“Or a former student. They saw something similar a few years back,” Annie said, “and when the police realized I work at the school, they kind of seized on it. Don’t worry, though, I told them alllll about how Multi-Culti Night will stop anything like this from ever happening again. Although now I’ll have to miss it because tonight is the only time the window guy can come.”
Annie paused for Jen’s laughter.
She’d been pretty pleased with her joke about Multi-Culti Night, which seemed the type of dry snark Jen would appreciate, but it hadn’t even registered with Jen.
“Do you have any disgruntled former students?” Jen said.
“It’s not a student,” Annie said. “It’s the vandal, obviously, and it sucks but I suppose it was our turn. Between you and me, we’ve had so much drama this year, with, you know, Fall Fest and Laurel, that this doesn’t seem like such a big deal.” Annie shrugged. “Maybe I should be more worried.”
“Do they know anything?”
“Not really.” Annie took another gulp of the latte. The taste was so complex, rich and layered. “Is it the beans or the machine?”
Jen stared at her blankly.
Everyone seemed almost disappointed that Annie wasn’t in hysterics about the window, and maybe if the kids had been in the den when the rock sailed through, she would have been.
The impact hadn’t even been loud enough to wake any of them, or even Yellow, who apparently lacked basic watchdog skills. They had woken up to the peaceful but surreal scene of a wren hopping around their living room, and a neat pile of glass on the floor.
“The coffee,” Annie said. “What makes it so good? I can’t thank you enough. It’s a toss-up whether I’m more grateful for this or for Deb’s window guy. He’s doing the job for free, you know, because he owed Deb a favor. She’s a little vague on why, though.”
Jen didn’t even smile. Her gaze drifted over Annie’s shoulder to the broken bay window.
“Are you okay?” Annie said.
“Did Laurel say anything about last night?”
“No, but she had an early graduation rehearsal this morning and then a bunch of her classmates are having a goodbye-to-Sandstone picnic.”
“Apparently Abe asked her to leave last night, and I think they had a bit of a fight? I know he can be rude, unintentionally, he doesn’t intend to be—”
“Was she mean to him?” Annie asked. “She was so moody this year, and although it’s gotten better, you know what I think it’s been this whole time?”
Jen shook her head.
“Perfectionism. Yesterday I saw one of those vision boards, do you remember those? I had sort of an epiphany and I think because Laurel’s driven and quite intense, she can take it out on the rest of us, so for a kid who…” Annie trailed off because Jen had never opened up about Abe’s being on the spectrum. “… who’s a little younger, like Abe? Maybe it gets confusing?”
“Oh, well”—Jen’s smile was wan—“I wasn’t there.”
Annie wondered if it would be inappropriate to hug Jen. The way her thin cotton T-shirt exposed the undercurve of her breast made Annie want to bundle her in a sweatshirt.
Jen’s eyes blinked full of tears. “Maybe we should sit out the party.”
Annie reached out and placed her palms against Jen’s goose-bumped upper arms. “Laurel will be heartbroken if Abe’s not there and Lena and I will both be heartbroken if you’re not.”
“Do you mean that?” Jen said quietly. The tears had spilled over her lower eyelids. She didn’t even bother to swipe them away.
“Yes.” Annie squeezed Jen’s shoulders reassuringly. “Promise me you’ll be there.”
“Okay.” Jen gave a small, grateful smile. “I promise.”
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
“I know Annie Perley.”
Rachel had called Lena from her future in-laws’ house on the Cape. She wore sunglasses and a big floppy sun hat. Behind her was a brilliantly blue sky. “And she acted like she knew me too.”
“She was just surprised.” Lena’s hands were sticky with fondant for Laurel’s cake, so she wiped back her bangs with her forearm. “Because you seemed so surprised.”
“Mom,” Rachel whispered urgently.
“I get paranoid sometimes too, Rachel, but Annie was just being friendly.”
Rachel looked over her shoulder warily. “What if she knows something?”