Everyone was up on time the next morning, and only Max and Fran looked worse for wear. Neither of them could manage to get to sleep the night before, and both just wanted to finally get to the rented house on the beach so they could finally try to relax. The plane they took to the next city near the coast was much smaller and only had two seats on each side with a single aisle between them, and to Max's dismay, Fran and Gracie took a pair of seats together. Maggie and Brighton took the next two, and Max and Niles were left with the two behind them. They got into their seats and buckled in, and Max looked out the window at the sunny, beautiful sky outside. But he wasn't feeling it. Niles looked over at him, uncertain of what to say or do, and felt bad that they weren't feeling the excitement of the vacation they had all been looking forward to not so long before.
"Sir?" Niles asked quietly.
Max turned back from the wind to face him. "Hm?"
"Is there anything I can do? You look like you didn't sleep a wink last night."
"Honestly, I don't think I did."
"Well, then, you must let me do the driving. You can't be on the road in that condition. You do the navigating and let me take the wheel. And see if you might be able to get a quick nap on this flight."
"Well, I don't know that I can fall asleep just yet. But are you sure about the driving? It might be a good idea for me not to drive. But I don't want to put that on you if you aren't comfortable with it."
"Oh, sir, remember- I've done quite a bit of driving in New York City, and all over quite a few places. I'll look over the maps before we go, and then you can just keep an eye out for the turns I need to make. It shouldn't be difficult at all."
"Well, alright then. Why don't we do that. I appreciate it, Niles. I really do. I'm sorry if I'm not in the best of spirits."
"Don't worry about that, sir. I understand. I'm sure once you've both gotten some rest and maybe have a chance to talk, it'll be much better. You'll see."
"Maybe. If she will talk to me, that is. I just wish I knew what was on her mind. She's never like this before we go on a trip."
"No, She isn't. I hope she isn't like this all week. I mean, she seems alright with the children. Maybe even a bit more clingy than usual. But she's barely said two words to either of us," Niles said, making sure he kept his voice down so the others wouldn't hear. Max hadn't thought much about how Fran had been just as quiet with Niles, too, and how it must be bothering him just as much.
"Well, we'll be at the house soon enough. We'll get settled in and start relaxing and maybe she'll be willing to talk more."
The door on the plane was closed, and the engines revved up, and soon they were on their way. Max stared out the window at the land below, watching Paris fade off into the distance and more and more farmland and small villages appear scattered about below them. Everything was green and beautiful, the roads criss-crossing through the fields and towns. They had quickly reached altitude and had barely leveled off before they started their descent again to the smaller airport near the Southern coast. Max's stomach churned a little as he thought about how he would soon be facing Fran again, and wondered how she might push him away the next time. It made him feel like he should avoid her just to protect himself.
The airplane banked into a turn, and then Max could see the runway in the distance. They descended a little more rapidly, and then the plane thudded and shook as they landed, then began taxiing to the small airport. Everyone gathered their belongings, and after the plane stopped and the door was opened, Fran led the children out, and Niles and Max followed behind. They all got onto a small bus that took them to the building where they would have to wait a little while for their luggage. Max decided to leave Niles with everyone else, and then go to the car rental desk to sort out the van they would be renting to take the rest of the way. He got the keys and went out to retrieve the van from the lot, and then drove it back to the exit of the baggage claim area. Everyone was just coming out the doors, dragging their bags behind them. Max parked next to the curb and got out, and opened the back to help Niles load up the luggage. He kept his carry-on bag with him, and retrieved the map they would use to get to the village near the house. Max handed the keys to Niles and they shut the back of the van, then walked around to the front and got in.
"Everyone got everything?" Max asked, as he turned around in his seat to look back, and noticed that Fran and Gracie had taken the back seat together, and Maggie and Brighton were in the middle.
"Yes!" The kids chimed in from the back. Max turned back around and got buckled in, and showed the map to Niles. "I marked the route on here, Niles. Follow the signs to that main highway and head south. Then there should be an exit to this road right here- that goes straight to the village. I'll try to keep an eye out for it with you. I think it's about a thirty minute drive on the big highway before we'll be near the exit."
"Sounds easy enough. Everyone buckle up! Here we go!" Niles said, a little exuberantly, trying to lighten the mood in the van. Gracie cheered from the back, but Fran stayed quiet. Max ran his hand over his face and yawned, then rubbed his eyes. He looked over the map again as Niles pulled away from the curb, then rested his elbow on the door against the window and propped his head on his fist. He was exhausted. They were almost there now, and maybe once they were all in the same place and had to talk to each other, maybe then Fran's mood would change. He sure hoped it did.
Everyone waited in the van as Max went inside the rental agency to retrieve the keys to the house they would be staying in for the week. The kids were all up against the windows looking out over the beautiful village, but as Niles glanced in the rear view mirror, he saw Fran slumped in her seat sideways, her eyes closed. He knew she was still awake, but thought how she must not have gotten any sleep the night before, either.
"Children, can you keep an eye out for any markets or grocery stores for me?" Niles asked. "I may need to do a little shopping so we have enough food. And look for any places you might like to go to if we come back into the village. It looks like there are a lot of little shops around here. Maybe you can find some nice souvenirs, too."
"I think I saw a grocery store near where we came into the village, Niles. But we'll keep an eye out," Maggie said.
Just then, Max appeared, jogging down the steps of the building, with papers and a set of keys in his hands. He got back in the car and put on his seatbelt.
"Okay, Niles, now go back down the way we just came. We'll follow a creek alongside the road until we get just to the outer edge of the village, and then there's supposed to be a small bridge on the left side over the creek. We turn left there, and the gravel road goes straight down to the house."
"Yes, sir!" Niles shifted into drive and pulled out of the parking space, and turned the van to go back down the road they had just been on. The children looked out the windows at the shops, trying to see what looked interesting, and to see if they could find a market anywhere. As they passed the road they had entered the village from, they continued on to another part of the village.
"Oh! Niles! There's a market right there! On the right hand side, where that side alley was. They had fruit and stuff outside," Brighton yelled out.
"Oh, fantastic! Make sure you remember where that was, in case you can show me on the map," Niles replied. Max looked out ahead of them and pointed to a low red bridge in the distance.
"See there, Niles? I think that's the bridge we turn on. Oh, yes, I see a house out there- down the slope. That must be it! Do you see it, children?" Max asked.
"Oh! Daddy!" Gracie squealed. "That's where we're staying? Oh, I can't wait to see the inside!" Brighton and Maggie leaned over to see where they were pointing, and even Fran looked over to get a look at the house.
Across a long slope of green grass, there was a long, white block-style house with large windows most of the way around it. There appeared to be a deck on the roof, and a long wooden railed fence along a long walkway that went down to the beach. Now that there weren't so many buildings in the way, they could see the ocean stretch out in front of them.
"Holy crap, dad! It really is right on the ocean!" Brighton said. He was getting really excited, too.
"Daddy! It's so pretty! Oh, I hope it's as nice on the inside as it looks on the outside!" Maggie said, leaning close to the window. Max felt a little happier that at least the children seemed to be looking forward to everything.
"If it matches the photos, then it should be pretty nice. Oh, I should mention the bedroom situation- there is a master, two singles, and a double. All of them have their own bathrooms. Niles, I think you and Ms. Fine should take the singles."
"Aw!" Maggie said.
"Hold on, I was going to say, Maggie, that you and Gracie might take the master, depending on how big the beds are in the double. Brighton, you and I may be staying there if the beds aren't too short for me."
"Oooh! Maggie! We get the master bedroom! I bet it's huge!" Gracie patted the back of Maggie's seat, and Maggie turned around to grin at her.
"Why can't we take the master bedroom?" Brighton asked.
"Because, Brighton, as long as you kick in your sleep, I don't particularly want to share a bed with you." The girls laughed and Brighton rolled his eyes. Niles slowed down and made the tight turn onto the little bridge that stretched over the creek, and then headed down towards the front of the house. He pulled up the drive and stopped close to the walkway to the front door so they wouldn't have far to take their luggage.
