Page 63 of Songs of Summer

“This house is our home,” Veronica replied.

“Then let’s go make that one our home.”

Maggie was left awkwardly alone in the room, clutching a stuffed orangutan that she hadn’t even remembered picking up.

Talk about baptism by fire. She was happy to have been left behind.

She stuck her head in the closet and tried to decipher thewords still visible through the scratch-and-sniff marker Bea had used to cross it out.

You are dead to me V!

It was a declaration that Bea had mostly adhered to for thirty years. A lifetime. Maggie’s lifetime.

If she wanted to be a part of this family, she would have to remove “drama-free” from her list of criteria. She needed space to think. Tired as she was, she would take Matt up on that day in the city.

Track 30

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Matt

While everyone elsetried to catch up on their sleep, Matt and Maggie walked to the 10 a.m. boat—or more correctly, Matt walked, and Maggie dragged herself a few feet behind him.

“How many hours do you think we slept?” she called out.

Matt laughed as she caught up.

“I left extra time to pick up breakfast and coffee at the market for that reason. And the answer is, maybe three hours.”

“Even when I did sleep, it felt like I had one eye open,” she whined.

“Well, as your grandfather would say, there’s plenty of time to sleep when you’re dead.”

Maggie smiled, and Matt interpreted it correctly.

“Yeah. If nothing else, I am so glad you got to meet Shep. Somehow, the old man is the least messed up of all of them. What a train wreck you walked into.”

“Yes, but family is hard, and maybe they’ve turned a corner.”

“Aaaah. I was curious to see if you would defend them—and you did! I think you’re in too deep to back out now.”

“I don’t know. I was so content in my life before this all happened. I still don’t see why I would upset that.”

“Yes, because when you were young, dreaming of the life you would have one day, you closed your eyes, crossed your fingers, and said I hope I’m content when I grow up.”

“I’ll have you know I did dream up my life when I was little, and aside from the obvious, and the fact that I’m not married to Justin Bieber, it is as I wanted it to be.”

They turned the corner, the ferry dock and market in sight.

“OK, then, maybe I should drop you at the airport on the way to the city, and you can head home.”

“Ugh, home!”

“What about it?”

“I need to call Jason!” The revelation caused her to dramatically plant her hand on her forehead.

“Now what?”

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