Wendy answered, “Just an old woman telling lies. So Grace tells me that last night was both of your first times. What a nice place for this island to be the setting of such an event.”
“Um, yes,” Tember reluctantly said. Her eyes widened as she looked at Grace, who shrugged and held out the orange juice container to her. Tember’s expression softened, and she took the drink from Grace.
“Oh, don’t be so bashful. You know in some cultures, they do rituals around the consummation of a relationship. Sometimes family members watch,” Wendy said.
“Yeah, well, I’m comfortable telling you, Wendy, but everyone else can just left out,” Grace answered.
“Let’s not tell your dad, okay?” Tember said as she started to laugh.
Wendy asked, “Does your father not approve of you dating women?”
“On the contrary, he loves that she doesn’t date boys,” Tember said. “And, of course, he loves me.”
“Of course,” Grace said.
“You two are adorable together,” Wendy said. “Thank you for letting such an old lady crash your morning after. How long have you two been together?”
“A few days,” Grace said and chuckled.
“Ahhh,” Wendy said.
“I know it seems like a short time to say that we’re in love–” Tember said.
“No, no,” Wendy said. “I know it when I see it, and you two sure are in love. Love knows no time, silly girl.”
Wendy stayed long enough for Grace and Tember to consume two muffins and the entire container of orange juice. They hugged Wendy good bye and thanked her for the island and the muffins. Wendy told them that they were welcome to her house or island any time they would like. She also told them to leave the canoe on the beachfront and she would send her nephew to paddle back her canoe later that day.
They went back into the tent to make love again, which felt different with light flooding into the tent. They took time to explore each other’s bodies. The interior of the tent warmed in the sunlight. They packed up the tent and loaded it into the canoe. Once across the lake, they left the canoe on the shore.
Grace and Tember walked around the cliff they had rappelled the day before. They walked hand in hand through the shaded, mossy forest. Tember walked behind Grace and could not take her eyes off her lover. This obsession caused her to trip over several rocks and roots.
“You sure are clumsy,” Grace called over her shoulder to Tember.
“Oh yeah?” Tember hurried her step, grabbed Grace’s hips, and swung her around. “How about now?”
“Still clumsy,” Grace whispered as she looked from Tember’s eyes to her mouth.
Their lips touched, and they fell into a passionate kiss. They pulled away breathless.
“How am I supposed to function around you without kissing you every second?” Tember asked.
Grace smiled as she ran her hand down Tember’s face. “When did you turn into such a mushy gal?”
“I am not!”
“Are too.” Grace laughed. “Come on. Let’s get back. I’m starving.”
Grace pulled away from Tember and quickened her pace through the forest.
“That’s it. You better run before I have you naked out here,” Tember said.
“Promises...promises,” Grace called back.
When they reached Grace’s campground, Jeremy’s truck was missing. Grace and Tember locked eyes and read each other’s mind. They had the trailer to themselves. They took turns taking showers, wanting to take one together, but feeling too afraid that they would caught.
Tember borrowed a fresh set of clothes from Grace, and the two lay on Grace’s bed.
“I meant to give you this last night,” Grace said as she reached into a drawer next to her bed. She handed Tember a wrapped rectangular box.
Tember said, “You didn’t have to.”
“Open it,” Grace ordered.
Tember opened the box, and a smartphone stared back at her. “What?” Tember asked. “I...what?”
“Don’t get all worried. I was due for an upgrade, and instead of getting a new phone, Dad let me put a new line on our plan. It only costs a few dollars extra a month, and the phone was free.”
“You...I can’t take this,” Tember said as she handed the phone to Grace.
Grace pushed back the phone. “Don’t be crazy. It actually is a selfish gift. I can’t date a girl without a phone, and I need to be able to keep tabs on you when I’m across the country.”
Tember flipped the phone over in her palm, studying the sleek design. “You sure?”
“Yes,” Grace said. “But you’re not allowed to call or text any girls from it but me.”
“Deal,” Tember answered. “Thank you.” She leaned forward and hugged Grace. She had never received such a thoughtful gift.
“You like it?” Grace asked.
Tember answered, “I love it. Thank you again.”
They lay on Grace’s bed. Despite the sexual tension between them, exhaustion took over, and they fell asleep in each other’s arms.
After she awoke later, Grace poked Tember in the side. “What is that?”
“What?” Tember groggily answered.
“That beeping. It’s been going off over and over again.”
Tember opened her eyes, blinked as she scanned Grace’s room, and answered, “How am I supposed to know? It’s your RV.”
“It’s coming from your bag.” Grace rolled over and pulled Tember’s bag off the floor. She tossed it at Tember.
Tember unzipped her front pocket and pulled out her iPod. She had twelve messages.
“What is it?” Grace asked.
“Messages. From my grandmother. She’s back,” Tember said.
Grace’s face reflected the panic in Tember’s eyes. “But I thought they wouldn’t be back for days.”
20
The texts from Tember’s grandmother started with her order for lunch and ended with profanity asking about what happened to their RV. Tember reluctantly left Grace’s campground and walked toward her grandparents’ area.
“She must be worried about you,” Gracie said.
