Leni couldn’t help herself. She launched herself around the coffee table and into Large Marge’s arms. The woman’s comforting bulk enfolded her, made her feel safe. “Come on,” Large Marge said. “Let’s get you to school. There aren’t many days left before you graduate.”
Leni grabbed her backpack and slung it over her shoulder. After a fierce hug for her mother, a whispered, “We need to talk about this,” Leni followed Large Marge outside. They were halfway to the truck when Dad appeared, holding a five-gallon jug of gasoline.
“Leaving so soon?” he said.
“Just a cup of coffee, Ernt. I’ll drive Leni to school. I’m heading to the store.”
He dropped the plastic jug. It sloshed beside him. “No.”
Large Marge frowned. “No, what?”
“No one leaves this place without me anymore. There’s nothing out there for us.”
“She’s five days away from graduating. Of course she’s going to finish.”
“Fat chance, fat lady,” Dad said. “I need her at the homestead. Five days is nothing. They’ll give her the damned piece of paper.”
“You want to fight this battle?” Large Marge advanced, bracelets clattering. “If this young woman misses a single day of school, I will call the state and turn you in, Ernt Allbright. Don’t think for one second I won’t. You can be as batshit crazy and mean as you want, but you are not going to stop this beautiful girl from finishing high school. You got it?”
“The state won’t care.”
“Oh. They will. Trust me. You want me talking to the authorities about what goes on here, Ernt?”
“You don’t know shit.”
“Yeah, but I’m a big woman with a big mouth. You want to push me?”
“Go ahead. Take her to school, if it means so damned much to you.” He looked at Leni. “I’ll pick you up at three. Don’t keep me waiting.”
Leni nodded and climbed into the old International Harvester, with its ragtag cloth-covered seats. They drove down the bumpy driveway, past the newly skinned log poles. Out on the main road, rambling through a cloud of dust, Leni realized she was crying.
It felt overwhelming suddenly. The stakes were too high. What if Mama ran and Dad really did find her and kill her?
Large Marge pulled up in front of the school and parked. “It’s not fair that you have to deal with this. But life ain’t fair, kid. You know that, I guess. You could call the police.”
“And if I get her killed? How’s my life after that?”
Large Marge nodded. “You come to me if you need help. Okay? Promise?”
“Sure,” Leni said dully.
Large Marge leaned toward Leni, popped open the creaky glove box, took out a thick envelope. “I have something for you.”
Leni was used to Large Marge’s gifts. A candy bar, a paperback novel, a shiny barrette. Large Marge often had something to press in Leni’s palm at the end of the workday at the store.
Leni looked down at the envelope. It was from the University of Alaska. It had been mailed to Lenora Allbright, in care of Marge Birdsall at the Kaneq General Store.
Her hands were shaking as she tore it open and read the first line. We are pleased to offer you …
Leni looked at Large Marge. “I got in.”
“Congratulations, Leni.”
Leni felt numb. She’d been accepted.
To college.
“Now what?” Leni said.
“You go,” Large Marge said. “I’ve talked to Tom. He’s going to pay for it. Tica and I are buying your books and Thelma is giving you spending money. You’re one of us and we have your back. No excuses, kid. You leave this place the second you can. Run like hell, kid, and don’t look back. But Leni—”
“Yeah?”
“You be careful as hell until the day you leave.”
*
ON THE LAST DAY OF SCHOOL, Leni thought her heart might explode. Maybe she would pitch face-first into the ground and be another Alaskan statistic. The girl who died for love.
The idea of summer, all those long hot days spent working from sunup to sundown, made her insane to contemplate. How could she last until September without seeing Matthew?
“We will hardly see each other,” she said, feeling sick. “We’ll both be working constantly. You know how summer is.” From now on, life would be chores.
Summer. The season of salmon runs and gardens that needed constant tending, of berries ripening on hillsides, of canning fruits and vegetables and fish, of salmon that needed to be cut into strips, marinated, and smoked, of repairs that needed to be made while the sun shone.