“Excuse me?”
“I said it looks nice.”
We both knew that wasn’t what she meant.
Before I could respond, Emily came running.
“Grandma, come see!”
She grabbed my hand.
“See what?”
“We’re doing pictures.”
Several of the teenagers had gathered near the pool with their phones.
I hesitated.
Vanessa noticed.
“Maybe Grandma doesn’t want pictures right now.”
There it was again.
It wasn’t an insult this time.
It was something worse.
Permission to disappear.
I looked at Emily.
“I’d love a picture.”
She beamed.
I stood beside her with my towel still wrapped around me.
Daniel joined us.
Vanessa stepped in on his other side.
One of the teenagers took several photos.
Then Emily frowned at me.
“Grandma, why are you wearing a towel in the picture?”
“Emily,” Vanessa warned.
“She was wearing her swimsuit before.”
“Leave Grandma alone.”
Emily looked confused.
Then she said something that made several conversations around us stop.
“Did you make her cover up because she’s wrinkly?”
Daniel turned toward Vanessa.
“What?”
Vanessa’s expression changed.
“Emily, that’s enough.”
“But that’s what you said.”
Daniel stared at his wife.
“You said what?”
Vanessa looked around.
Now everyone was listening.
“It wasn’t like that.”
I nearly laughed.
It had been exactly like that.
Daniel faced me.
“Mom, is that why you came inside?”
I didn’t answer quickly enough.
He had his answer.
“Vanessa?”
She folded her arms.
“I was trying to save Patricia from being embarrassed.”
“By embarrassing her?”
“I didn’t embarrass her.”
Emily spoke before I could.
“She cried in the bathroom.”
“I did not cry,” I said quickly.
Emily shrugged.
“You looked like you were going to.”
Vanessa’s cheeks turned red.
“This is ridiculous. I made one comment.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“About my mother’s body.”
“I was being honest.”
“No,” I said.
Everyone looked at me.
For the first time that afternoon, I didn’t care.
“You were being cruel.”
Vanessa opened her mouth.
Before she could answer, Emily suddenly pointed toward the far end of the yard.
“Mom!”
We all turned.
A woman had just walked through the side gate carrying a large beach bag.
Vanessa went completely still.
I recognized her immediately.
It was Vanessa’s mother.
She was 71.
She was also wearing a swimsuit.
It wasn’t underneath a dress or hidden beneath a cover-up.
It was a bright yellow swimsuit, completely uncovered.
She smiled and lifted both arms.
“Surprise!”
Nobody answered.
Vanessa looked as though she wanted the patio to swallow her whole.
