Fly With Me

“No, be on my team!” Frankie whines as I slip in the pool, joining the boys for a game… I just don’t know what game.

Self-consciously, I wrap my arms around myself, and step in. “What are you playing?”

“Volleyball!” Kevin cries. “And Mary is on her way!”

“Mary?” My eyes light up a little. I hadn’t seen her all summer! It had been so long! Of course, her phone was having problems or something, so we could never get in contact except a time or two. Then Ree was doing a summer camp in Porto Rico, and that has bad service. I’d been missing both of them like crazy.

“Yay!” Joe cheers. “She’s on my team!”

We argue and splash each other for a long while, until Mary comes. She screams upon seeing me and even though she’s still dressed, she pulls me in a hug and doesn’t let go for a while. Not that I mind, of course. My heart warms upon seeing my cousin again and I lead her around to get dressed.

“It’s been so long,” she groans, finally stepping out. “Remember that date when I met them? On the ship, right?”

I laugh, shaking my head as we walk into the kitchen. “That was so long ago, Mary, I had nearly forgotten.” We chatter away and step outside, into the pool with everyone else for some water games.

The sun shines overhead on us all, shimmering in the blue water, not chlorine but salt as it should be- apparently, it’s much healthier and I won’t complain. However, after about three hours, I figure it’s been long enough and I don’t feel like getting a sunburn, so I step out for a while.

Wrapping a towel around myself, I laugh at everyone else dog piling in the water, and step inside for some water and maybe some fruit. Twisting my hair into a messed up braid, I find Nick’s mom going through the mail.

“Hi,” she smiles, glancing up at me.

“Hello,” I grin back, going through the fridge. “It’s such a hot day, don’t you think?” I pull out an apple and wait for a reply, but there isn’t as I pull out a knife to begin cutting. Glancing up, I see her staring at an opened letter.

“Denise?” I offer, and watch as she puts a hand to her heart, sitting down on the stool slowly and carefully. Cocking my head, I watch, wondering what’s wrong. “Denise?” I repeat louder. “Is something the matter?”

“I… sorry, dear?” She whispers, glancing up after a minute, blinking.

Clutching my towel close, I feel droplets falling, splashing on the kitchen floor. I’ll clean it up, though, later. Now, just… what’s going on? “You’re… I don’t know. You’ll have to tell me,” I shrug, cocking my head. “You just… went quiet and didn’t answer. Is everything okay?” I glance at the letter. Did someone die?

“I… I’m afraid there is.”

“What is it?”

“No,” slowly she shakes her head, holding the mysterious letter close to her heart. “Child, I shouldn’t.”

Child? I furrow my brow. She never uses that term. Never, unless something is seriously wrong. “I don’t… is it about Nick?” I ask, worried.

“Oh… no.”

“Kevin? Or- or Joe?”

“Dear, it’s nothing, I was just…”

“Frankie?” I persist.

Swallowing, she sighs and shakes her head.

“Then who?” I demand. “Ree?”

Denise closes her eyes, rubbing her temples. But she’s still holding onto the letter, and I’m not rude enough to take it. She’s making me anxious now, because she barely gets this nervous with Nick’s forever changing levels. Not even when Joe fell of stage… so this is really, really confusing, and inwardly frustrating. I don’t know what it could be.

“Denise, please?” I ask finally.

After a minute she sighs again, offering a watery smile. “I… Cicily, dear, it’s about you.”

The words sink in and I cock my head. “W-what?” I let out a deep breath, trying to make the words register. What could be so bad? I don’t… I don’t quite understand. I mean, everything’s fine. It can’t be medical, could it? Is it? But… I haven’t been to any place for months, and I didn’t take any tests or anything, and…

“We’re going to court,” she whispers, breaking my jumbled train of thought.

“Going to court?” I echo her words. “What? Who? How- how is this about me, Denise? This isn’t making sense? Can I see the letter?” I ask, holding out my hand.

Sighing, she hands it over and continues rubbing her temples. “We’re going to court over you, Cicily. Your mother wants you back and she’s going to use the legal system, apparently, to do so.”

The letter falls.