“How are you holding up?” Robin asked, pouring me a cup of hot apple cider.
I shrugged. “Better every day,” I said truthfully.
Robin and Rob had no children, but were about ten years older than I was. I never knew if they couldn’t conceive or if they chose not to. They seemed to love children. I heard Hannah in the living room, explaining hers and Leah’s costumes to Rob.
“I am Rapunzel, and this is Rapunzel’s little sister,” she said proudly.
“Oh, wow!” Rob exclaimed. “What is her name?”
“Rapunzel!” Leah replied, indignant.
I smiled at their ingenious solution.
“I can’t imagine, Claire. I’m so sorry for this year. I know I’ve said it to you a few times, but if you ever need anything, we’re always here.”
I did know that, and I appreciated it. I briefly wondered why Greg and I hadn’t become closer to the Masters than just sharing friendly neighborhood banter. We should have done dinners, picnics, or neighborly things. I made a mental note to try harder, to connect. Small ripples. So many things seemed like small ripples, minor effects of Greg’s disappearance.
We drank our apple cider, traded small talk, and then waved goodbye as the girls and I continued on the very important business of Trick-or-Treating.
Chapter 26
I sucked it up and made plans to visit Drew the second weekend in November. I got the girls all hyped up to spend the night at Nanny and Pop-pop’s and dropped them off Saturday afternoon.
I took the train from Annandale into Manhattan, where Drew would pick me up. I hadn’t seen him since the memorial service and had only spoken to him once. Our friendship had changed over the past year. I didn’t know if it was because I had needed him so much or because Greg was technically no longer in the picture. Our past few encounters had fallen into one of two categories: fraught with tension, or formal and distant.
I wondered what the evening would bring. I wondered what Olivia would be like. I hoped he was alone when he picked me up. My stomach lurched as I thought about seeing Drew with a woman. Maybe once, years ago, he had brought someone to dinner. I vaguely remembered her. How had Drew dealt for ten-plus years?
When I walked up the steps to the terminal at Penn Station, Drew stood right where he texted me he’d be—in front of the Au Bon Pain. I studied him in the few seconds before he saw me. He looked wonderful—tall and dark, open-faced, and friendly. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, scanning the crowd. His eyes caught mine, and he broke into a wide grin and waved. When he hugged me, my heart thudded. This is ridiculous, I scolded. Drew was my best friend. He was seeing someone, seriously enough to want us to meet. He’d been watching me with Greg for years. I needed to calm down, but I didn’t know how. He smelled like Drew, soap and shampoo, like home to me. What had I been thinking? This is going to be impossible.
“Hi,” he said, ducking his head almost shyly. “You look great, Claire. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too. I need a night out. I need you, actually.” I put my head on his shoulder.
He gave me a quick squeeze. “Well, let’s go. Wait till you see my apartment!” He led me through the crowd and to the street. We hailed a taxi.
“I can’t believe you live in Harlem!” I also couldn’t believe we were taking a taxi a hundred blocks. Drew must be rich.
“Stop, it’s not like it used to be. The crime in southwest Harlem is incredibly low. When was the last time you went into the city? The eighties?”
I stared out the window, watching the city go by, like a silent movie running at the wrong speed. Traffic was surprisingly light. The opulence of the Upper West Side melded into rundown row homes of Morningside Heights. We turned on 119th Street, and the row homes faded into beautiful brownstones with sculpted steps and ornate front doors. The cab stopped, and Drew got out. The tree-lined street boasted historic and stately homes.
“These are gorgeous!” I exclaimed.
“See? And you doubted me.” He grinned evilly.
His apartment was huge by New York standards, with hardwood floors and a large, elaborate fireplace. The kitchen was small, but he had two reasonably sized bedrooms—two bedrooms. Unheard of! The living room and dining room were one open room separated by a display of ten different-sized stained-glass windows hanging from chains, with smaller ones hanging from each to create a faux wall. Some had ornate, bursting lilies and roses in a kaleidoscope pattern, and others were simpler, alternating square patterns in basic colors, reminiscent of old New Jersey farmhouses. Light flooded around the frames, and the prism effect created hypnotic dancing spots of light throughout the room.