Once Upon a Summertime

by Melody Carlson

  Feeling even more certain that she was a descendant of some dearly departed immigrant, Anna proceeded into the building. As soon as she was inside, she was awestruck by the beautiful architecture. With its high domed ceilings and massive arched windows, the museum felt like a cathedral, as if something deeply spiritual had transpired here. To her surprise, she felt tears fill her eyes as she followed the group inside. She took her time at the American Flag of Faces, watching as visitors pulled up names of ancestors. She wasn’t the only one to shed a tear. Such history—it was moving and amazing.

  She continued on through the various exhibits, feeling more and more like she was part of this; even if she couldn’t name names, she belonged here. By now she’d lost track of Sean, but she was glad for this separation. All the feelings and conflicts she’d experienced earlier were unsettling, almost uncomfortable. She needed a break. Even if it was a slightly emotional one.

  Anna went from exhibit to exhibit, pausing often to take in the incredible architecture of the building—the giant arched windows, the way the light reflected from the tiled ceiling—it was really amazing. She paused to study an interesting display of old pieces of luggage, baskets, and trunks, the containers used by immigrants to transport their meager belongings to their new home. More than a few times, Anna lost herself just staring into the faces of immigrants come to life in the enlarged black-and-white photographs.

  She wasn’t sure how much time had passed, but she eventually found herself on the second floor, staring at a life-sized statue. It was a bronze of a young Irish woman named Annie Moore, the first immigrant to pass through Ellis Island in 1892. What captivated Anna was the look of wonder, hope, fear, expectation . . . and a trace of sadness, probably for what she’d left behind. She knew it was silly to compare herself to that brave young woman of time gone by, but she really felt she could relate. Anna remembered her own feelings upon arriving in New York just two days ago—wonder, hope, fear, expectation, and yes, a trace of sadness for what she’d left behind. Truly, Anna from Springville and Annie from Ireland were not so very different.

  “Here you are,” Sean said as he joined her. “I just tried to call your cell, but it seems to be off.”

  She turned to him, feeling slightly dazed, as if she’d just been dragged back into the present. “Sorry. I think I lost track of the time.”

  “Who’s this?” Sean looked at the bronze.

  “One of your ancestors, perhaps,” she teased. “Meet Annie Moore from Ireland. Annie, meet Sean O’Neil, a descendant of Ireland.”

  Sean pretended to shake the statue’s hand. “You’re a comely lass, Annie,” he said in a perfect Irish accent. “’Tis pleased to make your acquaintance, I am.”

  “I was just thinking that Annie and I had some things in common,” Anna admitted.

  “Your names, for instance?”

  She nodded. “Plus being newcomers to New York. Embarking on a new life. Feeling uncertain but hopeful.”

  He smiled as he slipped a hand around her shoulders, giving her a friendly squeeze. “Welcome to the new world, Anna.”

  She liked the feel of his arm around her . . . and yet she knew she shouldn’t. “What time has it gotten to be?” She looked at her watch as if the time really mattered.

  “I’m not sure what the clocks say, but my stomach is saying it’s lunchtime. If we skedaddle we can probably catch the next ferry. I think it leaves in about twenty minutes, but I hear there could be a line by now.”

  They hurried down the stairs and outside to where there was a line waiting to get onto the next ferry. As they joined the end of it, Sean explained his plan for the remainder of the day. “I figured since this was our big day to act like tourists, we should just go for it. That is, if you’re game.”

  She nodded. “I’m game.”

  “Cool.” He pulled out his iPhone. “Not everyone would be into this.”

  “What?”

  “A hop-on, hop-off double-decker tour of the city.”

  “A what?”

  Sean laughed. “Vincent actually told me about it. He said it was the quickest way to see the New York sights. He even offered to reimburse me for it. Part of my training as manager.”

  “Really?”

  Sean explained how the double-decker bus’s runs were between ten and thirty minutes and how you could get on and off as you liked, creating your own personal tour as you went. “You still game?”

