Page 69 of The Summer Request
Lisa nodded. “There it is.”
“Val is going to be devastated.”
Lisa cracked a smile. “You’re right. But maybe now she can move on.”
Michelle grabbed a wine glass. “No. It won’t help.” She poured a heavy glass and took a sip. “It actually doesn’t make me feel better at all.”
Twenty-seven
Their flight out of Bar Harbor went off without a hitch. Lisa was thankful her earlier flights had been canceled—it had all worked out in the end.
With Lisa’s help, Michelle wrote an email to Val explaining what they’d found out about Lou. She also included an invitation to San Juan Island to spread the last of Justine’s ashes in a few weeks.
“She won’t come,” Michelle said after she sent the email. “She’s too proud.”
Lisa shrugged it off. “That’s not the point.”
“Aren’t you still mad at her?” asked Michelle.
After reading those last, lonely entries in Justine’s diary, Lisa didn’t have an ounce of anger left. Justine had needed her, and she’d failed to be there for her.
Val needed her, too, even if she would never admit it.
Lisa smiled. “No. I’m not mad. I know she didn’t mean what she said. I’ll give her some time to cool down, but she won’t get rid of me that easily.”
Michelle let out a sigh. “Oh, you. Never change, Lisa.”
“I wasn’t planning on it!”
Without the excitement of a new destination ahead of them, the flight felt much calmer. Even Michelle seemed more subdued, not needing her headphones or eye mask to relax. She was quiet and seemed lost in her thoughts.
They connected through Boston, then made the flight back to Seattle. Lisa offered to split a cab with Michelle, but she declined.
“Arthur is picking me up,” she said with a sheepish smile.
Lisa knew better than to push Michelle too much on that topic. It was a big deal for Michelle to even entertain the idea of a male suitor.
Lisa settled with saying, “I’d like a chance to get to know him better.”
Michelle responded airily, “I think I’d like you to have the chance to get to know him better, too.”
They hugged and parted ways. Lisa felt a bit weepy, but reminded herself it was just for now, not forever.
To no one’s surprise, Neil had not offered to pick Lisa up at the airport. He was using one of his favorite techniques to get her attention: the silent treatment.
As tempting as it was to ignore him right back, it was time to go home.
When she got to the house, she was hit with quite a sight – and smell. The kitchen was in shambles. There were multiple caked-on layers of food on the stovetop – pasta sauce, cheese, and were those lentils?
The sink and dishwasher were full of dishes, all dirty, and the trash was overflowing. The living room had a pizza box splayed open on the floor, and the dining room table was covered in boxes, unopened mail, and dirty laundry.
It was like their home had been overtaken by a bunch of frat boys. She let out a sigh. Neil spiraled like this sometimes, and there was no use in arguing with him. He’d tell her she was unpleasant to be around, then blame her for whatever he’d done.
These spells didn’t last forever – it wasn’t the real him that acted like this. It was just when he got trapped in these low points of despair. She reminded herself it, too, would pass and her cheerful husband would return.
Neil was nowhere to be seen now. He knew she was coming home and was clearly avoiding her.
That was fine. It gave her time to tidy up. Lisa went upstairs to fetch a laundry basket and discovered the worst betrayal of all. Both Avery and Sierra’s rooms were almost entirely empty. Their TVs, desks, and even their bed frames and mattresses were gone.
