Five Days in Summer

present had been a small red bicycle with training wheels, a clear plastic windshield attached to the handlebars along with a metal holster for a cap gun. Everyone was there by then, it was the most family he’d ever remembered having at a birthday party, no friends. His grandma Lillian cried when she hoisted him on his new bike in the middle of the living room with all their relatives quietly surrounding him. He couldn’t understand why she was crying; it was a really nice bike, and he’d wanted it badly; it was the very one he’d shown his mother at the store.
    “Did Mommy tell you she loved you?” Will asked his sister.
    Caro nodded.
    “She died in the car,” Will said, “right away, just like Daddy. She didn’t feel anything. It was like turning out a light.”
    Caro shook her head and lay down on top of her covers, fully dressed, long sleeves and all, and was stillstaring at the ceiling when Will leaned over and shut off the lamp. Within the month, it was agreed that Caro would return to upstate New York, get a job, and live with Grandma and Grandpa until her eighteenth birthday that winter, at which point she would be legally independent and the choices would be hers to make.
    Will pedaled fast and hard and sweat dripped off his forehead onto the backs of his hands and he kept riding. He hadn’t realized he’d set his cell phone to vibrate instead of ring until now, when finally he came to rest and felt it buzzing against the front of his thigh. He was still out of breath from riding when he answered. “Yes?”
    “Will dear,” Sarah said. “It rang and rang. Where are you?”
    “Right in front of the house.”
    “Someone called for you, a Dr. Geary. Will?”
    He wheeled Jonah’s bike into the garage, set it on its kickstand, removed the helmet. He was drenched in sweat. The screen door squealed when he opened it. Through the mudroom and into the kitchen, where he found Sarah, still talking to him on the phone.
    “He said he was on his way over to the house. Will, who is he?”
    “Sarah, I’m here.”
    Startled, she turned around, the phone still pressed to her ear. “He said he’d be here in twenty minutes,” she said, and hung up the phone.
    Will was downstairs changing into dry clothes when Geary arrived. Changing, decompressing, trying to compose himself. He knew Geary wasn’t coming to tell him Emily had been found; he would have said so on the phone. He was coming to tell him somethingelse, or nothing at all. Will wasn’t sure what would be worse.
    He was waiting with Sarah in the front hall when Geary pulled up in the dented brown car that matched his general appearance. Will pushed open the front screen door to let the old man in. Geary nodded at Will but gave Sarah his hand. She took it as if they already knew each other, pressing her hand into his.
    “Afternoon,” Geary greeted them.
    “Tell us,” Will said. “Please.”
    Geary’s eyes slid to Sarah, and back. The distress in Sarah’s face would have frightened a ghost but it didn’t seem to bother Geary. He nodded and said, “Beautiful day.”
    Sam came bounding up the stairs. “Dad! I won the game!” David was right behind him, holding Maxi on his hip. She was groggy, pressing her hands into her eyes, newly awake. When she saw Will she reached for him, he took her, and she melted into his arms.
    “Sarah, Dr. Geary and I need to talk.” Will kissed the tender crook of Maxi’s neck and handed her over to her grandmother.
    Sam stared at Geary. “You’re a doctor ?”
    “This is my costume.” Geary winked. “Under my cape I’m just a regular guy.”
    “What cape?” Sam said.
    “Boys, get your suits on,” Sarah said.
    “I don’t want to swim.” David moved closer to Will.
    “Then you’ll watch Maxi on the beach.” Will’s firm tone sent the boys downstairs. Sarah didn’t bother with a bathing suit for herself or the baby; she picked up a beach bag from the floor by the wall and headed for the door. But before she left, she turned to Geary.
    “If there’s anything you can do to find my daughter—”
    “I’ll do it.” Geary looked right into Sarah’s eyes.
    Maxi yawned and lowered her head onto Sarah’s shoulder. They left and followed the boys in the direction of the lake.
    Will led Geary through the living room and out onto the deck overlooking Sarah’s rose garden. They could hear the distant echo of the boys’ voices as they splashed into the water. The two men sat on plastic chairs