Grace laughed at her mother. “And what can we do that would make you happy?” she asked.
“Me? Well, I’ve been thinking about that. I’d like to go to one of those football games.”
“You? Football?”
“Everyone goes,” Winnie said. “The whole town goes. Then half of them come out to the beach and make noise till all hours, dancing around the fires like druids.”
“Well, then, we’ll take you to a game,” Grace said. “Who would’ve guessed?”
“What? I’ve been to football games!” Winnie said.
“Really? Have you ever been to one where you didn’t view from a private box?”
She shrugged and made a face. “Perhaps not. But I think it sounds like fun.”
“Then fun it shall be,” Grace promised.
“Only if it’s not raining, of course,” Winnie said.
“Of course,” Grace said, laughing.
* * *
In the evenings, Lin Su embroidered the ornate letter S onto towels that were very pale taupe in color, just like the walls in Blake’s hallway and master bath. She chose a silk thread that was between tan and gold. It was because of her mother’s swatch that she taught herself this needlework, not nearly as good as those Vietnamese artisans, but her work was excellent and she was proud of this towel set. She thought he might appreciate it as something he wouldn’t otherwise have purchased. And it was personal without being intimate, the perfect gift for a single man.
Lin Su was very grateful to Winnie for her desire to attend a football game because that paved the way for Lin Su to go along, be of service and check out her son as he attended with a few new friends from school. She couldn’t go with him; that was too invasive. And she hadn’t wanted to go alone.
Charlie and a couple of kids sat near Troy, Grace, Peyton and Iris. Scott was down on the field with the team and Seth was near the field, the town deputy ready for anything, though he was not in uniform. Charlie was considered very cool to have this association with these Thunder Point residents, particularly Troy, considered by many to be the most popular teacher.
But what she noticed during halftime and the end of another successful Thunder Point game was that there were a number of kids swirling around Charlie, high-fiving him, patting him on the back, calling out to him and generally being wonderfully friendly.
Winnie was bundled up and sat in her wheelchair at the base of the bleachers, wearing one of her beloved furs. Her friends swung by to say hello. There was Lou and Gina, Carrie and Ray Anne. Mikhail and Lin Su stayed near her, Seth and Troy checking on them regularly, offering to bring them goodies from the concession stand. And not surprisingly, Blake happened along and chose to stand for a long while with his next-door neighbors. Then he went into the bleachers and squeezed in with Charlie and his friends, probably enhancing Charlie’s sudden popularity.
Lin Su couldn’t stop smiling. As far as she knew, Charlie had never enjoyed camaraderie like this before. She had worried about him almost constantly, fearing he was regularly picked on by older, bigger kids. But tonight, he was laughing and cheering wildly. She checked her coat pocket to make sure she had that extra inhaler and EpiPen, then stopped herself. He was fine. He was happy.
For once Lin Su wore jeans and boots with a heel, wrapped in her new red winter coat, her hair loose and flowing down her back. It was probably feeling good in her civilian clothes that made her a little more animated, a bit more excited. She looked like a real woman for once and not so much like the local nurse. And since she’d been living in the loft in town for a couple of weeks, people shouted out to her as one of the neighbors enjoying their favorite entertainment—a high school football game.
Her relationship with everyone had evolved. She began to think of many of them as friends. Their acquaintance grew beyond her work for Winnie and much of that had to do with the simple fact that Charlie was in school all day and Lin Su had more time to connect with people. She went to work a little later in the morning, took breaks in the afternoon while Winnie napped; she even babysat the flower shop a couple of times so that Grace could spend an hour or two of quality time with her mother.
She was spending a little time with Blake because of Charlie’s training schedule and because they ran into each other so frequently. She was even invited to come to Blake’s gym to watch Charlie work out with Blake. But only once. And, she suspected, only at Blake’s insistence.
There were little slivers of time here and there when it was only Blake and Lin Su. It was quite by accident, of course. Lin Su would be out on Winnie’s deck for a little while or maybe on the beach road watching for Charlie to get home from school. Blake would always greet her and take a few minutes to talk. Blake liked to take a happy hour with the family when everyone was gathering at the end of the day, though his cocktail would be a lime and electrolyte-charged water. He was always in training. And with a big race coming up, he was more rigid than ever about his schedule.
They were all gathered in Winnie’s living room, Lin Su nearby in the kitchen, when Blake asked Troy if he could take over Charlie’s workouts for a while.
“No problem. We might have to adjust the times a little, might even have to do it early in the morning before school, but we’ll get it done.”
“I’m going to be scarce for the next ten days. I’m going to be working hard at getting ready and in three days I’m going to Hawaii. I want to be there six or seven days before the race.”
“Kona is a big one,” Charlie said. “The big one. If I was sixteen and had a license, I’d drive the route with you for practice,” Charlie said. “I’d give almost anything to be on the crew.”
“Couple of years before we consider that, pal,” he said.
“How many people on your crew?” Troy asked.
