37 Peases Point Way

by Katie Winters

  “Good evening, ladies and gentleman, and welcome to the twenty-first annual cheerleading competition between Oak Bluffs, Edgartown, and Falmouth High Schools!” he blared a few minutes later.

  Just then, Camilla appeared at the base of the bleachers. With one hand, she carried a massive hot dog, covered in bright green relish; with her other, she carried a big tub of buttery popcorn. Her grin was mischievous and Amelia was grateful for it. When was the last time she’d seen Camilla so carefree?

  “There you are,” Amelia greeted with a smile. “I thought you were bailing on me.”

  “No way.” Camilla sat down next to Amelia and passed over the bag of popcorn. “The line at the concessions stand was insane.”

  “You can’t get between Edgartown’s finest and their snacks,” Amelia agreed.

  “Have a bite of this hot dog,” Camilla ordered. “It’s seriously sinful.”

  They settled back together and waited for the main contest to begin. The stands filled up in a matter of minutes, and the air simmered with smells of pizza, hot dogs, buttered popcorn, and soda. Amelia watched as Mandy gave her team yet another pep talk; she bounced on her bright white tennis shoes and beamed at them. This was her very last competition, and she wouldn’t accept anything but their best.

  “Mandy really grew up, didn’t she?” Camilla said with a sigh. “I remember when she was ten and spending all those nights with you. You were so confused. Calling me all the time to ask what girls aged ten liked to eat for dinner.”

  “I think I went with pizza most nights,” Amelia said. “Seemed to do the trick.”

  “Has Daniel heard anything from their mom lately?” Camilla asked.

  “Nope. To be honest, I stalked her social media recently,” Amelia said. “I was curious if she was still with that guy. She is. And they live in some high-rise in Manhattan with two dogs. Last year, they went on a cruise through the Mediterranean Sea. It looks like they’re doing okay.”

  “Jeez. You have to wonder what kind of monster would just up and leave her kids without a second thought,” Camilla shook her head in disgust. “I can’t imagine it. I won’t see Andrea for a few weeks this month, and it feels awful.”

  Amelia didn’t have many words for this; after all, she wasn’t a mother. She’d never know the bond between a child and their mother. Still, Mandy and Jake were her world and she tried to be there for them as much as she could. Their mother just chose not to and it was really hard to understand that.

  Oak Bluffs performed, then Falmouth. Camilla whispered several times that she’d never seen such amazing performances. Girls flipped wildly, tossed their feet behind their heads, and piled on top of one another for pyramids. Each performance was only between three to five minutes, but it was such intense cardio, it nearly gave Amelia a heart attack.

  “I have no idea if that was good or not, but I’m impressed. And exhausted,” Camilla said, as Falmouth rushed off the center floor to leave it empty for Edgartown High.

  Amelia had seen this senior-year performance several times. It started with a flurry of leaps and backflips and then culminated with a pyramid, which placed Mandy on the second tier, off to the right. Throughout the first few minutes of the performance, Amelia hardly breathed at all. She watched Mandy’s precise movements, the way she stuck her arms in the air, then whipped them back for a perfect flip, totally mesmerized.

  Then, Mandy placed her foot upon the hands of two of her teammates, who then flipped her through the air. She was meant to whip around and then curve her legs out behind her so that she eventually landed toward the back-end of the gym.

  But there was something off about her flip. As she flew, Amelia stood, recognizing that she hadn’t gotten herself around in the right way. Suddenly, Mandy landed on her shoulder on the mat, and her legs whacked out beyond her. Immediately, the crowd gasped. The two girls who’d thrust her in the air looked at each other in shock, then guilt. Had they not sent her out correctly? Whose fault was this?

  Amelia rushed down from the bleachers in a panic. Someone cut the music. She whipped through the other cheerleaders, through a sea of their horrible perfume, and landed alongside Mandy, who held her shoulder and groaned. Her face was horribly pale.

  “Mandy! Hey! You’re okay. You’re okay.” Amelia’s voice broke as she helped Mandy lay back.

  Mandy’s eyes found Amelia’s. Amelia steadied her expression so that Mandy knew she was safe. The school’s sport’s doctor arrived beside them to inspect Mandy.