“Umm, no.”
Gracie’s face showed her confusion. “If my dad came home and our place was trashed and there was blood, he would be afraid something happened to me.”
“I guarantee that’s not a thought in their mind.”
Grace gave Tember a hug and asked, “Then why are you going to go back there?”
“Because.”
“Because why?”
“I have to get my stuff and make a plan to leave, and because they’re my grandparents, my family,” Tember said.
Grace frowned. “A horrible excuse for family.”
Tember said, “You don’t understand.”
“You’re right. I don’t.”
Grace begged her to let her come with her, but Tember knew it would only make matters worse. As she turned onto the path leading to her grandparents’ campground, she saw Jeremy driving down the road leading back to his and Grace’s area. Tember racked her mind for an explanation for the mess. Her chest grew tight, and the happiness from the multiple hours with Grace was shed from her psyche with every step she took. Tember reached the campground, took a deep breath, and climbed the steps of the RV.
“So nice of you to show up!” her grandmother greeted her. “Look at this mess, and do you know that I had to make my own lunch? What do you have to say for yourself?”
Tember shrugged her shoulders.
“Answer your grandmother!” her grandfather called from the living room. He was returning DVDs to the shelf.
“I...don’t...I’m sorry,” Tember answered.
Tember could not believe the contrast between how she felt with Grace and how she felt with her grandparents right now. This moment was pushing her toward leaving her grandparents for good. She decided anywhere was better than here.
“So let’s have it! What the hell happened here?” her grandmother asked as she kicked a pile of scra
tch-off tickets.
The sound of tires on gravel came from outside the RV, and a car door slammed.
“Who the hell?” her grandmother said as she looked out the window.
Tember used her grandmother’s distraction to sit down on a stool at the counter and steady herself. She wondered why she came back to them. She had some money and should take off today. She wondered if Jeremy really would let her stay with him.
“Hello there,” a familiar voice greeted her grandmother.
Tember thought, Jeremy?
“Who the hell are you?” Tember’s grandmother asked.
Tember stood and looked out the window. She saw Jeremy’s truck with a single red light stuck to the roof. Jeremy stood in front of her grandmother with his hands crossed over his chest. He wore jeans and a blue collared shirt.
Tember’s grandfather walked to the RV doorway, watching Jeremy speak with his wife.
“I’m with the local police. The campground called me,” Jeremy said as he looked toward the RV. “Can I have your permission to enter the crime premises?”
“What? Well...” Her grandmother looked at her grandfather and he nodded.
Jeremy and her grandmother entered the RV. Jeremy caught Tember’s eyes and gave her a quick wink. He pulled a small notepad and pen from his back pocket as he pretended to survey the RV.
“What's going on?” her grandmother insisted.
“I'm investigating a crime,” Jeremy answered.
His tone was grave and calm. Tember had never heard Jeremy talk like that. She kept imagining his goofy grins and silly giggle. This Jeremy seemed like his serious and rather boring twin.
“Your granddaughter, Tember, here–” Jeremy started.
“Jenny,” her grandmother corrected.
“What?” Jeremy inquired as he looked back and forth between Tember and her grandmother.
“Her name’s Jenny,” her grandmother informed. “Her parents named her Tember, but we prefer Jenny.”
“Okay,” Jeremy answered, wide eyed. “As I was saying, your granddaughter reported a break in. Can you tell me exactly what’s missing so I can file a report?”
“A break in? Why would they throw around these DVDs, and why would they break the mirror in the bathroom?” her grandfather asked.
“The mirror?” Jeremy asked.
Her grandfather pointed to the bathroom. Jeremy stepped inside the small room, inspecting the damage and then stepping out. “Sheer shame for what they did, obviously.”
“The DVDs?” her grandfather asked.
“Well,” Jeremy said as he walked toward the scattered DVDs. He picked up one and held it in his hands for a few seconds. Then he lightly flung it across the room. “They probably did it out of fun. These suckers are fun to fling around.”
“Ridiculous!” her grandmother exclaimed.
“Anyway, they were clearly kids,” Jeremy said. “Someone driving by saw a few kids running from your RV.”
Her grandfather walked toward Jeremy and squinted as he asked, “What about the scratched tickets? Why didn’t they take them all? I’m guessing they took some of them.”
“Huh?” Jeremy squatted and picked up a ticket. He looked it over for what seemed like an exorbitant amount of time. “Oh yeah, this one needed another seven. These are the losers.”
Her grandfather said, “Yes, but what about all these?”
Jeremy looked at the pile on the counter, looked at Tember, and then looked back at her grandparents.
“It’s only a guess, but maybe they got spooked,” Jeremy said. “I think I have enough for my report.”
“Wait, what about us? You going to catch the thieves? What about the campground paying us for this unfortunate event?” her grandmother asked.
“Ma’am, all I do is file a report. The kids who did this have to be long gone by now, but give me your phone number, and someone will give you a call if there’s any headway in the case,” Jeremy said.
“That’s police talk for they aren’t going to do a damn thing,” Tember’s grandfather said.
Her grandmother gave Jeremy her number for the report.
