True Colors

“Really? That’s the same as Noah.” She turned to him, saw the blush on his sharp cheeks. “I guess you better work hard on that English assignment this summer.”

He blushed harder and mumbled something.

“Do you like school here?” Cissy asked him.

Noah shrugged. “It’s okay.”

“My grandmother says I won’t have any trouble making friends, but I don’t know . . .”

“Who is your grandmother?” Winona asked. “Do you have family in town?”

Cissy was so busy staring at Noah that it took her a second to answer. “My dad went to high school here. Our whole family is from Oyster Shores.”

“High school in Oyster Shores? You’re kidding. I should know him, then.”

“You probably know my grandma. Myrtle Michaelian. She lives on Mountain Vista.”

“Yeah,” Winona said, wondering if Noah recognized the importance of that name. “I know Myrtle.”

The summers were easiest on Vivi Ann. She woke early in the mornings, well before dawn, and began the long string of chores that occupied her days. There were lessons and clinics and jackpots to organize and run, animals to feed and exercise, horses to train, the fair to prepare for. She was busy from morning to night, moving too fast to think about much of anything, but even in the busiest of seasons there would sometimes be nights like tonight, when the ranch was quiet and dark and the sky overhead was a riot of stars, and she couldn’t help remembering how it had felt to sneak out of her bedroom and run across the grassy fields to this cabin. How it had felt to be alive, a being made of sunlight instead of shadow.

“Hey, Renegade,” she said, walking up to the fence.

The old gelding limped over to her, nickering a velvety soft greeting. She gave him an apple and scratched his ears. “How you feeling, boy? That arthritis acting up? Do you need some bute?”

Behind her a car drove up; twin headlight beams flared through the darkness, startling Renegade, who moved away.

Vivi Ann turned in time to see Winona and Noah getting out of the car. They walked close together, talking. Winona said something and pushed him away. He stumbled sideways, laughing.

Vivi Ann couldn’t believe her eyes. She wasn’t sure she’d ever seen those two actually talking, let alone teasing each other.

She walked up to meet them.

“Hey, Mom.” Noah grinned, and the sight of it took her breath away. Dressed in board shorts and a sleeveless T-shirt, with his hair drawn back in a ponytail, he looked relaxed. Happy. “I learned how to waterski today. It was totally awesome. It took me a long time to get up, but once I did, I was great. Wasn’t I, Aunt Winona?”

“I’ve never seen so much natural ability. He was crossing the wake like a pro.”

Vivi Ann felt a smile start. For a perfect moment, everything was right with her world. “That’s great, Noah. I can’t wait to see you do it.”

“I’m gonna write about it in my journal,” he said. “Thanks, Aunt Winona. That was awesome.”

Vivi Ann watched him disappear into the house, then turned to her sister. “Where’s my son and who was that boy?”

Winona laughed. “He was actually a lot of fun.”

Vivi Ann slung an arm around her sister. “I’m buying you a beer. Come on.”

They got two beers out of the fridge and went back outside. Sitting in the porch swing, side by side, shoulders touching, they stared out across the sleeping ranch.

“It’s like a miracle, seeing him laugh again.”

“He’s a pretty decent kid, under all that attitude.” Winona paused. “He’s got a lot of questions about his dad.”

“I know.”

“It’s hard enough to be a teenager without also looking different, feeling different, and hearing all the time that your dad . . . you know.”

“I’ve always been afraid of that conversation. I know why we have to have it. He’ll ask me if Dallas did it, though.”