Four hours later, Maddy and I were back at the cottage sitting in the screened-in porch. We’d had dinner in town and then boated back. The fridge was stocked up and we’d unpacked.
Maddy came out of the house and handed me an iced tea. “No caffeine.” “Thanks.”
There was a party going on somewhere on the island. We could hear music and shouting and the air smelled faintly of a charcoal grill. The sun was setting over the water.
This was going to be an amazing summer.
Maddy sat down with a can of Sprite. “So… Justin tomorrow.” I looked at her. “Is it strange that I’m this excited?”
“Uh yeah, for you it is.”
“What if he smells weird?” I asked. “Have you ever had that happen? You meet someone and everything about them is perfect but the way they smell? Like, they don’t smell bad or anything, they just don’t smell… attractive?”
“Yes! Why is that a thing?” She opened her soda with a pith.
“I don’t know. Pheromones maybe? I hope he smells good. I have to kiss him.”
“Look at you, doing charity work,” she said sarcastically.
Even Maddy with all her cynicism couldn’t deny that Justin was very
attractive.
“Would you do more with him?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I don’t know. I don’t even know if he smells good.” “Well, do you like him? Like, like him like him?”
“Yeah I like him. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.” “But?”
I glanced at her. “But we’re dating to break up? I’m not really sure what the rules are. He might just want to get through the dates and be done with it.”
She made a Come On face. “Really? You don’t think he’s going to try and see if there’s something there with you two?”
I laughed. “Why would he? I mean, the next girl is supposed to be The One. He probably wants to get to that. And I’m only here six weeks anyway.”
“I think if you like him you should give him a fair shot. Don’t just treat him like a checklist.”
I gave her a look. “We’re just doing this for fun, Maddy. He’s not giving me a fair shot either.”
My phone started to vibrate.
I pulled it out expecting Justin, but I didn’t recognize the number—and when I didn’t recognize the number, I always answered. “Hold on, I have to take this. Hello?”
“Emma, you will not believe who I found.”
I bolted up straight. “Mom? Where have you been?” Maddy rolled her eyes before pulling out her phone. “Boston,” Mom said. “I told you.”
I shook my head. “No. You didn’t. And your phone’s disconnected. I was worried—”
“I gave you the new number weeks ago, remember? I was still on Jeff’s plan and he canceled my line, can you believe that POS? God, J-named men are the worst.”
I put my forehead into my palm, feeling the wave of relief I always got when I finally knew where she was.
“Anyway,” she went on, “guess who I found? You won’t believe it.” She paused for dramatic effect. “Stuffie.”
I lifted my head. “Stuffie?”
“Yeah. That little unicorn doll you used to carry around everywhere? I went to visit Renee. Remember her? We stayed with her for two months back when you were in the fourth grade? She divorced that guy she was married to, the electrician? Finally. I don’t know why she thought a Libra
was a good idea—and a Taurus Moon of all things, can you imagine? She’s selling dream catchers on Etsy now, I got you one. Anyway, she still had our boxes in her garage. Opened a few up and there he was, just sitting on top of a bunch of board games.”
Stuffie. I couldn’t even breathe.
There were very few things that I cherished. I wasn’t a sentimental person, at all. But I loved Stuffie. I’d thought he was gone.
“Give me your address and I’ll send him to you,” she said.
“Do you need me to Venmo you for the shipping?” I asked, a little too quickly. But I didn’t want her to put it off because she couldn’t afford to send it. She’d lose him, or damage him, or get distracted and forget.
“No, I got it. Got a job as a cart girl on a golf course, tips are good. So how have you been? Where are you? Tell me everything!”
“I’m in Minnesota. We just got here today, actually.” “Minnesota…” she said, her voice going a little flat.
For some reason it wasn’t until just this moment that I remembered that this was where Mom had grown up. She didn’t talk about it, hardly ever. She’d left when she was eighteen.
“Where?” she asked. “Lake Minnetonka.”
“Oh, it’s such a party lake!” she said, bursting back to life. “You’re going to have so much fun! Make someone grill you a walleye. Hold on.” Then she started talking to someone muffled in the background. She came back on and sighed dramatically. “I gotta go. Text me that address. Love you!”
And then she was gone.
