“I hate those things. They’re way too small. I can hardly see the numbers. My fingers slip and I don’t hit the right buttons. I tried to use Bob’s before he lost it somewhere, but it’s so frustrating.”

“Tell you what, Grace. You get another cell phone, and we’ll go over it together until you master it, and I’ll take a senior yoga class with you.”

Grace’s rocker slowed. “Will you really, Hannah?”

“I will. I promise.”

Grace clapped her hands. “I’ll tell Bob to get me a new cell phone. Maybe he can find one with larger buttons. Someone said Verizon makes one for seniors with larger buttons.” She was silent a moment. “Shall I ask Amelia if she’d like to take yoga with us?”

Hannah sighed. “Can’t this be something just the two of us do?”

“Yes, just the two of us. Of course.”

There it was again. No matter how pleasant things seemed between Hannah and Amelia, an underlying tension persisted. Hannah preferred doing things without Amelia. Amelia preferred doing things with Grace without Hannah. Grace preferred having them do things as a three-some. Maybe three was too much of a crowd, as the old saying went.

How, then, had they managed to set aside so many of their differences and live together peacefully most of the time? On some level, they needed one another, less now than they had originally, of course, but they cared for one another and were like sisters. Siblings fussed at one another. Things could change, but Grace liked to think that she, Amelia, and Hannah would grow very old together. And then what? They would all die, of course, and one of them would be left alone. No. They were not alone, not since Amelia had Miriam and Sadie. Grace understood Amelia’s concern that Miriam would marry and move away. She had never really imagined what it might be like to grow old without a child. “I’ll check the yoga classes in Mars Hill and see what I can come up with,” Grace said.

At that moment the sun slipped behind Snowman’s Cap. Streaks of flame followed by layers of lavender bowed before the golden hue of a pleasant summer evening.

39

Heartbreak

The FedEx van rolled into Max’s driveway and out again. Moments later, Anna placed an envelope in Sarina’s hands. “This came for you,” she said.

“Zachary?”

Anna raised her eyebrows and nodded. She could see the anxiety in the young woman’s eyes.

Sarina slipped the envelope under her arm. “Anna, will you watch Sarah for me, please? She’s sleeping, but she could wake up any minute.”

“Sí, señora.”

Gripped by fear and hope, her heart racing, Sarina could hardly breath. “I’m going to walk up on the hill.”