Page 94 of Songs of Summer

“What’s going on here?” Renee asked, showing up late to the party.

“I’ll explain it all at home,” Matt assured her, wrapping his arm around his mother’s shoulders, and pulling her in for a hug. Renee bent his head down and kissed the top of it.

“My sweet boy,” she said, effusive with love.

“Whatever you have to say, you better make it quick, Matty. It’s our wedding night,” Jake warned.

“Ewwww, gross, Daddy,” Dylan laughed as they all helped Ben and Addison lift their precious cargo up and over the stairs.

Paul gave his wife a quick peck on the lips. “You OK?” he asked quietly.

“More than OK.”

Jason did the same to Maggie. And Bea and Maggie watched them all go before getting comfortable on thesecond-to-bottom step, both happily wiggling their toes in the cold night sand. There was so much ground to cover.

“I really wish you weren’t leaving in the morning.”

“Wow, didn’t take you long to tap into that Jewish Mom guilt, huh?”

They laughed a little too hard. They must have both needed it. But when the laughter had subsided, Beatrix quickly took it in another direction.

“Seriously, though, Maggie, I’m so sorry.”

“I’m the one who should be sorry. For deceiving you all week.”

“Oh my goodness, don’t give that another thought. It was brilliant to try to get to know me before committing. I’m surprised you even stuck around after seeing that horrible scene between Veronica and me.”

“We have Matt to thank for that—he convinced me to stay, that you were worth it. Wait,” Maggie added. “Why are you sorry?”

“Because I gave you up without any idea of where you would end up.”

“Never be sorry for that. I am endlessly grateful for what you did, really. I had the most wonderful parents and a childhood in a beautiful place.”

“You can’t imagine what it means to me to know that. I hoped and prayed that was the case, but sometimes my mind would take me to awful places.”

Beatrix took off her pashmina wrap, spread it out on the sand, and patted it.

“Let’s get comfortable.”

The two women lay next to each other, heads on the blanket, eyes on the stars.

“Tell me everything!” Beatrix said.

“I’ll try,” Maggie replied.

For the next hour or so she did just that. There was so much to say, so much Bea had missed. Her questions were endless; Maggie did her best to answer each one before another popped out of Bea’s mouth. When she felt satisfied with their coverage of the past, Bea moved on to the future.

By now, she had turned on her side, staring at her daughter.

“You know, it’s funny. This weekend, I didn’t doubt any of it. Even for a second. You and Matt seem made for each other, and you and Jason really do seem like brother and sister.”

Bea laughed until it was obvious that Maggie wasn’t joining in. She somewhat changed the subject.

“Oh my God, Jason! I forgot about Jason.”

“Don’t worry. Paul took him back to the house. I’m sure they’re both sound asleep on the couch by now.”

Maggie looked at her phone. There was a text from Matt, but she didn’t read it.

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