Evie scrunched her brow. “Quakers? Heavens, why?”
I shrugged. “Charles wants us to convert. Listen, if you don’t feel comfortable giving the gift to Ricky in person, he has a box at the post office downtown.”
“What number is it?”
“Seven seventy-seven,” I replied. “Easy to remember.”
Evie took the mesh bag. “Lucky sevens. Consider it done.”
I breathed a sigh of relief. “Thank you.”
She frowned. “You’ll visit me, won’t you? Now that you’re well?”
“Of course. Let’s get dinner together, the four of us, just like old times.”
“At the Miramar Fish Grotto,” Evie said, grinning. “Next week.”
Picking up a carton of eggs and setting it in my cart, I memorized Evie’s delicate features, her large amber eyes, tiny nose and rosy cheeks. “I’ve got to skedaddle. It was lovely seeing you, Evie. Please take care.”
She laughed. “Don’t act like this is goodbye forever. I’ll see you next week!”
“Of course,” I said, forcing a smile. Oh Evie, if you only knew.
I walked away with tears in my eyes. I would never see my dear friend again.
Chapter 24
Marisol Cruz
2007
Mom, what are you doing?”
Mari gasped, nearly dropping Lily’s pink hairbrush. “I’m cleaning your brush, honey.” Lily narrowed her eyes. “Why are you putting my hair in a sandwich bag?”
“I ran out of trash bags,” Mari said.
“Silly mommy!” Lily said, skipping out of the bathroom without checking the trash can, where a plastic liner hugged the sides snugly.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Mari checked the hairs she’d collected. Each one had a thick follicle and would work for the DNA test she’d ordered online. Along with Travis’s used chewing gum, she had what she needed to prove his paternity.
Her stomach knotted. Could she go through with this? Remembering his words at the city council meeting, that Lily was “her mistake,” she decided she could. Her daughter deserved so much better than him, and Mayor Harcourt deserved to know the truth. Also, what had Travis meant when he said she needed to worry about her own father?
Her phone pinged with a text from Jason. Are we still on for our carousel ride tonight? Really excited to meet Lily.
Mari smiled as she texted back: Absolutely. See you soon.
“Are you ready?” Lily asked, reappearing in the doorway. The pink soles of her sneakers lit up as she tapped her feet impatiently.
“Almost,” Mari said, stroking Lily’s head. “Grab your jacket and we’ll go.”
“Yay!” Lily squealed. “I’m going to ride the horsies! Can I have cotton candy?”
“Did you eat all your veggies?”
Lily nodded. “All my peas and carrots and even the broccoli, which I hate!”
Mari smiled. “Good girl. Then yes, you can have cotton candy.”
MARI LEANED TOWARD Jason. “Sorry if Lily’s a little much this evening. She’s excited to meet you. And she’s on a sugar high.”
Lily shrieked as she ran down the wooden slats of the boardwalk, past the arcade games and the food stalls.
“Slow down, honey!” Mari called after her. But Lily kept running.
“Guess we should pick up our pace,” Jason said, grinning as he began to jog. Mari’s heart warmed as she plodded behind him. Lily had interrogated Jason, asking him if he was Mari’s boyfriend, and what his favorite animals were. He’d explained that he was Mari’s friend and that his favorite animal was a dog, but also unicorns. This thrilled Lily to no end, because she didn’t know of any men who loved unicorns.
“We’re gonna ride the carousel!” Lily cried. “The horsies have jewels! Jason, will you ride next to me?”
“Hey,” Mari said, frowning. “You don’t want me to ride next to you?”
“No!” Lily said. “Jason.”
Jason smiled, and then bent down to whisper loudly in Lily’s ear, “I think we should let your mom ride next to us. When you do something nice for somebody, one of the carousel horses turns into a unicorn at night.”
Lily’s eyes widened. “Really?”
“Really.”
“Will he grow wings and a horn and fly away?”
Jason nodded. “He’ll fly over the ocean, over your house and all over town, and then he’ll come back and pretend to be a wooden carousel horse. But you and I will know that he’s really a magic unicorn.”
