Dora was exhausted from her mother’s not-so-subtle arguments for her to take Cal up on his offer to stay with him at the condo in Summerville. But she and Nate were a package deal and she’d made up her mind. At the end of her hospital stay she felt physically and emotionally drained, and her final good-byes with both of them had been cool.
The car turned off Middle Street onto the curved back island road and all went quiet. Lucille slowed as she guided the wheels off the pavement to bump along the dirt road. Large oaks and palms created a tunnel of shade and shadows, shielding the houses from view. Dora leaned forward, feeling excitement bubble as they approached the familiar tall green hedge. “Sea Breeze,” Dora murmured.
She opened the car door and stepped out into the sultry air. The shade of the ancient oak was a welcome shield from the harsh midday sun. She’d half expected the front door to swing open at the sound of slamming car doors. But no one appeared.
“Let’s get you inside,” Lucille said, rounding the car. “I’ll get Harper to collect your suitcase later. You shouldn’t be lugging anything heavy up the stairs, leastwise not yet. Come on, Miss Dora,” she said, nudging her forward.
Dora followed Mamaw’s slow pace up the stairs. She felt tired but not ill. Under normal circumstances Dora would have hurried up the stairs without a second thought. But the attack had made her nervous about her heart, despite all the doctor’s reassurances.
Inside the house, all was quiet.
Mamaw set her pocketbook on the front hall table and called out in a cheery voice, “Harper!”
There was no answer.
Dora immediately felt her heart quicken with worry. “Nate?” she called out, walking into the living room.
No answer.
Dora felt a surge of energy and rushed through the living room and down the hall of the west wing of the house. The door to the library, where Nate slept, was closed. Without knocking, Dora pushed open the door, eyes searching for him.
Harper and Nate were sitting side by side, cross-legged on the floor in front of the video game screen. Harper wasn’t much bigger than the boy; she looked like a kid as they both leaned slightly forward, their gazes focused on the screen and fingers flying over the remotes. From time to time, one would grunt or the other would shout out “Oh, no!” It took a moment for Dora to digest that Harper was actually playing video games with Nate—and that she was having a good time.
Mamaw and Lucille had followed Dora and joined her at the library door. The noise they made alerted Harper and she swung her head around. On seeing Dora, her large blue eyes sparked to life and her face opened up in delighted surprise. She lowered the remote and exclaimed, “Dora, you’re back!”
“Yes, just,” Dora replied, still a little bewildered at the sight of the two of them playing games together.
“Look at you!” Harper said. “You don’t look bad at all. And here I thought you’d be hobbling around like an old crone.”
“No, I’m fine, really. More a scare than anything else.” Dora’s gaze sought out her son, desperate to lay eyes on him. Nate had not come to visit her in the hospital. She knew he didn’t like hospitals, but she had missed him like crazy and was hoping he would give some signal that he was glad she had returned. But Nate’s gaze remained resolutely on the screen.
Harper turned to Nate and said pointedly, “Nate, your mom’s back!”
Nate continued to play his game.
“Hi, Nate,” Dora said.
He looked briefly in Dora’s general direction, then just as quickly returned to his video game and continued playing.
Harper frowned and leaned close to him. “Nate, go say hello to your mother. She’s just come back from the hospital.”
He ignored Harper’s admonishment.
Dora could see that Harper was upset that Nate wouldn’t leave his video games for his mom, but Dora was familiar with her son’s ways. He often ignored people and didn’t pick up on normal social cues, especially when he was engrossed in one of his games.
“He’s not being rude,” she told Harper. “I wish you wouldn’t encourage him to play video games,” she said tersely. “You know I’m trying to get him to ease up on them, to go outside. Why would you do that?” Then, trying to modulate her voice, Dora looked again at Nate.
“But Nate, your behavior is rude. When your mother returns home from the hospital—or from anywhere—it’s polite to stop what you’re doing and greet her. So come now, and say hello to your mother.”
Nate stopped playing the game and set his remote on the floor. Harper moved aside, allowing him to slowly rise and approach his mother. When he stood before her, Nate looked up and impassively studied her face.
“You look sick. Are you going to die?”
Dora could hear Mamaw suck in her breath behind her, but she smiled and replied, “I’m not sick, Nate, and I am not going to die. Not for a very long time, I hope. I’m just pale because I am tired. Did you think I was going to die?”
“Yes. You went to the hospital, like Delphine. And she might die.”
Dora wanted to hold him tight to her breast, to comfort him and smother his cheeks with kisses, but she knew he would recoil; instead, she merely reached out to cup his face in her hands and smile into his eyes.
“I’ve missed you,” she said, her heart pumping with love.
Nate didn’t respond other than to pull his head back from her hands.
“Did you miss me?”
He nodded, looking at his hands.
Dora bent closer to his ear. “Were you worried?”
Nate nodded again.
Dora felt her heart bloom. “You don’t have to worry anymore. I’m home.”
“You are?” he asked, glancing up at her. “Is this our home now?” he asked, seemingly confused.
Mamaw, overhearing, said, “Of course it is, Nate! All summer.”
Dora knew that Mamaw was trying to be loving, but Nate was taking her comment literally. Plus, his frown reminded Dora that he didn’t like being the center of attention. It could be frustrating for him.
“Yes, it is our home,” she answered straightforwardly. “For the summer. Like we talked about, remember? Is that okay with you?”
He looked away. “Can I go back to my game now?” he asked.
Dora didn’t want him stuck playing games in the dark room with Harper any longer.