The Fog of Forgetting (5 page)

T
he fog lingered for two more days, socking them in completely. Foghorns blew continuously across the harbor, and the air was damp and chilly around the clock. Normally, this would have been a less-than-stellar start to the summer, but the mood around Summerledge was bright due to the constant back-and-forth between its inhabitants and those of the Dellemere cottage. Teddy, in particular, made no bones about following Evelyn and Frankie around wherever they went. Once, when the curtain of fog drew back slightly, Knox called out that the motorboat had appeared on the mooring and the dinghy, freshly painted, was lying upturned on the beach like a giant shell. Their father could not stop wondering aloud about Captain Nate's ability to maneuver seacraft in pea-soup fog.

On the fourth day, the sun rose over the point with dazzling clarity, painting the rocks and ledges in unfamiliar light. After so much fog, Chase and Knox walked around blinking their eyes like newborn kittens. The talk at breakfast was about where they would take the boat for the long-awaited picnic. A handful of shrubby, pine-strewn islands lay scattered to the east: Carp, Hutchin's, Goat (Little and Big), and the Ducks were the closest to pick from. Teddy, who couldn't care less where they went, was pumping his hands in the air to an imaginary beat. He'd given up the goggles and flippers for small, stiff braids that stuck out of his head like quills, set off by a gift from Frankie: a handmade necklace made of mussel shells. He sang loudly between bites:

“Come again, Ted?” their dad asked, looking up from yesterday's paper. “A bubblegoose?”

Chase smirked into his scrambled eggs.

“It means your butt, Dad,” said Knox.

“Hmmm,” said Jim, frowning.

“It's a song, by a singer from Haiti.”

“Where on earth would you boys learn that?” Jim asked, looking at Teddy.

“Frankie,” mumbled Teddy.

Jim raised his eyebrow, still perplexed.

“Evelyn and Frankie? The girls next door?” Chase reminded him.

Silence.

“Because they're—you know—
from there?
” Chase added, as if he were talking to a two year old.

Jim nodded, but it was clear from his expression that this was the first time he had actually digested this fact.

“Haiti, huh?” he mumbled.

“Really, Dad?” Chase groaned. “You know, there's this planet called Earth, it rotates in space, and we all live on it—”

“Yeah, Dad, seriously, phone home sometimes.” Knox rolled his eyes. “And people think
I
have ADD.”

“That reminds me,” Grace interrupted, trying to change the subject. “I'd like to invite Evelyn and Frankie on the picnic—what do you think?”

A chorus of “yesses” chimed in from around the table, shut down by their dad's frantic karate-chop waving.

“No. I'm only here for a few more days, and I want family time. Just Team Thompson today.”

“You gotta be kidding me, Dad!” Knox erupted. “Team Thompson? Last time I checked, you were at work when they picked our team!” He looked at Chase for backup.

Chase shrugged. Knox should know by now that parents, by definition, were hypocritical, telling you one thing—like to stop watching TV— then doing the complete opposite themselves.

Their dad frowned. “Now, boys—”

Just then, the phone in the living room rang out, a shrill, old-fashioned ring, saving them from a lecture. Jim got up to answer it. When he came back, his eyes skipped off his wife's and onto the floor.

“Bad news from the lab, I'm afraid. There's been a containment breach. Two of the lab assistants are infected, and all our procedures have to be examined. The place is in an uproar. I have to go back immediately.”

“What!” roared Knox. “You just got here!”

“I'm sorry, Knox—” his dad started to say.

“Team Thompson—what a joke.” Knox cut him off and stormed outside, making sure to slam the screen door extra hard.

An hour later, Chase found Knox in his fort and gave him an update: No picnic. Mom had to drive Dad to the airport, two and a half hours away. He and Knox were to go over to Mrs. Dellemere's and ask if Teddy could stay there with her for the rest of the day.

“She doesn't trust us to babysit?” Knox asked grumpily. “Figures.”

“And we're supposed to stay over there, too,” Chase added.

“You gotta be kidding me! She thinks
we
need babysitting? Our parents stink.” He kicked the side of the fort in frustration. “I can't believe we're not going out on the boat! I'm so sick of Dad and his stupid work. I hope he never comes back!” Knox jumped down from the fort and tore down the path toward Secret Beach.

“Knox, wait up!” yelled Chase. He thought about going after him but decided against it. Instead, he headed back to the house, stopping at the shed when he heard the screen door slam again. It was his mother, moving fast, her mouth set in a tight line. She held Teddy's hand and was carrying a bag full of sweaters and books.

“I've called Fanny and she's expecting you. Evelyn and Frankie are planning something fun for you all to do.”

“But what about the boat, Mom? It's a great day to go out,” asked Chase, not trying very hard to hide his disappointment. And it was, too. Crystal clear.

His mom sized him up. Her eyes were red and puffy. “I don't want any of you on the water without me,” she answered. “We'll go tomorrow if it's nice.”

Chase didn't respond.

Grace handed him the bag and let go of Teddy's hand. “Look, honey, I'm not happy about it either, but there's nothing we can do. If Dad has to go back, he has to go back. You're old enough to understand that when you grow up, you don't always get to do what you want.”

Chase bit his tongue. He couldn't help feeling that his dad was actually getting
exactly
what he wanted, but he knew better than to say it.

