The Joining Tree

by Claire Fogel

  No, Cara, you need to be patient. Love can never be forgotten.

  I was afraid she was right.

  You should talk to your friend with hair of fire. She understands. I think she agrees with me. Please tell her I am glad she is with you. She is good friend.

  “Yes, she’s my best friend. I forgot that you never met her. Her name is Amy.”

  Rowenna dipped her head to Amy, who said, “I’m happy to finally meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Rowenna made that rough coughing noise that I think was laughter.

  Cara, please sing for me before I leave.

  I sang her song as she closed her eyes and hummed.

  Thank you. I am here whenever you need me, my young friend.

  The moonlight glittered on her scales as she rose out of our yard and into the sky. Her magic wrapped around us briefly and then was gone.

  Amy said softly, “I heard every word she said, Cara. I think she’s right. You shouldn’t forget the one person you’ll probably love forever. I’m sure he’ll be back.”

  I couldn’t answer her. But Rowenna’s magic had completely taken away my headache. I whispered, “Thank you, Rowenna,” and heard her distant chuckle.

  I enjoyed Mom’s TLC for the next few days, but by the end of the week, I was ready to go back to school. My headache was gone, I looked almost human again, and I wanted to do some drawing for the Albany Art show, but most of my supplies were in Syracuse, along with my car.

  While I was thinking about how to get back to school, Amy called to say she didn’t have to work that weekend, and she’d be happy to take me back to Syracuse. She wanted to see Gavin, but she also had another purpose for her visit.

  “I’d like to have a few words with your friend Lily.”

  Uh-oh. From experience, I’d learned that Amy’s temper was a close match with her red hair. But I needed a ride and didn’t want to force Mom to make that drive again.

  I spent the next day convincing Mom and Dad that I was well enough to return to school.

  “Mom, I haven’t had a headache since Tuesday. I’ve been able to get plenty of sleep while I’ve been home, and you’ve probably put five pounds on me. Trust me, I’m fine.”

  She still looked worried. “All right, but I’ll have a little talk with your guardian angel. We don’t want you hurt again, Cara.”

  My father looked resigned. “I wish I could send Rowenna with you, sweetheart. She’d take care of the bad guys in Syracuse very quickly.”

  That made me smile. “Yeah, she would. Their Fire Department would have their hands full.”

  Saturday morning Amy came to pick me up after breakfast. Mom had made pancakes, of course. After Mom and Dad had hugged both of us repeatedly, I threw my duffle into the back of Amy’s station wagon, and we took off.

  Since Amy likes to talk while she drives, I filled her in on everything that had been going on in my life since the Christmas holidays. We hadn’t had a long talk since then.

  “You said Lily’s been after Gavin ever since he’s been in school with you. What has she been doing?”

  “She asks him out a lot. She likes to party and she invited him to parties off-campus a couple of times. She compliments him constantly.” I snorted. “There’s nothing subtle about Lily, but she really is a fantastic photographer. I agree she shouldn’t have asked him to pose nude, but her photographs of him are beautiful, Amy.”

  “Well, I want to see them for myself. And she needs to understand that Gavin has a girlfriend and doesn’t want to go out with her. Apparently, she can’t take a hint. Gavin told me how many times he’s turned her down.”

  “Yeah, he has. He’s never encouraged her at all. I was really surprised when he agreed to pose for her. I think he didn’t want to insult her work.

  “And how about the handsome Lieutenant Fox? Has he called you since you’ve been home?”

  “Yep. I’ve only been home since Saturday and he’s called me twice.”

  She raised both eyebrows. “He’s certainly attentive, Cara. More than any other cop would be, don’t you think?”

  “I suppose. We’ve become friends over the past six months. You have to remember: I’m a disaster magnet so I spend a lot of time with the police, wherever I happen to live.”

  She grinned. “Well, that’s one way to meet men, I guess. What does your Lieutenant look like?”

  “Amy, he’s not my Lieutenant.”

  She laughed. “I still want details.”

