As Becca danced with Jules and Reva in the hills of Santa Barbara, Neve was navigating the rush-hour streets of Tucson on her Vespa, returning home from teaching afternoon yoga.
Hours earlier, Neve had arrived to drop off the lentil soup for her hibernating boyfriend James. When James saw her, his heart softened and he broke down. Soon, they were forgiving each other over coffee. Realizing she was running late for work, Neve had driven him back to the condo, told him to shower and then gave him $60 to shop at the local market.
When Neve opened the door to the living room, she found him on the couch. One hand held an old paperback, Vonnegut’s The Sirens of Titan. The other hand rested on Travis the dachshund’s upper back. As she entered the room, Travis’ floppy black ears perked up. James had cleaned up. Neve felt a surge of warmth. It was like he’d never left. The aroma of lasagna wafted into the living room. James had scattered three kinds of shredded cheese over the sheets of pasta, adding plant-based sausage, sauce and cheese in between. When they began to eat, Neve made orgasmic sounds. He asked her about her day as they ate. They made a good team, she noted.
After dinner, Neve led him into the bathroom. She sat him in a chair and they watched each other in the mirror. She took some water and wet his hair, noticing the dark circles under his kind eyes. As she trimmed, James imagined a calming raft underneath him. As they read silently on the couch, Becca texted Neve, getting her up to speed on the family situation. Neve suddenly had an urge to reunite with them, too. Neve had Monday and Tuesday off. She asked James how he felt about heading west for a few days.
At seven the next morning, they’d dropped Travis off with a friend who was grieving the death of his dog. James drove north, Neve asleep in the passenger seat. Toward Phoenix and then the highway connection west, leading across the desert toward the California coast. James enjoyed the late-morning desert drive, listening to his favorites from the early-1990s grunge scene while Neve dozed. After crossing into California, they took a pit stop in Blythe, where they ate sandwiches and refueled.
Neve caught James up on the family details, her yoga classes, and the possible paralegal jobs she might apply for in August, after she completed her certificate. James caught Neve up on his recovery from the canyon he’d fallen into. He’d written his mom a letter and purged himself of some of the deep-seated resentment. He considered taking a writing workshop at the community college. He’d submitted an application at an organic market.
As the dashboard clock displayed 3:03, they parked in Jules’ driveway. James noted Becca’s black Civic was 10 years younger than his. He tapped the steering wheel, appreciating his trusty old ride. Another successful journey from Point A to Point B. Legs and back stiff from all the sitting, they climbed the stairs. Becca greeted them. “It’s crazy in here as usual. Welcome, sis!” Becca helped with the bags. She had to leave the next morning to finish up her schoolwork.
“Where’s Grandpa?” Neve asked, putting the bags down and heading for the bathroom.
Reva came from around the corner. “Dad is out with Seamus for lunch. He’ll be back by 5:30 for dinner,” Reva said, holding Neve in a long embrace. Neve noticed a few more grays around Reva’s temple. The hug was nice, but Reva wouldn’t let go.
“Hey, sweetie,” Reva said, holding on. “It’s really great to see you.”
“Yeah, good to see you, Mom,” Neve replied, half-meeting Reva’s eyes. Reva wondered what she was hiding. Neve realized her mom was being extra affectionate because she’d finally stopped working and was dealing with the uncertainty of her dad’s cloudy mind and future. After pleasantries, James went into the bedroom to lie down and read.
Reva went back to her laptop. She continued researching nearby facilities, comparing notes in a spreadsheet, complete with highlighted pastel columns. Price. Wait time. Email responsiveness. Reviews. Reva found some sort of comfort in crunching all of these numbers. Neve glimpsed the spreadsheet over her mother’s shoulder and bit her tongue.
Jules returned from lunch with Seamus and then snoozed. Neve and Becca waved at him from the window as he gradually climbed his steps to the front door. Becca said, “See how slow he’s moving?” Neve scratched her forehead and said, “He’s old.”