Lily clapped her hands in delight as Mari bought a strip of paper tickets from the vendor. While they waited for their turn on the carousel, she smiled at Jason.
“For a computer guy, you have quite an impressive imagination.”
He grinned. “I guess I’m just a big kid.”
As the carousel slowed to a stop, Mari helped Lily up and watched as her daughter looked around in awe.
“Which horse are you going to pick?”
“That one. Wait, no. The purple one!”
The hand-carved merry-go-round brimmed with beautiful horses; it had brought children’s seaside dreams and fantasies to life for a hundred years. After Lily picked her horse, touching its carved flower garland and stroking its long, real horsehair tail, Mari and Jason settled into the saddles of the two horses beside her.
“I’m excited,” Jason said. “I’ve never ridden this carousel.”
“You’re in for a treat,” Mari said. “Charles Looff completed his first carousel at Coney Island in 1875 and went on to create several more around the country, including this one. It’s really special. I used to ride it with my abuelo when I was Lily’s age.”
Lily leaned toward Jason. “My great-grandpa was a famous diver. Did you know that? I didn’t know him but I’ve seen pictures of him in our house.”
“Your mom told me,” Jason said, smiling at Mari.
The music from the antique organ began to play as the carousel started to spin. Mari’s horse rose upward on its metal pole, and she felt her heart swell. Jason was a natural with Lily. Even though she’d asked him to call himself a “friend,” she felt ready to introduce him as her boyfriend soon.
“That’s a cool façade,” Jason said, pointing at the Ruth & Sohn band organ, protected by a pane of glass.
“It’s German, and super-rare, from 1894. The façade is definitely in need of refurbishment, though,” Mari said, looking at the peeling paint. Women blowing trumpets in strapless green gowns framed a mechanical conductor, who wore gold knickerbockers and a green jacket. His wooden arm waved a baton in time to the music, while cherubs with harps watched overhead. “I think I could talk to Carol at the museum about restoring it.”
“How’s the grant project going?” Jason asked, the globe lights of the carousel illuminating his face. He looked so handsome, his strong forearms flexing as he held on to the pole attached to his horse.
“The city council meeting felt like a roadblock.” Mari sighed, heat rising under her skin as she thought about Travis. “But I’m meeting with the two artists I’ve chosen to work with for my grant project tomorrow. They’re students at UC Santa Cruz.”
Jason smiled. “How did you choose them?”
“They had incredible portfolios. One did an ethnographic study of families in the region, living in the beach flats. You know, their cultural interests, preferences . . . dreams. She used their discarded household items to build these beautiful sculptures.”
“Mom,” Lily shouted. “Stop talking!”
Mari laughed. Her four-year-old certainly had a way with words.
“Sorry,” she said.
Jason reached out and held her hand. “Don’t apologize. I love your passion. And I think your idea for creating a diorama of the gazebo is really cool.”
With Lily distracted by the spinning carousel, Mari enjoyed the warmth of Jason’s hand on hers, and the knowledge that this was developing into something special.
“WOW, YOU HAVE a really beautiful view,”
Mari said, looking out Jason’s apartment window at the UC Santa Cruz soccer field, surrounded by redwood trees, the Pacific Ocean shimmering in the distance. She’d agreed to go back to his place for a glass of wine after they’d dropped off Lily with her mother.
Now her mouth felt dry and her stomach filled with butterflies. She hadn’t slept with anyone since Travis, meaning she’d practically become a virgin again.
“Thanks,” he said, handing her a glass of Malbec. “I’m really lucky I got into employee housing. You can’t beat the view from campus.”
Mari sipped the wine, which was fruity and delicious. It eased her nerves a little bit. “You were great with Lily today.”
“Well, she’s a great kid. You’ve done a fantastic job raising her. She’s funny and smart. How does she know all those vocabulary words?”
Mari laughed. “Some are from me. My mom does a good job of teaching her new words too. She’s the director of Lily’s preschool.”
“It was really cool meeting your parents,” Jason said, his eyes meeting hers.
