excuse.”
Jenny lowered her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Ebony said, feeling flustered and bitterly ashamed. “I don’t know why I said that.” She sat down with a sigh. “There’s so much going on. It seems like I’m being pulled from all sides, and my nerves are stretched to the breaking point.” She shook her head. “Listen, Jenny, I honestly believe Bill loves you for you, not because of your money. At some point you’re going to have to trust him or move on. You can’t live forever in this limbo, and you can’t use me as an excuse every time you feel the need to pull back.”
Ethan walked into the basement and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Ron and Rebecca are coming,” he called out.
Jenny stuck her head out the door and gave him a quick wave, then dumped the water in the basement sink, washed her hands, and went upstairs. Ebony started to follow when Ethan stepped in front of her.
“Can I speak with you for a moment?” he asked.
She stared at him.
“You’ve been through a lot,” Ethan said, “and I understand that. But don’t you think it’s time to show a little Christian compassion?” He extended his right hand. “Friends?”
Ebony walked past him.
“Wait.”
She continued moving away.
Ethan walked ahead of her and stood slightly to one side. “Please, Ebony, don’t hate me.”
She started walking upstairs.
He lightly touched her arm. “If you want me to go away forever, I will.”
She slowly turned back to him. “I didn’t want you to come back in the first place. Not ever.”
“I’m going to open my own architectural firm,” he said as if trying to prove something. “In the last five years, I’ve come to an understanding that this is what I want to do.” He paused. “Over the last few years, I refined my work. It’s what gave me a reason to get up in the morning. Now I want to go out on my own.”
“Let me guess,” Ebony said sarcastically, her face as sharp as an eagle’s, “you’re about to conquer the world, but there’s one thing missing. You need an empress clinging to your arm as you survey your vast empire. And you want that empress to be me, the woman you humiliated and degraded.” She squinted. “Go to hell, Ethan.”
He looked like a little boy who has just been slapped by his mother.
“Leave me alone!” Ebony exclaimed. “Leave me the fuck alone!”
Ethan stepped back under the barrage, and Ebony hurried upstairs. When she met Ron and Rebecca, she smiled and tried to be pleasant. Ethan, sporting the expression of a gambler who has just lost everything, entered the kitchen a short time later.
“There he is,” Ron said, smiling. “Are you busy, Ethan? I was wondering if you could give me a hand again today.”
“Sure,” he said, faking a smile. “What’s up?”
“I have to cut a vent for the dryer and hook up the washer.”
“Will he be back in time for dinner?” Jenny asked as she cut up a red pepper.
“Not a problem,” Rebecca said. “They’re fast.”
Jenny smiled at her brother and gave him a slice of pepperoni. “They do work well together.”
“Thank you, Jen,” Ethan said, accepting the pepperoni and looking at her for a moment longer than he had done before, as if only now beginning to feel a degree of comfort.
“Ethan, you and Ron should enter the dory races this year,” Jenny suddenly proposed.
“Dory races?” Ron asked.
“That’s what they call the boat races they’ve held here for the last five years. They use two-man rowboats called dories.”
“Four,” Ebony corrected.
“What?” Jenny asked.
When everyone looked at her, Ebony explained, “Jack and Donnie Morton didn’t compete the first year, but they’ve won the last three in a row.” She paused. “The races have been going on for four years, not five.”
“Okay,” Jenny conceded, nodding, “four years.”
“When is it?” Ethan asked.
“The first Saturday in May,” Jenny replied.
Ethan looked at Ron and raised an
Jenny lowered her eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Ebony said, feeling flustered and bitterly ashamed. “I don’t know why I said that.” She sat down with a sigh. “There’s so much going on. It seems like I’m being pulled from all sides, and my nerves are stretched to the breaking point.” She shook her head. “Listen, Jenny, I honestly believe Bill loves you for you, not because of your money. At some point you’re going to have to trust him or move on. You can’t live forever in this limbo, and you can’t use me as an excuse every time you feel the need to pull back.”
Ethan walked into the basement and stopped at the bottom of the stairs. “Ron and Rebecca are coming,” he called out.
Jenny stuck her head out the door and gave him a quick wave, then dumped the water in the basement sink, washed her hands, and went upstairs. Ebony started to follow when Ethan stepped in front of her.
“Can I speak with you for a moment?” he asked.
She stared at him.
“You’ve been through a lot,” Ethan said, “and I understand that. But don’t you think it’s time to show a little Christian compassion?” He extended his right hand. “Friends?”
Ebony walked past him.
“Wait.”
She continued moving away.
Ethan walked ahead of her and stood slightly to one side. “Please, Ebony, don’t hate me.”
She started walking upstairs.
He lightly touched her arm. “If you want me to go away forever, I will.”
She slowly turned back to him. “I didn’t want you to come back in the first place. Not ever.”
“I’m going to open my own architectural firm,” he said as if trying to prove something. “In the last five years, I’ve come to an understanding that this is what I want to do.” He paused. “Over the last few years, I refined my work. It’s what gave me a reason to get up in the morning. Now I want to go out on my own.”
“Let me guess,” Ebony said sarcastically, her face as sharp as an eagle’s, “you’re about to conquer the world, but there’s one thing missing. You need an empress clinging to your arm as you survey your vast empire. And you want that empress to be me, the woman you humiliated and degraded.” She squinted. “Go to hell, Ethan.”
He looked like a little boy who has just been slapped by his mother.
“Leave me alone!” Ebony exclaimed. “Leave me the fuck alone!”
Ethan stepped back under the barrage, and Ebony hurried upstairs. When she met Ron and Rebecca, she smiled and tried to be pleasant. Ethan, sporting the expression of a gambler who has just lost everything, entered the kitchen a short time later.
“There he is,” Ron said, smiling. “Are you busy, Ethan? I was wondering if you could give me a hand again today.”
“Sure,” he said, faking a smile. “What’s up?”
“I have to cut a vent for the dryer and hook up the washer.”
“Will he be back in time for dinner?” Jenny asked as she cut up a red pepper.
“Not a problem,” Rebecca said. “They’re fast.”
Jenny smiled at her brother and gave him a slice of pepperoni. “They do work well together.”
“Thank you, Jen,” Ethan said, accepting the pepperoni and looking at her for a moment longer than he had done before, as if only now beginning to feel a degree of comfort.
“Ethan, you and Ron should enter the dory races this year,” Jenny suddenly proposed.
“Dory races?” Ron asked.
“That’s what they call the boat races they’ve held here for the last five years. They use two-man rowboats called dories.”
“Four,” Ebony corrected.
“What?” Jenny asked.
When everyone looked at her, Ebony explained, “Jack and Donnie Morton didn’t compete the first year, but they’ve won the last three in a row.” She paused. “The races have been going on for four years, not five.”
“Okay,” Jenny conceded, nodding, “four years.”
“When is it?” Ethan asked.
“The first Saturday in May,” Jenny replied.
Ethan looked at Ron and raised an
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