  “Okay. Lieutenant Fox, first name Aidan, is twenty-eight, single, lives with his mom and sister. He’s about six feet tall, well built, reddish sandy hair cut short, very light blue eyes that can look right through you, probably a handy feature for a cop. He was suspicious of me at first, mainly because of what he’d been told about my history in Thornewood.” I chuckled. “He said he expected someone bigger!

  “He’s told me to call him anytime I have a problem or need help.”

  She laughed. “I guess being a ‘disaster magnet’ has its benefits. Do you think you’ll see him while I’m visiting this weekend?”

  “I thought you wanted to spend time with Gavin this weekend. Hmm?”

  “You know me, Cara. I always have time for handsome guys.”

  By the time she pulled up in front of the yellow house on Birch Street, we were fully caught up with each other’s lives. The catering business at her family’s bakery was growing nicely. This was her first weekend off since the bakery opened in September.

  As we walked up the steps to the front door, I saw that old green van turn the far corner, heading away from us. I smiled and said to Amy, “Remind me to tell you about my Good Samaritan sometime.”

  She looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

  “Unfortunately, I haven’t met him yet.”

  As we walked through the front door to my apartment, I called out, “Hey Gavin, I’m home and I brought you a present!”

  Amy was behind me, laughing.

  “Cara!” Gavin rushed in from the kitchen, stopping short when he saw who was with me. “Amy?”

  “I needed a ride back and Amy was available for the weekend.”

  Gavin threw his arms around me first, a concerned look on his face. “I’m happy you’re back. You look good. How’s your head?”

  “I’m fine, my head’s fine, now say hello to Amy properly.”

  He grinned, let go of me, and grabbed Amy for an extremely affectionate hug.

  After a sufficient amount of affection had been exchanged, we sat down in the kitchen nook over coffee that Gavin had just made.

  He smiled, looking at Amy. “I must have known you were coming.

  “Cara, all our friends have been asking for you. Mrs. Barrett even stopped by one night after school. And your Lieutenant was here right after you left last week, sorry he missed you, but glad you were going home with your parents.”

  He frowned, looking guilty again. “Speaking of your parents, are they very mad at me? I really expected your father would come and take me out of school and return me to my work in the forest. I know he’s disappointed in me.”

  I shook my head. “Gavin, he would never pull you out of school before the term ends. But he does want to talk to you.”

  He groaned. “I hope you know how sorry I am. I lost my head. That’s twice I’ve put you in danger, Cara. Your father will never forgive me. I hope you can.”

  “Of course I’ve forgiven you. The person I haven’t forgiven is Lily. She should have warned you that most of upstate New York would be at our art show.”

  He nodded, regret on his face. “I thought that only her teacher and the other photography students would see her pictures. I never would have agreed otherwise.”

  “Well, live and learn, Gavin,” I said. “But I really thought those photos were beautiful. Lily did a great job.”

  Smiling, in a dreamy voice, Amy added, “I do want to see those photos, you know.”

  Gavin’s face was bright red. “I was afraid
of that,” he muttered.

  I stood. “I’ve got some drawings to work on, so the living room is all yours.”

  I grinned at them. “Have fun!”

  Gavin made sandwiches for us when we got hungry. After we ate, I left them to enjoy their time together and went back to my studio.

  It must have been after five when Amy knocked on the door of my studio. “We’re getting hungry again but I wanted to see what you’re working on.”

  “Come on in.” I stepped away from my easel. “What do you think?” I was using watercolors on a drawing I’d been working on before I’d been hit on the head last week. I’d started sketching the two white birch trees in Miss Williams’ backyard with the wooded park behind them. I’d also drawn Ralph sitting in front of the tree, looking up into the branches.

  “Ooh, I really like this, Cara. The texture of those birches looks so real. You’re doing a beautiful job. Will you be selling this one?”

  “Probably. I’ve already done several pen and ink drawings for the Art show in Albany, but I’d like to add a few watercolors if I can.”

  “Well, put your brush down. It’s time to go over to your Café for dinner. I’m looking forward to meeting a few of your friends.”