“One last thing, I want to take an official statement from Tember, I mean, Jenny, before I leave. If that’s okay?” Jeremy asked. Her grandmother nodded, and her grandfather flapped his hand as if he didn’t care.
Tember followed Jeremy out of the RV.
Jeremy turned his back to the RV and whispered, “Are you okay?”
Tember smiled. “I am now that you showed up. What was all that?”
“Cool, right? I planned the whole thing on my ride up here,” Jeremy said. “You think they bought it?”
“Hook, line, and sinker,” Tember answered.
“What are you going to do?” Jeremy asked. “I’m not sure I want to leave you here with them.”
“I’ll be fine. I...I have a plan for escape,” Tember whispered.
Jeremy nodded. “Yes, you need to leave them.”
“Y’all done?” Tember’s grandmother called from the RV door. “This mess isn’t going to clean itself, so Jenny, get in here.”
Jeremy raised an eyebrow at Tember, and she nodded.
“Be right in,” she answered.
“You know where to find me,” Jeremy whispered. “Take care.”
“Thanks, Officer,” Tember called over her shoulder as she entered the RV.
It took Tember hours to clean up the RV, but she thought it was only right that she did since she had made the mess. Her grandparents spent the day in front of the television, asking for food and drink. Tember opened the fridge to find it full of food. They must have picked up groceries on their way home. Her blood boiled when she thought about how they disregarded her needs and feelings.
Her grandfather insisted that she drive into town with him to run errands. Part of the errand involved him stopping by a bar for several hours. She didn’t return to the campground until ten. She unloaded the shopping bags from her grandfather’s car and helped put away the items. As she was unpacking the bags, her grandmother called from the bedroom.
“Someone stopped by while you were gone,” her grandmother said.
“Yeah, who?” Tember asked.
“Grace,” her grandmother said.
Tember cringed when her grandmother said Grace’s name. Grace was too good for them to ever meet. They didn’t have the right to even say her name. She hated that Grace even met her grandmother.
“What did she want?” Tember asked.
Her grandmother responded with a mouth full of food, “I don’t know. I’m not your assistant. Who the hell is she?”
“A friend,” Tember answered.
Her grandmother narrowed her eyes. “Since when do you make friends?”
Tember answered, “I don’t know. Since last week, I guess.”
“Don’t get smart with me!”
Tember responded, “I should go see what she wanted.”
“It’s too late. You go to bed now,” her grandmother said.
The command struck Tember. Her grandparents never cared where she was unless it prevented them from getting their needs met.
“What?” Tember asked.
“You heard me!” her grandmother yelled. “To bed with you.”
“But–” Tember started.
“You heard your grandmother,” her grandfather said. “You sleep on the couch tonight.”
“On the couch? I have my tent. That’s fine,” Tember said.
“Yes, but...” her grandmother hesitated. “Those thieves are out there. What kind of grandparents would we be if we made you sleep outside? You sleep in here.”
Tember reluctantly settled for the night on the couch. Her grandfather sat opposite her in the lounge chair watching television while her grandmother made a milkshake before she went to bed. She gave Tember some of the treat, and Tember couldn’t remember the last time her grandmother did anything for her.
She tried to stay up in order to see Grace, but she slipped off
to sleep. Her last thought before she drifted to sleep was why her grandparents were being so overbearing. She wondered if they finally cared about her.
21
“Are you sure she’s okay?” Grace asked.
Jeremy answered, “She said she was. Boy, those grandparents were rough. They didn’t care a thing about Tember. She needs to move far away from them.”
“Yeah, like to California,” Grace answered.
Jeremy asked, “What?”
“I’m joking. Kind of...”
“Are you thinking she should move to college with you?” Jeremy asked. “That might not be a good plan.”
Grace said, “Dad, since when do you tell me what to do?”
“Gracie, when it comes to love, it can be distracting. It makes you lose focus,” he said. “I don’t want anything coming between you and your college experience.”
“College experience? What do you know about college experience?” Grace poked his shoulder.
“Ouch, you’re cruel. Just because I haven’t been to college doesn’t mean I don’t know a thing or three.”
“I know,” she answered. Grace fell silent for a few moments, and then she asked, “Were her grandparents really that bad?”
“You know her grandparents call her Jenny?” he asked.
“What? Why?”
Jeremy answered, “They said they didn’t like the name Tember, the name her parents gave her.”
“That’s so wrong,” Grace said. “Especially since her parents died.”
“She definitely has had a tough life. What did she mean when she said she had an escape plan?”
Grace looked at her dad and then down at her hands.
“You can tell me, peanut,” Jeremy said. “I won’t narc.”
“Well, she has money, and she’s going to leave her grandparents and be on her own,” Grace said.
“Where? How? When? Do you think we should give her a lift?”
Grace held up her hands. “Whoa, one question at a time.”
“I just like the gal. She’s a sweetheart,” he said.
“Yeah…” Grace’s voice trailed off as she thought about Tember.
Jeremy giggled. “You’re so in love. Aren’t you?”
“No, yes, maybe, okay, yes,” Grace said.
“My girl’s in love? My little girl’s in love!” he teased.
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