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volunteers' planning meeting for the Return of The Swallows on March nineteenth.
    That was tomorrow. I groaned. I had to be there.
    I was tired. I could watch the news upstairs and go to sleep. The light on the answering machine told me I had a message.
    "Hi, Mom, I may be able to stop by tomorrow or the day after. Not sure yet. I'll let you know. Ciao ." Kyle's voice did my heart good. First Lawrence Devin, now Kyle. Only one not accounted for. Ruby.

 
CHAPTER SIX
     
    Time spent at the mission felt more like a reward than work. A time for renewal. The twelve of us regulars made it a habit to leave our personal agendas outside the massive gate of the historical landmark. While the new church built in the '80s to replace the one destroyed by the 1812 earthquake was an architectural masterpiece, we preferred to meet in the old section of the mission to discuss how to divide our duties for the day. We knew no swallow would darken the sky on March nineteenth , or any other day, at least not on the way to the mission, but tradition must be carried on and the town of San Juan Capistrano had three days of festivities planned around the event that celebrated the return of the cliff swallows from Argentina. My assignment was to answer the phones. Many calls came in from overseas and started very early in the morning. No one forced us to wear a costume, but we all did it. Such a fun practice. I wore my black suede skirt with matching fringed vest and my red silk blouse from Florence, and I tied the whole look together with my gaucho hat. That and my new Italian boots. The thought of the boots brought back images of the astrologer and, of course, Ruby.
    Sabrina, one of the volunteers who worked at the gift shop, noticed my mood change. "Is something wrong?"
    I shook my head. "I haven't seen Ruby since I got back, so I'm a little concerned."
    "Poor thing. I read about her husband. They were married such a short time. It's too bad. Maybe she's staying under the radar for a while, to avoid the gossip."
    "Gossip? About what? I wish I could have been there for her. I was in Italy when it happened. Poor Ruby—she called, but the phone service overseas is very different. We didn't connect."
    "That's right. Bad things tend to happen to Ruby when you are gone. Strange coincidence. No reflection on you, of course. We know it was an accident. Still, Tom is gone and so is your husband. Both accidental deaths, and Ruby goes about her life, unscathed."
    What an unkind comment. I kept my mouth shut, nodded my head and went back to talking about the phones. Should have left my personal life outside the gate as usual. Sabrina seemed to take the hint and resumed stuffing envelopes to solicit donations with a bit more eagerness.
    California's missions have always fascinated me, and I read everything I could find on the subject. Of all the ones I'd visited, Mission San Juan Capistrano was my favorite. After all, they'd named the mission, and later the town, after an Italian saint, San Giovanni da Capestrano. Loved the Italian connection; it made me proud. This place oozed history and stories. After most of the day spent at the mission and in no mood to cook, instead of going straight home I headed toward the grocery store to pick up some takeout from the deli counter.
    At the traffic light, waiting to turn left, I glanced at the Old Dana Point Cafe courtyard. Memories ambushed me. Damn you, Sabrina, you had to bring up Nick's death. The place looked sad and deserted. Stacks of patio chairs sat next to the closed red and white umbrellas. Even the chattering fountain had hushed. A few dead leaves dangled from the naked trees. Rumors had been circulating the place had been sold to a commercial developer, and snazzy condos would replace the existing buildings. Just what we needed, more cramped residences and more people.
    Six years ago the settings were quite different. Six years can be swift or endless. Six years ago I met Ruby for the first time.
    A few