“We didn’t know how young people like to decorate their bedrooms, so we figured we’d let you decide if you want to make any changes.”

Maya set her bag on the floor at the foot of the bed and smoothed her hand across the quilt. “It’s perfect. I don’t want to change a thing.”

Trudy smiled and gestured for Maya to follow her down to the kitchen. Violet stood in the doorway as her sister, so full of light and energy despite her silence, led this young woman through their home and into their world.

Later the three of them poured tall glasses of iced tea and cut slices of pound cake for an afternoon snack. Violet watched as Trudy and Maya walked out to the porch side by side, Trudy’s hand on Maya’s back a small brush of motherly affection. On the porch Maya sat on one end of the swing and Trudy settled onto the other. From behind, Trudy’s short, gray, out-of-control curls next to Maya’s smooth, dark waterfall made them look like two mismatched bookends that somehow fit together perfectly.

Twelve

On the drive to Soldiers Creek, with Ruby perched over her legs and hanging her head out the passenger window, Maya asked Tyler repeatedly to give her details about the place they were going. What would they do? How many people would be there? Did she have to swim? All he’d told her was to wear a swimsuit and bring sunscreen. He had a cooler in the back of the truck full of she didn’t know what, but it didn’t matter. She wasn’t hungry or thirsty; she was nervous.

Tyler was easy to be around. He smiled a lot, he always seemed happy to see her, and conversation came easy now. They talked about books they’d read and reread, about Ruby, about his sister, Missy, and about Maya’s vibrant grandmother and the bird that would sit on her shoulder. Tyler was a known factor, which made him increasingly safe. But he’d said a bunch of his friends would be there, and she didn’t know them. Didn’t know if they’d like her, if they’d accept her.

As the wind whipped her hair against her cheeks, she smoothed her shorts over her thighs. She didn’t own a swimsuit cover-up, so she’d just worn shorts and a shirt over her swimsuit. And as for the swimsuit, she had no idea if it was in style or anything like what everyone else would be wearing. It was the only one she had—black and modest and purchased for a family lake trip a couple summers ago with a family that wasn’t hers.

“They’re going to like you,” Tyler said, as if reading her mind. He did that a lot. “Don’t worry. They probably won’t even notice you.”

“Ha. How can they like me if they don’t notice me?”

“I don’t mean that, I’m sorry. I just meant you’ll be just another new person coming to the creek. It won’t be a big deal.”