  “They pushed me off wrong,” Mandy breathed. “I didn’t have enough time to get myself back around.”

  “I know,” Amelia said, although, of course, she’d had no idea. “Everyone could see that.”

  “I’m so embarrassed,” Mandy whispered as her lower lip quivered. “This was our last shot.”

  “We just have to make sure you’re okay,” Amelia said. Her eyes turned toward the sports doctor. He gave her a nod and then began asking Mandy about her pain levels and about whether or not she could move her arm.

  Amelia stood back for a second. Toward the bleachers, Camilla gave her a worried look. Amelia realized she hadn’t breathed properly since Mandy had crashed down. She forced herself to inhale, exhale. She then grabbed her phone and made the call no parent ever wanted to receive.

  “Hey, sis!” Her brother, Daniel replied, who worked at the Vincent House Museum and had put on a fancy, black-tie event that night for a number of investors. “What’s up? I can’t talk long.”

  “Hey Dan,” Amelia said. “Um. I just wanted you to know. Mandy had a little bit of an accident.”

  Daniel’s voice changed immediately. “What happened?” he asked, his tone laced with worry. “Where is she?”

  “We’re still at the gym. I’m trying to get a feel for how bad it is. If she’s cleared to go home, I’ll bring her right back to yours.”

  “Okay. I can get out of here in the next half-hour or so,” Daniel replied.

  “Good.”

  “And Amelia?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Thank you so much for being there. I mean that. I have no idea what me and the kids would do without you.”

  “Of course. I don’t know what I would do without you three, either.” Amelia’s voice broke the slightest bit. Her brother did go out of his way to show his gratefulness, and each time, Amelia made sure to translate just how much they meant to her, too.

  She’d never fallen in love. She’d never had children. It had never been her time. And frequently, she had told herself that maybe, this was God’s plan for her. Mandy, Jake and Daniel needed her. That had to be enough.

  Chapter Three

  Thankfully, Mandy was cleared to return home with Amelia. Somberly, pouting, Mandy led Amelia back into the locker room, where Amelia collected Mandy’s school supplies. She carried them out to the car so that Mandy could continue to press an ice pack against her shoulder. When they reached the parking lot, Camilla eased by in her car and waved to them both. Amelia was grateful Camilla hadn’t stuck around. There just wasn’t anything to say to Mandy, who was borderline heartbroken over tonight’s incident.

  When they reached Amelia’s vehicle, she opened the car door as Mandy assessed the damaged light. Amelia had all-but-forgotten about the morning incident.

  “What happened?” Mandy asked as she slid into the front seat carefully.

  “Some guy hit me,” Amelia said. “This morning. He couldn’t see me and he just ran out in front of me. It happened in a flash.”

  Mandy made a weird sound in her throat. “Maybe today is cursed or something.”

  “Maybe,” Amelia agreed.

  Daniel had moved his children and wife into this house back when their lives had been cookie-cutter perfect — beautiful wife, gorgeous and happy children, all the love in the world. When Amelia pulled up in front of the familiar sight, she again marveled at Suzy’s ability to take off one day and never look back.

  “Here we are. Home sweet home,” Amelia
turned, smiling at her niece.

  “Great,” Mandy grumbled.

  At the door, Amelia slid her spare key into the lock and opened it. Jake burst out from the kitchen; his eyes were large. He was seventeen, athletic, and his hair was all tousled and wild. He wore only a pair of sweatpants and a stained t-shirt. His lips were speckled with red sauce.

  “What happened to you?” he asked.

  “Shut up, Jake,” Mandy returned.

  “Just a little accident,” Amelia said. “What are you eating?”

  “Frozen pizza,” Jake said, turning from the doorway. “There’s more.”

  “I think we should order better pizza,” Amelia said. “Mandy, why don’t you go change? Your dad should be home soon.”

  Mandy grumbled as she retreated down the shadowy hallway toward her bedroom. After she kicked the door closed, loud music swarmed out from under it. Amelia adored these kids — of course, she did. But they hadn’t avoided teenage moodiness.

  “What happened,” Jake asked under his breath as Amelia looked up the number of their favorite pizza place, Edgartown Pizza.

  “They threw her wrong,” Amelia whispered. “She’s pretty mad, to say the least.”