“Hard to say,” Blake explained. “They come from the institute, Gretchen’s training facility, and they crew for more than one athlete. There might be two concentrating on me, but as soon as my needs are met, they have another athlete to fix with water, nourishment, transition. Their timing has to be perfect—they know exactly how long it will take each athlete to complete a phase of the race, and if they’re not at the right place at the exact time it can cost the race.” He started to laugh. “One year a long time ago there was a Navy SEAL in the race and he was a favorite, but his crew ran out of water and relied on beer instead. It might’ve kept him hydrated but it also slowed him down.” He laughed. “But he came in second!”
“I thought the race personnel had water stations,” Grace said.
“They do. I’ve relied on them, as well, depending on the race and the rules of the race, but if I can have my own team it gives me a little more confidence, especially during the transitions. For me, if the timing is right my race is better.”
“I’ll be watching all day,” Charlie said. “I figured out they’re live streaming from the race so I can get more coverage.”
“Well, my head will be in another place so you can fill me in on the race when I get home.” He stood to leave. He put a hand on Charlie’s shoulder. “You know who wins the race, right?”
“Right,” Charlie said. “The guy with the plan.”
“The guy who ignores his plan doesn’t do so well. The guy who changes his pace too early gets in trouble.” He shook his head. “Some athletes have a reputation for it—they take the early lead even if it depletes them. They wash out. Remember that in your workouts—you have a plan. It works. No fancy stuff while I’m gone, okay?”
“I know. Nice and steady,” Charlie said.
“You’ll thank me someday,” Blake said. Then he shook Charlie’s hand and bent at the waist to give Winnie a little kiss on the brow. “Be well, Winnie. I’ll see you pretty soon.”
“Good luck, Blake,” Winnie said. “Bring home the gold.”
“I’ll do m
y best.”
The house fell silent when Blake left. No one spoke or stirred.
“Hey! He’s going to do great!” Charlie finally said. “He’s ready! That’s ninety percent of it.”
Twelve
It remained quiet while the family ate dinner. “Why isn’t anyone talking like usual?” Charlie asked. “This is the one he trains all year for. You’re not worried, are you? He’s going to do great!”
“Of course he is,” Winnie said. “Who is Blake’s family? Where are they?”
No one answered for a moment. “He said he was raised by a single mother, like me,” Charlie finally said. “And she’s gone now.”
“Who will be at the finish line for him?” she asked.
“I imagine he has a lot of good friends, Mother,” Grace said. “He’s been racing this circuit for years. He’s been in the top tier for years.”
“Yes, I know what that’s like. A cheering section made up of your competitors.” Winnie snorted.
“He has a team, Mother,” Grace said. “Really, he’ll be fine. And we can have a little gathering to celebrate when he gets back.”
“A poor substitute for having people who really care about you at the finish line.”
“It will have to do,” Mikhail said. “He’s had years to figure out who will be at the finish line.”
“One of us should go,” Winnie said.
You could have heard a pin drop.
“Due respect, it won’t be you, Your Majesty,” Mikhail said.
“Pah, I could do it with the right support! All I need is a little help.”
“A lot of help, Mama!” Grace said. “I can’t have you stranded on some island with your health as it is! Besides, you’re not up to watching a nine-hour race!”
“I’ll just watch him come in. I was there for every competition you had, and even though you hated me, it meant something, didn’t it?”
“I didn’t hate you,” Grace argued. “We were at odds, that’s all.”
Mikhail said something in Russian. Something passionate. Everyone looked at him. “Was good for mother and daughter, though a challenge for coach.”
“I’ll take Lin Su, the wheelchair, the walker, everything we need. I’ll get Virginia right on it,” she added, speaking of her assistant, still based in San Francisco. “She’ll find us some superior accessible accommodations not too far from the race.”
“The place will be overrun with people!” Grace said. “It’s ten days away! You’ll never get anything. And if you do, it will be inconvenient. And who’s going to drive you around the island?”
“Virginia can do anything. She’s been booking my travel for years. Lin Su will drive or maybe we’ll get a car service. Lin Su learned to drive in Boston. She can handle a little island traffic. And of course we’ll take Charlie.”
Lin Su was suddenly all ears. “What?”
“I wouldn’t leave him out of this excursion. This could be my last trip. I’m still in relatively good health. If I’m sitting down I don’t fall. My only real problem is fatigue and I manage that by planning ahead. Besides, Charlie is probably the most dedicated of all Blake’s fans. Charles, when is your birthday?”
Charlie, looking a little stunned, answered slowly. “June thirtieth.”
“And tell me, did you have a celebration?”
“Yes,” he said. “We went out to dinner and I had presents. A couple of apps for my phone. Clothes for summer and stuff like that.”
“This is a belated birthday present.”
“Winnie,” Lin Su said. “It’s too much. Charlie has school.”
“We won’t go for a week,” Winnie said. “Just a few days. We’ll have a wonderful time. Of course we can’t count on Blake until he’s recovered from his race, but that won’t keep us from having a good time. And Charlie will learn some important things.”
“We might distract Blake,” Lin Su said. “We might distract him and do more harm than good. I know your heart is in the right place but remember what he said—he plans to the second. He’s not flexible when it comes to his performance. It would be a bad idea. Grace is right—a small celebration when he gets home is better.”
