Step Into the Wind

by Bev Prescott

  Everyone turned to look over their shoulders, including Alex. Rick strolled in with Patch held high on his arm. Gasps of delight came from the kids as well as adults. Patch couldn’t have seemed more proud. He turned his head from side to side as if to make sure they all got a look at his profile.

  Zoe laughed. “Ladies and gentlemen, girls and boys, it’s my pleasure to introduce you to Rick Watkins and a most incredible eagle named Patch.” She stepped down from the stage and went to stand next to Alex.

  Rick placed Patch on the perch that Zoe had set up earlier. “Thank you, Zoe, for the introduction. Sorry we’re late. Patch and I had to dodge a forest fire to get here. But like Patch always does, he found a way.” He proceeded to tell the crowd about eagles and about Patch in particular.

  Alex leaned over and whispered to Zoe, “You were great. I told you they’d love you. And you didn’t even have Patch for backup.” She slipped her hand into Zoe’s. No one paid attention to them with Patch in the room. “Look at them. They’re all smitten by Patch, even my father.”

  “Patch has that effect on people.” Zoe nudged Alex and jutted her chin in the direction of James. “Except maybe him. He looks like a pouting two-year-old.”

  “That’s because he knows after today he’s lost the battle over the island. It belongs to the eagles now.”

  “Thank goodness. Dac and Terry are going to need all the quiet they can get, especially Dac. He has a lot of catching up to do with his brother if there’s any hope he’ll be on his own by winter.”

  Daniel went to the front of the room after Rick and Patch finished their presentation. “What a wonderful morning this has been. Thanks again to Zoe, Rick, and Patch for teaching us about eagles. We’re so lucky to have eagles on our island. If you learn anything this summer here with us, I hope it’s to always respect wildlife and do your best to protect them. The world would be a very sad place without such beautiful creatures as Patch.”

  Patch cocked his head at Daniel and chirped. Everyone laughed.

  Daniel waved his hand. “On that note, it’s time for lunch. We have a big spread for everyone down by the water. Let’s go enjoy some great food and meet back here at two o’clock for the puppy fashion show.”

  Alex squeezed Zoe’s hand tighter before letting go. “I can’t remember the last time I had such a great day. I should try to live in the moment more often. Shall we get something to eat? The camp always has yummy food, especially for Parents’ Day.”

  Chapter 29

  Alex finished the last bite of her veggie burger. “Did you enjoy lunch?” she asked Zoe.

  “I did. Then again, a grilled hot dog with the works is impossible not to like.” Zoe nodded at the crowd of adults and kids enjoying their lunches. “I’m in good company.”

  Alex smirked, leaned in close to Zoe, and whispered in her ear, “You do know what they put in those things, don’t you?”

  Zoe put up her hands. “Don’t say it. Please don’t ruin hot dogs for me.” She smiled. “Let me continue to enjoy them in my naiveté. There are just some things a girl doesn’t need to know. The contents of a hot dog are one of them.”

  Something about Zoe made Alex want to tease her, kiss her, and love her. The last emotion sat heavy in her heart. “All right. We’ll leave the hot dog mystique intact.”

  Daniel approached. “Excuse me. I hope I’m not interrupting.”

  Zoe took a step away from Alex. “Not at all. In fact, I was eyeing the sodas over there and thought I’d go grab one. Would either of you like one as well?”

  “No.” Daniel seemed uneasy. “I have something to say.”

  “Okay,” Alex said.

  Zoe started to walk away.

  “Wait,” Daniel said. “I want you to hear this too.”

  Zoe turned around.

  “You were fantastic with the kids today, Zoe.” Daniel motioned toward the crowd. “I have to be honest. Not since before Jake died has this camp had a more perfect Parents’ Day.” His voice quivered. “Thank you both. If this turns out to be the last year that a Marcotte owns the camp, we’ll have gone out on a high note. I have you to thank for that.”

  His comment came out of the blue. “Dad, what are you talking about?” Alex asked.

