Page 12 of Summer Light on Nantucket

Bob’s sister, Kate, was obviously at their mother’s house, doing all she could to remind Blythe the extent of her reach.

But Blythe could play games, too.

Blythe made her voice dense with worry. “Oh, Kate! Is Celeste all right?”

“Of course, Celeste is all right!” Kate snapped. “Why are you even asking?”

“Oh, thank heavens. I’m so glad. You nearly gave me a heart attack. You sound so worried.” Blythe continued, “How are you, Kate? Thank you so much for getting the house ready for us. It’s so kind of you. I’d love to take you to lunch someday to thank you.”

For a moment, Kate was speechless, an extremely rare state for her to be in, and Blythe gave herself an imaginary point.

“You’re welcome,” Kate said. “So, I guess you’re all here.”

“Yes. I was hoping to speak with your mother.”

“I’ll tell her you’ve arrived.”

Blythe inhaled deeply. She often wished she took fencing lessons. “Could I speak to her for just a moment? I won’t bother her for long.”

The unspoken topic was tonight’s dinner at the opening of the yacht club. Celeste always took Blythe and her grandchildren to dinner the first night the club opened. Before their divorce, Bob had come, too. But now Bob and Teri came later in the summer. Celeste adored her grandchildren and for seventeen years had made the first night on the islandtheirnight together, when she could pay attention to them. Blythe knew that Kate hated being left out, even though she lived on the island with her husband, Jack, and saw Celeste all the time and was often treated to dinner by Celeste.

Kate didn’t answer Blythe but called out, “Mom. Blythe’s here. She wants to talk to you.”

“Thank you, darling. I found the shirt you asked for. I put it on the bed. I think there’s a tear in the seam.” Celeste’s voice was distant and then right there. “Blythe! My love! You’re here? And all the children?”

Celeste’s voice had become slightly gravelly with age, but her affection warmed her words.

“Hi, Celeste. Yes, we’re here. The children have already disappeared. Well, Holly’s still here. She’s in her room drawing.”

“Oh, good. Please let Holly know I’d love it if she came over withher novel, because I had an idea about how she could get the sea gerbils onto the land. Maybe there is a land turtle who is obsessed with his reflection in the water and he falls in and the sea gerbils rescue him.”

From the background, Kate snapped, “Mother, you sound insane.”

Celeste continued, “I did think about deer, but they’re too big. Also, rabbits, but I think if one fell into the ocean, he would drown with all that fur. Although, another possibility would be that the rabbit was born without fur, so he was considered a misfit and an outcast, and when he falls in, the sea gerbils immediately love him. He might look grotesque, but then Holly enjoys the grotesque.”

Finally, Celeste took a breath.

Blythe smiled. She loved the connection between her youngest child and Celeste. “I’ll tell Holly that, Celeste. Would it be okay if she comes over this afternoon to talk with you?”

“Of course! I’d love that! Also, we have reservations for the yacht club at seven.”

From the background, Kate called, “Mom! Is this the shirt you mean?”

Blythe rolled her eyes. “I’ll let you go, Celeste. See you tonight.”

“Goodbye, darling.”

Blythe waited until she’d ended the call to burst out laughing. Poor Kate! Her husband, Jack, had grown pompous and pudgy. Their daughter was in college and playing tennis, and their son was traveling. Kate didn’t seem to have a special best friend on the island. Blythe wasn’t surprised. Kate was hard work. Blythe pitied her helplessly irritating sister-in-law but she could never show it.

Shaking off thoughts of Kate, Blythe went into Holly’s room, and sure enough, there her youngest daughter was, sitting on her bed, carefully drawing on her sketchpad.

“Hey, sweetie,” Blythe said, sinking down on the end of the bed. “I just spoke with Grandmother. She would love it if you came by this afternoon. She has an idea about your novel.”

Holly looked up at her mother, her brown eyes worried. “Mom, Daphne said the rising seas are going to flood the island and wash out all the beaches and destroy the town.”

Blythe pulled Holly into a hug. “Daphne’s right. But the thing is, it will happen gradually, over hundreds of years. The sea won’t reach our house, or Grandmother’s house, or Aunt Kate’s, for a long, long time. Some of the buildings on the coast will have to be moved. But change is natural. Human beings are resilient.” She could sense her daughter’s tension. “Maybe this is something the sea gerbils can help with.”

Holly turned, her face glowing. “You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that.” Gathering her sketchbook and pencils, she said, “I’m going to Grandmother’s now.”

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