Page 29 of Proof

Luna was caught up in the high energy surrounding the legendary and distinguished venue that hosted one of the most famous thoroughbred races in history. Brendan’s friend gave them a quick tour, pointing out the various sections of the stables and the paddock area. Luna wanted to get up close and personal with the horses, but that was not going to happen. She would only be able to view them from a distance later on.

She read a little about one of the favorites, Big Brown, who’d been purchased by a man who owned a trucking company in New York. He named the horse Big Brown as a nod to UPS’s logo and nickname. Luna imagined the horse caught her eye from yards away. “He’s going to win,” she whispered to Brendan.

“Who are you, Dr. Dolittle?” he teased.

“You’ll see.” Luna gave him her raised-eyebrow look.

As the day went on, throngs of people began entering the area, the women wearing some of the most absurd-looking hats. When did it get this crazy? Luna wondered. In addition to their chapeaus, many were adorned with tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of diamonds. Make that hundreds of thousands. It was a spectacle of the uber rich and conspicuous consumption.

The day was as long as the lines as they waited to use a flushable toilet. Even though the facilities at the campground weren’t completely barbaric, they still needed a few decades of modernization. There were more lines for food and drinks, so Luna and Brendan joined two separate queues and designated an area where they would meet after they spent ridiculous amounts of money on hot dogs and soda. It was the Kentucky Derby, after all.

Brendan made sure he placed their bets early on; otherwise, it would have meant waiting in more lines of hopeful gamblers. There were nine other races before the big one, and they placed bets on all of them, with Luna using her Dr. Dolittle superpowers to pick the winner of each.

They could barely squeeze through the throng to watch the races in person and had to rely on the closed-circuit TVs to see what was really happening. Whenever one of Luna’s horses came around the final turn and down the homestretch, she would start screaming as if the horse could hear her. At one point, a woman turned to her and asked, “Do we need to call an ambulance?” But Luna didn’t mind the mockery, considering she won a few hundred dollars on a two-dollar bet. Brendan was in shock and awe. Earlier that morning, he’d scanned The Morning Line and the professional picks but lost every time. Luna consoled him with, “I’ll buy dinner.”

Finally, Steve Buttleman, the bugler for the race, began to play the “Call to the Post” for the fastest two minutes in sports. Luna could barely contain her excitement. She grabbed Brendan’s shirtsleeves and held them in what felt like a death grip. Brendan couldn’t help but laugh at his friend. She was as entertaining as the event itself. As the parade of horses entered the track, over 160,000 spectators sang the state song, “My Old Kentucky Home,” a song riddled with controversy, so she didn’t join in. She knew no one would notice, and frankly didn’t care. At that moment, all she could think about was the race.

The horses were at the gate. Luna was almost hyperventilating as the bell rang, releasing the thoroughbreds. Big Brown could hardly be seen in the thick pack of horses until they came around the clubhouse turn, when he pulled ahead. Luna’s lungs were on fire. She thought she might wet her pants. Big Brown kept moving faster, gaining on the other horses. The crowd went wild as the horses approached the finish line, with Big Brown winning by five lengths.

Luna could barely contain herself. You would have thought she held ownership or had placed a chunk of money on the winning horse. But it wasn’t really about the money. It was about the excitement she believed she shared with the beautiful animals doing their best to win. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as Brendan swooped her up and gave her a victorious spin, careful not to knock anyone over. Brendan was smiling from ear to ear. Not because he’d won. It was because Luna’s excitement was contagious. Brendan put his arm around her shoulders and guided her through the sea of spectators. She turned in her ticket and collected her ten-dollar winnings. You would have thought she’d won a million.

They moved through the swarm slowly until they finally reached an exit. Once they found Brendan’s car, they decided to make the trip back to the university instead of camping another night. They wouldn’t get back until sometime around two a.m., but it beat sleeping on the ground. Besides, Luna’s level of exhilaration was at its peak. It would take hours for her to calm down. They stopped two hours into their journey and found a restaurant that wasn’t part of a fast-food chain.