  I did an eye roll. I knew exactly who she wanted to meet.

  “Amy, promise me. No bloodshed, right?”

  She rolled her eyes. “Of course not, Cara. I just want to talk to her.”

  A few minutes later, we left for the Café, Gavin holding Amy’s hand. When we walked in, the usual group was already at our table. Paula and Lily got up and rushed over to me, welcoming me back with hugs. Tim, Joel, and Freddy were smiling as we reached the table.

  After assuring everyone that my head was still firmly affixed to my shoulders, we sat down and I introduced Amy to the group.

  “I’d like you all to meet my best friend from Thornewood, Amy Strauss. She’s spending the weekend with us.”

  Everyone smiled and greeted her. Except for Lily who just stared at my best friend.

  Finally, Lily asked, “You and Gavin are dating?”

  Gavin gave Amy an unmistakably affectionate look, and Amy smiled. “Yes.”

  The look Lily gave Gavin was unmistakably disappointed, even a little hurt.

  He noticed and told the group, “Amy and I have been seeing each other since Christmas.”

  As I looked around the table, I noticed that Paula, Joel, and Tim all looked amused. Everyone knew that Lily had been throwing herself at Gavin. No one said anything for a few minutes.

  I broke the silence. “So what’s on the menu tonight? We’re hungry.”

  Since it was Saturday night, most of the students were gone for the weekend. One of the third-year students was on duty and kept things simple with homemade pizza, which was really good. Naturally, Paula asked for a salad. He rolled his eyes but quickly tossed lettuce and some veggies into a bowl and brought it over to her.

  She grinned at him. “My hero.” He winked at her and returned to the kitchen area.

  As she poured oil and vinegar on her salad, she asked me, “So how’s the handsome Lieutenant, Cara?”

  “As far as I know, he’s fine. Why?”

  Paula smacked her lips. “He is one good-looking man. I might not mind getting hit over the head if he’d pay that much attention to me. Are you sure you haven’t been seeing the Lieutenant socially, Cara?”

  I snorted. “Quite sure. But I do consider him a friend. He’s one of the good guys.”

  The rest of the table was discussing the reactions to the work they had displayed at Barrett’s Art Show. Of course, that brought up the subject of Lily’s photography montage.

  Lily beamed. “My instructor loved the photos. Of course, they attracted a lot of attention from many of the people who came to our Art Show. Most of the women wanted Gavin’s phone number.” She looked over at Gavin. “Of course, I didn’t give it to them.”

  Gavin’s face was red, but he looked relieved.

  Amy’s voice was cool as she said, “Lily, I’d love to see those photos while I’m here.”

  Lily shook her head. “Sorry, the Art Show is over. The photos have been taken down.” She sounded equally cool.

  Amy wasn’t going to let it go. “Lily, everyone says you’re a gifted photographer. I saw the photos you took of Cara last year. They were beautiful. I’d really love to see what you accomplished with Gavin’s photos.”

  That put the ball squarely in Lily’s court. She couldn’t really refuse without looking childish.

  She looked straight at Amy. “Okay. They’re in my dorm room. If you want to take a walk over there with me, you can see them now.” She stood.

  Amy got up from our table and Gavin got up with her. She smiled at him. “You should stay here with Cara. I won’t be long.” She joined Lily and they left the Café.

  Gavin put his head down, muttering something I couldn’t hear. His face was beet red.

  Paula patted his arm. “Gavin, you have nothing to be ashamed about, you know. I think those photos of you are incredible. They make you look like a cross between a Viking god and a movie idol.”

  Freddy smiled at Gavin. “Definitely a Viking god. Don’t ever apologize for posing for Lily. I think it’s the best work she’s ever done.” He glanced at me. “No offense, Cara.”

  “No offense taken. I agree with you.”

  Freddy looked slightly worried. “Uh, Cara, your friend Amy is a lot bigger than Lily. You don’t suppose she’d . . .”

  Gavin’s eyebrows shot up as he turned to me.

