Page 109 of The Book of Summer

“Holy Mother of God!” Ruby jumped back, waiting to be growled at for her salty mouth.

But Daddy did no such thing.

“It’s Topper, isn’t it?” she said, voice shaking.

Because of course it would be Topper. Dashing, handsome, reckless Robert Young. The brightest lights burned out quickest.

“No, my petal. It’s not Topper. He’s fine. Training, same as always.”

“P.J.?” Ruby glanced over her shoulder to see Mary standing in the doorway.

“No, P.J. is…”

“Sam?!” Ruby cried.

It hadn’t occurred to her, it truly hadn’t.

“No, no. They are all fine,” Daddy said, rubbing Ruby’s arm.

“Oh praise God,” she said, sending a hundred little thanks up to the heavens.

“Christ, Ruby. It kills me to do this to you. But… it’s your mom.”

“Regarding Mother, do you know she’s only been out once this summer? The excuse is that she’s taking care of you. But you look wonderful! I mean it. Once, Daddy! She’s come out once! And I’m left to run Cliff House myself.” Ruby gave another compulsory peek over her shoulder. “With Mary, but you know how she is.”

She griped on because Daddy had more to say and Ruby straight didn’t want to hear it.

“Ruby…” he said, several times, trying to stop this train. “Ruby…”

“Mother had better help close the house because I’m getting larger and less nimble by the day. I’m already past the halfway mark.”

“Petal, I’m sorry. I hate to be the one to say this, but your mother. She’s gone.”

Gone. No. Whatever those words were. No. It would never happen like that.

“You’re lying,” Ruby said, though Daddy never did.

It could not be true. The powerful, indelible Sarah Young would not be “gone” without some seismic shift rumbling them all. “Gone” like the fog, or your ration of sugar. No, Mother was not something that could vanish while you weren’t keeping track.

“That’s not… it can’t be…”

Ruby was nearly blinded by the tears filling her eyes. She felt Mary walk up behind her.

“Papa Young?” Mary said. “What is it?”

“My Sarah is gone,” he answered, now crying himself.

Ruby’s heart shattered a million times over.

“That can’t be!” she said. “Mother’s not even sick. She’s healthy as a horse.”

“It took everyone by surprise. The doctors, me, friends in Boston.”

“Friends in Boston?!” Ruby yelped. “They knew and we didn’t?”

“It all happened so fast. She was sick and before we could tell you, she was gone. I didn’t think… we thought… I guess, when you get right down to it, we thought we had more time than we actually did. Ten years or ninety-nine. It’s simply never enough.”

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