The drive back seemed to go quickly as the two babbled on about the weekend, going over every detail of their adventure. When they arrived at Luna’s dorm, Brendan put his arm around her and gave her a big hug and a quick kiss. Too quick for her liking, but it was a kiss, nonetheless.

As the semester was drawing to a close, she hoped Brendan would make plans for them to get together over the summer. They lived several hours away from each other, but the trip was doable. She waited for him to suggest it, but he didn’t, and they parted with platonic hugs, promising to keep in touch.

During the summer months, communication between them was sporadic. Brendan’s family was going through a crisis. Actually two. His younger sister was diagnosed with MS, and his father was recovering from a stroke. With Brendan being the oldest of the five children, he took on the responsibility of handling all the important issues while his mother tended to his dad. It wasn’t until the fall that his father had recovered well enough for physical therapy, and his sister found a good doctor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. But it all took its toll on Brendan. He had one more year of college to go, and the summer had worn him down. He was starting to get depressed. Luna was very concerned and gave him as much support as she could, and as much as he was willing to take. Men can be so dense. That seemed to be one of Luna’s theme songs.

While the students were signing up for the fall semester classes, a new girl transferred from Minnesota. Her name was Eileen Lovecraft, and she happened to be in one of Luna and Brendan’s classes. Luna shuddered when she first spotted her. It was disconcerting. Was it because she resembled Brendan’s ex, Laura? She couldn’t quite put her finger on it, and the feeling made her uncomfortable. Even Eileen’s last name gave Luna the creeps. Lovecraft? Jealous, perhaps? Why? Brendan hadn’t shown an interest in her. At least not yet. Or at least not to Luna’s knowledge. But she couldn’t shake the dread. Something was causing a chasm in their relationship.

The first two months of the semester, Luna and Brendan continued to study together and always grabbed a bite to eat afterward, but it wasn’t as frequent as it had been in the past. No more concerts. No more movies. She wondered why he hadn’t made another attempt at romance. But she let it go. He’d had a rough summer and probably needed some emotional space.

The week before Thanksgiving, Brendan told her he was going to the Outer Banks to visit family for the holiday. He seemed excited, and Luna was glad he and his family would be sharing happier times. Then, one afternoon as she was walking to class, she overheard Eileen telling someone she was going to the Outer Banks. Not Minnesota? Where her family was from? It sent a chill up Luna’s spine. Several thoughts ran through her head. Brendan’s family lived in Greensboro, North Carolina. His father was having physical therapy, and his sister was involved in clinical trials. It didn’t sound right to her that they would travel to the Outer Banks, but she didn’t question him. She admitted it was none of her business, but still . . .

The day before everyone left, Luna and Brendan gave each other big hugs and wished each other a Happy Thanksgiving. But there was something in that hug. Or was it something that wasn’t in that hug?

The week after Thanksgiving, Brendan’s mood was buoyant, more so than it had been since they’d returned to school. As the two were walking to their class, Luna remarked at the change in his disposition.

He smiled. “I’m seeing someone.”

Luna thought he meant a therapist. “Really? For how long?”

“It’s pretty new, actually.”

The word new struck her in an odd way. She wanted him to elaborate, but her gut was telling her she really didn’t want to know. He told her anyway.

“It’s Eileen,” he continued.

Luna thought she might vomit. Vomit from hearing the truth, and vomit from her failure to recognize it. The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves. It was difficult for Luna to refrain from spewing her thoughts and feelings. “Do you think it’s because she resembles Laura?”

He stopped short. “You think so?”

Men are so dense. The recurring refrain. “Just sayin’.”

He touched Luna’s arm. Her tension was palpable. “Are you alright?”

Tears started to well up. “No. I am not alright.” She turned so they were face to face. “I’m in love with you.”

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