ʺPhilip, want to take a walk?ʺ she asked. Her little brother jumped to his feet.
ʺWeigh anchor and hoist the mizzen!ʺ he cried. ʺWhoa! Where did you get that line?ʺ ʺWill.ʺ Will looked up and smiled. ʺDonʹt get lost, matey.ʺ
Philip looked left and right, then said to Ivy. ʺThat way!ʺ She was glad that he pointed left, toward the spit of sand that pushed out into the bay, creating behind its trees a secluded cove. She walked silently, while Philip, still young enough to talk out his fantasies, strutted and gave orders to his pirate crew. He found rubies and doubloons at the edge of the water. From time to time, he raised his spyglass and saw danger on the horizon.
When they had rounded the point, they came upon a deposit of sea stones, shiny‐wet and glittering in the late afternoon sun. They knelt down to pick through them. ʺPhilip,ʺ Ivy said, trying to sound casual, ʺyou told someone in the hospital to pray to Tristan. Do you still pray to him?ʺ
ʺOf course.ʺ
ʺAnd does he answer?ʺ
ʺYou mean, do I hear him?ʺ
ʺYes.ʺ
ʺNot anymore. I stopped hearing him after Gregory died.ʺ Ivy nodded and continued sorting through the stones, telling herself she shouldnʹt have expected anything else, and it was silly to be disappointed.
Philip rolled a pebble between his fingers, then discarded it. ʺI hear Lacey.ʺ
Ivy glanced up. ʺYou do? You never mentioned that before/ʹ
ʺYou never asked.ʺ Ivy sat back on her heels, thinking. She hadnʹt sensed Laceyʹs presence in the house — hadnʹt seen the telltale purple shimmer that indicated the angel was mere — so she had assumed that when Tristan said good-bye, Lacey had left too.
Of course, Lacey hadnʹt liked her; Ivy knew that. Lacey had helped her because Lacey cared about Tristan — was in love with him, Ivy suspected.
ʺYo ho ho and a bottle of rum,ʺ Philip sang, stirring the wet pebbles and sand with his finger. ʺThe doctors told Mom itʹs a miracle you didnʹt die.ʺ
ʺYes, it seems like a miracle. I prayed toʺ—she hesitated—ʺan angel.ʺ Philip looked up at her, as if he suddenly understood. ʺDid Lacey help you?ʺ
ʺI think some angel did,ʺ Ivy replied. ʺLetʹs ask her,ʺ Philip said. ʺLacey!ʺ He stood and raised his hands to the sky. ʺHey, Lacey, Lacey, Lacey. Cʹmon, Lacey, you scallywag!ʺ
There was no response. Philip shrugged, then knelt to continue sorting through the stones. ʺI guess sheʹs busy.ʺ
ʺWell, blow me down, if it isnʹt the old buccaneer and his scurvy sister!ʺ a husky voice said. ʺLacey!ʺ Philip replied happily. ʺHi, Lacey,ʺ Ivy greeted her, trying not to let the hope seep into her voice. If Lacey was still here— ʺLong time no see,ʺ Lacey replied to Ivy, ʺwhich works for me.ʺ Her purple shimmer came close to them, as if she were crouching on the sand. ʺThis oneʹs perfect.ʺ A smooth round stone appeared to hop into Philipʹs hand.
ʺWhatʹs up, Philip? I canʹt stay long this time‐got a new gig — an apprentice that doesnʹt have a due what heʹs doing.ʺ
Philip nodded. ʺJust a question: Did you save Ivyʹs life on Sunday night?ʺ
ʺExcuse me?ʺ She moved away from where Philip and Ivy were kneeling and appeared to dance along the edge of the water. Her shimmer was as delicate as a sea mist, the deep purple of a mollusk shell. ʺSave Ivy?ʺ
ʺBeth and I were in a car accident,ʺ Ivy explained.
Lacey came closer, circling Ivy, as if studying her. Ivy felt the gentle pressure of fingers against her temple and knew that Lacey was materializing just the tips of them; by the time Tristan had left, he had been able to do that too.
ʺIʹve seen paper cuts bigger than that,ʺ Lacey said. ʺI know,ʺ Ivy replied with surging confidence.