Mari’s mom and dad had been all too eager to come to the door when she and Jason had dropped Lily off. They’d invited him over for dinner before Mari had the chance to mouth no. Her mom was already bragging about her homemade enchiladas while her dad was shaking Jason’s hand heartily.
“They liked you,” she said, setting down her wineglass.
“You think so?”
Mari rolled her eyes. “Would my mom have invited you to dinner next week if she didn’t? I think it’s obvious.”
Stepping forward, Jason set down his wineglass and wrapped his arms around Mari’s waist. He tilted his head, resting his forehead against hers. “I’m really happy I met you. Thank you for opening up to me.”
She closed her eyes, breathing in the scent of his cologne. Walls she’d had up for years were slowly coming down. Jason’s lips met hers. She kissed him softly at first, then passionately. He walked her backward toward the couch, and soon she was lying against the cushions, his weight on top of her.
Taking a break from kissing, she looked into his warm brown eyes.
“I’m sorry. It’s been a really, really long time since I’ve been with someone. I have no idea what I’m doing.”
Jason smiled, pushing a wayward strand of hair from her face. “Well, I’m so distracted by how pretty you are it doesn’t really matter what you’re doing.” He glanced down at his pants. “Just don’t hurt me and we’ll be fine.”
Mari laughed. Once again, Jason used his humor to put her instantly at ease. She grinned. “I don’t know. I might break it.”
“Okay,” he said, hopping off the couch. “The night’s done. I’ll call you a cab.”
“Come here,” she said, giggling as she pulled him into a kiss, toppling a few of the couch cushions onto the floor. “I promise I’ll be gentle.”
As they kissed and undressed, she didn’t feel self-conscious about her stretch marks or her breasts, which had sagged a bit since giving birth, and she didn’t think about Travis, the loads of laundry at home that needed to be done and the mile-long checklist in her head. In the moment, she felt free, safe and loved. Closing her eyes, Mari let herself fall for Jason. The freedom of letting go was exhilarating.
“HOW WAS LAST night?” Paulina asked, winking at Mari. “You got home late.”
Mari’s cheeks prickled with heat. Jason had asked her to stay over, but that would have given her parents proof she and Jason had slept together—one of the drawbacks of living at home. Instead, she’d left at midnight, grinning like a schoolgirl when he’d kissed her goodbye. She’d forgotten how good sex could be. Or maybe it had never been that good before? Either way, she couldn’t wait to do it again.
“It was nice,” Mari said, looking at her plate of scrambled eggs.
“Just nice?”
“It was wonderful. Okay? No more questions.”
Paulina pointed the spatula at her. “I like him. We didn’t talk long, but I got a good feeling. I think he might be a keeper.”
“You do?”
Paulina nodded. “Lily talked about him all night. He told her the carousel horses turn into unicorns when you do something nice for somebody.”
“I know,” Mari said, smiling. “I think he’s a keeper too.”
“Is he coming over for dinner next week? We’d love to have him.”
“I think so,” Mari said, filled with excitement at the thought that she was inviting her boyfriend over for dinner. “What night?”
“Friday,” Paulina said, setting down her spatula. “I’m going to cook Abuela’s enchiladas. I hope he likes Mexican food.”
“Everyone likes Mexican food,” Mari said, drinking the rest of her coffee. “And if he doesn’t love your enchiladas, I’ll dump him.”
Paulina laughed. Then her eyes grew serious. “Are you going to try that key in the safe deposit box at the bank today?”
Mari nodded. “I won’t be gone for long. Are you okay to watch Lily?”
“Si, but then I’m meeting my friend Rubia for lunch.”
“I’ll be back within an hour. When does Dad get home?”
“After four. He’s working today.”
Mari carried her plate over to the sink and rinsed it off. She kissed her mom on the cheek. “Thanks, Ma. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”
WALKING DOWN LOCUST Street, Mari took a deep breath as she spotted the columned façade of the Bank of Santa Cruz. It was an imposing marble structure, similar to the architecture found in downtown San Francisco.
