I took a step closer. “How is Sam taking everything?”

Her eyebrows raised slightly. She looked vaguely at the other bank. “He’s with Lichtenstein in the cabin. They’re planning something.”

“Mama! Let’s go!” A sharp shout from the slope behind us.

“Go get in the car!” Jean called. “We’re coming!”

“Carlotta! Can we see your baaaaby?” The smaller ones started down the hill. Jean hoisted her skirts and ran, climbing, jumping, to head them off.

Carlotta shifted the oar. The boat began to move sideways down the stream.

“Where’s the other oar?”

“Lost.”

“Can you make it?”

She nodded. Her arms and shoulders struggled with the long heavy oar. The sling rocked gently back and forth with her movements. Eventually the boat moved backward into the stream. Once she was near the opposite shore, Carlotta turned to wave.

“Goodbye!” I screamed.

And her soft voice calmly answered, “Goodbye.” She climbed out of the boat and carried the pail. With her other arm, she scooped up the dripping diapers. She walked slowly up the bank through the gray trees.

There was black mush in my pail, a lot of juice slopping around the berries. I grabbed the handle and ran up the hill to where Jean and the children waited in the car.

Sam and Carlotta didn’t come to the barbecue. Spike went over in the evening to see if they were all right. He took cream to eat with the berries. I didn’t go along. I watched Jean place the lucid jam in the kitchen cupboard.

Spike came back with a friend he’d found on the way. He said Sam and Carlotta had been having supper when he arrived. They seemed fine. He went down to the basement to mend a drill the friend had brought. I fell asleep on the sofa watching an old movie. They didn’t wake me when they went to bed.

Rennel