  “Absolutely!”

  “We’ll get our passes as soon as we get off the ferry. But before we start hopping around, we have to get some lunch.”

  “Sounds good to me.”

  As they boarded the ferry, Anna noticed that the clear blue sky from this morning was clouding up. But the air, even out here on the water, was still very warm. Warm and muggy. “Do you think it’s going to rain?” she asked Sean.

  “I heard they were predicting thundershowers for Monday. I thought today was supposed to be clear.” He frowned up at the sky. “But you never know.”

  It was nearly 2:00 and pushing ninety degrees when Anna and Sean, armed with hot dogs, chips, and large sodas, climbed to the top of a double-decker bus, finding a pair of vacant seats in the back.

  “This is great,” Anna said she sat down. “What a vantage point.”

  “This bus takes the Downtown Loop,” Sean told her. “I picked it since it was closer to where we live. Help us to familiarize ourselves with our neighborhood. But we won’t have time to stop and see everything.”

  “How long would that take?” Anna sipped her soda.

  “Probably until tomorrow—but the busses stop at night.” He took a big bite of his hot dog. “If we stayed on the bus, no hopping on and off, it would take a couple hours to see everything.”

  “I wonder if we can do both. I mean, I’d like to see everything listed here.” She held up the pamphlet Sean had given her. “But maybe we just pick the ones we most want to hop out and see.” They decided to hop out for the Empire State Building, Radio City Music Hall, and St. Patrick’s Cathedral. The rest of the places they would see from the bus. Anna peered up at the sky. It was even cloudier now. She wondered if those thundershowers were really going to hold off until tomorrow.

  The Empire State Building was even more grand than she remembered it from two of her favorite movies—Sleepless in Seattle and its inspiration, An Affair to Remember. While they were standing on the observation deck, it was clear that the clouds were coming in.

  “I think the weatherman got it wrong,” Sean told her as they headed back to the elevator. “Hopefully it will hold off until we’ve seen everything.”

  Radio City Music Hall was fun to see from the outside. The art deco theater was such a New York icon. But Anna felt disappointed that due to a matinee, they couldn’t take a peek inside. “Maybe we’ll come back someday,” Sean said as they hopped onto the next double-decker bus.

  “I hope so.” Anna nodded eagerly. Okay, the truth was she hoped that they’d come here together, but there was no way she was saying that. She was still determined to maintain a safe distance between them. For the sake of her job and her future, she had to keep this friendship on a business level.

  Next they hopped off for St. Patrick’s Cathedral. In the changing light—with sun shining directly on the front of the building and dark clouds gathered behind it—the gothic structure looked truly ethereal. Lots of tourists were taking photos, and Anna was among them. But it wasn’t until they went inside that she saw the true beauty of this amazing landmark. The enormous arches looked interwoven as they soared into the intricate ceilings. The carved columns, the sculptures, the jewel-toned stained glass windows . . . it was the grandest thing she’d seen since coming to New York. Amazing.

  “Nothing like this back in Springville,” she whispered to Sean, making him smile.

  To her surprise, he went down a row of seats, sat down, and bowed his head. Feeling unsure of herself, she decided to follow his lead, and finding a seat a few rows behind him, s
he sat down too. Instead of bowing her head, she just looked up at the ceiling, marveling that the cornerstone had been set before the Civil War. As she considered the lives that had passed through here, she realized that many of them were the same people who had passed through Ellis Island. People who were long gone now. For some reason, she found this very moving and humbling.

  Anna bowed her head too. After taking a few calming breaths, she expressed a sincere prayer of gratitude. She felt exceedingly thankful that God had brought her to this big, busy place—New York City. She was thankful for her friendship with Sean. She felt thankful for her job managing maids. After expressing thanks, she asked God to continue directing her path and to strengthen her as she started this new job. Finally, she asked God to bless her grandmother. As she softly said “Amen,” it occurred to her that she had actually made it to church on a Sunday. Wouldn’t Grandma be pleased about that!

