Finding Mr. Brightside

“Sorry, I don’t know anyone with hair like that,” I tell Janette, as if there must be some mistake.

35

Juliette

“HELLO, JANETTE,” Abram says, extending his hand. “I’m Angela’s travel-mate, Philip.”

Travel-mate? I couldn’t have talked around our status better myself. Really sweet he’s taken the initiative to select a fake name and bring himself down to my level—much better than flowers. Wish I didn’t have to hide my appreciation from Janette.

“So the name Sharon Fly

The lie I’d prepared gets stuck mid-throat. I can’t remember the last time anyone’s said my mom’s name around me—Dad stopped saying it long before she died—and it hasn’t become easier to hear with the passage of time. The old me would power through the sinking feeling, cling to the Angela ruse like it’s all I have left in the world, re-distance myself from my mom. The new me went ski

“Sharon Fly

Janette puts her hand on her chest like this is a huge shock she isn’t responsible for giving herself. Then she launches into a poorly received Vagina Monologue about how Sharon was one of her favorite customers, and when my mom didn’t show up whatever week she told Janette she’d be back to the island, Janette googled her name and found that horrible newspaper article.

“The picture of that car…” she says, shaking her head. “I’m so sorry you and your family had to see that.”

My eyes narrow into blades. “It was nothing compared to seeing her in a casket.”

Abram squirms in his chair, picking at the cuticles I already pushed back last night for him.

“Right … of course,” Janette says apologetically. “I was sad for weeks, so I can’t even imagine how y’all must’ve felt. It’s just so unfair, you know? How quickly someone can be taken away like that? I really thought she was someone special.”

“You did?” I say, dropping my guard for a second.

“Of course. She’d take the time to ask how my day was, get to know me a little bit … and, well, she always tipped.”

My mom was a generous tipper. I’d forgotten that.

“Did she tell you anything more about herself?” I ask Janette.

“Just that she’d made some mistakes but she was happier than she’d ever been. She was going to start working less, spending more time with the people she most cared about.”

I frown. She lost me.

“She seemed like she had a plan, you know?” Janette adds.

I nod. With her again.

“Anything about her daughter?” I ask, and my pulse quickens. Too much coffee … Janette … Mom. Abram takes my hand into his.

Janette smiles. “She showed me her daughter’s picture once. She seemed very proud.”

I close my eyes, waiting for Janette to add, And yet distracted by her phone at the same time, or accuse me of identity fraud because she’s seen my picture. Which means my mom had one stored in her phone, easily accessible. Why hadn’t I noticed? I certainly went through her texts enough at the hospital.

I reopen my eyes. Janette remains silent. Miraculously, she’s run out of things to say.

I stand up and start grabbing anything that looks remotely like mine, trying to head off any further embarrassment. Abram slides my purse from my shoulder and places it over his like it’s the latest in man-bag styles for well-traveled guys named Philip, says a hurried good-bye on our behalf, and leads me toward the door. As we’re walking out, I stop, turn around, and mouth a Thank you to Janette, who’s now at the counter ordering a drink. She smiles sadly, like she wishes there was more she could do. There’s not. There’s just nothing.

ABRAM

DOES IT GO WITHOUT SAYING that I’m here if she wants to talk about what just happened? Because maybe that’s why she hasn’t responded to anything I’ve said since we left Starbucks. In the meantime, I’ll keep working on my one-way communication.

“Does Angela have any interest in napping with Philip when they arrive home?” I ask.

“None whatsoever,” Juliette says, but at least she replied. A minute later, she takes my hand. Relieved I haven’t lost her, I kiss the top of her head and tell her I’m proud of her for confronting whatever that was. She laughs, doesn’t recognize the progress she’s making.

Nearing the house, we see a man and a woman, dressed in expensive-looking te

“Want to run in the opposite direction?” I whisper.

“Yes, please,” she says, even though we’ve just been spotted. Terry and Linda McEvans are waving at us like they can’t believe how perfect their timing is.

36

ABRAM

“DON’CH’ALL JUST HATE nosy neighbors?” Terry says.

“No way,” I reply, “nosy neighbors are awesome.”

Juliette nods in sarcastic agreement.

Terry laughs and wipes a smudge of green clay from his calf before initiating our man-hug ritual. The girls are groaning at how lame it is—Juliette actually says, “Lame”—so we repeat the steps in slow motion.

“My husband specializes in asking people questions they can’t answer honestly,” Linda says, flashing Juliette a wide smile from underneath her visor. Everything about Linda’s outfit matches, right down to the thin pink stripes around the edge of her socks. “He should’ve been a politician.”

“Maybe in our next life together, my first lady. In the meantime, I’m hoping this small contingent of good-looking young people will vote yes to dining out with us old folks tonight?”

Juliette and I look at each other and laugh in uncomfortable unison.

“Is that a yes and a yes I see on your faces?” Terry squints and places his hand to his forehead as a shield. “My vision ain’t what it used to be.”

“Normally you could count us in,” I lie, “but Juliette was actually pla

“Aw, that’s so sweet,” Linda says, eyes twinkling.

“Is it?” Juliette says, scrunching up her nose.

I pat my stomach like I’ve been looking forward to her cooking up some 1950s romance on my behalf.

“Don’t feel bad about us having to invite Diabetic Bob and Arthritic Nancy,” Terry says with mock sadness. “We love hearing about how much better Nancy’s circulation is down south.”

“Riveting,” Linda concurs.

“We’ll go to di

Linda recovers quickest from the shock. “Great! The menu is just okay,” she says, “but Terry likes to go there for the corny seafood ambiance.”

Terry clears his throat. “Don’t forget karaoke Saturdays, dear.”

“We’ll leave before it starts,” Linda promises us.

“No, no, let’s go during prime time,” Juliette says agreeably, in an enthusiastic voice I don’t recognize. “Abram loves singing almost as much as I love cooking.”

“I do?”

“You do,” Juliette confirms. “Remember that one time I was really upset about something unimportant, and you turned to me and just started singing a Jack Johnson song, in perfect pitch?”

This never happened, but Linda thinks the prospect of it is really sweet, too, for some reason.

Juliette

ABRAM’S WORRYING about me again. Barely left my side since we walked into the house. Now he’s sitting on the toilet, lid closed, while I finish getting ready for di

Back to Abram. He’s wearing a faded, fitted T-shirt over the top of a long-sleeve T-shirt, paired with the white linen shorts I bought him at the tourist trap down the road.