They all unbuckled and jumped out of the van, and Max headed for the front door with his carry on bag to unlock it so everyone could bring their things in. He unlocked it and opened it, then headed inside. It really was pretty nice. There was a huge living room and fireplace, with large windows all the way around. The view was beautiful. The kitchen was close to the front door, and had countertops all along the front wall, with a six burner stove, refrigerator, and a huge island in the middle with a sink and prep area towards one end. You could easily prepare and cook a meal while enjoying the view out the windows on the opposite side of the room. Max smiled as he looked around, then saw the hallway nearby. He headed down that hallway and first came to the master bedroom. He peeked inside. It wasn't excessively large, but would be just fine for the girls. He continued down the hallway and found the double room and went inside. There were two single beds, and they were long enough for Max and Brighton both to be comfortable. He noticed the attached bathroom, then set his carry on bag on the bed closest to it, then turned around and went back to the hall. There was an open stairwell at the end of the hall, and Max looked down it. He could see two doors downstairs, and thought that must be where the two single rooms were. He jogged down the stairs as he could hear the commotion of the children fumbling with their suitcases as they tried to get in the front door. Max looked around from the bottom of the stairs and saw in each bedroom door. The rooms looked like mirror images of each other, with a bed and a chair and table, and another door to their own bathrooms, and average-sized windows facing the ocean.
Max turned around and hurried back up the steps and down the hall. The children were bumping into each other, oohing and ahhing at the living room and kitchen.
"Okay, children- get your things put away. Girls, your room is the first one, and Brighton, we're in the next one." The kids scrambled with their things down the hallway to go have a look at the rest of their accommodations. Max went out the front door and almost ran into Fran. "Oh, um, you and Niles are downstairs. Go down the hallway on the right to the end, and there's a set of stairs there." He stepped out of her way so she could pass.
"Okay," She said softly, and hurried into the house. Max went to the back of the van to help Niles get the last of the luggage out.
"She say anything to you?" He asked Niles.
"No, she just helped hand the children their bags, and then grabbed hers. Here- here is your bag. And I've left the map up front, is that alright? We can bring it in if you want to have a look at it."
"Oh, no, it's probably more useful in the van. Oh, I was telling Ms. Fine your rooms are downstairs. I didn't know there was a lower floor, but if you go to the end of the hall, there are stairs there. The rooms seem pretty nice, but let me know if you have any issues."
"Oh I'm sure they'll be just fine, sir. I'll get my things put away and then will see about getting some food together. I'll have a look at what we've got in there."
"Okay. Oh, I think you'll like the kitchen," Max said, with a grin.
"Well, let's go!" Niles shut the back of the van and handed Max the keys, then Max followed him back in the front door, and he closed it behind him.
After everyone had put their suitcases away and decided where they would be sleeping, the children came back out to the living room and lined up at the windows. Brighton found a pair of binoculars on the windowsill and looked through them at all the boats out on the water.
"Dad, you've gotta see this- with the binoculars! You can see all the boats out there! And the people on the beach down that way. The beach over here is empty- almost like it's all for us!" Brighton yelled, then ran over to another window to get a better view. Gracie's shoes were off and she stood on a bench so she could see down to the beach. Maggie was on her knees on the bench at the windows, her forehead leaning against the glass as she looked out over everything. Max came into the kitchen where Niles was going through the fridge and pantry. He was preparing a spread of fruit and cheese and bread for them to snack on. Max opened the refrigerator and took out a number of bottles of soda, and lined them up on the counter. He found a bottle opener in a drawer, and popped the top off of a bottle and took a swig. He reached for a small slice of the baguette and a piece of cheese, then walked over to where the kids were looking out the window. The view was beautiful. The sky was blue, there were white sailboats and a few small yachts making their way through the waves, and you could see quite a distance down the long stretch of beaches in both directions. He leaned closer to the window and saw the beach below them, where the fenced path outside led. It was very pretty.
"Oh, Daddy! Can we go down to the beach?" Gracie asked, hopping off the bench and running toward him.
"Why don't we all get some food in us first, then we can decide what to do. Maggie, Brighton, why don't you head into the kitchen, too. There are sodas, and Niles prepared a nice mix of finger food. Grab a plate and take what you want." The children all turned around and hurried to the kitchen, hungry from the morning's travel. Niles had a piece of paper he was writing on as he went back and forth between the fridge and the pantry. Max thought he must be writing down what he might need to make more meals for the rest of the week. Max heard a noise in the hallway and turned to look, and Fran came out, headed for the children who were all leaning against the island, stuffing their faces with fruit and cheese and baguette. She grabbed an unopened bottle of soda and a plate, and joined the children in the feast. Max wanted to join them, too, but suddenly lost his appetite. He turned to look back out the window as he finished chewing his meager snack, then set his bottle of soda down and picked up the binoculars to have a look at the boats in the distance.
"Fran, do you wanna go down to the beach? Can we go down there?" Gracie asked, tugging on Fran's arm.
"Sure, sweetie, after we finish. You excited to see the beach?"
"Yeah! I wanna see if there are seashells down there! I want to find some for souvenirs. And see if the water's warm or cold." Fran smiled at her. Brighton was stuffing his face and Maggie walked over to the side window where she could see down the long walkway to the beach.
"It looks so pretty down there!" Maggie asked. "Niles, do they have any chairs or anything we can take down to the beach? Or more beach towels?"
Niles looked up from his list. "Oh, um, there's a storage closet or room right outside the front door- maybe that has some things in it. I believe it's locked, though."
"Dad, do you have other keys? For that storage thing?" Brighton asked. Max lowered the binoculars and reached into his pocket, pulling out the set of keys from the rental agency.
"Yes, there are some others on here. Do you want to see if one of them works?" He held out the keys for Brighton, and Brighton ran over to him. He grabbed the keys and then ran to the front door and outside, found the door to the storage space and tried a couple of keys before he found one that unlocked it.
"Got it!" He yelled to the others, still inside. He opened the door and found a number of folding lawn chairs and lounge chairs, along with some other beach items like a skim board and boogie board, and several other floating toys. "Oh, yeah!" He shut and locked the door and ran back inside. "The chairs and stuff are in there- and they have a boogie board and even a skim board! I've never done that before! That's so awesome! I'm gonna go change into my shorts so I don't get my jeans wet." Brighton grabbed one last mouthful of food and ran down the hallway to the bedroom to change.
"I better change, too, especially my shoes." Maggie said, and hurried down the hall.
"What about you, Gracie? Do you need to change?" Fran asked.
"Nope! That's why I wore my sandals and my new knickers. I'm ready to go! Oh- Niles, is there a bag or something I can take to put shells in?" She asked.
"Oh yes, right here- the one the bread and fruit was in. Will this do?" He passed it across the island to Gracie.
"Yes, thank you!" Gracie ate several more bites of cheese and grapes, and Fran finished her slice of baguette, then sipped her soda. She was quiet and wouldn't look over at Max, who was still trying to busy himself by watching the boats. The sky was mostly blue, and the bright white sails of the boats cut through the darker ocean. Max noticed the clouds out along the horizon, but otherwise the weather was beautiful. He just couldn't get into the spirit of it, and Fran couldn't, either.
Brighton and Maggie hurried back into the kitchen to grab their sodas and drink them down. "Can we go, Fran? I put sunscreen on!" Brighton said, impatiently.
"I did, too, and I got my hat," Maggie added.
"Oh, I need sunscreen, Fran! I don't have any on!" Gracie pouted.
"Okay, you two can start down that way, but stay where we can see you from the house. Let me get us some sunscreen on and we'll be down there in a minute. Come on, Gracie," Fran said, reaching for her hand. Brighton and Maggie cheered and hurried out the front door, shutting it behind them. Niles set down his list, grabbed a slice of cheese and a slice of the baguette and walked over to the window to watch them jogging down the walkway. He turned to Max, who still watched the boats.