  “I didn’t necessarily want to get into this conversation now, but maybe you’re right. Perhaps it’s time for me to let the camp go. I—”

  Sally’s voice booming from a megaphone drowned out whatever Daniel was about to say. She bounded up onto the presentation stage. She wore a Dalmatian costume, white with black polka dots. A short tail protruded from her backside. She slipped the costume’s hood off her head and yelled, “Who’s ready for the puppy fashion show?”

  The kids went wild as Chuck came from the main building holding the leashes of seven puppies in fancy collars.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the Camp Marcotte puppies. Each is wearing a collar and leash made by one of the children from the camp,” Sally said. “All the kids made one and a panel of counselor judges chose the best seven examples for the show. As you know, this show is part fundraiser for the Glasgow Humane Society and an opportunity for these puppies to be adopted into good homes. The first-place winner for the best collar and leash will have the opportunity, should his or her parent’s wish, to choose which puppy to adopt.”

  “Ouch,” Zoe said. “I think Sally may have put a parent or two on the spot with that one.”

  “Fortunately, no.” Daniel grinned. “I wouldn’t want a puppy to be adopted because a parent felt cornered by their child’s excitement. I’ve spoken to all the parents up front and stressed that they shouldn’t bid on any puppies unless they’re absolutely sure they can and want to provide a good home. They’ve also been told that where the puppies go is up to the Humane Society’s ultimate approval.”

  Alex mulled over her father’s comment about the possibility of this being the last year the camp was owned by a Marcotte. It was what she wanted, wasn’t it? The camp had become too much for him to handle alone. Yet the camp made a difference. Her father made a difference.

  Taking Zoe’s advice about living in the moment allowed her to see the perfection of this day. She also saw a glimmer of what she had always loved most about the camp: her parents and Maine. Her parents. Despite all that had happened, someplace deep inside, she questioned whether it was possible that she missed her mother too.

  “Who won?” Zoe asked Daniel.

  He glanced in the direction of Michelle and her mother. “Michelle won. I pulled her mom aside to let her know ahead of time. Unfortunately, she can’t afford either the time or money for a puppy. Understandably, Michelle is heartbroken, but we both talked to her and she understands. She’s an amazing little kid. She said if she couldn’t have the puppy, she at least wanted me to make sure it went to a good home. Her mom got a little choked up over it. Most kids would’ve put up a fuss. Instead, Michelle consoled her mother. She’s a special kid.”

  “Poor thing. Not only can she not have a puppy, the surprise of having her name announced as the winner had to be taken from her too,” Alex said.

  “I didn’t want to put her in the position of being in front of all those other kids and having the rug pulled out from under her,” Daniel said. “Not to worry. She and I worked out a solution.”

  Sally took the leash of the first puppy from Chuck and marched it in front of the other puppies. “I give you Rascal. He is wearing a leash made by Kelly Brown of Saco.”

  The crowd clapped and cheered.

  Sally introduced the next five puppies and the children who’d made their respective leashes. The last puppy to be introduced was the runt, black and brown with a white dot between her eyes. Sally patted the puppy’s head as it wriggled with excitement.

  Alex studied her father. His expression reminded her of her family’s playful times before their world came apart. When she pulled back all the layers of negativity, at his core he was a decent man. Instead of despising him, she wanted to find a way b
ack to him, even if it meant slogging through the hurt to get there. I still love you. Some of the taint was washed away by the admission. It was as if the warmth from the sun shined past her skin and onto her heart.

  Michelle squealed when her name was called.

  Sally waved at her to come up in front of the crowd. “Our first-place winner, folks! And wearing the first-place collar and leash is Penny.”

  Michelle joined Sally and giggled when Penny licked her face when she hugged her.

  “Congratulations, Michelle. As the winner, you get first dibs on one of the puppies. Is it going to be Penny?”

  “Yes. But I want Penny to live with Mr. Marcotte. He promised me I could come see her anytime I wanted, and he would take the best ever care of her.”

  Daniel smiled at Alex and went to join Penny, Sally, and Michelle onstage.

  Zoe leaned closer to Alex. “What your dad just did was really nice.”

  “It was, wasn’t it?”