I slumped back against my seat and Maddy raised her eyes from her phone and we shared a silent exchange. She was letting me know that Amber exasperated her, and I was letting her know that I was aware.
I sent the address of the mansion to Mom and saved her new number in my phone and set it down on the seat next to me.
Maddy set her phone down too. “So I got you something,” she said. “You did?”
“Yeah. And I really want you to be open to it. Can you promise me you will?”
I eyed her. “What.”
“Just keep an open mind. Promise me.” She waited.
“Fine,” I said. “I will keep an open mind. What is it?”
She pulled a box out from under the wicker chair she was in. The second I saw it I shook my head.
“No. I’m not doing a DNA test.” “Why?”
“Because I don’t want to mess up someone’s life. My dad doesn’t even know I exist—”
“And don’t you think he has a right to know? Anyone who runs their DNA through these things knows they might get surprises. So someone might find out they have a kid. They do have a kid. You exist and it’s not your fault and anyone who finds out they’re related to you would be lucky.”
“No.”
“I’m sorry, but Amber cannot be the only family you ever have. I literally forbid it.”
“She’s not the only family I have. I have you.”
Maddy studied me for a moment. “And our moms. Right? They’re your family too.”
I licked my lips. “Yeah. Of course.” But even the way I said it came out disingenuous.
She looked away from me. “Emma…” Her eyes came back to mine. “Please. Please do it. Do it now before you lose the chance to meet them altogether. People don’t live forever.”
I knew who she was talking about. My grandparents died before I was born. Not getting to know them had always made me deeply sad. My mom had no siblings, no cousins, nobody else. There would only be my dad.
Mom said my conception had been a passionate one-night stand with a handsome, charming married stranger on a beach in Miami. She didn’t know his name—or she didn’t want to tell me.
I’d talked to Mom once about taking a DNA test. She got extremely upset. She said the only family I might find would be his, and she’d made it very clear that me popping up would ruin a marriage. She also said he’d told her he didn’t have kids and didn’t want any. I would not be a welcome surprise.
So if I wasn’t likely to find any siblings and my dad was someone who’d
rather not know I exist, what was the point?
Only what if things were different?
What if he did have other kids now? People change their minds. What if I had a sister? Or a brother? What if I was an aunt, or somebody’s cousin— and they wanted to know me? What if he had a medical condition I should know about? Something genetic? Something I should be screened for?
I chewed on my lip.
“How about this,” Maddy said. “Run your DNA and make your account private. We’ll change your privacy settings for a few minutes, poke around. If you have any relatives out there, we’ll screenshot it and go back to private. Then I’ll go and find them online and tell you if they seem like people worth knowing.”
“I don’t know…” “Aren’t you curious?”
I blew a breath through my nose. I was. I always had been. “Okay,” I said. “Fine.”
She squealed and tore the box open.
We did the test. I set up my profile on the website and Maddy said she’d mail it in the morning.
She went back to scrolling on her phone and I sat looking out over the water as the sun set. When my cell pinged next to me, I half expected Mom again, but this time it was Justin.
It was a link to SurveyMonkey. “Huh,” I said.
Maddy nodded at my phone. “Amber?” “Justin.”
“What is it?”
I clicked on it and a survey popped up titled “Your Date With Justin.” I had to cover my smile with a hand.
Congratulations on your upcoming date with Justin! Your preferences are important, so he’d like to know what you think. Please complete this questionnaire by 9:00 tonight.
“Oh my God,” I breathed. “He didn’t.”
It was multiple choice.
PREFERRED TIME OF DAY FOR OUR DATE:
 |
Breakfast
|
Lunch
|
Dinner
WHAT ACTIVITIES INTEREST YOU?
|
Hiking
|
Dinner and a movie
|
A museum or aquarium
|
Day on the lake
|
Escape room
|
Wildcard (Justin’s choice)
|
Other:
FOOD PREFERENCES:
|
Thai
|
American
|
BBQ
|
Vegetarian or vegan
|
Steakhouse
|
Indian
|
Italian
|
Justin’s pick
|
Other:
FANCINESS LEVEL:
|
Pajamas
|
Activewear
|
Everyday casual
|
Business casual
|
James Bond movie
PREFERRED GREETING:
|
Contactless
|
Victorian greeting (small curtsey and a slight nod)
|
Handshake
|
Hug
|
Air kiss on both cheeks
|
High five
PREFERRED MODE OF TRANSPORTATION:
|
Please have Justin pick me up at the following address:
|
I would like to transport myself (destination to be provided no later than two hours before the start of the date)
I was cracking up. “He sent me a pre-date questionnaire.”