"Sir? Are you going to go down to the beach with them?" He asked. Max seemed startled, and looked at him.
"Oh, ah, no, I don't think so. I, uh, I think I might need a nap. I'm rather tired. Would that be alright?"
"Of course, sir. You could use a rest. Don't worry about the rest of us, I'm sure Ms. Fine will keep them busy. And I'll see if I can sort out what we need for a few family meals."
"Alright. Well, if you don't mind, I think I'll go lie down for a bit. Can you keep an eye on those keys? We only have one set, and in case they want the chairs or something."
"Oh, yes sir! I'll do that. Go get your rest, and I'll see if I can come up with something for dinner later. But I may need to run to the market, I'm not sure there's quite enough for a big meal, with the way these children eat."
"Alright. I'll just rest a little while, if I can fall asleep at all." Max set the car keys on the counter and then headed down the hallway to the room he shared with Brighton and shut the door behind him.
Gracie thundered up the staircase, followed by Fran. They were both freshly covered in sunscreen, and Fran had grabbed her own wide-brimmed hat to keep the sun off her face. She followed Gracie to the kitchen, noticing that the door to Brighton and Max's room was shut. Gracie grabbed her soda and took the last swig, then grabbed a slice of cheese and bread and the bag for her seashells, then hurried out the front door.
"You coming, Niles?" Fran asked.
"Me? Oh, no. I've got some work to do, you go on and have some fun with the children."
"Uh, where's-"
"Mr. Sheffield?" Niles said, quietly. Fran nodded, looking down the hallway. "He's going to try to get some rest. He hasn't been sleeping."
"Oh," Fran said, feeling guilty. "Well, I guess we'll be down at the beach for a while." She headed out the door and shut it behind her, then put her hat on as she headed down the long walk towards the beach. She wasn't really in the mood to search for seashells, but she knew she was going to have to pretend that she was. She felt like this might be her last vacation with the kids, and she had to try make it as nice as she could.
Fran stood in the dry sand, holding her sandals in one hand and holding her hat on with the other. She watched as Maggie and Gracie searched through the wet sand, looking for bits of seashells peeking out. Brighton ran back and forth through the remnants of the waves, kicking at the water and splashing it. Fran thought he looked like he was having the best time, and she smiled to herself, then her expression changed back to sadness. Brighton turned from the waves and looked over at her, and wondered what was on her mind. He had noticed how quiet she had seemed for the last few days, and wondered if something was going on with her. His father had been acting weird, too, and he wondered if maybe they had another one of their fights. But it didn't seem like that. This seemed different. Fran usually wouldn't let an argument get in the way of her having fun, and she looked like she wasn't having much fun. He turned and looked at Maggie and Grace. They were absorbed in adding shells to the bag. He took a chance and walked over to Fran, as casually as he could.
"Hey, Fran!" He said.
"Hey, B. You guys finding anything interesting?" She asked the girls.
"Well, some shells. Some might be nice. Gracie's having fun looking for them," Maggie said.
The girls ran across the beach to grab another shell sticking up, and Brighton stepped over closer to Fran, then looked back at the girls. Gracie spied a new find and ran over to retrieve it, then put it in the bag. He glanced at Fran, who was watching the girls, too.
"You okay, Fran?" He asked, quietly, so the girls wouldn't hear. Fran was startled, but tried to hide it.
"Sure. I'm fine. You okay?" She deflected.
"Yeah. It's good to be out here, away from the New York. And it's warmer here, too."
"Yeah, it is, but not too hot. That's good."
"Yeah." They were quiet again.
"You know you can talk to us, right? All of us. If you need to. Whoever you feel you can talk to." Brighton was nervous about saying that sort of thing to her, but he felt she might need to hear it. Fran didn't know what to say. Was she being really obvious that her mind was elsewhere?
"Yeah, of course. Sure. And you guys can talk to me, too. Whatever." She didn't know what else to say. Brighton stood there with her a while, his arms crossed awkwardly in front of him. He wasn't sure if he should leave her alone or not.
The clouds had come up more by then, bringing the wind with them. They moved in front of the sun, dampening the harsh sunlight a bit. Fran looked up, noticing that they were darker clouds, and she wondered if it might rain.
"Hey, you know, maybe we should head in for a bit, in case it decides to start sprinkling. Hey girls? Let's take a break on the seashell hunt, okay? The clouds are coming in and it's getting pretty windy. Let's go inside for a bit." She took off her hat and reached for Gracie's hand as Gracie ran towards her. Maggie followed, and they all began walking slowly back to the end of the walkway that led up to the house.
Niles was on the couch, quietly reading a magazine, as everyone came in the front door. He gestured to them to keep their voices down. Max was still trying to nap.
"Hello. So how was your seashell hunt, Miss Grace?" He asked.
"Pretty good! I got a lot of them, but I don't know if I should take them all back home. I might just pick the best ones."
"Oh, that might be a good idea. I noticed the clouds come in, is that what sent you all back inside?"
"Yeah, it's getting windy, too. Figured we might as well come back in, in case it might rain or sprinkle or anything," Fran said.
"Oh, Ms. Fine, now that you're back here, I was going to make a run back to that market and see if I might get a few things for some meals. I've made a list, and I guess I'll see what they have and try to come up with something."
"Okay, that should be fine."
"Oh, Niles, can I go with you? Can we stop at some other places, too? They had lots of cute looking shops there, not far from that market," Maggie said.
"Well, I want to go, too, if you're going!" Brighton added.
"Me too!" Gracie said.
"Kids, now don't make Niles have to do a lot more than he wanted to do," Fran said.
"Oh, it's all right, Ms. Fine. It's a while before dinner. And it'll get them out of the house so they don't wake up their father. Get your things, children, if you want to buy something, and let's get going."
"I have my wallet already, so I don't have to go in the room if he's sleeping," Brighton said. The girls quietly hurried to their room to get their purses.
"I can go with you, too, Niles, since I'm supposed to be watching them," Fran said, tiredly. She wasn't looking forward to another outing, but it was her job.
"Nonsense, Ms. Fine. You look exhausted. Just take it easy for a while, we'll be back soon enough." The girls came back out, and they headed out to the van with Brighton. "Oh, Ms. Fine- this is the only set of keys to the house, so I'm putting them right here on the counter, okay? I've got the car keys, and I'll put them here, too, when we get back."
"Okay, uh, if you're sure you don't need me to come with you?"
"We'll be fine. And someone should be here in case he wakes up." He looked at Fran seriously for a moment, then grabbed his list from the counter.
"Well, not much to do if he wakes up, are we supposed to watch French TV or something?"
"Well, it's none of my business, but maybe you could talk. You do remember how to talk to your boss, don't you? Or your friend. Whomever you might be needing to talk to. Now, we'll be back in a little while. We'll just be on that road we came down to get here and see what we can see. Alright? Take it easy for a while." He gave her a knowing look, and Fran felt like she might have turned white. Now she knew her discomfort must really be showing to everyone. She watched Niles shut the door, then she heard the van start up and drive away. She crossed her arms in front of her and didn't know what to do. She turned around and walked over to the kitchen windows and looked outside. The wind was blowing the tree branches around, and making the grassy hillside swish in waves. She thought to herself that maybe it was good that the weather was turning, that way she wouldn't have to spend hours and hours outside, getting herself even more tired. But now she was here alone in the house- alone with a possibly sleeping Mr. Sheffield. Was she going to have to talk to him? Her stomach sank. She didn't feel like she was ready to. She still wasn't sure what she was going to do about the job offer. But she was getting an idea of what direction she was heading, and it made her sad. And she was worried it would upset everyone else, too. She wasn't ready for that.
