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CLOSE TO SUMMER SOLSTICE, the sun rose early. A cardinal singing just before dawn’s first light woke Jamie. She looked over at Boo, who was still sleeping. Rising silently, she slipped into the guest room to return the blanket to Boo’s unused bed. There was no sign of Sarah yet.
Boo had seen Jamie asleep in the chaise during the night. But Jamie’s disappearance in the morning light made Boo think that she might be embarrassed by her action. When Jamie reappeared on the patio, Boo stretched and acted as though Jamie had just appeared outside for the first time that morning.
“Good morning. I hope it’s okay I slept out here. I was having a hard time getting to sleep. I thought some fresh air might help.”
Jamie sat on the end of the chaise facing Boo. “It’s fine. I hope you slept well. My sister snores, so there wasn’t much sleeping going on in my room.” Jamie was aware of how convincing she was when telling half-truths. “Would you like some breakfast?”
“Only if I can help you make it.” Boo hopped up from her make-shift bed to follow Jamie into the kitchen.
“How are you feeling this morning?” Jamie asked, assessing Boo’s morning demeanor.
“Okay. Not sleeping in a hospital is much better. I had a dream I was in a boat. Probably because we talked about that yesterday. I was calling out to someone who seemed to always be just out of reach. Zoe. Do you think it’s someone in my family?”
“Maybe. We’ll text Chief. The more clues we have to work with, the better.”
***
IN THE OTHER WING OF the house, Sarah opened her eyes enough to look at the clock.
“Five-thirty, damn!” Sarah rolled over. Jamie was missing. She ran her hand over the pillow. Cold.
Sarah rushed toward the kitchen, certain that Jamie was in danger. She stopped short at the domestic scene of Boo chopping green and red peppers while Jamie whisked eggs into an omelet pan and watched over bagels in the toaster oven. Sarah took a deep breath and exhaled loudly, calming the panic she had manufactured in her barely awake state.
“I slept late. Sorry. I need to go home. Is everything okay?” Sarah gratefully accepted the cup of tea Jamie slid across the kitchen counter toward her.
“Yes, everything’s fine. The birds are singing. It’s a beautiful morning.”
Sarah raised a quizzical eyebrow at the cheer in Jamie’s voice and made a mental note to ask about it later.
“I’m headed into town this morning to Mom and Dad’s to pick up a few things and check their mail. Do you want anything?” Sarah sipped the tea while the smell of breakfast made her hungry.
“What time are you going? Boo has a nine o’clock appointment at the hospital. Would you mind taking her and I’ll pick her up later?” Jamie made a schedule in her mind. “Boo, is that okay?”
“Absolutely. I hate to be a bother, although I doubt they’ll give me a driver’s license until I have a name. Maybe I could buy a bike and ride into town. It didn’t seem far.”
“No!” Jamie and Sarah simultaneously pronounced the prohibition.
“It’s really not safe to ride on the highway around here. Too many blind spots on the road.” Jamie turned to her sister, “Sarah, what time are you heading in?”
“I’ll pick her up at eight-thirty,” Sarah called over her shoulder as she left for breakfast with her family.
There were still a couple of hours to enjoy the morning. During breakfast, Jamie and Boo talked quietly. Neither acknowledged that Jamie had joined Boo on the patio the night before.
“I’m sorry, I never asked—what kind of work do you do?” Boo’s face furrowed as she sorted through her memory of the previous day’s conversations. “Bryan said at dinner last night that he’s an accountant in town. We drove past your office yesterday. You said you have a family business.”
Jamie needed to make a decision about what to tell Boo and when. The house was devoid of clues about her work. She kept her home separate for herself and for Max. At his age, Max did not understand her job. He occasionally traveled to location with her, but was too young to understand or even remember much. To him it was simply a long play date with other kids of the people working on the set. Jamie carefully tucked away the awards and honors in her office. There was also a pile of scripts waiting to be read for a decision about her next project.
“I’m taking a bit of break from work right now. An extended vacation if you will. Shon will be in the office if you need them. Just give them a call and they will come up to the house. I have someone who helps me take care of Max when I travel, but I like time alone with Max when I have a break.” Jamie expertly evaded the real topic Boo had asked about.
“Oh, sorry, am I interrupting your family time? I can find someplace else to stay.”
“No, that’s not what I meant. I mean I like to give Max my attention and re-charge my own batteries. When I’m here I don’t like to think about or talk about work much. Max will only be a child for a short time. It will fly by and I don’t want to miss it.”
“Sarah and Bryan and their kids are great. Your parents live in town but are away? Will they be back soon?”
“Yes, they’ll be back next week. My mother is a semi-retired lawyer, meaning she is as busy as ever, mostly doing pro-bono work for the women’s shelter and a few community groups. My father is a retired minister. He created a community garden with the women and children at the shelter. The kids there love him. He’s like a grandfather figure. They are in Florida right now with my aunt, Dad’s sister, who isn’t doing very well.”
