Page 33 of Below the Far Horizon
“I don’t know if anything will come of it, but that’s what we were talking about, and we really wanted to take the kayaks out on the lake together. We hoped that you two might be game to join us?” Trevor said, seeming to be relieved when Grace smiled and nodded.
They were going a little bit off script, but it felt like the right thing to say and do.
“My goodness. I haven’t been out on kayaks in years,” Gita said.
“Trevor and I go all the time. We can get a double kayak, and you and I could do it together.” Don seemed to be all in on the idea.
“Donnie, you have the best ideas. And then Grace and Trevor could have a double kayak, and they could go together as well.” Her mother seemed especially pleased about the idea.
“I think that’s a fabulous idea,” Trevor said.
“I agree. I’d love to go out on the lake with you guys. And I feel like I need to share a kayak with Trevor, because if you guys are used to doing it, I probably couldn’t keep up.”
That part was one-hundred-percent honest. Loving the idea of going on a boat with Trevor was absolutely true as well. She did want to and did look forward to it. And she wanted the relationship to be real, even though she knew that it really wasn’t. At least not in his eyes.
They finished up the meal, talking about different kayak trips they’d taken over the years and a strategy for this one, which included staying close to the shore, just in case anything happened, since neither Grace nor Gita had been out for a very long time. Gita also said that she would check with her physical therapist and perhaps her doctor to make sure that everything was okay and to get the all clear. They agreed that if they didn’t get the okay this week, they’d just postpone the trip until they did and substitute something else in. They batted some ideas around, including walking on the beach, taking a drive, or renting mopeds.
Grace didn’t even know it was a thing to rent mopeds, but apparently Don and Trevor had done it and had really enjoyed it.
It needed to be a warm day. Of that she was certain.
Regardless, by the time she cut the chocolate cake and finally put a piece in front of Gita, her mother surprised her with her comment.
“I was speaking with Madeline Grosheck earlier today. You know, Lauren’s mom?” Gita looked at Grace and waited until she nodded.
She hadn’t talked to Lauren in forever, but her mom, Madeline, had operated the bakery until a few years ago when her health took a turn for the worse.
“I haven’t seen her in years,” Grace said.
“No, she hasn’t been well. But she did say when I was speaking with her that Lauren might be coming to pay her a visit. Perhaps even moving back. She wasn’t sure.”
Grace nodded, and Trevor said something, but she missed it. Because she was thinking that she had just thought she wanted to get in touch with all of her old friends. That would be Lauren and Claire mostly. They were the ones that had run around in their group together along with Yolanda. Until the accident.
“Madeline asked about you. She wanted to know how both of you were doing,” she said, looking between Grace and Trevor.
“I should reach out to Lauren,” Grace said.
“You should. I hope it’s okay that the next time I talk to Madeline, I can tell her that you and Trevor are together.”
Fear shot through Grace. She hadn’t considered the implications of this. The whole town would know that they were together, and then the whole town would be upset and wondering whose fault it was when they “broke up.” It was kind of hard to break up with someone that one wasn’t truly with. As she wasn’t exactly with Trevor. They were only together, in a fake kind of way, to try to get their parents together. Because they decided that their parents deserved every shot at happiness, which seemed like a kind, considerate reason. But a breakup wasn’t going to go over well, and she wasn’t sure a fake relationship was something they could admit to the entire town.
“I think Trevor and I would kind of like to keep it between ourselves for a little bit, wouldn’t we, honey?” She paused a little before the “honey,” stumbling because it was so familiar. She was sure everyone atthe table noticed, but hopefully they chalked it up to the fact that the relationship was so new.
“I think Grace is right. This is new, and we’re not sure exactly where it’s heading. We just want to make sure we do it right. Right, darling?” He did a much better job of calling her darling than she had of using an endearment for him.
Maybe she should call him Trevor Baby. That seemed to roll off Don’s tongue like chocolate melted in the sun.
“Gita Baby, not to change the subject or anything, but this is the best chocolate cake I’ve ever eaten in my life,” Don said, and Grace almost laughed when she saw that his mouth was full. Either he was in a hurry to change the subject, or he was truly inspired by the cake.
“I wish I could take credit for it, but Grace made it. I actually complained to her, because this is the cake that my children loved to eat the batter from growing up, and I admit that on more than one occasion, I made the batter just so we could sit and eat it.”
“It was always a huge treat. Maybe after we had a really hard test, or for the last day of school, or if something terrible happened. I’m sure that it created lifelong bad eating habits I’m still fighting to this day, but the memories are really sweet.” Grace smiled, and Trevor laughed.
“I considered asking her to just serve the batter, but I didn’t want you to think we were barbaric.”
“It sounds really good, and good trumps being barbaric all day long.”
“Good to know.” Gita’s cheeks had gotten red, and Grace marveled that her mother could still blush at her age.
