by KG MacGregor
He expressed a sense of accomplishment at being able to execute a new skill Coach Bobby had taught him. “Like backspin. You hit it at a downward angle”—he made a slicing motion with his hand and twirled a finger to emulate the spin—“and it makes the ball not bounce very high.” He grew increasingly animated as he described techniques for topspin and slices.
“It’s amazing how much you’ve learned, honey. You work so hard at practicing. All those hours just prove how dedicated you are.” He probably was blushing, though she couldn’t quite tell in the dim light of the cabin. “I’m so sorry I missed your match last week. It was my turn to come with you but that thing with Ellie’s class came up at the last minute.”
“I like it when you and Ma come watch me together because you both yell and clap. I pretend I’m at Wimbledon.”
“Then we’ll have to figure out how to do it more often.”
The subtle drop in airspeed signaled their descent into Los Cabos. Across the aisle, Eleanor tapped furiously on her phone as her shoulders danced to something coming through her headphones. As if sensing Anna’s eyes on her, she leaned forward so they could share a giggle over Lily, whose head had fallen to her chest in slumber.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve started our descent into San José del Cabo. At this time…”
Anna touched Lily’s hand, guaranteeing that her smile was the first thing she would see. “Have a nice nap?”
“Did I snore?”
“Yeah, I think that’s why we’re landing. Passengers were starting to panic. They thought all that noise might be engine trouble.”
“Ha! At least I didn’t do that other thing I sometimes do when I fall asleep.”
Anna scrunched her nose. “For which we’re all very grateful.”
* * *
What made the Pedregal area of Cabo San Lucas special to Lily was its spectacular ocean view. There weren’t many spots in the Western Hemisphere where she could watch a sunrise over the Pacific Ocean, and even fewer to watch a sunset from the same chair. From the veranda was a telescopic view of Lovers Beach, near the Arch of Cabo San Lucas, a natural rock formation at the southernmost tip of the Baja Peninsula.
Lily congratulated herself on getting up early to enjoy the tranquility. The traffic and bustle of LA seemed light years away.
Anna presented her with a steaming mug of coffee and stretched out on the adjacent chaise lounge. She was barefoot and wearing summer pajamas of soft blue cotton. “I looked out here and asked myself what could possibly make this picture more beautiful. It was caffeine.”
“You read my mind.”
“Does this mean I’m forgiven?”
“Pretty sure I forgave you last night…which is why your pants are on inside out.”
“Details, details.”
The airport limo company had lost their reservation, leaving them stranded until Anna found a driver who could handle the four of them with all their luggage. Everyone was tired and cranky by midnight when they finally arrived at the villa, prompting Lily to sound off about Anna’s insistence on flying down on Friday night instead of Saturday morning.
“You were right about coming down a day early. I had no idea how much I needed to see a sunrise over the ocean.” She almost added that she could get used to it, but then Anna might take her seriously and go buy a house with her newfound millions.
“For what it’s worth, I laid awake till almost two o’clock thinking about Andy and I decided you were right after all, that we should have waited till this morning. He would have had only one night on his own, and we wouldn’t have started off our vacation wanting to kill each other.”
Lily was past caring about last night. If they’d waited a day, they’d never have gotten this peaceful moment to themselves. By midafternoon, the villa would be a hive of activity, with Kim and Hal’s brood, and George, who’d decided only at the last minute to join them. Kaklis family vacations were always fun and exciting. What they weren’t was relaxing.
“I had a couple of messages from Andy last night,” Anna said. “The first came about twelve thirty. Said he was going to watch the first three Fast & Furious movies at one sitting, but then he wrote me back at one fifteen and said he was going to bed. Little wimp.”
“I bet he’s in heaven. The whole house to himself, and Serafina left an entire chocolate pie in the fridge.”
“He’s probably in a sugar coma.”
