In his room he thought again about the dark-haired woman at the funeral service, wondering who she was. It was easier to think of the mystery of her and not the greater mystery of his father’s death. Maybe Alice knew who she was. Alice, as far as he knew, had always lived in Kennewick, and she knew a lot of people. He’d ask her tomorrow. It would give them something to talk about.

Chapter 6

Then

A week before Alice graduated high school, Edith announced that she wanted to throw a graduation party. Alice initially refused—telling her mother that the last thing she wanted was any kind of party—but finally agreed to a nice dinner at home.

“Invite your friend Gina,” Edith said. “She’s never been here, has she?”

Alice wanted to say, For good reason, but instead told her mother she would check and see if Gina was free, but she doubted it.

The date was set for the Friday night before the Saturday morning graduation. Even though Gina knew all about Alice’s mom—how all she did was drink and take pills, and it was always a small miracle if she made it through dinner without passing out—Alice still wasn’t sure she wanted Gina to actually witness it. Besides, that wasn’t her real life. Alice’s real life was the dinners for two at the French restaurant with Jake—more frequent now—and the nights they spent together watching television, her mother barely even conscious.

Sometimes, when the three of them were together, Alice constructed elaborate fantasies in which Jake and she were married, and Edith was their sickly child. A burden, but one they bore together. But mostly, Alice imagined that it was just the two of them, just Jake and her, living a perfect life together, years and years passing. Somehow, in these daydreams, Alice got older but Jake stayed the same. No one would mistake them for father and daughter. Maybe one day they’d even have their own child. A daughter. Alice sometimes saw her in her mind, and it was as if she were real, an actual child being remembered. She’d love swimming in the ocean, and grow up speaking both French and English because of all the time they’d spend in France. Genevieve would love her mother, but she’d love her father most of all, doting on him.

“My mom is making a big fancy dinner for the night before graduation,” Alice told Gina.

“Are you inviting me?” Gina laughed.

“Thinking about it.”

“I’ll come. I need to see the real Edith in action.”

Alice clenched her jaw, suddenly wishing she’d just told her mom that Gina was busy that night. “Sorry, Al,” Gina quickly said. “That was a rude thing to say, but, yes, yes, I want to come to dinner. What is she cooking?”