Max walked into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes with his un-splinted hand. He went directly to his mother for a morning snuggle, then to Boo, who lifted him onto her lap. Max had adjusted to his temporary one-handed state and started to eat the bagel and omelet in front of him with his uninjured hand, not realizing it was Boo’s breakfast plate.
A warm rush filled Jamie’s body as she looked at the scene across the table. Max was the love of her life. Boo was starting to affect her in ways she did not expect.
***
SARAH ARRIVED PROMPTLY at eight-thirty to pick up Boo. They barely made it to the highway before Sarah spoke in a serious tone.
“Look, you saved Max and we all appreciate that. A lot. But Jamie can be...impulsive.” Sarah wanted to say my sister can be stupid but censored herself, adding instead, “I will not let anyone hurt my sister. Not on my watch.”
Although Sarah did not make an outright accusation aimed at Boo, given the ferocity of her tone, she did not have to.
Boo thought about Sarah’s point of view. A stranger in her sister and nephew’s house would definitely seem like a possible threat. Or, maybe, Sarah saw Jamie sleeping outside on the patio next to her and was suspicious of Boo.
“I really don’t want to cause any problems for Jamie or you. If you think it’s best, I’ll ask the nurse again if I can stay with her for a while, until I can make better arrangements.”
“That might be easier on all of us. I don’t want to see Max get attached to you and hurt when you leave. Eventually you’ll remember your name and go home. You have another life somewhere.” Sarah was clearly intent on saving her sister.
The remainder of the drive to the hospital was filled by tense silence.
***
“YOU FUCKIN’ WHAT? YOU told her to find someplace else?” Jamie could not remember ever being this angry with her sister. “You take your sorry ass over to the hospital right now and apologize. No! You fucking stay away from her. And me, too, for now. This is unbelievable. I will fix it myself. Don’t you fucking...” Jamie hung up on her sister, immediately dialing Boo’s cell phone, hoping it was turned on.
“Hello?”
“Boo,”—Jamie calmed herself, lowering her voice—“I just spoke to Sarah. She told me what she said to you. She was way out of line. It is not true. I want you here,” Jamie told the truth more clearly than she intended. “Max wants you here.”
“Thank you, Jamie. I don’t know what to say. I don’t want to come between you and Sarah. She’s right. Maybe it’s unfair to Max if he becomes attached to me and then I remember everything and leave.”
“I will pick you up as planned.” Jamie took a deep breath and exhaled. “Please? Let’s talk before you make other plans. My sister is over-protective and there are reasons. I’ll explain if you give me a chance. Please?” Jamie was on the verge of outright pleading.
“Okay. I don’t want to be a source of problems for anyone.”
“Great. Just text or call me when you are done with your appointments.” Jamie ended the call before Boo could change her mind.
***
SEEING BOO WALK OUT of the physical therapy clinic, it was all Jamie could do to resist clinching the woman into a relieved embrace. She let Max deliver his customary leap into Boo’s arms instead. Max had insisted on coming with her. Although Jamie hoped she would not need the emotional advantage in order to convince Boo to come home with them, she knew that resisting Max’s enthusiasm would be futile.
Fortunately, it seemed as if Boo had forgotten the earlier conversation with Sarah. Boo climbed in the SUV without discussion. They stopped for take-out and pre-lunch ice cream on the way out of town.
“What did the doctor and PT have to say?” Jamie inquired while licking the ice cream cone in one hand and driving with the other.
“No real change. They are pleased with my progress.” Boo licked a drip from the side of her cone. “I said something to the doctor about Marco reminding me of my nephew. When the doctor asked me his name, I said Michael. Didn’t think about it. Just said it. Doctor said that would happen. I would just say things without thinking—an automatic response. I guess that’s a big clue, I have a nephew, so I must have a sibling, so someone must be looking for me. I hope.” Boo was notably cheerier talking about the prospect of finding her family.
Jamie barely suppressed a grin watching Boo intently licking the ice cream cone, then reminded herself silently to get a grip on her growing feelings of attraction.
***
AFTER LUNCH, BOO READ Max a story and tucked him in for a nap. When she returned to the kitchen, she was pleased to find Jamie still at the table. The intense warmth of Boo’s eyes caused Jamie to look away.
“Is everything okay?” Boo asked, concerned she had offended her host.
“How about naptime, then we’ll talk?” Jamie had been caught reflecting on when and how to tell Boo the truth, or at least more of it. She was not ready, yet.
Boo nodded her head and retreated to the guest room. Jamie made her way outside to lay down on the chaise on the patio where she slept the night before. Drifting off to sleep, she tried to gauge her feelings and what to tell Boo about her life.