“What? Let me see that,” Maddy said. She took my phone. Then her eyes raised to mine. “I like this.”
“So do I.”
She handed me back my phone and I bit my lip. I really, really hoped he smelled good.
I started filling out the form. I picked Lunch, Wildcard (Justin’s choice) for the activity, Justin’s pick for the food since I figured he’d know the best places to eat and I wasn’t picky. I almost went with James Bond for the fanciness level, just to see what he’d do, but I went with Everyday casual instead since I didn’t have anything James Bond level to wear. I picked Hug for the preferred greeting, and I opted for him to pick me up so Maddy would have the car.
I hit enter and sent it through.
The next morning I woke up to an Evite invitation.
It was floral and it was titled “Casual Date With Justin”:
JULY 28TH, 11:00 A.M.
PLEASE JOIN JUSTIN AT THE ADDRESS YOU PROVIDED AT 11:00 A.M. SHARP FOR A
SURPRISE ACTIVITY, LUNCH AND
CONVERSATION. PLEASE WEAR LONG PANTS.
 |
 |
I laughed and scrambled out of bed and let myself into Maddy’s room. “Look at this,” I said, climbing onto her comforter while she yawned and took my phone.
She looked at the invite. “I gotta give it to him, he’s putting in the work.” She handed my cell back and stretched. “Too bad he’s just your future ex-boyfriend.”
I bit my lip and beamed at the invite.
“Hey,” she said. “Try and find a way to reject him on this date.” I looked up. “Huh?”
“Tell him no. See how he reacts. Or beat him at a game. If he takes you bowling or to miniature golf or something, destroy him. You can tell a lot about a guy by how they deal with rejection and getting their asses handed to them.”
I laughed a little. “Okay…”
She threw the blanket off. “I’ll start breakfast. You should get ready.”
“Right.” I hopped up and hurried to my room to pick out something to wear. I settled on olive leggings and a slouchy white T-shirt and gold sandals, gold dangly earrings and a matching bracelet. Then I went to take a shower.
The water smelled weird. Like rust. Maybe the house was on a well?
When I got out and brushed my hair, it felt like I hadn’t conditioned it.
I opened the bathroom door and leaned out. “Is the water weird to you?” I called. “My hair feels all gross.”
“I think it’s hard water,” she called back from the kitchen. “We’re in the iron range.”
I made an unhappy noise and wrestled the brush through my stiff knots.
We started work tomorrow and I was going to shower at the hospital locker rooms whenever I could. This was awful.
I finally got through it and plugged in my hair dryer, and when I turned it on, the whole house turned off.
“Uh… what just happened?” Maddy called from the kitchen. I tipped my head back. “I think we blew a fuse.”
“What did you do?”
“Nothing, I just turned on the hair dryer.”
We spent ten minutes looking for the breaker panel until we finally gave up and called Maria.
“Oh, it’s very sensitive,” she said. “You can’t use the toaster and hairdryer at the same time. When I vacuum, I have to unplug everything.”
She told us where to find the panel. We reset the breaker and started a twenty-minute trial and error of what we could and could not use while I dried my hair. The answer was nothing. We couldn’t even use the coffee maker with the hair dryer on without tripping the breaker.
We prioritized power for the coffee maker first and we brewed a pot while I sat in the kitchen with a towel wrapped around my head. When it was done, Maddy poured me a cup and handed it to me.
“The house is old,” I said. “What are you gonna do?”
She leaned against the counter with her mug in her hand. “I bet it’s hard to even get a repair guy out here. You gotta go pick him up.”
I cocked my head at her. “I just realized we can’t get DoorDash.”
“Or Shipt,” she said, like it just occurred to her. She looked at me. “What if we need to call the cops? Do they have boat police?”
I wrinkled my forehead. “I think so. Don’t they pull people over on the lake? But do they work at night? And what if we need to call an ambulance? Do they have boat ambulances?”
