Good Harbor

“I flew,” he joked, but Kathleen wasn’t smiling.

“I had a delivery near home around two, so I stopped by. The car was gone, but when I went inside, your purse was sitting on the table, and drawers were open all over the place, so I got worried. But when I went to pick up the phone, I saw there was a message; it was Frank Tabachnik looking for Joyce because their daughter was hurt in an accident. Their number isn’t listed, so before I called the cops, I ran over to their house. The back door was wide open, and the phone machine was flashing away, so I listened to the messages and figured out you must have headed up here with Joyce.

“I got in the car and flew. Honest, Kath, you wouldn’t believe how fast I drove.”

Kathleen shook her head. “I can’t believe you’re here.” She opened the door to Nina’s room and announced, “The cavalry has arrived.”

When Joyce and Frank started settling in for the night with Nina, Buddy caught Kathleen’s eye and glanced at his watch. She nodded and said, “Give me a minute.”

Kathleen took Joyce into the hall and asked for her car keys. “I’ll drive with Buddy and get your car back to your house.” Handing over her own key, Kathleen added, “Bring mine whenever you get back.”

“There is no way I can thank you,” Joyce said as they hugged good-bye.

“Thanks returned, dear one.”

Buddy pulled onto the highway and Kathleen closed her eyes. She woke to see the sign welcoming them to Massachusetts.

“I guess you were pretty done in,” Buddy said, patting her knee.

“Buddy,” she said, sitting up and rubbing her stiff neck, “I have to ask you for a favor, no questions asked.”

“You want me to stop at the next rest stop?”

“It’s serious, Buddy. I need you to do something for me without asking me why, ever.”

He glanced at Kathleen, her eyes fixed on his face. “Of course.”

“We have to drive to Rockport. You’ll drop me off and then meet me back at the Tabachniks’ house.”

“Sure,” he said evenly.

“Okay.” Kathleen nodded. “Thanks.”

A piano concerto filled the car as they headed up the home stretch, passing the barely visible gates of the cemetery. “I’m going to ask Hal to come with us. And Jack, too,” Kathleen said softly.

“Good,” Buddy said.

“It’s twenty-five years.”

Buddy was quiet for a moment. “We never talk about him, do we, Kath?”

“You didn’t want to talk about him. You told me it hurt too much.”

“I said that?”

“Of course you did. You said that hearing his name felt like a knife in your heart.”

“When did I say that?”

“A month after he died. It was a Friday night, at temple. You said his name was like a knife in your heart.”

Buddy frowned. “It must have been a bad day. Or maybe it was all the people coming up to me and asking how I was doing. But, Kath, I didn’t mean forever. I didn’t mean I never wanted to talk about him ever again.”

Kathleen was quiet.

“Did you think I meant forever?”

“I guess I did.”