  15

  As Anna opened her eyes, once again looking up at the majestic columns and arches, she realized that Sean was no longer seated up in front of her. She glanced around the cathedral but didn’t spy him anywhere. Feeling a bit displaced, she stood and walked around. Certainly he wouldn’t have left her behind. It appeared as if they were getting ready for a service, and she wondered if Sean had gone outside.

  When she found him, he was in the vestibule, admiring a sculpture. “I thought I lost you,” she whispered from behind.

  He turned around, gazing at her with what seemed like an intimate expression—as if they were more than just friends. “No worries, Anna. I wouldn’t let that happen.”

  A warm rush ran through her, and for a brief moment, she wondered what he would do if she kissed him. Of course, she would never in a million years do that. Would she? Why was she even allowing her mind to go there in the first place?

  “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything as beautiful as St. Patrick’s,” she confided. “It’s kind of mind-blowing.”

  He nodded. “I felt the same way. It’s incredible.”

  “I think they’re getting ready for mass or something now.”

  “Yes, that’s what I heard.”

  She turned to give the interior of the cathedral one last look, trying to soak in all the beauty and splendor—as well as trying to subdue her raging emotions. Why was she reacting so strongly to every single thing today? Was it just New York? Or was it Sean? Or was it something more?

  “Ready?” he put his hand on the small of her back, guiding her toward the entrance. “I think the next bus will be rolling along any minute. We can catch it.”

  “Yes,” she said eagerly. “Let’s go.”

  They had barely reached the street before they spotted the double-decker rolling toward them. Sean stepped out, holding up his hand to flag the driver, and soon they were back on top of the bus. Only this time, it wasn’t nearly as crowded, and no one was talking on the PA system, telling them about what they were seeing. Not that Anna cared. She’d gotten a little tired of that earlier.

  As the bus took off, Anna noticed a light flashing overhead. She assumed it was a sign on one of the buildings or a tourist’s camera, but not long after the flash came a loud clap of thunder that made Anna jump. “Thunderstorm?” she asked Sean.

  “Looks that way.” He nodded. “Want to go down under?”

  “No.” Anna firmly shook her head. “I love thunderstorms.”

  He laughed. “Well, of course you do. I should’ve known that.”

  “Why?” she asked him.

  He just shrugged, but the twinkle in his eye suggested there was more to this. But before she could question him, another flash of lightning split the sky, and this time the boom came just a couple seconds afterward. “That sounds closer,” she told him.

  “Cool, huh?”

  “Yeah.” Anna watched as the other passengers who’d been on top scurried down to the lower level.

  “Scaredy-cats,” Sean said in a good-humored way. All of a sudden it started to rain. Not just a light drizzle either. The sky opened up and buckets of water came pouring down. Before they could get below to shelter, they were both drenched—and laughing like crazy people. Anna had never had so much fun in her life!

  Still dripping wet but in good spirits, Anna and Sean were surprised when the bus driver pulled over and announced that this was the last stop on the tour. “Everybody out. And you all have a great evening!”

  “What?” Anna looked at Sean. “I thought the bus tour went into the evening.”

  “So did I.” Sean called out to the driver, asking him why the tour was over.

  “Because it’s the end of the line.” The driver waited for them.

  “But it’s just a little past five.” Sean frowned out at the pouring rain.

  “That’s right. Quitting time.”

  “Well, thanks for the ride,” Anna said, leaping out into the rainstorm. Sean followed and, grabbing her hand, pulled her under an awning for cover.

  “I’m sorry,” he told Anna. “I didn’t expect to get stranded like this in a thunderstorm.”

  “Stranded?” Anna looked around at the city streets where other people were dashing here and there for cover, calling for taxis, and waiting under awnings. “We seem to be in good company.”

  Sean beamed at her. “You’re a good sport.” He stepped out in the rain and began trying to wave down a taxi. Unfortunately, they seemed to be occupied. But he didn’t give up, and after about twenty minutes, he finally got one to pull over. He waved victoriously at Anna, they both piled into the back, and Sean instructed the driver to take them to Anna’s apartment in Greenwich Village.

