Page 71 (1/2)

"I'htstand, will you?"

Tully grabbed the pouch, dropped it in Kate's lap, and then took control of the wheelchair

The yard on this cool June night was stunningly, unexpectedly beautiful Stars blanketed the sky and cast pinpricks of light onto the jet-black Sound A full hts The grassy lawn rolled doard the water Blue ht illuminated a trail of toys and bikes left on the side of the wide hard-packed dirt path that led to the beach

Tully maneuvered her off the deck, doooden ramp that was a very new addition; then she paused "Close your eyes"

"It's dark out, Tully I hardly need--"

"I can't wait forever"

Kate laughed "Fine I' it so you don't throw one of your tantrums"

"I do not throw tantrums Now close your eyes and put your ars"

Kate closed her eyes and extended her arms

Tully pushed the wheelchair over the burass There, at the lip of the slow hill that rolled down to the beach, she paused "We're kids again," she whispered into Kate's ear "It's the seventies and we've just sneaked out of your house and gotten our bikes" She began to push the chair forward; it went slowly, bu in potholes, and still Tully talked "We're on Su like crazy people, thinking we're invincible"

Kate felt the breeze along her bare head, tugging at her ears, reen trees and rich, black earth She put her head back and laughed For a ain, on Firefly Lane with her best friend beside her, believing she could fly

When the ride was over and they were on the beach, she opened her eyes and looked up at Tully In thatabout the down around them

Tully helped her into one of the beach chairs, and then sat down beside her

They sat side by side, as they'd done so often in the past, talking about nothing that lanced back at the house, saw that no one was on the deck, and leaned toward Tully, whispering, "Do you really want to feel like a kid again?"

"No, thanks I wouldn't change places with Marah for the world All that angst and drama"

"Yeah, you're a real dra into the purple pouch on her lap and pulled out a fat white doobie At Tully's awestruck expression, Kate laughed and lit up "I have a prescription"

The sweet, strangely old-fashioned scent of y sea air A cloud of smoke darted between the the joint," Tully said, and they both laughed again Just that word--bogart--sent the back to the seventies

They passed it back and forth and kept talking, giggling They were so caught up in then that neither of the up behind theirls for tenpot" Mrs Mularkey stood there, dressed in faded jeans and a sweatshirt frohties--her snohite hair in a lopsided, scrunchied ponytail "You know that leads to worse things, don't you? Like the crack or LSD"

Tully tried not to laugh; she really did "Just say no to crack"

"That's a lesson I tried to teach Marah in choosing her pants," Kate said, giggling

Mrs M pulled up another Adirondack chair and positioned it beside Kate Then she sat down and angled toward her

For aat one another while smoke drifted into the air

"Well?" Mrs M finally said "I taught you to share, didn't I?"

"Moirls from the seventies think you're so cool Let ot nothing on , deep drag, holding it, and blowing it out "Hell, Katie, how do you think I got through the teen years when ht and riding their bikes in the dark?"

"You knew about that?" Tully said

Kate laughed "You said it was booze that got you through"

"Oh," Mrs M said "That, too"

At one o'clock in the erator when Johnny walked in and noticed the pile of junk food on the counter "So pot"

"Don't tell my mom," Kate said

At that, her

Kate leaned back in her wheelchair, grinning loopily up at her husband Cast in the pale and distant light frostore bifocals and an old Rolling Stones T-shirt, he looked like a hip professor "I hope you've come to join the party"

He moved toward her, bent down, and whispered, "How about a private party?"