The Breakaway(71)
Abby swallowed hard, then nodded. “I get it. The thing is, I don’t think Lily will give Morgan a choice. And I think Morgan should have one.”
Eileen looked at Abby, sparse lashes fluttering as she blinked. “Have you talked to Morgan about telling her mom what’s going on? Maybe she’s underestimating Lily.”
“Kayla said Morgan seemed completely terrified at the idea of her mother finding out,” Abby said. “And, from what I’ve seen…” Abby let her voice trail off.
“Okay.” Eileen gave a single nod, and picked up her bulging cosmetic bag the same way Abby imagined a soldier would pick up his gun—spine straight, shoulders back, prepared for battle. Abby felt another stab of guilt, thinking, again, that Eileen wasn’t entirely the monster she imagined. At least, not all of the time. “I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you,” Abby said… and, impulsively, without thinking, she crossed the room and enfolded her mother in a hug. Abby could feel surprise in the lines of her mother’s shoulders, a moment of hesitation, before Eileen hugged her back.
Abby
9:30 a.m.
Downstairs, Jasper had set out the breakfast buffet on a long table in the dining room: yogurt and granola and fresh fruit, blueberry and lemon-poppyseed muffins, oatmeal, bacon, a spinach and feta frittata, still warm from the oven. The Presser boys were making their way through giant helpings of frittata and bacon and muffins. Lincoln was spooning oatmeal into his mouth. Outside, it was still pouring, rain hammering at the road and car windshields. Abby poured herself a cup of orange juice and gulped half of it down as Ted emerged from the Spoke’n Four’s RV and jogged through the downpour and into the house.
“Not a riding day,” he announced when he’d arrived, with his white hair plastered to his head and water dripping from the tip of his nose and his earlobes. The words were barely out of his mouth when a bolt of lightning tore across the sky. Ted looked up, grimacing, then used a dish towel to dry his face before proceeding to the buffet, scooping himself a bowl of oatmeal, and sprinkling candied pecans and coconut flakes on top. “You know that quote, right? ‘Everyone complains about the weather, and nobody does anything about it?’?”
Abby nodded. She was wondering if Morgan had told her mother about the make-believe Syracuse campus tour, and what she’d do if Lily tried to insist on staying with her daughter instead of getting in the van.
“Forecast says it’s going to be like this all day long,” Ted continued. “The four of us are going to get the bikes loaded and meet you at the hotel in Seneca Falls.”
“Perfect,” Abby said. “I just need to make sure everyone has a plan for the day.”
“We’re going to do the museums,” said Lou, who’d appeared at Abby’s elbow. “You and Sebastian are welcome to join us.”
Me and Sebastian? Abby stared at her. Lou stared right back, smiling brightly. Abby thought about saying, We’re not together, or I have a boyfriend. She considered asking, Why would you think we’re interested in each other, especially because most of what we’ve done in front of the group is argue?
Instead, Abby just gave Lou a noncommittal smile and went back to the dining room table to wait for the rest of the riders. When they’d all gotten breakfast and found a seat, Abby stood, tapping her spoon against the side of her coffee cup.
“So, as you might have noticed, we’ve got a little weather going on. According to my app, it’s going to rain pretty much all day, and we’d be riding toward the storm, not away from it. Therefore, I am recommending that everyone take the sag wagon to Seneca Falls. I know,” she said, before anyone could start complaining, “that we’d planned for tomorrow to be a day off, but if the sun comes out and anyone wants to ride, there’s a beautiful loop around Cayuga Lake. Does that sound okay to everyone?”
Nods around the table, with an especially enthusiastic nod from Lily, who looked like a death row inmate who’d just gotten good news from the governor. She’d probably been dreading the prospect of riding in the rain. Abby swallowed hard and tried not to imagine how Lily’s relief would be replaced by fury and betrayal if she found out what her daughter had planned. Morgan was sitting beside her mother, staring blankly at the wall, both hands wrapped around a mug. Abby clinked her coffee cup again.
“The sag wagon can take five people at a time. I called the hotel in Seneca Falls, and they’re going to do their best to have our rooms ready for an early check-in. However, we will need to go in shifts.”
“We’re going to leave right after breakfast and spend the day at the museums in Seneca Falls,” said Sue of the Spoke’n Four. She smiled proudly. “?‘Men, their rights, and nothing more; women, their rights, and nothing less.’ That was the motto of the newspaper she edited, you know.”
“Sue used to teach history,” Ted announced.
“And those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it,” Lou said.
Abby wondered if Lily was listening to any of this. She gave Kayla a desperate look, feeling weak with relief when the other woman said, “I’m going to take Andy to look at Syracuse University this morning.” She looked at Lily. “We’d love to take Morgan along, if it’s all right with you.”
“Lily, you and I can head to Seneca Falls right after breakfast. There’s a wonderful spa there,” Eileen said, jumping in before Lily could even open her mouth to object. “I called, and they can fit us in for massages at eleven. We’ll let the kids have a day.”