years to figure out what I wanted to be. You have a head start.”