His mother opened the car door. “Now go in and say good-bye. You won't see him for a month. Where's Knox?”

“He ran off. He's really mad.”

“I know how he feels.” She got into the driver's seat and slammed the door.

Mrs. Dellemere was in the garden behind her house when Chase brought Teddy around.

“Is Knox here?” he gasped. He was short of breath after helping Teddy up the rocks.

“Haven't seen him,” Mrs. Dellemere replied, taking in Chase's heaving chest. She wore a wide-brimmed straw hat and a brown rubber apron over her jeans; she was making some sort of chest-high tepee structure with twine and sticks.

“Here,” she said to Teddy, “hand me the twine. These buggers are hard to tie on. I'm thinking of planting some squash today, Edward—what do you think?”

Chase nipped Teddy on the shoulder. “That's you,” he said, then turned back to Mrs. Dellemere. “He doesn't know his name is Edward. He's always been called Teddy.”

Mrs. Dellemere's hat nodded with her head. “Why, of course he is. But I'm not one for nicknames, considering I've always been called Fanny for no particular reason at all. So I shall call young master Edward by his full name. It is a good, strong name, honoring an adventurous young man.”

Chase was floored. He hadn't thought of it before, but of course, Mrs. Dellemere must have known his uncle when he was alive. She smiled conspiratorially.

“He looked quite a bit like you.”

Frankie appeared at the back door. “Gran Fanny, are they coming in?”

Chase raised an eyebrow. “Gran Fanny?”

“What did I tell you about nicknames?” laughed Mrs. Dellemere. “But those girls can call me anything they want. Go on in now, they're waiting for you.”

Teddy and Chase followed Frankie into the kitchen and through to the large wood-paneled front room with its amazing collection of treasures. Bright spots of green and blue darted around the room as sunlight bounced off the hundreds of bottles filled with sea glass. Chase looked beyond the wall of lucky stones to see Evelyn sitting on the porch, her knees drawn up to her chin. He swallowed and tried to sound nonchalant.

“Hey—uh, Evelyn, have you seen Knox? He ran off when my dad left.”

“Yes, he came by here and told me and Frankie what happened, but then he went back down to the beach. You must have just missed him.”

Chase was vaguely annoyed that Knox had already been there. “Yeah, well, now Dad's gone for a month and Mom is going nuclear.”

Evelyn shrugged. She didn't have to say it; Chase knew what she was thinking: At least they still had a dad. And a mom. He walked to the edge of the porch and looked out at the water. To the far left their Whaler bobbed lightly on its mooring next to—the dinghy? He shaded his eyes to get a clearer look, and sure enough, as the boat drifted to the right, he could see the stern of the dinghy rafted alongside the Whaler. Had his parents changed their minds? Maybe his dad had gotten another call? Or maybe it was Captain Nate? But the figure on the boat wasn't big enough to be Captain Nate, or his parents. Chase swore out loud.

“What?” asked Evelyn.

“Knox! He's out on our boat! Mom is going to eat him alive! We aren't supposed to be on the boat without her. I gotta go get him.”

Evelyn slammed her feet down on the porch. “I'll go, too.” They took the front steps two at a time.

Frankie called from somewhere inside, “Where are you going?”

“To get Knox!” yelled Evelyn.

“Wait for me!”

“And me,” cried Teddy.

“We'll be right back. Stay here,” Chase hollered back at his brother.

Evelyn, Frankie, and Chase sprinted across the beach and over the ledge, not bothering to take the path through the woods. They rounded the house and picked their way over the rocks just as the boat's outboard motor roared to life. Chase couldn't believe it. It was just like Knox to think he could take the boat out by himself. This stunt would mean grounding and a summer of chores for sure.

Frankie waved and called from the shore, catching Knox's attention. He maneuvered the boat closer to them and slowed. Chase splashed through the shallow water and grabbed the metal railing that ran along the bow.

“Knox! You idiot. Mom's going to kill you!” he shouted.

“Anyone up for a picnic?” Knox grinned, flashing his dimples.

Evelyn and Frankie climbed aboard the boat, looking thrilled.

Chase glared at him. “You can't be serious.”

“Aw, c'mon, Chase. Just because Dad left doesn't mean we should have to sit around all day when it's nice out. Besides, Mom won't be back for hours.”

Chase surveyed the clear horizon, the green mounds of the surrounding islands set in the glittering bay. He was tempted. Knox sensed his advantage.

“We don't have to go out for long; we can just take her around the cove. We'll stay in sight of the house the whole time. C'mon! You know you want to.”

Chase weighed the pros and cons: This was beyond breaking the rules. But if they stayed right in front of the house, what could go wrong?

“It'll be more fun with you, Chase,” added Evelyn. She grinned at him: a sudden, toothy smile that made her nose turn up and the sides of her eyes crinkle. Chase felt that same fluttery feeling in his chest. He'd never seen her smile before.

“Okay,” he agreed reluctantly, “but it better be quick.” He set his foot over the gunwale, then withdrew it quickly when he heard footsteps clattering over the rocks behind him: Teddy, his face crumpled in tears and a bloody scrape across his shin. Both girls jumped up.

“What about Teddy?” Frankie asked. “Can't he come?”

Knox shrugged.

Chase couldn't think of a good reason why not, and it did seem cruel to leave him alone on the beach. He lifted Teddy into the boat and climbed in.