  “No, of course not. I think Amy just wants to talk to her. And see Gavin’s photos, of course.” I smiled. “You can relax. There will be no bloodshed. I have Amy’s word.”

  Joel poured coffee for all of us while we waited for the girls to return. It seemed we’d all run out of conversation.

  It was a half hour before Amy and Lily returned, chatting about models and professional photographers, and had Amy ever considered modeling. They were both smiling, and we all breathed a sigh of relief, especially Gavin.

  From that point on, we had a fun weekend. Amy stayed until late Sunday afternoon, promising to drive up the next time she had a free weekend when we had to stay at school. Privately, she told me she thought Lily’s photos of Gavin were gorgeous. Lily had promised to email Amy’s favorite photo to her. She’d also promised to stop hitting on Gavin.

  I went back to preparing for the Albany Art show and told Gavin it was up to him to deal with all of his new admirers. Since the Barrett Art Show, he’d apparently become very popular on campus. When I mentioned it, Gavin just rolled his eyes, blushed, and left the room.

  We drove back to Thornewood the next two weekends, mainly so that I could take the artwork I’d completed to Francis Sullivan for his approval. He would have each piece framed and taken into town to Mr. Callahan who would ship them to the Albany gallery.

  As I tried to work on a watercolor in my small bedroom, I realized that what I needed most was a studio, and Mom’s house didn’t have enough room. A roomy studio with a lot of skylights and a view of the forest I loved. If I continued to make money with my art sales, I might be able to build a studio on the lot that my father had deeded to me two years ago.

  The prospect of having my own studio gave me something I could look forward to. And maybe, if I built it big enough, I could live there too. An exciting thought!

  Mom decided she couldn’t leave her business for two days, so my father and I set out for Albany early on Friday. The gallery’s opening of this new show wasn’t until seven that night. We’d have time for a leisurely trip and a bit of a rest when we arrived at our hotel, but not the same one Mom and I had stayed at on our first trip to Albany. Mom booked us into the best hotel in that city, after I insisted I could afford it.

  Dad looked over Mom’s shoulder while she was checking out hotels, and when she chose one she thought would be the safest, my father suggested she book a suite for us. I thought my ever-prac
tical mother was going to argue, but she just shook her head and booked the suite.

  My father looked over at me and winked. “Alicia dear, Cara can afford a suite. Her agent keeps raising the prices on her paintings and drawings. I predict she’ll be able to support us in another year, and you can retire.”

  By that time, Mom knew she was being teased. She looked at my father with one eyebrow raised, and said, “Really, Brian.”

  During the long drive to Albany, I brought up the subject of building a studio on the lot next door.

  “Cara, that’s an excellent idea. There’s plenty of room on that piece of property. Right now it’s just a beautiful garden with a practice area for archery and knife-throwing. Since it’s yours, you can build anything you want there. Were you thinking of a studio like Francis Sullivan’s?”

  “Yeah, Dad, exactly. Maybe I could add a living area to it eventually.”

  “You’re not ready to leave us yet, are you? You know, dear, just having you away at school has been hard for us.” He smiled a little sadly. “You’re missed more than you know.”

  “Dad, I’ll be eighteen in a few weeks. That’s considered adult in the human world. I can even vote in the next election. But to be honest, I need a studio a lot more than I need to live away from you and Mom.” I smiled at him. “I’m not ready for that much independence just yet.”

  “Glad to hear it, sweetheart. I know you’ll leave us eventually, but we’re not ready either.”

  We talked about the expense of building a studio. “Maybe if I do well at the next few art shows, I’ll have enough money to get started.”

  “Well, you may not have to wait that long. Your college fund is still quite healthy, Cara. Your expenses at Barrett will only make a dent in it. I have no objection if you want to use it to build your studio. It makes more sense to save your art show earnings for that Art Gallery you want to open in Thornewood.”

  I was thrilled! I’d never even seen the bank balance in my college fund account. I had no idea how big it was. Apparently, my father had been extremely generous.