  “Damn. And that was her last contest as a senior....” Jake breathed.

  “Language, Jacob,” Amelia hissed, just as Edgartown Pizza answered the phone. “Hello! Yes. I’d like to make an order for delivery?”

  IT WAS A LOT LIKE ANY other night at the Taylor household. In time, Mandy limped out from her room and admitted her shoulder felt a whole lot better; Daniel returned from the museum to listen to the war stories from the competition; Jake ate more than his fair share of the pizza, and Mandy picked a fake fight about it. Amelia fell into the fun banter; she teased Jake about his hair and her brother for his funny, Italian suit, which he always wore for these fancy evenings at the museum.

  As Jake recounted something that had happened at his basketball practice earlier that day, Amelia’s phone buzzed. She didn’t recognize the number but had been expecting a call from one of the contractors she’d spoken to about the Edgartown public pool. She excused herself and stepped into the kitchen.

  “Hello, this is Amelia Taylor.”

  The voice on the other end sent shivers down her spine.

  “Amelia. This is Nathan. Nathan Gregory.”

  Wow. The morning accident was already a distant memory to her.

  “Nathan. Hello!” She truly hadn’t expected to hear from him like this. She hadn’t even had time to pass along news of the accident to her insurance company yet. “Is there something wrong?” she finally asked.

  “Wrong? No. Well, I mean, maybe.”

  “And what’s that?”

  “Well, see. I found myself at my inn, all ready for a night to myself, and remembered that this is one of my last nights on Martha’s Vineyard. I have no one to spend it with.”

  Amelia’s heart jumped into her throat and hammered against her vocal cords.

  “I see. That is a tragedy,” Amelia said.

  “It really is. It makes me ask myself some questions. Like, what the heck am I doing with myself? And others, like, I wonder if that beautiful woman whose morning I ruined wouldn’t like to meet at the bar downtown?”

  It had been a long, long time since anyone had asked Amelia out on a date. Her first instinct was to say no — that she had family obligations. But Daniel was in for the night; Mandy and Jake didn’t need anything from her, so maybe this was her last shot at fun for a bit.

  And what the heck? Why not?

  “Interesting questions. I wonder if you’ll ever find your answers,” Amelia teased.

  Nathan chuckled. “Come on. Come out with me. I feel awful about this morning. It’s really not like me.”

  “I’m not sure. It’s been one crazy day, and I —”

  At that moment, Mandy wandered into the kitchen. She listened, furrowed her brow, then mouthed, “Is someone asking you out?”

  Amelia shrugged. Embarrassment made her blush slightly as she placed a hand on the counter.

  “Go!” Mandy whispered harshly. “Come on!”

  “I really think I can make it worth your while,” Nathan finally uttered.

  Amelia paused for probably way too long. Finally, she replied, “Okay. I can be in Oak Bluffs in twenty minutes.”

  “Fantastic. There’s a bar on Main Street.”

  “I know the place. See you there.”

  After Amelia hung up the phone, Mandy smirked and said, “Who was that?”

  “Oh, it’s um. It’s.” Amelia ran through her mind for some excuse she could make up. But hadn’t she vowed, a long time ago, never to lie to her niece? Another blush rushed over her cheeks as she sighed and said, “It’s the guy who hit my car this morning.”

  Mandy’s jaw dropped. “You’re kidding.”

  “Nope.”

  Mandy disappeared down the shadowy hallway again. Amelia watched, her hand wrapped around her neck. After a long moment, Mandy called, “Aunt Amelia! Aren’t you coming?” She then followed after the sound, feeling as though the roles had been reversed. Unfortunately, it was clear: her eighteen-year-old niece had a whole lot more recent experience in this realm than Amelia did. Maybe she really did need her help.

  “Here,” Mandy said. She passed her a tube of lipstick, some eyeliner, and some mascara. “You work hard—too hard. And all the humidity in the gym made your makeup runoff. You need a retouch.”

  Amelia stepped toward Mandy’s mirror, which she had decorated with photographs of her best friends and various celebrities that Amelia wouldn’t have been able to name if her life had depended on it. It was funny how the world took off without you. She hadn’t kept up.

