Our route took us from Cashman Park down the boardwalk along the river, past the new harbormaster’s hut, and onto the new section of the rail trail, which is really something. We had to break into smaller groups when we hit the rail trail, so that we weren’t taking up the whole thing. In the past we have been accused by some of the town’s old-timers of “traveling in a horde.”

Michelle was still on the oyster and the grit. Those of us who were walking with her suspected that she preferred talking about the elements of a psychological thriller to actually writing a psychological thriller. “Mark my words,” she said ominously.

Some of us went back to talking about Alexa Thornhill’s YouTube videos, and whether or not Rebecca knew that Alexa had decided not to go to college to focus on her “career.” We can’t tell you where we heard that—it was told to us in confidence. But we can say that the information came from more than one source, and that the sources were reliable.

Rebecca didn’t join us on the walks anymore. We didn’t blame her! She was still adjusting to the new normal. But without the walking and without the barre class, we weren’t sure how she was staying so thin.

Of course we were there for her, when it happened. It was a shock to the community too. Peter had been so healthy, so vibrant. He ran in the Yankee Homecoming ten-mile race every summer. He was on the school committee and the board of Our Neighbors’ Table. He was not yet fifty! There one day, and then gone. We set up a Meal Train for an entire month after the funeral. We took Morgan whenever we could, to give Rebecca a break. Believe us, we were there.

“I don’t think we mention it to Rebecca,” Dawn said finally. “It’s not our business.”

“Agreed,” said Gina. “Let’s keep our noses out of Rebecca’s business. She’s still mad at me about that thing with the sleeping bag, and I didn’t even tell a soul.”

We refrained from mentioning that if we all knew what Gina was talking about, it was literally impossible that she hadn’t told a soul. We just kept walking.

“Sherri came here from out of nowhere, right? Isn’t that sort of strange? I mean, why Newburyport? Does she even have any ties here? It seems random, that’s all. Kind of funny,” said Michelle.

We were certain Michelle was creating a mountain out of a molehill. But sometimes we can all be prone to that tendency. In a town like ours, not a lot happens, and sometimes we look for the excitement where we can get it.

21.

Alexa