Lily had no trouble envisioning Andy in his bed, the covers pulled over his head. He’d probably sleep till noon, waking just in time to shower and dress for the party at Brock’s house. “I think we should call him.”
“Now? It’s ten after six. He’s dead to the world.”
“All the more reason,” Lily replied, scrambling into the bedroom for her phone. By the time she returned to the veranda, Andy had picked up and she put the call on speakerphone so Anna could hear.
“Hullo.”
“Andy! Oh, thank goodness I caught you. I didn’t know what time your party was.”
“Whut? It’s not till one o’clock, Ma. Geez…I’m still asleep.”
Anna covered her mouth so Andy couldn’t hear her snickering.
“Honey, I’m so sorry, but I need you to check something for me. I’d call back later but this can’t wait. It’s really important.”
He groaned in protest, but after a few seconds replied, “Fine, what is it?”
“It’s a huge favor, son. I need you to go down to the kitchen. Let me know when you’re there.”
They both rocked with silent laughter as he grudgingly followed Lily’s instructions, even stubbing his toe on the door to his room.
“Okay, I’m here, what is it?”
“Honey, is the refrigerator running?”
“Yeah.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah!” he yelled.
“Then you better go catch it before it gets away!”
It was a full ten seconds before he put all the pieces together and realized he’d been pranked. “Aw, man! I can’t believe…”
Lily and Anna squealed with laughter until tears leaked from their eyes.
“You both suck! I’m never speaking to either one of you again.”
“You’re so precious, pal,” Anna said, gradually gaining control of herself. “I hope this proves you were the very first thing we thought about this morning. That’s how much we love you.”
“Yeah, you just wait. My payback is going to be epic.”
Lily was glad to hear the playful revenge in his threat instead of genuine anger. “Fair is fair. We totally deserve it.”
“You sure do.”
“We love you bunches,” Anna said, still laughing. “Can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“Yeah, don’t bet on it. I’m changing my plane ticket and flying somewhere else.” His voice faded sleepily until he suddenly shouted, “And I’m taking this stupid refrigerator with me!”
* * *
As Kim peeled and deveined a pile of raw shrimp for their Asian feast, Anna rhythmically tossed the chicken with vegetables in a wok. “I can’t believe you trust me to do this. Lily won’t let me anywhere near an open flame.”
“I know, but chicken’s not really my favorite. I don’t care if you burn it.”
“Should have known there was a catch. How do I know when this is done?”
“It is.” Kim turned off the stove burner and lit another to sauté the shrimp. “I’ll finish this. You get out the plates and silverware. Stack everything over there. I have to fix Jonah’s plate or he’ll scoop all the meat out before anyone else gets any. Selfish little prick. You’d think he was raised by wolves. Did I tell you he went apeshit when he found out Andy was staying over for that party? He was invited too, and now he’s pissed he didn’t get to stay home and go. No way are we leaving that kid at home by himself. I’m just not ready to see another house go up in flames.”
“I’m not too worried about a house fire since Serafina’s there. But man, A
ndy’s been getting on my last nerve lately. How do you guys handle Jo-Jo when he’s like that?”
“I drink wine. Lots of it.”
“Not an option. We’re a booze-free zone.” Anna had given up alcohol fourteen years ago as a show of solidarity with Lily.
“I can’t get totally shitfaced in case I need to jump in and save him and Hal from killing each other. Jonah’s like a little needle, always poking him. Must be a testosterone thing. Sometimes I think Hal has too much.” She cocked her head and laughed. “Bet you never thought you’d hear me say that.”
Since college, Kim had unabashedly offered the lewd details of her extremely active sex life with Hal, though she admitted it wasn’t as much fun to share once Anna stopped being shocked or embarrassed.
“It has to be something other than testosterone because I don’t have any,” Anna said. “I lose my shit with Andy too. Lily says I’m overreacting. She’s like you, always there to smooth things over before they explode.”
“It’s the same principle. You’re the alpha in the house. Boys are genetically wired to take you down.”