  “What’s this guy’s deal?” Mandy asked as Amelia carefully placed eyeliner around her eyes and added a touch of mascara.

  “What do you mean?”

  “You know. Like, what does he look like? What’s his personality?”

  Amelia arched an eyebrow and caught Mandy’s reflection in the mirror. “He’s cute.”

  “How cute? Like, how can you compare?”

  “Do you know who Patrick Dempsey is?”

  Mandy’s jaw dropped. “No. Way. I’m not too young to know the real McDreamy himself.”

  “Well, yeah. I would say him, but about fifteen years ago. Forty-ish.”

  “Wow.” Mandy seemed impressed. She crossed and uncrossed her arms, then shifted her head toward the closet. “Do you want to check out my wardrobe?”

  Amelia knew that Mandy’s closet was a collection of super-tight jeans and super-tight t-shirts, so she respectively declined. Besides, her black dress from her workday wasn’t so bad. It was simple; it was almost chic, and she had paid the tiniest bit too much for it when she’d gone out shopping with Mila one day. Traditionally, Mila had the ritziest taste of all of them.

  “That lipstick looks perfect on you,” Mandy affirmed. “When was the last time you went on a first date, anyway?”

  Amelia pondered this. On one hand, she didn’t want to reveal such a private thing to her niece; but on the other, Mandy was eighteen and she liked this idea that soon, they would just be close friends, without as much of the pretend-guardian, child relationship.

  “I guess it’s been like... I don’t know. Ten years?” Had it really been that long? Suddenly, Amelia’s stomach rolled over, and she fell into a state of panic. “Oh my gosh. What am I doing?” she said, mostly to her reflection in the mirror.

  “Come on. No way,” Mandy said. “I know that look. You won’t spiral. Not on my watch.

  Amelia stood and walked toward the door. She suddenly fell into a haze. As she went, Mandy reached for her shoulders, held her solidly in place, and made heavy eye contact. Suddenly, Amelia felt much more like one of the younger cheerleaders, receiving a pep talk from their leader.

  “Listen to me, Aunt Amelia,” Mandy said firmly, locking eyes. “You are beautiful. You are tough. You are actually the most intelligent a
nd wonderful person I’ve ever had the pleasure of knowing. Your friends love you. The people of Edgartown love you. Disregard any thoughts of fear because all you’re doing right now? Is going to see some handsome dude. He’s just some dude, but you are Amelia Taylor. And you always will be.”

  Amelia gave Mandy a soft smile. “Thanks for saying that.”

  “Of course,” Mandy winked. “I might go into public speaking after the whole high school thing.”

  “Good idea,” Amelia replied. “Which reminds me. We should go back to those college applications. You’ve only applied to a few. Might as well keep your options open, right?”

  “Don’t worry about me, right now, Aunt Amelia. That guy is out there and he is waiting for you. Patrick Dempsey, but younger! You said it yourself! Go forth. And get laid.”

  “Hey!” Amelia blushed at her niece's words. “Don’t say that.”

  Mandy shrugged. “Why not? It’s a normal part of life.”

  Suddenly, Amelia’s brother, Daniel, appeared in the hallway. He peered at them curiously. “Nice lipstick,” he said. “Are you girls playing dress-up?”

  “Yep. Because I’m eight years old, Dad,” Mandy smirked.

  “Actually, I’m headed out,” Amelia said.

  “She has a date.”

  Amelia cast Mandy an ominous look, which forced Mandy to snap her lips together.

  “A date?” Daniel echoed his daughter’s words. He knew, just as well as everyone else, that Amelia hadn’t exactly had time for anyone over the past few years.

  “It’s just some guy I met this morning,” Amelia said. She suppressed a smile and felt that now-familiar blush creep up again. “But it literally doesn’t matter.”

  “He wrecked her car,” Mandy added.

  “I swear. One more word out of you and you’re toast,” Amelia said as her smile widened.

  Daniel walked Amelia out to her car to inspect the damage. Amelia waved him away as she said, “Danny, you know I can take care of myself, don’t you?”

  Daniel hadn’t bothered with his coat. He crossed his arms, an attempt to keep himself warm against the evening chill. “You take care of everyone else. I should at least try to repay the favor sometimes.”