Distant Shores

Anita smiled. "Youre welcome. "

March howled into new york on an arctic blast. In the middle of a night so cold that even Times Square was deserted, it began to snow. At first it was just a flake here and there, drifting across the city, but by dawn, God had finished screwing around. Snow fell so hard and fast Jack could barely see the buildings across the street.

He stood at his window, sipping a latte. On the street below, cars were few and far between. City buses rumbled slowly forward, angling toward the stops. Neon signs looked faded and worn against the pewter sky, like collectible postage stamps from a forgotten era. Cottony clouds hung low in the sky, severing the high-rises in half.

He was just about to head into the shower when the phone rang.

"Hello, Mr. Shore. This is the Bite Me insurance agency and we need authorization to distribute your assets, since you have Fallen Off The Face Of The Planet. "

He couldnt help laughing. "Mea culpa," he said. It was always better to take responsibility with Jamie. Otherwise, shed chew you up and spit you out.

"No shit, mea culpa. Thats not even a question. I suppose youve been so busy big-manning it that you didnt have time to call me back about the swim team. "

"We only talked about that two days ago. I knew you wouldnt do anything right away. "

"Hel-lo, Dad, I think you need to cut back on the peroxide. That conversation was more than a week ago. "

He frowned. "A week? No way. "

"Oh, yes, way. "

"God, Im sorry, baby. I meant to get back to you. Things have been crazy around here. People mag--"

She snorted at the familiar meant to. "Yeah, right. Its always other peoples fault. "

He made a mental note to pay closer attention to the calendar. "Im working fifteen hours a day. "

"That must be why you were out when I called you last night . . . at two oclock in the morning. Working. "

Thank God he wasnt talking to her face-to-face. He felt himself flush. "I took a sleeping pill last night. Ive been having trouble sleeping lately . . . you know, without your mom. " That was actually true.

And false, of course.

"I didnt even know you missed her. You never mention her. "

"I do . . . miss her. Shell be out here any day. " Suddenly he knew what Elizabeth meant when she said it was tough to lie to the kids.

"Youve been saying that for too long. Stephie and I have come up with a plan. Youre invited to make it all happen. "

He immediately relaxed. So that was it: Jamie had a plan, and verbally roughing him up was her way of assuring his guilt-ridden participation. "And what exactly am I looking forward to this time, sending you girls to Europe this summer? Or, maybe scuba diving in Aruba for spring break?"

"Stephanie and I are gonna fly into Kennedy Friday morning. Youll meet us at the airport; then well all fly to Oregon together for the weekend. "

"Huh?"

"Its Moms birthday. You didnt forget, did you?"

Shit. "No, no. Of course not. I was going to fly out to be with her for the weekend, but then this thing at work--"

"Dont even finish that sentence. Honest to God, Dad, youre coming with us. I mean it. Youre a television personality, not a cardiac surgeon. No one is gonna die if you take Friday off. "

What a mess. "Youre right," he said dully.

"You can meet us at the airport, right? So we can all fly together. Well buy the tickets on-line and put them on your Visa. "

"Sure. Why not?"

"And, Dad, its a surprise. So dont tell her, okay?"