  “Well, this is an exciting way to end our day,” she told him.

  “This wasn’t how I planned it,” he said with disappointment.

  “Apparently no one planned on a thunderstorm today. Not even the weatherman.” Anna was starting to shiver from her wet clothes but tried to hide it because she didn’t want to make Sean feel any worse. “You’re soaked to the skin,” she pointed out. “You should have the driver take you home first.”

  “No,” he insisted. “You first.”

  “Thanks,” she murmured.

  “I wanted to finish off our day with dinner in Little Italy.” He sighed. “I thought we could walk there.”

  “Oh.” Anna peered out the fogged up window. “It’s still coming down cats and dogs out there.”

  “I know.” He brightened. “But we could take a taxi. Maybe I could even arrange for this one to come back for us. That is, if you’re game. Are you?”

  “Sure,” she said with enthusiasm. “I’d love to see Little Italy.”

  “Great.” He pulled out his phone. “Hopefully this still works. I’ll see if I can make a reservation somewhere.”

  She waited as he made several attempts. Even though it was Sunday and pouring rain, the restaurants seemed to be pretty busy. “Do you think you could be ready by 6:30?” he asked with a doubtful expression. “I know that’s early. And it doesn’t give you much time to change.”

  She glanced at her watch, quickly calculating. “I think so.”

  “Really?” He looked surprised.

  She laughed. “I’m kind of a low-maintenance girl.”

  He grinned. “I like that.”

  She just hoped that she’d be able to get a turn in the shared bathroom. She really wanted a quick hot shower to warm her up. However, she had no idea what she would wear. She remembered how Marley had offered the use of her closet. Anna wasn’t one to borrow clothes, but her only other option would be to wear her Ralph Lauren suit, and that seemed a little much.

  “Here you go,” Sean announced as the taxi stopped. The windows were so foggy it was impossible to see out.

  “I’ll be back around 6:30. Our reservation is 6:45.”

  “I’ll be ready,” she called as she hopped out, dashing up the steps through the steady rain.

  Anna felt chilled to the bone as she went into the apartment. Yet she felt surprisingly warm too.
Maybe she was just generally conflicted about everything.

  “What happened to you?” a woman dressed in warm-ups asked. “Take a dip in the river?” She laughed. “I’m Tia, by the way. You must be Anna.”

  “Yes.” Anna shivered as she shook Tia’s hand. “I got caught in the rainstorm. Is the bathroom available? I’d love a shower.”

  “You’re in luck. Kara and Sophie left for JFK just a few minutes ago.” Tia reached for the TV remote. “And I don’t work until Tuesday.”

  “Fantastic!” Anna dashed for the bathroom, stripping off her soggy clothes. Even though their shower pressure wasn’t the greatest, she’d never enjoyed a hot shower more. But she knew time was limited—and she wanted to look her best. Okay, she knew that went against everything she’d been telling herself, off and on, all day. This was not a date, this was not a date. But there was no reason she couldn’t dress like it was a date. After all, this was New York, and Marley had said she could borrow some clothes. Fortunately, they were about the same size.

  Wrapped in a towel and with another one around her head, Anna streaked through the living room. “Someone’s in a hurry,” Tia said absently.

  “Yeah, I’m going out again.”

  “A date?” Tia’s brows arched with interest.

  “More like a business dinner,” Anna said as she went into the bedroom.

  “Well, you’re lucky,” Tia called. “The rain has stopped.”

  “Great!” Anna was going through Marley’s closet now, trying to find something comfortable yet sophisticated. If her own clothes were here, she would probably wear her white linen sheath dress, but Marley didn’t seem to have anything like that. Perhaps she had a little black dress. Didn’t every woman in New York own a little black dress? Then—bingo—Anna pulled out a sleeveless black dress, holding it up to her. Hopefully it would fit okay.