That night, Reva went out and picked up a dozen tacos. The place was buzzing. As she waited for the food, she looked around at all the people. Two young adults on a date. A family of five, three kids and two middle-aged parents sipping beers. An older couple finishing up quietly. A trio of guys, laughing loudly. An employee on break, looking at her phone while she finished her nachos. No solo diners. Reva paid and walked back to the car.
Around the dinner table, everyone was ravenous. As he began to eat, James noticed Jules was looking at him quizzically. It made James uneasy. Everyone else was too busy enjoying the food to notice. Finally, James nudged Neve. She asked Jules what was going on. “I’m trying to place him,” Jules replied, staring directly into James eyes. “So familiar.”
“This is my boyfriend, James. You’ve known him for a year. We live in Arizona.” Neve explained.
“Oh right, right.” Jules shook his head and then went back to his taco. Reva excused herself. She went to the bathroom and reassured herself by taking a few deep breaths and then splashing water on her face. She’d talk with Tina soon.
After dinner, Becca and Neve went out to the back deck. James went back to his book, on the living room couch. Reva cleaned up at the sink. Jules sat at his computer, reading about awful world news. Climate. Authoritarianism. Polarization. The upcoming election. “Why do I bother going to CNN?” Jules thought. He was programmed to want to know. But the news was so rarely uplifting. He went to YouTube and found an adorable beaver who was dragging household items into a large pile. The beaver was rescued as an orphan and was never around other beavers, but knew instinctively that making piles of things was useful. He was attempting to create a damn in the hallway, in case the apartment flooded. Jules told Reva to come over and watch. They smiled at the curious scene.
Meanwhile, Neve and Becca enjoyed the crisp evening air, sitting in adjacent wooden chairs on the back deck, feet propped on the railing. Neve handed Becca a small Ziploc of THC-infused gummy bears. Becca took one. The last light of the day was draining from the sky.
Becca asked Neve if she wanted to play two truths and a lie.
Reva watched them from the window overlooking the deck for a minute. Reva imagined what it would’ve been like to have a sister to confide in. She ruminated for a few minutes at the sink. Considered how lonely it was to go through life with no siblings and knowing so few family members. Reva decided she’d write Tina a long email.
Becca began.
“Okay. Two truths and a lie.” She thought for a minute. “One: Marisol and I haven’t had sex for two months. Two: I’m not even close to finished with my research paper. Three: I think Grandpa Jules is totally fine.”
Neve laughed. “Hmm. You and Marisol? Two months no sex is the lie.”
Becca said, “Nope. I think Grandpa Jules is totally fine.”
Neve asked, “Are you still into her?”
Becca replied, “Yes. She’s just gotten suddenly serious about all of her classes. But I don’t think Grandpa Jules is fine. He’s losing names now.” Becca noticed a raven high above them. “Your turn.”
Neve thought for a minute. “Okay. 1. James went into a deep funk again. I hadn’t seen him for a few weeks before yesterday. 2. I hate my legal studies class, but I need more money. 3. I really like Beyond Meat Burgers.”
Becca pondered the three statements. “I’m guess you actually don’t hate your legal studies class. I believe James was in a funk again. I believe you like the Beyond Meat. Hating legal studies is the lie.”
Neve replied, “Nope. I hate Beyond Beef burgers. Much prefer the Impossible burger.”
Becca nodded. “Hmm. Wait, so you actually hate the legal studies and James really was in a funk? That sucks,” Becca said.
The two sisters got quiet and watched the trees. “Is Mom really going to live here?” Neve asked Becca. “I think so. At least until he’s in a home,” Becca replied. Neve sighed. “I hope she finds something before too long. Hard to imagine Jules in a home. Hope it has some scenery, at least,” Neve added. “The nice ones by the water are crazy expensive,” Becca replied. “Guess we’ll see.”