ʺYour voice,” Guy said. ʺThereʹs something wrong.ʺ Ivy fought back her tears.
ʺIvy? Ivy; are you there?ʺ he asked, in response to her long silence. ʺHold on.ʺ
She dug into her pockets for tissue. ʺAre you okay? Ivy, talk to me!ʺ
ʺIʹm okay.ʺ She wiped her eyes and blew her nose. ʺAll right. You donʹt have to say anything,ʺ he told her. ʺJust donʹt hang up on me.ʺ
ʺI wonʹt.ʺ Finally regaining her composure. Ivy said, ʺIʹm here.ʺ
ʺWhatʹs going on?ʺ Guy asked. ʺToday… today is June twenty‐fifth.ʺ
ʺWhich is a special day,ʺ he replied. Did he know that or was he just guessing?
ʺYes, Tristanʹs anniversary,ʺ Ivy said aloud. ʺHe died one year ago today.”
Guy didnʹt respond right away. ʺI’m sorry. What can I do to help? Do you want me to come over? Do you want to come here? Would you rather be alone?ʺ
ʺWill, Beth, and I are going to have a bonfire at Race Point. Tristan was a terrific swimmer, a racer.ʺ
ʺThen I think he would be happy to be remembered that way.ʺ
ʺWould you come?ʺ she asked suddenly. ʺPlease?ʺ Guy hesitated. ʺUm… Sure,ʺ he said. ʺI’ll meet you there. What time?ʺ ʺAround eight.ʺ After their conversation, Ivy went for a long walk.
A little after six, she returned to the cottage to change into jeans and found Dhanya sitting on the swing. ʺHowʹs it going?ʺ Dhanya asked. ʺOkay. Thanks.ʺ
ʺWill told Kelsey and me about the bonfire. He invited us.ʺ Ivy was taken aback.
ʺIt’s not a party.ʺ ʺIt’s a wake,ʺ Kelsey said, emerging from the cottage carrying a long slice of pizza that flopped over the edge of her paper plate. ʺAnd wakes are parties for the dead, the best way to honor the dearly departed.ʺ
ʺHis name is Tristan,ʺ Ivy replied, and headed inside. She was angry. Why would Will think sheʹd like to have Dhanya and Kelsey along? But then, she had invited Guy, and Will would be just as unhappy about her invitation. Be fair, she told herself.
A half hour later, after Will piled firewood, shovels, and a cooler in the trunk of his car. Ivy climbed in the backseat and Beth in the front. Kelsey and Dhanya followed Will in Kelsey’ s Jeep.
During the thirty‐mile trip. Ivy kept waiting for the right moment to tell them that Guy was coming, but couldnʹt find an opening. Both Beth and Will were quiet.
It occurred to Ivy that Will had invited the other girls as a buffer, to keep things from getting too intense. When the two cars arrived at the parking lot, Kelsey offered to drag the wheeled cooler across the dunes. Will carried the logs and Ivy the kindling. Beth picked up the beach towels and an armful of purple salvia that she had cut from Aunt Cindyʹs garden. Ivy entrusted Dhanya with the photo album she had brought.
Large dunes separated the lot from the beach and they walked in slow procession along the main path between the dunes. Ivy liked the effort of walking in the deep sand; the ocean breeze was cool, but the sand felt warm beneath her feet.
Ivy and Will dug the fire pit. Beth sat on a beach blanket holding the album that Dhanya had set down. Kelsey immediately plundered the ice chest, only to discover that no alcohol had been packed.
She and Dhanya played in the shallow foam of the ocean, laughing and splashing each other. When the pit was dug. Will placed the logs and arranged the kindling. Ivy gazed out at the indigo water. Race Point Beach lay along the northern edge of the National Seashore, where the Capeʹs long finger curled back toward the mainland. The bend in the beach, like the bend in the horizon, made Ivy feel as if she was standing on a ledge between two worlds. The world she had always known was glowing in the west, gold and rose‐colored.
But another world of mauve and starlight like the one on the night Tristan had kissed her, hung in the east She felt caught between. When the fire was roaring, Kelsey and Dhanya joined the others around it.