ʺTristan healed me.ʺ
ʺWhat?ʺ
ʺTristan?ʺ Philip asked, sounding surprised as Lacey.
ʺNot possible,ʹ the angel said adamantly. ʺLast time I was with Tristan, he was headed to the Light. He had fulfilled his mission — thanks to me,ʺ she added.
ʺBy now, he’s far beyond all of us, hanging out with Number One Director, I’m sure.”
“But I felt his arms around me,” Ivy insisted and recounted the details of the accident. When she described looking down at her body in the crushed car, then rising the starry night, Lacey’s purple mist held perfectly still. For a full thirty seconds after Ivy finished, Lacey was uncharacteristically silent.
Ivy thought she might have stopped listening halfway through until Lacey spat out, ʺUnbelievable. Unbelievable!ʺ
Small stones, one after another, were lifted by an invisible hand and hurled into the water. ʺHey!ʺ Philip cried, ʺthat was my best one!ʺ ʺSony.ʺ The shower of stones stopped. ʺI just hope you were hallucinating,ʺ Lacey said to Ivy, ʺbecause if what youʹre describing really happened, thereʹs going to be serious fallout.ʺ Ivy frowned. ʺWhat do you mean9ʺ ʺAngels canʹt go around giving the kiss of life.ʺ
The kiss of life, Ivy repeated to herself, recalling how, when Tristan kissed her, she was suddenly aware of her heart beating. ʺIf s against the rules.ʺ ʺHow do you know?ʺ Ivy asked Lacey. ʺHow do I know? Look at me. What dʹya see?ʺ
ʺFog with an attitude,ʺ Ivy replied. ʺOh, yeah, I forgot. Give me a second..
Lacey materialized herself, then strutted up and down the shore in her ripped leggings and long tank top.
ʺLike my new hair?ʺ she asked, shaking her head. It was tinged purple, long and straight, with blunt‐cut bangs. ʺI picked up a few more skills since we last had the pleasure of working together.ʺ
ʺWow!ʺ Philip exclaimed, reaching out to touch the angel. ʺThe whole you!
Youʹre awesome, Lacey!ʺ
ʺThanks, kid.ʺ She turned to Ivy. ʺFor three years Iʹve successfully put off my mission by breaking the rules. If Iʹm not the expert on forbidden acts, who is? Iʹm telling you — Number One Director does not like his cast members changing the script. There will be repercussions ʺ
ʺBecause Tristan saved me?ʺ Ivy argued. ʺI guess you werenʹt listening in Sunday school. Donʹt you remember the fallen angels story? They wanted to be like God, just like God. If s Godʹs privilege, not ours, to give and take life.”
Ivy didn’t reply. Would Tristan do something forbidden for her sake?
Lacey’s mouth curved in disgust. “Only you could get a guy killed, and one year later, put his soul in jeopardy!ʺ
Ivy and Philip watched as the angelʹs body faded into sand, ocean, and sky.
Philip laid his hand on Ivyʹs arm. ʺMaybe you just dreamed it.ʺ
ʺMaybe,ʺ she replied, but the words rang hollow, even to her.
ON THE WALK BACK FROM THE COVE, IVY ASKED Philip not to mention to anyone that Tristan had helped her.
ʺNot even Will?ʺ
It had upset Will just to hear her playing Tristanʹs song. No, Iʹll tell him myself in a little while. It’ s best not to mention Lacey either,ʺ she added Ivy was relieved when Philip and her mother left on Wednesday morning. Taking off the fitted silk blouse her mother had picked out for her, she pulled on a tie‐dyed T‐shirt, an X‐Large that was leftover from a school fund‐raiser.
For the first time in her life, Ivy was uneasy around Will. Every time he looked at her, she feared he could read her thoughts — and see Tristan there. She trod carefully around Beth and sensed that Beth was being careful around her too.
Kelsey and Dhanya, wrapped up in the guys from Chatham, spent most of their time there, which was fine with Ivy. Her most comfortable companion was Dusty the cat.
On Friday, Will drove Ivy to Hyannis to pick up a rental car, which she would use until the insurance for her totaled car was processed. ʺYouʹre so quiet?ʹ he said when they stopped at a traffic light. ʺAre you worried about something?ʺ