She suddenly had a craving for junk food. If she couldn't solve her problems by talking, she wanted to appease them by eating some sugar or chocolate or carbs, whatever might be in the house. She walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge and moved things around. Nothing. She opened the freezer, it was empty. She went for the pantry next, and found an unopened box of chocolate wafer cookies and almost cheered in triumph, then remembered that Max might be sleeping. She shushed herself and tiptoed over to one of the couches and set the box down on the coffee table, then looked around for something she could do. She didn't want to watch TV, she didn't know French and was pretty sure there wouldn't be any English captions. She remembered that Maggie had gotten some magazines, and she was pretty sure she wouldn't be bothered if she just happened to borrow them for a while. So Fran tiptoed to the master bedroom and found Maggie's carry on bag, and then pulled out several magazines. She brought them out to the living room and sat down on the couch, opened the box of cookies, and dug in. She kicked off her sandals and put her feet up on the table, opened a magazine and began to settle down.
Max tossed and turned on the bed. Even though it was long enough to accommodate his height, he wasn't used to such a narrow bed, and envied the girls for having a full sized bed. He would have to make better choices about their accommodations in the future.
He was exhausted, physically and mentally, and realized he was feeling hungry, too. He rolled over onto his back and listened to see if he could hear if Niles and the children were back yet. He'd heard them earlier, talking, and then going to the van and driving away. He heard the wind picking up outside the window, and it seemed like it had gotten a bit darker. He hoped the children wouldn't get caught in the rain, because they hadn't brought any umbrellas or raincoats with them. He couldn't hear anything in the house, and wondered if maybe Fran had gone with them. He looked around the bedroom and decided that maybe sleep just wasn't going to happen for him yet. Maybe once it was nighttime and everyone was back home, maybe then he could finally get a good night's sleep.
Max sat up on the bed and swung his legs over the side, then rested his elbows on his knees and held his head in his hands. He felt a headache coming on and wondered if it was just from the storm coming in, or from his sleep deprivation. He rubbed his eyes and yawned, then got up from the bed. He walked out of the bedroom in his sock feet to the kitchen, then he realized Fran was stretched out on the couch, reading a magazine. He quickly turned back to look in the fridge for something to eat, and found the plate with the rest of the sliced fruit and cheese and bread and took it out and set it on the counter. He then got a glass out of the cabinet and poured himself a glass of water from the faucet. He walked quietly over to the other couch and sat down, took a sip of water, and set the glass on the table.
Fran was quiet, but glanced over at him to see what his mood looked like. He really looked haggard, and she wished she could do something for him, but her stomach twinged at the thought of caring for him, so she shifted back into keeping him at a distance. She knew what her upcoming decision might do to him, and she didn't want to let herself get closer to him and have to drop a bomb like she'd be dropping. She would just keep things professional. But even then, she could at least speak to him a little, couldn't she?
"Did you get any sleep?" She asked quietly. He cleared his throat.
"No," he shook his head, then looked out the window. He could hear the rumbles of thunder in the distance, and saw several flashes of lightning.
Fran didn't know what to say in response. She watched as he rubbed his temple, then reached for a slice of apple from the plate. She turned the page of the magazine and tried to read, but couldn't focus on the words.
"Looks like rain's starting out there," Max said. Fran looked out the windows and saw the dark sky headed their way.
"Oh- I hope Niles is watching that. They might get caught in a downpour."
"Yeah." Max leaned back and put his feet on the table, and slumped as he looked at the food on the plate. Fran felt really bad for him. Was she making him feel this way? She knew she had been pushing him away for days, but didn't think it would be hurting his feelings this bad.
"Are you okay? You don't look so good," she said. Max glanced at her, then looked back outside at the rain falling.
"I just have a headache."
"From not sleeping? Niles said you haven't been sleeping."
"I don't know. Maybe. Maybe it's just this storm coming in." Fran looked back out the windows, too. It really was looking like a pretty big storm. Just then she saw the lightning, and counted one-Mississippi, two-Mississippi, three-Mississippi to herself to see how far away it was. Gusts of wind hit the trees, knocking branches against the house.
"Um, do you need to take something for it? I brought Advil. I can get some for you." Max shrugged his shoulders. He was glad she was speaking to him, but he was afraid to say too much to her, that it might make her shut down again.
"Uh, maybe. That might be okay." Fran set the magazine next to her on the couch, and just as she stood up from the couch, the skies let loose and the rain poured down, pounding on the roof and the windows.
"Oh, yowza! Oh, I hope Niles isn't driving in that!" She turned to look out the front windows, but didn't see any evidence of the van coming back. She turned and ran down the hall, then down the stairs to her room to grab the bottle of Advil for Max. Max got up from his seat and walked to the kitchen, looking out the window to see if he could see any vehicles. He could barely see anything. He was wishing they all had cell phones. He turned back from the windows and headed back to the couch as Fran came running back in the room. She handed Max the small bottle and they both sat back down on their separate couches.
"Thank you," he said softly. He took the pills out of the bottle and popped them in his mouth, then washed them down with his glass of water.
BOOM! Came the thunder right with a bright flash of lightning, nearly throwing Fran and Max from their seats.
"Holy crap! That was close!" Fran yelled over the pounding rain. Max got up and looked around them out the windows, making sure everything was okay.
"Now I'm wishing they hadn't gone out," Max said, worried. Fran didn't know what to say, she was thinking the same thing. The phone rang suddenly, startling them both. They looked at each other, and Max ran to the kitchen wall where the phone hung and grabbed it.
"Hello?!" He almost huffed into the receiver.
"Sir! It's me!" Niles said on the other end. "We're alright! I just wanted to let you know that we're waiting out the storm here in the village. We met some nice people at one of the shops, and they've invited us in to their store. They live up above the store. We're about a block from that market, and we hadn't gotten that far yet, so I'm afraid we don't have any groceries. Can you write this phone number down, in case you need to call us?"
"Yes! Yes, Niles, here let me grab a pencil. Okay, what is it?" Max began to scribble on a notepad as Niles talked, and Fran waited anxiously to find out what he was saying to Max. "Well, thank you for calling, we were getting worried," And just then another flash of lightning and a crack of thunder, and the lights flickered, and then the power went off. "Oh, you're kidding me! Niles, do you have power there? Our electricity just went off!"
"Oh dear! The lights flickered here. Oh! Oh no, I'm afraid we've lost power, too! Oh dear! Well, sir, we better get off the phone, just in case it's dangerous. This lightning is terrible! But just know we're fine where we are, I won't take the children out in this, and I'll call again if anything changes, and you can call us, too."
"Yes, Niles. Alright, then, let's get off the phone to be safe. Tell the children we love them and we're alright. Hopefully the power will be back on soon. Take care, Niles, and just stay put if you can. Be safe."
"Yes, sir! We will, and you be safe, too. Talk to you soon!"
"Goodbye." Max hung up the phone and looked back down at what he had written.
"What is it? Are they okay?" Fran asked, leaning against the counter.
"They're safe. He said they were at a shop, and I guess when the storm hit, the people there invited them in. They live above the shop. He gave me the phone number, so I think they'll be safe. He said he won't take the children out in this weather. But their power went out, too. He wasn't able to get groceries yet. So I guess now we just wait." Fran groaned with frustration.
"Oh man! I really hope Gracie's handling this okay. She doesn't like bad storms like this!" Fran walked around looking out the windows. The wind was blowing the rain almost horizontal at the house, it was impossible to see anything. "Oh crap! You know what? We need to see if there are any flashlights or candles or anything here! If the power stays off, it'll be pitch dark in here in no time!"
"True, that's a good idea. We better check everywhere. There is that fireplace, too, we can use." Max and Fran began pulling open drawers and cabinet doors. Max found matches and a lighter for the fireplace, and Fran ran over to the drawers in the long bank of cabinets and benches by the windows on the ocean side of the house. She found some packs of batteries, then pulled open a lower cabinet door.
"Here! I found some! And there's batteries, too! Okay, two flashlights here, a big lantern… I think these little ones are like lanterns, too." She pulled everything out of the cabinet and Max hurried over to help. They set everything on the coffee table and began checking the batteries in them. "Oh, thank god, all of these work! But we should be careful how much we use. We don't know how long we might not have electricity. What about the fireplace?" She asked.