Anna could picture that with a kid like Jonah, who’d asserted himself even as a baby. “I don’t get that dominance vibe from Andy though. Deep down he’s still that same shy kid he was when he first came to live with us. But he’s chafing for independence. I know that’s a normal teenage thing, but he isn’t ready because he still makes stupid decisions.” She told of the accident at the dealership. “And he could stand to work harder at school. I’m starting to think his lack of effort is my fault. I let him believe I was going to hand over Premier Motors just because he was my kid and he wanted it.”
Kim snorted and rolled her eyes. “Call me crazy, but that sounds exactly like someone else I know.”
“Yeah, but…” On second thought, there was no but. She’d always known the dealership would pass to her when her father thought she was ready. “The difference is I prepared myself to take it over. I got an engineering degree and an MBA, and I worked in every single department until I knew the guts of it. All Andy seems to care about is what’s sitting in the showroom.”
Kim reached out and tweaked her nose. “Now I get it. You’re annoyed that he isn’t more like you.”
“God, you sound just like Lily.”
“Because we’re right? If you’re waiting for him to reach your level of wizardry, I’ve got news for you—it’s not going to happen.”
“I don’t expect Andy to do everything the way I’d do it. It’s fine that he’s no genius, but I think he could do better if he applied himself. I’ve worked with him at the kitchen table for hours, we’ve hired tutors. He does just enough to get by.”
“Whereas you want him to ‘reach for the stars.’” She punctuated the last bit with sarcastic finger quotes.
“I didn’t realize ambition and initiative were such character flaws,” she snapped, proving she could be sarcastic too. Kim never shied away from delivering blunt criticism when she thought it was needed, but Anna didn’t feel she deserved it this time. “Come on, isn’t the whole purpose of parenting supposed to be to raise kids who share our values? Hard work is a value I want him to have. And like I said, it’s not really his fault he’s coasting, it’s mine. I haven’t instilled in him the value of working hard for the things he wants. To be honest, that’s why I’m still dragging my feet about letting him get his license, because it’s the last leverage we’ll have to get him to put out the effort.”
“Give it up, Anna. It’s not going to work. Andy’s got you figured out and he’s got his own way of dealing with it. Or at least that’s what it sounds like to me.”
“What are you—”
Kim shook her spatula for emphasis, as though she relished her chance to lecture. “Look, I don’t mean this as an insult. It’s just a fact. You are intimidating as all fuck. I’m not saying you’re an asshole. You don’t even do it on purpose. But you still have that effect on everyone. Me included, and Hal. And Lily too, most likely. It’s just who you are.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You take the wind out of other people’s sails just by opening your mouth. Andy knows he’ll never be as smart as you, that he isn’t going to measure up on all those things you want him to learn. He’s intimidated by that. So instead he focuses on something he thinks he’s good at—like the cars, not the dealership. I’ve seen that up close and personal too, remember?”
Of course she remembered, but it peeved her that Kim would throw it in her face again after all these years. “How many more times do I have to apologize for that? I’ll have it carved on my tombstone.”
The incident in question happened thirty years ago when Kim showed off a set of house plans she’d drawn for a drafting class during her sophomore year at Berkeley. Anna spotted multiple miscalculations in a matter of seconds. Stung by the critique, Kim returned to school and promptly switched her major from architecture to art history.
“I never asked for an apology, Anna. All you did was accidentally point out that I couldn’t be an architect if I couldn’t grasp trigonometry. Not a crime, but like I said, intimidating.”
“If I could go back in time, I’d keep my mouth shut. You’d have made a great architect.”
“Nah, I’m happier selling someone else’s house than I ever would have been sitting at a desk and designing my own. Let Andy find what makes him happy and support that.” She bumped Anna playfully with her hip. “Speaking of houses, how about selling us yours when Mom’s gone? You guys can move into the Big House with Dad and his new wife.”
That was the worst idea Anna had ever heard.