“I don’t know.”
I thought about this for a bit. “Our boat is really old.” “Yeah.”
“And if it breaks down, we’re kinda trapped here.” “Or dead in the water.”
We sat there, contemplating this. Maddy was going to have to ferry me to the shore for my date and then come back alone and pick me up when Justin dropped me off. She was going to have to dock the pontoon by
herself.
I don’t think I really realized the logistics of this one-boat thing until just now. I mean, we only had the one car, and that always worked for us. But that’s because we always had Lyft and Uber to fall back on, or public transit
—or the ability to walk. But the only way on and off this island was that boat.
That rickety, ancient, canopyless boat. “Remind me to buy rain ponchos,” I said. “Yeah.” She took a sip of her coffee.
I took my mug and went back to do my hair.
I had breakfast while my curlers set. Then I washed the dishes, did my makeup, let my hair down, spritzed myself with perfume, and I was ready to go.
At 10:45, we set off for shore.
I couldn’t see if he was here yet. He’d be waiting in his car parked in front of the house. I probably wouldn’t see him until I walked around the garage.
“I’m going to wait until I know he’s here,” Maddy said as we approached the dock.
It was windy today. She kept having to correct the boat because we were being pushed off course by the gusts.
“Maybe if you give it more throttle?” I said over the sound of the motor and wind.
“I’m giving it throttle. This is all the throttle it has.”
I think she was worried about drifting too far off the path, so she didn’t cut the engine until we were really close. We overshot and headed right for the shore.
“Reverse! Put it in reverse!” I yelled.
The snail’s-pace speed the pontoon put out somehow seemed faster with the beach approaching. Maddy threw it in reverse. The engine downshifted miserably, but we started to slow. Then to my horror we began to move backward, motor first, right into the dock.
The sides of the boat had bumpers. Large air-filled rubber balls that keep the body of the pontoon from making contact and causing damage when it hits. But the motor had no protection. It was prop blades and the engine, heading straight into the dock.
“We’re gonna back into it!” I shouted.
“Well push me off!” she said, throwing it frantically into drive. The weak engine fought against the inertia—and lost.
I sprinted to the end of the boat, pulled up the bench seat, grabbed the paddle, and leaned over the side just as we were about to make impact. I stretched out and used the paddle to push us off the dock inches before the hit. It was just enough and we started to float back to the lake.
Both of us were panting. We stood there, hearts pounding, drifting aimlessly in the water for a moment like astronauts ejected into space.
When we were safely away from anything we could crash into, Maddy killed the engine and slumped in the captain’s seat. “If we’d been on the other side of the dock, we could have hit the yacht,” she said, looking shaken.
I let my eyes slide over to the boat that probably cost more than both of us made in five years. I had a retroactive heart attack.
“Are you gonna be okay to dock this by yourself back at the cottage?” I asked.
She was still catching her breath. “I mean, what choice do I have?”
We looked back at the shore. We had to try this again. We’d have to get good at this. We’d have to drive and dock this boat, at a minimum, twice a day on days we worked.
We’d have to do it at night. In the rain. During heatwaves and maybe even during hailstorms—if we had to get to work, we had to get to work.
I hadn’t really anticipated it being this hard or there being this many variables. When you drive a car, you don’t have to worry about the wind.
“Do you want me to try?” I asked. She nodded. We switched.
I lined the nose of the boat up with the side of the dock and started for it again, only this time I killed the thrust earlier. We coasted along the side and I put us into reverse to slow us down while Maddy grabbed one of the dock poles and we came to a stop.
“Don’t tie it up,” I said. “I’ll just get off and push you back out.”
We switched again, I grabbed my bag, stepped off the boat, gave it a steady push back toward the lake, and watched her drift until she was clear.
I had no idea how she was going to dock this by herself back on the island. I was actually really worried about it.
“Call me when you’re docked!” I shouted. She gave me a thumbs-up.
I was completely frazzled. Rattled by the near accident. My hair was windblown and I felt like I was starting to get a little burnt too. This was not how I wanted to start this date.
I watched Maddy for a moment. Then I turned and made my way across the lawn toward the side of the mansion and around the garage. When I got to the top, Justin stood there in the courtyard, leaning against his car.