She stepped through the glass doors, looking around at the tellers, and the security guards in uniform. What if there was something inside the safe deposit box that she didn’t want the bank employees to see? According to California law, the bank would be required to make photocopies of everything removed from the box.
“Good morning, can I help you?” A smartly dressed man walked toward her, wearing a gold name badge that read CARL.
“Yes,” Mari said.
She’d done some research online, and even though she was in possession of a key, California law also stated that she needed to bring Abuelo’s death certificate in order to access his safe deposit box, and proof of her own identity. She’d gotten the signed certificate from her mother and she reached into her handbag to retrieve it.
Mari swallowed. “I’m here to access my grandfather’s safe deposit box. He’s deceased, but I brought the required paperwork.”
“What’s your name?” Carl asked.
“Marisol Cruz,” Mari answered. “I have the key and his death certificate, along with my birth certificate and driver’s license.”
“May I see them?” Carl asked.
“Sure,” Mari said, digging in her bag and handing him her identifying documents.
“And the key?”
“Here,” Mari said, placing the key in his palm. She handed him the death certificate, and felt a pang of sadness.
“One moment,” Carl said. Taking the items, he disappeared through a door, and began tapping away at a computer behind the glass partition.
Mari checked the time on her phone. Already half an hour had passed since she’d left home. And the walk back would take fifteen minutes. She didn’t want to make her mom late to lunch with her friend. As much as she desperately wanted to unlock this box today, maybe it wasn’t meant to happen.
Carl returned, a sympathetic smile on his face. “I’m sorry to hear about your grandfather’s passing.”
He handed Mari the key and her driver’s license, along with a form. “Please fill this out. It states that you’ve removed the contents of the safe deposit box for observation only, and together we’ve recorded the belongings of the deceased in our bank records.”
“Okay,” Mari said, taking a pen from Carl.
After completing the form, she returned it to him. Her mouth felt dry as she followed him. He unlocked a door at the back of the room, and then turned down the hallway. They emerged into a
nother room, smaller than the first, lined with metal boxes. Now Mari’s palms had become clammy.
“Here’s your grandfather’s safe deposit box,” Carl said, pointing to a rectangular metal box in the wall of identical boxes. “Would you like me to open it? There’s a viewing chamber to your right, if you’d like some privacy.”
Mari looked at the cubicle he had nodded toward. “Okay,” she said, her voice coming out in a squeak.
Carl inserted the key, removing a metal box from its shelf in the wall. He handed it to her. “Here you go. I’ll be right outside. Then when you’re ready, we can record the items together. All right?”
“Sure,” Mari said, her heart pounding. She carried the box into the cubicle and sat down in a chair. This was it. Swinging the lid open, Mari peered inside. She gasped. In the dim light sparkled a pair of clip-on earrings. Carefully removing one, she held it in her palm. The Art Deco earring swirled delicately upward like a silver branch, a cluster of diamonds framing a brilliant sapphire. These had belonged to Violet.
A paper in the back of the safe deposit box had been folded in a small square, neatly as origami. Mari unfolded the note. It had become worn with age and creased many, many times, small enough to fit inside a matchbook. Mari worried it would disintegrate in her hands.
She covered her mouth as she read Violet’s plea.
After a few minutes had passed, Carl cleared his throat. “Miss Cruz? Are you ready to document the items?”
“Yes,” Mari said, her voice faint. “Just a minute.”
Without thinking, she slipped Violet’s note into her pocket. She took a deep breath, opened the cubicle door, and returned the box to Carl.
“There’s a pair of diamond and sapphire earrings inside.”
“That’s all?”
She nodded, Violet’s note burning a hole in the pocket of her jeans.
Chapter 25
Violet Harcourt
1940
My fingers trembled as I crumpled up the Butterick pattern. I’d sewn both two-piece ladies’ suits in red rayon, one a size smaller than the other. The peplum jacket would provide the illusion of a womanly figure. I set fire to the paper, using a poker to nudge it toward the back of the fireplace. With a September chill in the air, I’d complained to Charles of the cold all day, so he wouldn’t suspect a thing.
Boardwalk Summer Page 19
