Moonglass

a teacher when she’d been such a close family friend. Since then I’d done the best I could to put her and all she knew about my mom out of my mind. I’d wanted to at least bring her book back, but each day I carried it in my backpack, I found another reason to avoid her hall way altogether.
    I set my bag down and knelt to pick up the glass and the note. Then I sat on the front step, placed the still -folded note in my lap, and examined the glass in the afternoon sun. It was the size of a small marble, time-smoothed and thick, and the color blue that could have been a vase, or a medicine bottle, or … a mermaid tear. I stared down at the note, and waited a breath before I opened it.
    Dear Anna,
    Found this on the beach today and I knew you would appreciate it. I want you to know, I understand your choice to leave my class. I shouldn’t have assumed you’d want to talk about your mother with me. For that, I’m sorry. I knew a sparkling, artistic side of her and would love to share that with you one day. But I realize that sometimes our histories can feel too fragile to sift through. If you decide you’d like to, come find me. And please, keep the book. It was a source of inspiration for her .
    Maybe it can be for you, too .
    Fondly,
    Joy
    I sat still, aware only of the rhythmic crash and rush of the waves and the closing-in sensation all around me. I wanted to know about her, I did. I ached to.
    But I worried that Joy was wrong. That it wasn’t history that was too fragile, but me. I folded the note up tiny and shoved it down into my bag, along with the glass. Not tonight. Tonight I’d go out with Jillian, away from the cove, and I’d feel better.
    When I emerged from the steamy bathroom, our house all golden—warm with late afternoon sunlight—it seemed like forgetting about it all might actually work.

CHAPTER 16
    Jillian wasn’t answering her phone, but I wasn’t in a big hurry. I had no idea what the dress code might be for the party, so I pulled on some comfy shorts and a tank top and plunked myself down in my green chair to wait for her to call back. Outside, the beach was deserted except for an elderly couple walking hand in hand along the waterline. They were both barefoot, with their pants rolled up to their calves, which struck me as unusual and especially sweet.
    My mind wandered to Tyler and his easy confidence. I’d actually most like to be going somewhere with him tonight, but that hadn’t panned out. Either he was completely oblivious or just not interested. Both possibilities ended with him being unattainable.
    And then there he was. Literally. Walking down the beach, carrying a bag and drink tray from the Beachcomber.
    I shot up, smoothed my hair, and sat back down, all in quick succession. A minute later, when his face appeared in one of the glass panes of our front door, I was sitting in my chair, casually flipping through the first book I’d grabbed. I was the picture of relaxation.
    He knocked, and I gave a little jump, then squinted at the door like I didn’t know who it could possibly be. When we made eye contact, I gave him a puzzled look, which was quickly replaced by a smile before I got up and walked over to the door as casually as I could. Then I opened the door and felt stupid. He was still in the same clothes I had left him in, and I was basically in my pj’s.
    Luckily, they were cute and little.
    I noticed him notice. “Hi.” His eyes moved quickly over me before he brought them back to my own.
    I smiled, my confidence bolstered by this small thing. “I thought you had a dinner date …”
    “Yeah, well . She stood me up. Conference call with her new business partner. So I had these burgers from up there.” He motioned to the Beachcomber.
    “You hungry?” I scanned the beach for any sign of my dad’s truck before answering, which must have caused a too-long pause.
    “You do eat … right?”
    “Yeah.” I brought my eyes back to his. “Sorry. You just surprised me.”
    He shrugged. “I could probably eat them both if you’re not interested. I was thinking I’d just sit all by myself down there on the sand and then take my flashlight and go check out some of the cottages all by myself too.”
    I rolled my eyes. “All right, enough. If you wanted to hang out with me that bad, you could have just asked. Lemme grab a blanket.” He raised an eyebrow. “To sit on,” I said flatly, though I was flattered by the implication, however tiny. I stepped back.