Max looked over at it. "Well, there's a decent supply of wood, but that may be all we have. I don't know if there was more outside or not, do you? If there is, I bet it's all soaking wet right now."
"Oh, crap. Yeah. And we need to figure out food, too. If we have to cook something, we have to cook it on the fire."
"Shoot." Max got up and looked around the fireplace in the dim light, then reached over for a flashlight. He found everything he needed to get a fire started, looked over the amount of logs they had, then headed into the kitchen, shining the light on the counters and into the fridge to see what food was there. "Well, we have bread and cheese, maybe we can make a grilled cheese or something. If we can find a way to put it on the fire." He closed the fridge and shined the flashlight in the pantry. "Well, the pantry isn't so good. A few soups, tins of fish and- uh, clams." He turned up his nose. "Instant coffee, and a new box of teabags. Beans. And the fruit. I thought we were supposed to have more food than this here for us. I suppose if we got creative, we at least have enough for a dinner, maybe a light breakfast."
"There aren't any eggs anywhere? Or milk? Do they put things like that in the fridge over here?" "Oh- you know, you're right. Eggs could be somewhere else. I didn't see any milk." Fran helped him check the containers across the counter along the wall.
"Sugar! Here's the sugar! And butter! Okay, that helps. What's this thing?" She opened a box, and found a dozen eggs lined up in an egg holder. "Eggs! Yes! We've got breakfast, and maybe we can have a breakfast for dinner, too! Or grilled cheese and something else for dinner. We could have French toast if we had some kind of syrup, but at least all of this is a start. Now, we need stuff to cook in. If we have to use the fireplace, then we need maybe aluminum foil, or if there's something like a skillet. And something to boil water in."
"There's a skillet here. Hanging over the stove. And a smaller one. And there's a kettle here, but I don't know how we'd hang that over the fire."
Fran walked up next to him to see what he had found. "Well, before we get a fire going, I guess we might need to plan for that, in case we have to set it right on top of the fire. But this is a start." They paused to catch their breath from all the activity and anxiety, then went back over to the couches to sit down and watch the storm. The lightning was all over the sky, flashing through the living room, and the rumbles and booms were constant, just like the torrents of rain. Max checked his watch to see what time it was. It was late in the afternoon, getting close to dinnertime. He figured they could wait a little while to sort that out, since they both had their snacks. Max looked around at the shelves in the living room, and saw an old transistor radio. He got up and went over to it and tried to turn it on. It clicked and buzzed, and he adjusted the dial until he found a radio station, then he pulled out the antenna and set it on the coffee table in front of him. He tried to translate in his head the French-speaking voices coming through the little speaker.
"I wonder if there might be a station not too far away that might be saying something about the weather," Max said, turning the dial again.
"That's a good idea. But would you understand it if you found one?"
"Um, possibly. I'm not completely fluent, but maybe I could understand enough." He tuned to each station and listened for a few minutes, then turned the knob again to find the next one. Not having any luck once he had reached the end of the tuner, he turned the dial back all the way to the beginning and started over. He thought he had found one, but then realized the DJ was talking about someplace else. Frustrated, he found a station playing instrumental music, then turned the volume down and set it back on the table.
"No luck?" Fran asked.
"No." He looked over at her curiously for a while, and she wondered why.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing. I was just thinking that this has been the most we've talked and interacted with each other in probably a week or so."
"Oh," Fran slumped in her seat and looked back at the storm outside.
"Why is that, if you don't mind my asking?"
"Why is what?"
Max took a deep breath and exhaled. "Did I do something to upset you?"
"What? No. No, you didn't."
"Then why does it feel like I did?"
"I don't know. You didn't do anything. It's not that. It's not you."
"Then what is it?"
Fran squirmed, and pulled her legs up to her on the couch. She still didn't feel like she was ready to talk to him yet, but she couldn't figure out what to say to try to change the subject.
"I've been wracking my brain trying to figure it out- why you push me away. You don't seem to want to talk to me. Or even be around me. It's been bothering me a lot. A lot." Fran glanced over at him, and caught his sad expression in one of the flashes of lightning.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just- it's supposed to be a working vacation. I'm supposed to be working. Just trying to keep it professional."
Max was confused. "Why would this trip be different than any other? I don't understand." Fran was feeling sick to her stomach. She was going to have to say something to him, and she had already been feeling like she was ruining their vacation. But what could she say?
"Because it is different," she said quietly, and Max almost didn't hear her.
"How is it different?"
"Because…" she couldn't figure out the words to say to him. He sat up on the edge of the couch and leaned his elbows on his knees and looked over at her, wanting to know the answer. She couldn't look at him. She wrapped her arms around her legs and just stared at the floor.
"What's different, Fran?" It startled her to hear him call her Fran. She knew it meant he didn't want that painful feeling of distance between them that she had been making him feel. But it just made her feel even more guilty. He let her gather her thoughts, and it would have been an excruciating silence had it not been for the loud storm outside and the soft music from the radio in the background. It was as if the storm outside was giving a performance of their inner turmoil, and bringing it out in front of them for all to see. Fran tried telling herself to just keep whatever she said short and matter-of-fact, but she could already feel the tears trying to form. She clenched her jaw and swallowed hard to keep them back.
"Because… by the time we go back… I have to…" She swallowed hard again, and Max waited. "I have to make a decision… by the time we go back." And with that, it was out there. She had finally said something to him about what was making her push him away. But he still didn't understand.
"A decision? What do you mean by that? You have to make a decision? About what?" He was getting nervous now. What was she talking about? What kind of a decision would she have to make that would make her act like this? That would make her push him away? Was she trying to protect herself from something, or him from something? He felt like he must be going pale, but then felt a rush of heat wash over his face and neck. What kind of a decision?
She shook her head slowly, not wanting to say. She rested her head against her fist, blocking her view of him. She couldn't look at him.
"Please tell me," he begged. Fran cleared her throat.
"I just- I have to decide something. What I'm going to do. It's not easy. I mean… I, uh…" she was stumbling over her words, trying to figure out how to say it. Max was hanging on her every word. He wanted to reach for her, to take hold of her and beg her to tell him what was going on, but something told him not to. He waited. "I just didn't know how- how to tell you. Or anyone."
"Tell us what?"
Fran closed her eyes and just said it. "I got a job offer. I have to tell her my decision when we get back. If I'm going to take it."
Max felt like he'd been hit by a ton of bricks. Everything around him disappeared and her words echoed in his head. He sank back against the couch and stared at a spot on the wall, trying to let what she said sink in. A job. Something about someone offering her a job. And she had to give them an answer, once they got home, So she must really be considering it, if she was having a hard time telling him about it. A job. Somewhere else.
Fran glanced over at him and couldn't tell what he might be feeling. His face was blank, and he just stared forward. He looked stunned. That was it. He looked stunned. Like someone pulled the rug out from under him. She felt horrible, and she couldn't hold back the tears. She wiped the corners of her eyes and tried to stare at the floor again.
"A job?" He gulped. "What job? As a nanny? Somewhere else?"
"No, not as a nanny," she shook her head. "It sounds like a good job. Pays more than I've ever made. It could be a good opportunity. And we both know… that the kids weren't gonna need a nanny forever. Maggie and Brighton don't need one anymore. And Gracie…" she was getting choked up, "She'll be pretty busy next year, with a lot more after-school stuff. She might not need me, anymore, either. We knew… we both knew at some point you wouldn't need a nanny anymore…" she wiped her eyes. "I just didn't know how to bring it up. I didn't mean to ruin the trip." She got up from the couch and grabbed a flashlight and lantern, then grabbed the magazines from off the couch, and turned to hurry to her room before she burst into tears. "I'm sorry!" She said, and disappeared down the hall, then Max heard her footsteps thumping down the staircase and finally a door shutting. He couldn't move.
