Page 162 of The New Place

“Oh, of course,” Jess says.

“Vinyl siding. Can you believe that?” Steve asks. “I know, it looks amazing, and zero maintenance.”

They will? Ned didn’t agree to that. He can’t agree to that. Of course he can’t. What’s he going to do, tell Peggy that not only can she not go to camp with her friends, but also Ned’s willingly going to let Baxter get sicker and sicker and they can sit around and watch his decline?

He sets his wine down and paces to the darkened window, pretending he can see this wonderful backyard. In some other life, he and Peggy can hit baseballs back there, and he can grin when Abbot fumbles an easy catch, and they can fly all around the world on fabulous vacations.

I’m sorry, he wants to say, embarrassment rising through him. Or maybe that’s irritation, that Abbot can’t get Ned’s damn point, that they’re living two very different financial lives here.

A phone dings, and Jess says, “Food should be here in just a couple minutes.”

“We got it all wired for a mini split for AC,” Steve says. “Just needs the install, super simple.”

“So before the children descend on us to stuff themselves on pizza, tell me about Callahan and Portland,” Jess says.

“Wait, yes, starting with Chris,” Steve says. “Because I’ve heard a thing or two about working for him and I’m getting a little nervous.”

Ned finally smiles. “Chris? Nothing to worry about. He’s entirely and completely normal.”

“Oh no,” Steve says.

After dinner, the kids try to dash upstairs again, fingers greasy with pizza and paper plates strewn over the table, but Abbot checks the time and catches Liesl’s eye. “Your flight,” he says.

She sighs loudly. “Fine.”

Ned quickly gathers her and Peggy’s plates and crusts. “Kitchen trash?”

“Please,” Jess says. “Under the sink.”

“We don’t even have to go yet,” Liesl says.

“We ought to,” Abbot says and Ned eyes her as she sighs again.

Outside, she taps at her phone, even as Ned hugs Steve and Jess goodbye. Is this what he has to look forward to when Peggy’s a teen? Hot and then cold and then colder still?

Liesl starts toward the dark shape of Abbot’s car as Ned ushers Peggy down the steps.

“Say bye,” he coaxes Peggy. “Abbot’s driving back to Portland tonight, and Liesl’s flying home. Remember how I told you that?”

“Bye,” she says obediently to Abbot and waves to Liesl.

Ned’s heart squeezes a little when Liesl doesn’t wave back.

“Liesl,” Ned calls down the street. “Can I say goodbye to you?”

She crosses her arms. “I guess.”

“You okay, kid?” Ned asks.

“Fine.” Oh hell does she sound like her brother. Looks a little like him too, with her forehead pinched like it is.

“Won’t see you for a bit,” Ned says, and maybe it’s too much to hope for a hug, because she hunches in on herself. “You gonna come down the Cape?”

“Maybe.”

“Don’t you want to?”

“Henry said you said you’d come this summer.”