  Daniel ruffled Michelle’s hair and gave Penny a good scratch behind the ear. “I’m honored that you would choose me to take care of Penny.”

  Chuck interrupted by stepping onstage. He leaned next to Daniel’s ear and covered his mouth with his hand when he spoke to him. Daniel’s face went white. He said to Sally, “If you’ll excuse me.” To Michelle, he said, “Would you mind looking after Penny for me until I get back?” He handed her the leash and moved quickly through the crowd toward the main building.

  “Something’s wrong,” Alex said.

  “Let’s go find out.” Zoe pulled Alex along with her. They caught up to Daniel as he slid the main building’s glass door open.

  “What’s the matter?” Alex followed him inside.

  He took a deep breath. “The wildfire near Lewiston is completely out of control. The facility your mother’s in has decided to evacuate the patients just in case. They’re moving her to Augusta. Come with me.”

  All the moisture in her throat evaporated. “I can’t.”

  “Alex, please stop this. Just stop long enough to say good-bye. I know your mother better than anyone. She won’t survive this move.” He put his hands on her shoulders. “This is your last chance to see her.”

  Anxiety found its opening. Her body vibrated with the pounding of her heart. The back of her neck felt hot, and she instinctively darted her gaze around the room, looking for an escape. Nausea rode on a wave of conflicting emotions. Her thoughts began to swim. A parade of horribles descended on her like a rolling fog over Maine’s rocky shore.

  A hand in hers calmed her. She let her fingers curl around Zoe’s and kissed the back of Zoe’s hand. “Will you be here when I get back?”

  “I’ll be wherever you need me to be.”

  Chapter 30

  Thick, black smoke billowed on the horizon. The day looked more like dusk than late afternoon. Alex had never seen anything like it, as if everything to the west of them was ablaze. Her father turned up the volume knob on the car radio as he drove.

  The radio announcer said, “The wildfire burning toward the city of Lewiston is growing by the minute. Neighborhoods in its path are being evacuated as well as the Lewiston Nursing Home on the outskirts of the city. The weather service has issued a severe fire danger warning for all of Maine south of Augusta. Stay tuned for details.”

  Daniel turned off the highway at the exit sign for the nursing home. He hadn’t spoken a word to Alex during the entire drive.

  She didn’t know what to say to him. She wasn’t sure how to articulate her feelings. Besides, it was all she could do to keep her anxiety at bay. She sat quietly in the passenger seat and concentrated on her breathing. She found equilibrium in her emotions by meditating like she’d practiced with Dr. Kestler so many times in the last several days.

  A mile down the road, Daniel turned onto the well-kept grounds of the nursing home. It seemed peaceful enough. Someone had made an effort to keep the flowers in bloom despite the drought. Alex looked again at the smoke-filled horizon. If the fire wasn’t brought under control soon, the smoke and devastating heat would kill the fragile flowers before the fire even touched them. Jake’s death had been the fire that destroyed her fragile family. She wished she could be anywhere but here. Her mother had set the flame. She thought about darting from the car when it came to a stop and running as far as she could to get away.

  Daniel parked the car. He kept his hands on the steering wheel for several moments and stared straight ahead. “She’ll be happy to see you. I’m sure of it.”

  Alex nodded and reached for the door handle. She wondered whether the statement was more of Daniel’s delusional thinking when it came to her mother, or his heartfelt wish. Deep down, she held on to a glimmer of hope. She refused to let her anger crush it this time.

  Ambulances were lined up in front of the building. “We should hurry. They’re going to be moving everyone within the next couple of hours.” Daniel got out of the car, seemingly on autopilot.

  She was relieved by his lack of desire or inability to talk about what was happening. She couldn’t bring herself to look at him, let alone talk to him. The anger she held at her core had traveled to just below the surface, simmering and threatening to boil over. She followed him inside the building, so tired of the anger.

  When they entered the lobby, the worried receptionist said, “Hello, Mr. Marcotte. I’m glad you could make it. Carolyn isn’t doing well.”

  “Is she lucid?” he asked.

