center,” he said. “Kyla, you have to believe me, Lily’s fine.” When Kyla didn’t say anything for a long time he knew what she was thinking—that he wasn’t competent enough to keep his own daughter safe on a tourist island for three days.
“I can be there tomorrow,” Kyla said.
“No,” Louis said quickly. He glanced at the bathroom door. “She’s fine, Kyla, and she doesn’t want to go home.” He paused. “And I don’t want her to. I need this time with her. Please don’t cut it short.”
There was a long silence on the other end. Then she said, “Are you going to Echo Bay after this weekend?”
Louis sat back against headboard. The last thing he needed right now was a lecture about Joe. “Yes, I am,” he said.
Another silence, then “How about if I come up to the island Monday afternoon and pick up Lily?”
He was confused. Kyla had never been particularly kind to him in the past about anything, so why was sheoffering to save him a trip back to Ann Arbor? Especially since it freed him up to be with his lover, Joe, a woman Kyla clearly didn’t approve of.
“Okay,” he said. “Thank you.”
“We still need to talk, Louis.”
He thought about the bones. “Yes, we do.”
“Tell Lily to call me.”
They said their good-byes and Louis hung up.
Lily came out of the bathroom. She was wearing the T-shirt. It hung past her knees and elbows. She just stood there looking around the room.
“You want to watch TV?” Louis asked.
She looked around the room and then back at Louis. There was no television in the room. Louis felt a small panic rising up in him at the thought of having to keep her entertained for the rest of the night. But Lily looked away, toward the partially opened window. It was dark, and the street outside was quiet. Her eyes drifted to Louis. She looked very tired.
“Can I lie down?” she asked.
“Of course you can.”
He got up and pulled the comforter down. She climbed up on the bed, carefully holding her splinted arm. Louis tucked the comforter around her.
“I wish I had Lucy,” she said.
“Lucy will be here tomorrow, I promise.”
She turned away, closing her eyes. Louis went back to his bed and lay down. He wasn’t really tired, and under normal circumstances he’d be searching out the nearest bar right about now. He turned off the light and lay there in the dark, staring up at the shadows on the ceiling. Fromthe open window came a cool breeze and the clip-clop of a passing carriage.
He closed his eyes.
He had almost drifted off when he felt something warm at his side and smelled the scent of soap. He stiffened, almost afraid to move, like if he did he could roll over and crush her.
Holding his breath, he turned to his side and gently put his arm over Lily’s back.
5
T here was something about pancakes. Louis remembered whenever he didn’t feel well his foster mother Frances would make him banana nut pancakes. Since he was so thin, she never bothered him about sugar. It was just Eat, you’ll feel better .
Lily was staring at her stack of whipped-cream-topped blueberry pancakes. “Mama says sugar is bad for me.”
“It is, but once in a while a little bit won’t hurt,” Louis said.
Lily picked up her fork and began to eat. Louis sipped his coffee, watching her. She had slept all night with him, waking up before he did to brush her teeth and tie up her hair. After he called down to get their bags she went into the bathroom to dress herself. She emerged wearing a pink sweatshirt and jeans, Lucy in her arms.
He had decided to do his best to make their last day on the island together memorable. The morning had started at the police station, where a big-mitted officer had gently taken Lily’s fingerprints. She watched as Louis was printed and seemed thrilled when the officer gave her a copy of her print card. Next they had stopped at a souvenir shop, where Lily picked out a little ceramic horse with MACKINAC ISLAND stamped on the base. After
“I can be there tomorrow,” Kyla said.
“No,” Louis said quickly. He glanced at the bathroom door. “She’s fine, Kyla, and she doesn’t want to go home.” He paused. “And I don’t want her to. I need this time with her. Please don’t cut it short.”
There was a long silence on the other end. Then she said, “Are you going to Echo Bay after this weekend?”
Louis sat back against headboard. The last thing he needed right now was a lecture about Joe. “Yes, I am,” he said.
Another silence, then “How about if I come up to the island Monday afternoon and pick up Lily?”
He was confused. Kyla had never been particularly kind to him in the past about anything, so why was sheoffering to save him a trip back to Ann Arbor? Especially since it freed him up to be with his lover, Joe, a woman Kyla clearly didn’t approve of.
“Okay,” he said. “Thank you.”
“We still need to talk, Louis.”
He thought about the bones. “Yes, we do.”
“Tell Lily to call me.”
They said their good-byes and Louis hung up.
Lily came out of the bathroom. She was wearing the T-shirt. It hung past her knees and elbows. She just stood there looking around the room.
“You want to watch TV?” Louis asked.
She looked around the room and then back at Louis. There was no television in the room. Louis felt a small panic rising up in him at the thought of having to keep her entertained for the rest of the night. But Lily looked away, toward the partially opened window. It was dark, and the street outside was quiet. Her eyes drifted to Louis. She looked very tired.
“Can I lie down?” she asked.
“Of course you can.”
He got up and pulled the comforter down. She climbed up on the bed, carefully holding her splinted arm. Louis tucked the comforter around her.
“I wish I had Lucy,” she said.
“Lucy will be here tomorrow, I promise.”
She turned away, closing her eyes. Louis went back to his bed and lay down. He wasn’t really tired, and under normal circumstances he’d be searching out the nearest bar right about now. He turned off the light and lay there in the dark, staring up at the shadows on the ceiling. Fromthe open window came a cool breeze and the clip-clop of a passing carriage.
He closed his eyes.
He had almost drifted off when he felt something warm at his side and smelled the scent of soap. He stiffened, almost afraid to move, like if he did he could roll over and crush her.
Holding his breath, he turned to his side and gently put his arm over Lily’s back.
5
T here was something about pancakes. Louis remembered whenever he didn’t feel well his foster mother Frances would make him banana nut pancakes. Since he was so thin, she never bothered him about sugar. It was just Eat, you’ll feel better .
Lily was staring at her stack of whipped-cream-topped blueberry pancakes. “Mama says sugar is bad for me.”
“It is, but once in a while a little bit won’t hurt,” Louis said.
Lily picked up her fork and began to eat. Louis sipped his coffee, watching her. She had slept all night with him, waking up before he did to brush her teeth and tie up her hair. After he called down to get their bags she went into the bathroom to dress herself. She emerged wearing a pink sweatshirt and jeans, Lucy in her arms.
He had decided to do his best to make their last day on the island together memorable. The morning had started at the police station, where a big-mitted officer had gently taken Lily’s fingerprints. She watched as Louis was printed and seemed thrilled when the officer gave her a copy of her print card. Next they had stopped at a souvenir shop, where Lily picked out a little ceramic horse with MACKINAC ISLAND stamped on the base. After