ʺAre we going to sing songs?ʺ Kelsey asked as everyone sat down. ʺWeʹre sharing memories of Tristan,ʺ Will answered quietly, ʺtalking about the kind of person he was and the things he did.ʺ
ʺThatʹs kind of depressing, isnʹt it?ʺ Kelsey said, then her face brightened as she looked toward the dunes ʺOh, hello!ʺ Everyone turned to follow her gaze. Guy was walking toward them.
ʺI got here as soon as I could,ʺ he said when he was close. ʺWho invited you?ʺ
Will demanded. ʺI did.” Ivy replied. Guy kept his eyes on her. ʺI brought you some flowers.ʺ
He held a bouquet wrapped in florist paper behind him, as if uncertain about offering it. Ivy smiled and stood up, holding out her hands. ʺOh!ʹ She looked from the roses to Guy, tears stinging her eyes. ʺTheyʹre lavender.ʺ
ʺI did the wrong thing,ʺ Guy said, quickly pulling them away. Ivy reached for the flowers, her hands catching and holding his.
ʺNo! No, theyʹre perfect.ʺ She looked into his eyes. ʺHow did you know thatthat I love lavender roses?ʺ He shrugged. ʺThey just seemed right for you.ʺ
ʺTheyʹre beautiful. Thank you,ʺ Ivy said, cradling the flowers in her arms.
ʺMy parents gave me lavender roses for my sixteenth birthday,ʺ Dhanya interjected. ʺI get a different color each year. And always the number of years I am.ʺ
ʺBefore Princess Dhanya tells us the details of each of her very special birthday celebrations,ʺ Kelsey said, ʺgrab a soda, Guy. Let’s get this wake going.ʺ
Ivy made room on her blanket. Guy sat next to her, across from Will and Beth.
Will spoke about Tristan as a top‐rated swimmer and Ivy recalled the day Suzanne and Beth had dragged her to her first school meet to watch him compete. ʺCan I look at the pictures you brought?ʺ Dhanya asked.
Beth passed the album, and Dhanya started turning pages. ʺHey, whoʹs this gorgeous guy?ʺ She carried the book over to Ivy, placing it on her lap and squeezing onto the blanket next to her. ʺGregory.ʺ
Ivy heard Beth draw in her breath. Will dropped his head and stared at the fire.
ʺThe murderer? Let me see,ʺ Kelsey said, scooting sideways and leaning over them. ʺHe doesnʹt look like a murderer.ʺ
ʺWhat does a murderer look like?ʺ Beth replied sharply. ʺHow can anyone tell?ʺ
ʺFor one thing,ʺ Kelsey said, ʺthere should be cruelty in either his eyes or his mouth. I canʹt see them in these little pictures.ʺ
ʺIvy, thatʹs you — in that cheesy dress!ʺ Dhanya exclaimed. ʺTell me you didnʹt choose it.ʺ
ʺI didnʹt. This is Tristan,ʺ Ivy said, pointing to a photo of a table of wedding guests, which Tristan happened to be passing. Guy leaned closer to study the picture, but she saw no flicker of recognition on his face. ʺThe Tristan?ʺ Dhanya asked. “But heʹs just a waiter!ʺ
Ivy laughed and told them about her motherʹs wedding and Tristanʹs short-lived catering career. ʺI think it was love at first sight for my little brother, if not for me.ʺ
Guy pointed to her brother in another photo. ʺPhilip. I recognize him.ʺ Ivyʹs heart skipped a beat. Then she remembered they had met at the hospital.
ʺHeʹs a cute kid.” Kelsey said, returning to her own blanket and flopping back to stare up at the darkening sky. Dhanya turned the page. ʺBeth, your hairʹs different. I like it better now.ʺ
Dhanya was looking at the picture of Beth, Tristan, and Ella. ʺI gave Ella to Tristan,ʺ Ivy explained to Guy. ʺI had to give her up and Tristan answered my ad. He knew nothing about cats, but he assured me heʹd take good care of hersaid heʹd ʹwashʹ and feed her.ʺ Guy smiled. ʺThat was just a ploy to see you.ʺ
ʺYes. But he soon got attached to her,ʺ Ivy replied. ʺWhereʹs Ella now?ʺ Guy asked. ʺGregory hanged her,ʺ Beth said.
Dhanya gasped. Kelsey let out a low whistle. Will threw a stick in the fire.
ʺAny which way he could get you/ʹ Guy remarked.