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Esther
“You just missed the exit,” Vicky crowed. “That’s why I didn’t want to take the turnpike!”
“Route One would have taken forever,” Rachel said from the back. “And the next exit will work just fine, Esther.”
Esther was grateful for Rachel’s presence. Esther wasn’t comfortable driving around Portland and hadn’t even done it since her daughter had moved away.
“No, it won’t! If you take the next exit, there’s no way to get across the bay!”
“Yes, there is! Westbrook Street,” Rachel said. “Now stop distracting the driver!”
“Westbrook Street is so far out of the way. You’re going to be late. Now your granddaughter is going to be standing alone out in the cold wondering why you forgot about her.”
“Enough!” Rachel said, sounding uncharacteristically stern. “Stop, Vicky!”
Vicky folded her arms across her chest. “I’m only trying to help.”
Esther knew her well enough to know that this was true. She also knew she often didn’t need or want Vicky’s help. “I’m taking the next exit.” She turned her blinker on.
Vicky opened her mouth, and Esther knew she was about to comment on how early she’d signaled, but she thought twice and snapped her mouth shut. It was a miracle.
Once on the off-ramp, she said, “Tell me where to go, Rachel.”
Rachel groaned. “It seems they’ve done some construction since I was here last. Changed the layout. Don’t worry, though. We’ll figure it out. Go that way.” She pointed. “South on Route One.”
“Mm-hmm. Could have taken Route One after all.”
The miracle was over.
“Ignore her ... Good job ... now take a right at the light.” She leaned back into her seat, and Esther missed her already. “Right onto Broadway.”
“I’m so glad I don’t live in Portland,” Vicky mused, looking out the window.
That was something they could agree on. She turned onto Broadway. “Now what?”
“Now go to the end of Broadway.”
Esther glanced at the clock. Vicky was right. They were going to be late. But Esther didn’t think it was her fault. Rachel had been so kind to offer to accompany her, saying it was for moral support, but Esther suspected Rachel was worried that Esther couldn’t get to the jetport and back. But Rachel had made the grave mistake of making her offer within earshot of Vicky, who had then inserted herself into the road trip. It had been Vicky who hadn’t been ready when they’d pulled into her driveway, and it had been Vicky who had demanded a restroom break in Gardiner.
Maybe Zoe’s flight would be delayed. Wasn’t that usually the case?
“Okay, now right on Westbrook.”
Someone lay on their horn, and Esther jumped. Her heart started thumping. “What? What did I do?”
“It probably wasn’t about you,” Rachel said.
But she somehow knew that it was.
“You’re doing great. Just keep going.”
Esther tried to relax her grip on the wheel, but it wasn’t easy. There were so many cars! She couldn’t wait to get back to Carver Harbor, where she enjoyed tooling around. Rachel had offered to drive, but Esther didn’t want Zoe’s first impression of her to be that her grandmother was some kind of invalid who couldn’t drive in the city.
“There it is!” Vicky cried, seeming shocked that they’d made it after all.
“There it is,” Esther repeated. Her anxiety about driving disappeared, swiftly replaced by an excitement to see Zoe. She was nervous to take in a young woman after all these years, but her love for the child easily trumped those nerves.
“Nope!” Rachel cried, pointing. “That way!”
Esther swerved onto the right road, only thinking to check the mirrors afterward. There was someone behind her, but she was thankful that he was not the horn-honking type. Blessed are the merciful. She started to pull up in front of the sidewalk in front of baggage claim.
“She hasn’t texted you yet, has she?” Rachel asked.
Oh shoot. That was right. She was going to text when she got in. “I have no idea.”
“Well, check the phone!” Vicky cried. “We can’t just sit idling at the curb like we own the place.”
Esther started to dig through her purse.
“No, you drive,” Rachel said. “I’ll get it.”
“Drive where? You want me to leave the airport?”
“No, the road loops right around.” Rachel fiddled with Esther’s phone as she pulled back out into traffic.
Esther hoped that Zoe would stay forever. This airport navigation was strictly for the birds.
“No, nothing yet. Sorry.”
Esther followed the cars in front of her. When she saw a road labeled “Exit,” she took the other option. Soon she recognized where she was and took a moment to be proud of herself for getting there without Rachel. “So should we park in the garage or do another drive-by?”
Rachel chuckled. “We should probably swallow the fee and park in the garage.” The phone chirped. “Oh, wait! She’s here! Oh, praise God! She’s here!”
Esther was touched by the sincerity of Rachel’s enthusiasm.
“So, yes, just pull back up to the curb like you own the place.” Her excitement was contagious.
Several people peppered the sidewalk, and Esther scanned them eagerly. But she didn’t see Zoe, or any kids for that matter.
“Is that her?” Vicky pointed.
Esther started to say “No” but stopped. It was her. She was so tall! Taller than she’d been four years ago, but also just really tall. She towered over the woman beside her. The shorter woman was dressed like a flight attendant, and Esther assumed it was the minor accompaniment person. She pulled her car into the small space.
“Well done!” Rachel said, and only then did Esther realize what a tight space she’d squeezed into. Miracle number two, she thought, but then she realized that God had likely executed a hundred miracles for her that day that she was entirely unaware of.
She climbed out of the car, which wasn’t easy after being folded up for so long. She rounded the front of the car, surprised at how nervous she was. This was her granddaughter, for crying out loud! Why was she so nervous? “Zoe!” She spread her arms wide. “You look so beautiful!”
Zoe flinched at the words, and Esther had a pretty good idea as to why. She wasn’t beautiful in the traditional sense. She was a big girl. Tall, thick, with a little extra fluff. Her face was round and pale and inflicted with acne. Didn’t they have sun in Missouri? And her short, disheveled hair wasn’t doing her any favors. It was dyed a black so black it looked like ink. Her lip was pierced. But yet, Esther had meant the compliment. She was beautiful. She was a strong, tall, healthy young woman with her grandfather’s eyes—and she was Esther’s grandbaby, her baby’s baby. She wrapped her arms around Zoe, who half-heartedly returned the embrace.
Esther squeezed her as tightly as she could and then let go so she could get another look at her. She held her arms as she stepped back. She knew she was beaming. She probably looked ridiculous, but she didn’t care. “It’s so good to see you, honey.”
“Ma’am?”
Esther turned to look at Zoe’s escort.
“I’ll need some photo ID.”
“Oh yes, it’s in the car. Let me get it.” She turned toward the car, but Rachel got there faster.
“I’ll get it!”
Esther turned back to Zoe.
“We are so sorry to say that there’s been a luggage mix-up.”
“Oh?”
“Yes, it seems the agent in St. Louis got her airport codes mixed up. Instead of sending it to Portland, Maine, she sent it to Portland, Oregon.”
“Oh my!” Esther said. That was a long trip for a suitcase.
“We’ll locate it and have it delivered to your address as soon as we can.”
Esther nodded. “All right. Do you need my address?”
“We already have it.”
“How long is that going to take?” This was the first time Esther had heard Zoe’s voice in a while, and it stole some of her joy. Her voice was deep and sharp. She sounded angry, aggressive.
“Shouldn’t be more than twenty-four hours,” the woman answered, but Esther could hear in her voice that it might well be longer than that. The look on Zoe’s face suggested she had heard that too.
Rachel handed Esther’s ID over.
“No matter. We’ll make sure you have everything you need. Come on, go ahead and get in the car.”
Zoe picked up her backpack, stepped toward the car, and then looked down at Vicky, who was still sitting in the front seat. “Who’s that?”