  “Yes, in and out.”

  “Thank you.” He turned right and hurried down the long bleak hallway of rooms.

  Alex kept pace with him. The place depressed her. She thought of her mother tending to her flower gardens every spring. There were few places Carolyn loved more than being in the sun at the camp surrounded by flowers. Despite Carolyn’s unhappiness, Alex was glad she’d had something in the world that she loved without strings attached.

  Her stomach did a hard flip when Daniel paused in front of room 128. She tried to moisten the inside of her dry mouth so she could speak.

  He glanced at her and stepped into the room. He went to Carolyn’s bedside, sat down, and took her hand. “Honey, it’s me, Daniel.” He brushed the side of her cheek. “Alex is here too.”

  Alex moved closer. The facility’s institutional scent invaded her senses: bleach, antiseptic, and sadness. She stopped to take in the sight of Carolyn, a ghost of a person lying in a bed, waiting to die.

  Carolyn was half the size Alex remembered, and her hair was completely white. Her skin was pale and loose. The woman who haunted her thoughts and dreams was really no more than a frail, defenseless person. It hurt to see her like this. Alex found it impossible to be angry with someone so weak and in poor health. Tears welled in her eyes. Carolyn needed to be protected. So had Jake.

  Daniel stood when Alex came next to the bedside. He put a hand on her shoulder. “Would you like to speak with her alone?”

  “No.” She was still terrified of her mother. She didn’t want to be alone with her. Not because Carolyn could hurt her physically. The old woman trapped in this bed couldn’t physically harm anyone, and she’d never laid a hand on her or Jake. She didn’t have to. She used words to wound instead. “Please stay.” Carolyn could still crush her with a look or a word. She needed her father near.

  She sat in the chair next to the bed, and Daniel stood close by. She reached up and took one of his hands in her own.

  Carolyn’s eyes opened. She stared straight ahead for several long moments. A single tear slid from her eye when she tried to say something.

  Alex took her mother’s hand. It felt cold and impossibly small. She wanted to cry away all of their pain. More than that, though, she wanted to be able to forgive.

  “My beautiful Alex,” Carolyn said in a barely audible, scratchy voice. She turned her head. Her gaze locked with Alex’s. Her blue eyes hadn’t aged. They were the same clear, midnight blue they’d always been. Her face softened. Then her expression hardened. “I don’t see
you anymore, nor do I want to.” She rolled her head away.

  A garbled sob lodged in Alex’s throat. She put her hand to her mouth, refusing to let her mother see or hear her cry. Stunned, trapped again in the darkness, she couldn’t move. She closed her eyes and tried to imagine the sun and Zoe, but they were shut out by the rage still burning in Carolyn’s heart. Like the flames from the wildfire miles away that threatened to descend on the city of Lewiston, her mother’s anger had clearly flared out of control, resorting to the rejection.

  Alex stood and took in her father’s shocked expression before she bolted from the room.

  He called to her as she went, “Don’t go. She doesn’t know what she’s saying.”

  Alex left the room, ran down the hall, and exited the building. She stopped to sit on a bench outside. Everything she’d worked through over the past several weeks crumbled under the heavy weight of Carolyn’s words. She’d tried her best, but it hadn’t worked. Memories of what Carolyn had done to Jake still hurt too much for her to stay in Maine.

  She waited for her father outside, but he never came. Just like before, he abandoned her in favor of her mother. The sob she’d choked back earlier broke free, and she cried alone on the bench outside as the flames and smoke from the fire came closer. All around her, a flurry of people continued the process of moving the residents to safety.

  What seemed like hours later, she saw Daniel emerge from the building next to someone wrapped in blankets and lying on a gurney. Her mother, she thought. He walked alongside until the gurney was about to be lifted into a waiting ambulance. He leaned over and kissed Carolyn good-bye. Alex knew the same thing he must know: this was the last time they’d see Carolyn alive.

  Daniel’s shoulders slumped when the doors closed and the ambulance drove away with his world. When the ambulance was finally out of sight, he sat next to her on the bench. “I’m so sorry.”