“Bull,” Winnie said. “We’re going.”
“No!” Lin Su said. She took a breath. “If you insist I go, maybe Troy can keep an eye on Charlie while...”
“We’re going,” Winnie said. “I’ll speak to Blake to be sure we won’t be an inconvenience, to be sure he isn’t distracted by us. You, me and Mikhail and Charlie.”
“Ah. Madam has included me,” Mikhail said, lifting his drink to his lips.
“No,” Lin Su said. “I have to put my foot down. It’s extreme and indulgent.”
“Ma,” Charlie said. “Come on!”
Lin Su jerked her head sharply in her son’s direction and said something harsh and adamant. The only trouble...it wasn’t in a language anyone understood.
It silenced the table again.
“That was interesting,” Troy said. “You get that, Charlie?”
“That was another no,” Charlie said. “With swearing.”
“Sleep on it, Lin Su,” Winnie said calmly. “I’ll speak to Blake tomorrow if I can catch him. I’ll make sure he doesn’t veto the idea. If he doesn’t want us there, we’ll think of another excursion. But damn it, I’m in the mood for some tropical weather. And I’d love to see my friend Blake do some damage in Kona.”
* * *
While clearing the table and washing up some dishes, Lin Su appealed to Grace to put a stop to this extravagant and complicated idea.
“You’ve been with us over four months, Lin Su. Does it appear that once Mother gets an idea, you can talk her out of it? And didn’t you say in your interview that travel wasn’t out of the question as long as you had time to prepare?”
“You said it wasn’t likely, that’s why I didn’t mention Charlie at the time. I don’t want Charlie to get the idea people will be giving him things like trips to Hawaii! In the long run, it won’t do him any good. Ever since coming here to work for Winnie, things have been handed to us left and right, from the new school to the loft! A trip to Hawaii is so...so... It’s just huge, that’s all.”
“It’s actually a nice idea,” Grace said. “Listen, I’d intervene for you if she started going completely crazy and suggested taking Charlie out of school for long tours out of the country, but a few days in Hawaii to watch his best friend race?” Grace shrugged. “That’s actually nice of Mother. She is, under all her bossiness, a very generous person.”
So she appealed to Winnie, suggesting spoiling the boy would make his life more difficult in the end.
“As hard as he’s worked?” Winnie asked. “He should be so proud of himself. He’s been completely dedicated. Stop worrying so much—it’s a few days and we’ll have a nice time.”
“He shouldn’t get any more attached to Blake,” Lin Su said.
“You’re too late, my dear. He’s already attached. To Blake and to all of us. Just as we’re attached to him.”
She knew this in her heart. It was true. They were all good friends now, though she tried to keep things in perspective. Charlie had always known people she worked with and for, but this took it to the next level. They were almost a family and she was very grateful. What she didn’t want was for Charlie to feel what she’d felt when that family that she counted on, her adoptive parents and sisters, abandoned her, as if they’d never been family at all.
She had tried to protect him from everything. She hadn’t been able to so far.
“Have you ever been to a luau, Lin Su?”
She had. And she’d been younger than Charlie.
When Lin Su was a girl she’d been on some mighty nice trips. Her parents were well-to-do and they spent a couple of weeks
in Saint Thomas every winter; Boston was brutal in the winter. They had a place at the cape for summers. She’d been to Maui with the family twice—Karyn’s second wedding was held there. They also traveled to Europe a few times. Lin Su also went to Europe with her high school class—Italy, France, Spain. She’d had good experiences even if she hadn’t thoroughly enjoyed the company of her parents. Well, they didn’t happen to be especially enjoyable people. Gordon was only interested in golfing, drinking, living it up with his cronies. Marilyn, focused on status, was more interested in the wives of those cronies.
Lin Su had fun—all the cronies and wives had kids and she went to school with many of them. Then along came Jake in her senior year and those little family trips improved tremendously. Her parents were more than thrilled to invite him along—both to keep her out of their hair and to impress his parents.
Charlie, however, had never been anywhere except the emergency room from time to time. And while they always seemed to be moving, scraping to hold things together, worrying about where they’d land next, he had never complained. Why shouldn’t he be lucky for once? Fly to the islands, watch his idol race?
But it wasn’t just Charlie she hoped to protect. Lin Su grew to like Blake more every day. There wasn’t an admirable quality he lacked and she didn’t want to long for him, to long for a life she would never have. She pretended she didn’t want Charlie to be let down when Blake turned out to be human. She feared being vulnerable to his touch, his kindness, his devotion to her son; she feared the dark pain of rejection. Ordinarily such fears would be easy for her to mask but Lin Su had strong memories of frolicking on the beach with her teenage lover, Charlie’s father, Jake. What more poignant way was there than that vivid memory to remind her that her life would be forever ruined if she let herself be drawn into that sort of romantic idealism again? Charlie was just a kid. She had been just a kid.
After Winnie was settled, Lin Su walked with Charlie along the beach road to the loft. “Soon it will be too cold for this walk,” she said.