The thunder boomed outside and the lightning flashed. Max's heart raced and he had a lump in his throat. Were they really about to lose Fran? Why was she looking for another job? Max wasn't going to just drop her like that. The children still needed her, even if Fran didn't think they did. And he needed her. Now he knew why she had been keeping him at a distance- she didn't want to be close to him and then tell him something like that. She didn't want to hurt him, but it was obvious it was hurting her, too. Why would she consider taking another job if it was going to take her away from the children she loved so much? Was it really that good of an opportunity? How much were they going to pay her?
So many thoughts were racing through Max's mind. He was ready to match whatever pay they were offering her if it would keep her with them. But would that be fair to her? What kind of job was it? Max rubbed his hands over his face. His stomach was in knots and he didn't want to think about any of it anymore. He knew Fran was really upset and feeling guilty, and he didn't want her to be. And he was starting to feel guilty, too. During the time they'd all grown so close to her, Max had never considered when the day would come when she might need to move on. The children wouldn't be children forever. He'd been very selfish with her, expecting her to do so much for them, but he wasn't ever considering what she might really want to do with her life, as far as a career goes. Her becoming his nanny was just a coincidence- just a fluke. It wasn't something she planned, and it wasn't something he expected. But he knew she was so much more than their nanny, and that was the part that made him feel guilty. He was very fond of her, and was very attracted to her, and he knew she felt the same way about him. But he couldn't let himself get involved with an employee. He just couldn't. It wasn't right. And now he was about to lose her completely, and he felt horrible.
The phone rang suddenly, jarring Max out of his misery. He jumped up from the couch and stumbled into the dark kitchen to grab the phone.
"Hello?" He said.
"Mr. Sheffield! It's me!" Niles said on the other end of the line.
"Niles! Where are you all?"
"We're still here, at the shop owner's home. Sir, I have to tell you what we've been told- that the streets are flooding, and we can't get back that way, possibly for the rest of the night, or as long as this storm is going on. They also said that that creek that runs under the bridge where you are is filling rapidly, and it's likely going to fill and possibly cover the bridge, so we've been advised to stay here tonight. We still have no electricity, but they've offered to put us up for the night. They have room for all of us. And then we can sort things out in the morning in the daylight. Are you two alright there? Are you having any flooding issues?" "Well, I don't exactly know, Niles, we're getting bombarded with rain and you can't see anything out the windows. But the house seems to be fine at the moment. Still no electricity, but we found the flashlights and lanterns, and we have batteries. I'll get the fire going so we can cook."
"Oh, goodness, yes, that stove is electric isn't it? I hadn't thought of that. Do you have enough food?"
"Yes, we found the eggs, and some cans of things. We might be able to make grilled cheese or something. We have skillets. But we'll survive. Are the children alright? Is Grace handling the storm okay?"
"She's doing alright. She doesn't like the lightning and thunder, but these people we're with have a couple of small dogs, and the children adore them. They seem to be helping settle the children down. Oh, sir, the van is fine, too. It's parked in a high spot so it should be fine. And once it's safe to be on the streets here we'll see about working our way back to you, alright?"
"Yes, yes, Niles. But safety first, no matter what, alright? Stay put if you have to. We'll figure things out. And Niles, I really do appreciate you caring for the children through all this. We couldn't have planned this sort of thing happening, but I'm glad they were with you. You might be having a better time where you all are than you would have here. And we should compensate those people as well, for helping out. If you can do something for them in the morning, would you? If it's food or whatever, or paying for their help. We need to thank them."
"Oh, yes, sir. I've thanked them repeatedly. If I knew more French, I would have said much more. Thankfully they have a French-English dictionary so we're making good use of it. The children are getting a crash course." Max chuckled a little. He was missing them already.
"Well, I'm glad. I hope the electricity comes back on soon, but out here in a rural area it's possible that could take a while. It's pitch dark here now, so I may need to get a fire going so we don't waste the batteries. And we have an old transistor radio. I was trying to find a station that might be giving weather reports, but no luck yet."
"Oh, that's a good idea. Well, sir, I need to get going. I want to help put some food together for everyone. I hope the night isn't any worse for you two. And at least we can speak by phone. Maybe you can get to bed early tonight and finally get some sleep."
"Yes, well, we'll see. This storm is pretty loud. Well, say hello to the children, and we love them, and tell them to thank your hosts and be on their best behavior. And please tell that family that I'm really indebted to them for looking after you all. Really. Tell them thank you for me-"
Suddenly a huge crack- and a BLAM! with a bright flash of light, Max dropped the phone and ducked for cover on the kitchen floor. He let out a swear and tried to find the phone receiver.
"Holy cow! That was really close! Niles?" The phone was silent, and Max realized why. As he stood back up, he could just see out the window up the hillside, not far from the bridge that led to their property. A utility pole was smoking and sparking and he watched as the top half of it teetered and then fell over- pulling the utility lines with it. "Oh no," he said into the phone. "Niles?" He tried to ask once more, in vain. "Dammit!" He said, and hung the phone up. What an awful vacation this was turning out to be. He walked over to the windows by the living room, which were still being pummeled by rain, and grabbed the binoculars, then headed back into the kitchen. He leaned against the counter and looked out the windows with the binoculars to have a look at the utility pole. If it had been on fire, the rain was putting it out quickly. That pole held the utility lines that ran to the house. Now he was sure they wouldn't have any electricity or phone until someone could replace that pole and put the lines back up. And he had no way of communicating with anyone now. Well, at least he had been on the phone with Niles, so Niles would know that the phone lines had been knocked out. Maybe he could relay the message to someone. There was nothing anyone could do about it now.
Max tried to look over the village to see if he could see anything else, but everything was dark. He walked over to the side windows, which were being pelted off and on with rain, and tried to see if he could see further up the coast to the other villages and docks. There were a few scattered lights, possibly on the boats, but it looked like power was out for everyone else, too. Max had to resign himself to having an indoor camping trip now, and possibly by himself. He wasn't sure if he should go try to get Fran to come back out or not. She had to have heard the big bolt of lightning hit, but apparently she didn't think it was enough for her to come out of her room.
Max walked back into the living room and set the binoculars down, then turned on the big lantern to see how much light it gave off. He set it next to the fireplace so he could set to work on building a fire. He felt like he needed to keep busy so he could try to keep his mind on other things. He didn't want to think about Fran leaving, he didn't want to think about the mess this vacation had become. It was not the way he had intended to spend his time off. He felt really alone, and helpless.
He opened the flue in the fireplace, then picked up a couple of logs that sat next to it. He needed to try to set the logs up in a way that he could set a skillet on, and possibly the water kettle, too, if it would fit. He lined up three logs, then tucked the kindling in between and underneath them, then added another row of small logs across the top of that, making a bit of a flat surface he could sit something on. Before he lit the fire, he had a look through the rack of fireplace tools sitting on the opposite side of the fireplace from the supply of logs.
He found a long rod, and realized it was meant to be set on top of the metal rack inside the fireplace- straight across the top. He might be able to use that to hang the kettle from. Then, next to a poker, he found a sandwich holder that was made to sit in the fire to heat up a sandwich. It had two long handles and opened like a press, with a perfect space inside to set a grilled cheese or some other type of sandwich in. That's a relief, he thought. He opened it and looked inside, then thought he should give it a wash before he used it, just to be safe. He grabbed the lighter and lit the kindling, then watched as everything started to burn. He hoped all the logs would catch, so he wouldn't have to move them around and mess up his nice, flat surface. When he was satisfied that they had all caught, he pulled the mesh screen across the front, then got up and brought the lantern and the sandwich iron over to the kitchen sink and quickly washed it. He used the lantern to find and take out everything they might need to prepare any food and set it all on the island counter. He took out the box of tea bags, the instant coffee, the bread and cheese, the eggs, and the skillets and kettle. He went to the fridge and took out a bottle of water, then grabbed several more and several bottles of soda and quickly put them in the freezer to take advantage of the slightly lower temperatures in there, to keep the drinks cooler for longer. He took out a plate and a knife and retrieved the butter, then got two slices of the larger bread out. He buttered the slices, then got several slices of cheese, and set it all in the sandwich iron and closed it. He grabbed the kettle and filled it with water at the sink, then took it, the lantern, the sandwich iron, and his bottle of water back to the living room, and set it all down on the table. He turned off the lantern and checked the fire. It was burning nicely. He would wait a little while longer before he put the sandwich iron on it.