* * *
Lily wiped down the wok with a tea towel and set it on the counter where it would stay until someone taller returned it to its place on the top shelf. Cleaning the kitchen wasn’t her favorite chore, but she appreciated its solitude compared to the cacophony of TVs and computer games competing with multiple conversations from all corners of their villa.
Kim was sitting out on the veranda with Alice and Eleanor, all of them quizzing each other in Spanish. The guys were in the living room, where Hal and George were talking golf as Jonah and Georgie battled one another with paintballs in a video game called Splatoon.
Hal caught her arm as she walked behind the couch. “Thanks for cleaning up, Lil. I’ve got breakfast duty tomorrow and George is taking us all out for lunch.”
“Did you guys volunteer, or were those your marching orders?”
He tipped his head toward the veranda. “What do you think?”
“Good on her.”
Anna was in their bedroom with the door shut. Lily opened it gently on the off chance she’d gone to bed early. Instead, she found her propped up with pillows on the king-sized bed having a video conversation with Andy.
“Come say hi to your son, who looks very dope in his new rugby shirt.”
Andy groaned. “Just say it looks cool, Mom.”
Lily squirmed into the picture. “Did you just say Andy looks like a dope? I think he’s very cute.” She made a mental note to order him another but in a smaller size. This one hung off his shoulders.
He palmed his face. “Just so you both know, I still haven’t forgiven you for dragging my butt out of bed this morning.”
Anna’s eyes went wide and she covered her mouth. “You said a bathroom word.”
“Andy, what time are you and Serafina going to the festival?”
“She’s supposed to text me when she’s ready. Soon, I hope. I’m starving.”
“Didn’t you eat at the party?” Lily asked.
“I had chips and stuff, but I didn’t want to mess up my shirt. I could murder a burrito. What did you guys have for dinner?”
“Chinese food,” Anna replied. “Which you wouldn’t have liked because it had lots of vegetables.”
“You won’t believe this, Andy—your mom helped cook. And she didn’t even set off the fire alarms.”
“Now tha
t’s dope.”
“I’ll be so glad to see you tomorrow, pal.” Anna’s tone was unmistakably sentimental. “I keep looking around for you, expecting you to be here. It just isn’t the same without you.”
“Me too,” Lily said.
“It’s only been a couple of days, you know. Not even that.”
“I know, but it feels like a long time when you’re missing somebody, and I’m missing the heck out of you. I can’t imagine what I’ll be like when you go off to college. Maybe I’ll go with you. We could share a dorm room.”
Seeing Andy’s look of alarm, Lily shook her head. “I won’t let her do that to you, son. But she’s right, we miss you.”
“Uh-oh, there’s Serafina. I gotta go.”
“Text us a picture from the festival,” Lily said.
“I’ll pick you up tomorrow morning outside customs, pal. Ten thirty.”
“Okay, see ya then. Love you.” His smile turned quickly to a sneer. “And don’t either of you call me in the morning. I’ll set my phone and get my own self up. If you do, paybacks are going to be double. No, triple.”
When they ended the call, Anna tossed the phone aside and tugged Lily across her lap. “I love you.”
“I’m lucky that way. Andy’s in a good mood tonight. So are you.”
“It’s fun to see him so excited. This was a good idea, letting him stay home by himself a couple of days. You were right, I was wrong. As usual.” Her voice held a hint of sadness. “When he gets here I’m going to tell him how proud I am that he’s my son…something I don’t say often enough. He’s a good kid and I don’t give him enough credit for that. I need to remind myself to say these things aloud, not just think them.”
Lily would love to see Andy’s face as he absorbed praise like that. She sometimes sensed that he was desperate for Anna’s approval. “He’s going to be a fine young man…and soon.”
“Before we know it.” Anna shifted on the bed until they were lying face-to-face. “Lily, am I a good mother?”
“Absolutely,” she replied emphatically. “Where did that come from, sweetheart?”