He sat down on the couch and reached for the transistor radio, which was still playing random music in the background. He laid down on the couch with it, near the fireplace so he could see, and began to turn the dial, searching for a station with some kind of weather news.
Fran brought the small lantern with her into her bathroom to check her eyes. She had been crying for a while, but was so tired, she didn't want to cry any more. She found a washcloth and got it wet, and dabbed around at her eyes. She had the urge to touch up her makeup, but realized how ridiculous that was, seeing as how they were in nearly complete darkness. She was trying to muster up the courage to go back out to the living room. She was hungry again, and needed a proper meal, and wondered if Max had done anything with the fireplace. She worried that maybe he had gone to bed, and she'd have to figure out everything herself. She didn't really like that idea. She was still feeling awful about how she had dropped the news on him, then ran away instead of talking about it. She couldn't help it though, she didn't want him seeing her cry her eyes out. And she didn't want to see him so upset and hurt, either. It crushed her. But she was going to have to deal with it at some point. And she wanted to find out if he heard from Niles and the kids. She thought she had heard the phone ring, but wasn't certain. The rain was pummeling her bedroom window and the siding of the house so hard, making it difficult to hear much of anything. Much of anything except for that huge boom of thunder that sounded really close. The flash from it lit up her bedroom.
After she sorted herself out in the bathroom, Fran went through her suitcase and took out her pajamas and her robe. She changed into her pajamas, then wrapped her robe around her, and put on a pair of socks since she hadn't brought any slippers with her. She cleared her throat and tried to psych herself out before she went to face Max.
Max had successfully made a grilled cheese on the fire, but only ate half of it. His stomach was still in a knot. He had the kettle of water hanging over the fire, and hoped to make a cup of tea once it was hot enough. The house was getting a little chilly away from the fireplace. He was laying back down on the couch, playing with the radio, still trying to find some news on the flooding and the storms.
Fran came out of her room and softly padded up the stairs to the hallway. She used the flashlight she had brought downstairs with her to light her way. She saw the light from the fireplace and walked in to find Max on the couch, with the little transistor radio sitting on his stomach. He looked like he was playing with the stations again. She swallowed hard, and walked over to the other couch and sat down quietly, then turned off her flashlight and set it on the table. Max didn't look at her. He left the radio on a station and listened to the voice speaking in French. It sounded to Fran like it could be a news station or at least a news report, so she didn't say anything to Max in case he was listening for information. After he listened to it for a couple of minutes, he turned the dial again until he found a station with music and then left it there. He laid the radio down on top of him, rubbed his eyes with his hands, and then closed his eyes. He was really tired.
Max cleared his throat and then spoke over the noise of the storm outside. "I'm assuming you heard that big bang of thunder after you left. That was lightning hitting the utility pole up by the bridge. The top half of the pole came down when I was talking to Niles on the phone. Suffice it to say, not only do we not have power, but the phone is out now, too. I would assume it might take quite a while for them to be able to repair that. That pole supplied this house with the utility lines. And before the phone went out, Niles told me that they will be staying the night with that shop owner's family. They have space for them to stay. They were told that some of the streets were flooding, so they can't get back down here. And the creek that bridge goes over was filling fast and may breach the level of the bridge if it hasn't already. I told him to just stay put if they were safe there." Fran's eyes were wide.
"Oh my gosh…" she mumbled in astonishment. "I should have gone with them! I'm supposed to be watching the kids…"
Max glanced at her. She was staring into the fireplace as she listened to him. "The children are alright. He said the family has a couple of dogs, so that was helping them a lot. It's helping Grace, I'm sure." Fran crossed her arms over her chest. "There's half of a grilled cheese sandwich here if you want it," he said, gesturing to the plate on the coffee table. "I'm trying to heat up water in the kettle if you might want some tea or coffee. I found some packs of creamers in the kitchen. They're on the island if you need them. I also put some water bottles and sodas in the freezer in case it might keep them cooler." Fran was impressed. He must have been trying to keep himself busy.
"Thank you. Thank you for sorting all of that out." She looked over at the half of the sandwich on the plate. It did look pretty good. She leaned over and reached for the plate, then sat back and took a small bite of the grilled cheese. It was pretty good.
"Why did you stay here? Instead of going with them, exactly?" Max asked, his eyes still closed. Fran finished chewing, then swallowed her bite of sandwich.
"Niles told me to stay. He said I looked tired, and that… that maybe I should talk to you," Fran glanced over at him, then quickly looked back at the sandwich and took another bite. Max opened his eyes slightly to look at her.
"Talk to me?"
"Yes." She took a deep breath. "He doesn't like it when- when things get like this. I know I was hurting his feelings, too." Max could see her sad expression in the flickering light of the fireplace. "I'm sorry I ran off like that earlier. I just- everything was catching up to me I guess. It was a little too much."
"It's alright. I don't think I would have known what to say anyway." Max sat up on the couch and set the radio on the coffee table. Fran glanced over at him. His eyes were very tired, and she knew it was because of her behavior. He hung his head down and rubbed his neck.
"I'm sorry you haven't been sleeping. I know it's because of how I was acting towards you. I haven't been sleeping much, either. I just didn't know how the hell I was supposed to bring up something like that, with this vacation coming up and all." The were both quiet for a little while, and Fran continued to eat the sandwich. Max tried to think of something he could ask that wouldn't give him a stomach ache.
"May I ask what kind of a job it is?" He looked over at her.
"It's at a clothing store. A nice shop. I think I would be sort of like a manager."
"Sort of?"
"She wants me to train the sales girls. To show them how to help the customers better. But there would be a lot of other things, too, I'm sure." Max rubbed his chin slowly as he thought things over.
"Would you start right away? If- if you take the job?"
Fran cleared her throat and set the plate down on her lap. "Probably." Max rubbed his chin some more. "I asked her to write down the offer, so it would still be there when I came back. She said my starting pay would be at least forty thousand, but that might be negotiable. Plus lots of bonuses on top of that." Max looked at her and his eyes went wide.
"Forty thousand?" He asked. She nodded. Max felt like he got sucker punched again. No wonder she was considering it. He leaned back on the couch for a moment and looked at the fire, then he got up and went over to it. He picked up the oven mitt he had set there and put it on, then lifted the handle of the rod resting on top of the frame over the fire and grabbed hold of the kettle's handle and took it out. He set the rod back with the fireplace tools, then picked up the large lantern and brought it with him into the kitchen. Fran got up and walked over to help him.
"You want tea?" She asked.
"Yes." Fran took two mugs from a cabinet and set them down on the island and Max poured the hot water from the kettle into them. "Did you want tea, too?" He asked.
"I think I'll try the coffee. It might be gross, but I'm used to Ma's Sanka so it's not a big deal."
Max set the kettle down on the stove and left the potholder there, then found two spoons and handed Fran one. He put a teabag into his mug as Fran scooped the coffee from the jar and put it in her mug, then stirred. She picked up a couple of little creamer cups and added those to her mug, then a spoonful of sugar. Max added a spoon of sugar to his brewing tea and walked back to the couch with the lantern and sat down, and Fran followed him back to her seat. They were quiet as they were deep in thought and mindlessly stirred their spoons in their mugs. Max looked out the window at the rain, then to the fire, then back at his mug. He dunked his tea bag a while more, pressed it against the side of the mug with his spoon, stirred, then put the tea bag on the spoon and set the spoon on a coaster, and leaned back on the couch with his mug in his hands and took a sip.
"Were you looking for a job?" He asked, tentatively.
"No. Not at all. I wasn't expecting it at all." Max was a little relieved that she said that. He was worried she hadn't been happy at the Sheffield home. "I just- I've been to that shop several times. It's really nice, with great clothes. I went back last week to see if I could find a dress for the trip here. I wanted to see if they had any spring or summer clothes out yet, you know, in case it was warm here. I'd been saving for a while. The stuff there isn't cheap. And, well, I guess the lady there- the owner- I guess she had noticed me from the times I'd been there before."
"She noticed you?"
"Yeah- because, um, I guess maybe I talk a lot. I mean, I'm social, and I guess she saw me talking with other customers. Helping them, you know? The sales girls are kinda young, and don't seem to know how to go up to customers and really help them find the clothes that work for them. So I guess the last time I had been there, I didn't buy anything, but I was talking to some other customers. I was just having a nice time, you know? If I couldn't afford to get something for myself right then, it was fun to help the ladies there who could. Well, I guess I was there for maybe thirty minutes or something, helped a few women find some nice outfits. So I go there last week, and the owner sees me. I guess she had been waiting and hoping I'd come back sometime. She asked if she could talk to me, so we went in the back to her office." Fran stirred her coffee as she thought back to how it happened, then took a sip and continued. "She asked if I might come to work for her, because… well… she said that time before- I was there for thirty minutes and she said I helped sell over a thousand dollars worth of merchandise. She said her salesgirls never do that. And if I had worked there, and did that sort of thing all day long, the profits would be huge. That's exactly what she wants- to keep the inventory moving. But she needs help. She's been working seven days a week, and she has two little ones at home that she doesn't get to see enough. They're either in daycare all week, or with her husband the rest of the time she works. I felt bad, I can't imagine having to do that. She wants me to show the other girls how to do what I did, and she wants me to be there on weekdays, so she can have time with her kids and be able to make her sales calls- when she needs to talk to or go to the places where she buys her inventory from. That's the part of the job she likes the most- being a buyer. She asked if I had retail experience, so I told her about the bridal shop, and about doing the window displays, and mannequins. And I kinda told her about that benefit you had me do the costumes for- the outfits." Fran got quiet and looked at Max. He was listening to her intently, trying to imagine their interaction. He wasn't surprised that she'd been noticed for her skills. "Well, she explained to me what the profits would look like if I sold that much on a regular basis, or if the store did anyway. Right now she does commissions for the girls besides their regular pay, but she wants to do some kind of profit sharing thing. If the store can do really well, then that increases everybody's pay, and then she might be able to open another store at another location, and keep going from there. She wants to build a name for herself, and her skills and taste are what makes that store a little different, and better. She really is good. And I understand about how she would need help at the store, so she doesn't have to be there and micromanage. I guess she liked the way I handled things." Fran curled up on the end of the couch, a little closer to Max, and rested against the arm, then took another sip of her coffee. Max gulped his tea and stared forward.
"You do have a way of showing up when people really need you," he said softly. Fran felt a twinge in her throat. He was so sweet.
"I wasn't expecting something like that to happen. How could I?"
"It's okay, I get it. I'm sure it was the same way when you got offered a nanny job," he looked over at her and attempted a smile, to try to make her feel better. But it just made her feel guilty.
"Only then, I didn't have anything else I'd be leaving behind. It was a no-brainer." Her voice cracked a little when she said that, so she took another sip of coffee and stopped talking. Max looked away from her and down at his nearly empty mug. He was touched. This whole situation was really messing with her. And it was messing with him, too. He couldn't think of anything else to say. He was exhausted, and he'd gotten a lot more information now, and was struggling to process it all. He didn't want to say anything stupid or insensitive. He checked the time on his watch. It wasn't too late, but with insomnia on top of jet lag, he felt like he needed to sleep for a whole day. He drank the last of his tea and put the spoon and tea bag into the mug, then reached for the other small lantern.
"Um, I think I really need to go try to sleep. I don't know how much use I would be right now if we talk anymore about this. I just- I really have to sleep. Will you be alright with all this-" He gestured to the fireplace. "When you go to bed, just close that glass door completely. Don't close the flue at all. It should go out on its own before too long."
"I'll be fine. I can do that. You sure you're okay? Do you still have a headache?"
"I think it's better now, thank you. Maybe that's why I feel like I might be able to sleep if I try right now."
"Okay. Good. Go get some sleep. Hopefully things will be better tomorrow," she said.
Max took his mug to the kitchen and set it in the sink, then walked back over towards her. "Um, if you see or hear anything tonight, from the storm, I mean, please come get me. If there are any roof leaks or whatever other thing could happen from rain and wind like this. Please come get me."
"I will. This house seems to be holding up fine so far, so try not to think about it. Just try to sleep."
"Oh, we might not have hot water for showers in the morning, if the water heater is electric, too. Just so you know."
"Oh. Yeah. Well, it won't be the end of the world. We'll figure it out."
Max nodded. He was standing close to her at the end of the couch. She looked as tired as he was. He took a chance and reached out for her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. "See you in the morning," he said softly, then let go and began walking down the hall. Fran turned and watched as he turned his lantern on, went into the bedroom, and shut the door. She thought she should have said goodnight to him, too, but she froze. She hadn't expected his gesture of- what kind of a gesture was it? Concern? Her eyes filled with tears, but she didn't cry hard. She just let the tears fall as she stared at the fireplace and sipped at her coffee. The radio crackled in and out, like the storm was interfering with the signal. She got up from her seat and moved over to where Max had been sitting, closer to the fireplace. And in a way- closer to him. She could still faintly smell his cologne. She reached over to get the radio from the coffee table, and brought it back and set it in her lap. She slowly turned the tuning dial as Max had done to see what other stations she might be able to find. She didn't really care, she just wanted something to cover up the sound of the loud rain and wind to try to focus on instead of thinking about the conversation she just had with Max.
After skipping through a number of stations, she found a station broadcasting in Spanish. She remembered how close they were to the Spanish border, and decided to leave it there. It felt more familiar to her than listening to French, and reminded her more of New York. She made sure it wasn't too loud, so Max wouldn't hear it over the storm.
Fran finished her coffee and set her mug on the coaster on the coffee table, on the same coaster Max had set his spoon on. She thought to herself how funny it was that she seemed to be looking for ways to find some connection to him when he wasn't there with her. She felt like she had so much to make up to him, after causing him so many sleepless nights worrying about her. She hadn't realized how much pain she'd been causing him, she'd only meant to distance herself as much as she could stand in case it helped her make the decision she was going to have to make. But none of it mattered, it couldn't reduce the amount of hurt she felt, and how much he must be feeling. She just wanted to hug him and tell him how sorry she was. But that wasn't going to happen tonight. She wiped her tears from her cheeks and looked back over towards the dark hallway. How could she take the job? How could she leave them? How could she walk away from these people she loved just to help someone else be able to have time with their family? The salary shouldn't matter to her. Should it? But what if she hadn't been offered the job- how much longer would she be working for Max anyway? How likely was it she would ever get another opportunity like this?
Fran started crying again, and clenched her fists. She needed to stop thinking about it, or she was never going to sleep, either. She took a deep breath and turned off the radio, then gathered her mug and the plate from the grilled cheese sandwich, then took a flashlight with her to find her way to the kitchen sink. She set the dishes down, then went to the fireplace and closed the glass doors like Max had instructed. The fire was fairly low as it was, but she checked around the fireplace just in case. Everything seemed to be safe enough, and once she had shut the glass, the fire dimmed from the change in air circulation. Fran took one last look around in the soft light, then turned and headed quietly down the hall to the stairwell, using the flashlight to guide her way, then quietly stepped down the stairs to her room and shut the door. She turned on the little lantern she had left in her room and got her teeth brushed as quickly as she could, then crawled into the bed and tried to relax. The window in her room faced the ocean, and was being pounded with the rain the same way the upstairs windows were. At least the loud thunder and flashes of lightning had settled down some, but the wind still whipped the rain at the windows and whistled around the outside of the house. She turned off the lantern and closed her eyes, and just listened to the sound of what was happening outside, to try to take her thoughts out of all the chaos in her own mind. At some point she was able to settle down, and managed to drift off to sleep.