The Revenge Of The Radioactive Part 15

It stopped raining and the sun came out. They got off the interstate and onto a two-lane highway that plowed straight up through north Florida and Alabama, through tiny towns with gorgeous old houses, their yards dotted with scraggly palm trees, past pecan groves and fireworks shops and fruit stands, past the Bama Nut Shop, past one Mexican restaurant after another, and periodically Wilson forgot why he was riding along through the Deep South, and what year it was, and where exactly he was going, and he started enjoying the ride, because he hadnat taken a ride like this, through the country, in a long time, then he wondered why he wasnat driving, and then he turned and saw Marylou and thought, again, Oh Christ.

Marylou talked and talked, telling him about how she and Teddy had met at Little Rock Community College, where they were working toward a.s.sociateas degrees, Teddy on the GI Bill. Theyad both had small parts in a production of Our Town, Teddy as Simon Stimson, her as Rebecca Gibbs. Shead been terrible in the play, but Teddyad lavished her with compliments at the cast party, and she did the same to him, even though he hadnat been so hot himself.

After they got married Teddy couldnat find work as an industrial designer in Little Rocka"didnat really look that hard, truth be tolda"so they moved to Memphis where he eventually got a job at a tool and die shop designing custom parts for mechanical cotton pickers. Before that, though, when they were in public housing, shead finally gotten pregnant with Helen.

She told Wilson how for years after shead been slipped the radium she hadnat felt right, had felt tired and anemic, put on iron pills by her doctor, but that Helen had seemed fine until that Christmas morning when the little girl had come to her parentsa"she and Teddy lounging in bed, Helen up early checking her stockinga"and showed them the lump in her right thigh, a hard lump like a peach pit lodged under her skin. aBut it doesnat hurt,a Helen kept insisting. It took a little over a year for her to die, Marylou told him. Imagine, watching for more than a year as your child died.

aI canat imagine it,a Wilson said. aIt sounds like the worst thing in the world. I am so sorry.a How could he possibly convey how sorry he was? He could throw himself off a building or under a train, but what good would that do? He was going to die soon anyway, either by natural causes or by Marylouas hand. Head once read that a writer called John Jay Chapman, a nutcase whoad lived around the turn of the century, had stuck his hand in an open flame in order to do penance for having beat up another man who was flirting with his fiance. Mr. Chapman had burned his hand into a stump, but the fiance had married him anyway. Wilson could do something like that, he supposed.

aSo whatas your story?a Marylou asked him, accelerating past a van so fast her dashboard rattled. Sitting beside him, she looked like a little white-haired pixie. She wore a white T-s.h.i.+rt that hung down like a dress over her white slacks. The interior of her car, a Ford Taurus, was neat as could be. When he commented on this, she informed him that it was a rental car. A pinecone air freshener swung from the rearview mirror. aLetas hear why you thought that radiation study was a good idea,a she said. aI wait with bated breath.a Rather than demonstrating that there wasnat much problem with his memory, as far as the study went, which would put him in the position of admitting head only been pretending not to remember, he told her instead about the time in his life he remembered best, which was being in the Army Air Corps during the war, stationed in England and then Italy and occupied France. Head flown the P-47 Thunderbolt, a single-engine plane that looked like a milk bottle. Jugs, people called them. He and his fellow fighter pilots went on bombing missions, blowing up aircraft, railroad tracks, bridges, truck depots. Head once taken out a Messerschmitt 262, a Swallow, one of the worldas first jet-powered fighter/bombers. Those things were bad, bad news for the Allies, he told Marylou. How come? she asked. Because, he said, the Swallow couldave won air supremacy back for the Germans if theyad come on the scene earlier or if the war went on much longer. So youare saying that if it werenat for you, wead be speaking German today, she said, and actually gave him a little smile.

He told her how once head had to make a crash landing in a barley field near the Rhine, his plane so full of dust head thought at first it was smoke. He had no idea whether or not he was behind enemy lines, so he hid in a ditch until he saw a jeep coming down the road toward him, pulling a portable ack-ack, or antiaircraft outfit, two black men driving. When he saw the black men, he knew he was safe.

aLook. Thereas one of your black men now!a Marylou said, pointing out Wilsonas window at a man sitting on the porch of a neat little house. aBut now heas old, just like you!a Marylou, it had to be said, had a good sense of humor. Not everyone did. Lila hadnat, but Verna Tommy had. Mary Conner he could barely remember. Wilson rolled down his electric window, and Buster popped up from the backseat and stuck his snout out into the wind. aHelp, Iam being kidnapped!a Wilson yelled at the old man on the porch.

aOh, quit,a Marylou told him.

The man on the porch lifted his hand in the all-purpose rural salutea"kidnapping, apparently, being no big deala"and Marylou and Wilson and Buster left him behind.

They were now driving behind an open truck piled high with watermelons, which Marylou was tailgating. Wilson asked her (once, twice, seven times?) to please keep her distance; and Marylou, finally fed up, veered over onto the shoulder, jerked to a stop, and asked him if head like to drive.

He hadnat been allowed to drive a car for a year, his license had expired and his family wouldnat let him renew it because of his memory problems, but he didnat tell Marylou any of that. He was pleased as could be to get behind the wheel of a car again, and thought briefly about hightailing it back to Tallaha.s.see, now that he was in charge, but if he tried to do that, Marylou would raise a ruckus. So he took them the rest of the way through Alabama and then Mississippi and on up to Memphis, Marylou operating as navigator.

In Memphis, after stopping by Marylouas house on Evergreen Street to drop off Buster and give the young people noticea"he didnat understand who the young people were and why they were living in her house if they werenat related to hera"Marylou got behind the wheel again, even though they were both tuckered out, and drove him to the Memphis University Hospitals and Clinics, which had been remodeled, but was, behind the face-lift, recognizable.

aThis is Dr. Wilson Spriggs,a Marylou told the nurses behind a reception desk. aHeas a very distinguished doctor who began his career here at this clinic. He wants to revisit his old haunts. Itas very important to him. I brought him all the way up here from Florida.a One of the older nurses, with gray wings of hair framing her face, said, aI believe I have heard of Dr. Spriggs.a The other three nurses looked over at her, waiting for her edict. She furrowed her forehead. aYou shouldave called ahead.a She glanced at her wrist.w.a.tch. aItas five till five. What did you want to see?a she asked Wilson.

aHe wants to see the OB clinic,a Marylou said.

aI want to see the labs,a Wilson said.

The nurse, after telling her underlings that shead be back in a few, walked Wilson and Marylou to the elevators.

Wilsonas back felt stiff after his long ride in the car, but he was exhilarated, too. aSixth floor,a Wilson said.

And the winged nurse, who was wearing a baggy yellow uniform, took hold of Wilsonas elbow and said, aThatas right, Dr. Spriggs! Theyare still on the sixth floor!a and gave him a big smile. She mightave been cute if her haunches had not been so large. aBut this late on a Friday afternoon, I hope somebodyas still up there.a Marylou, trailing behind them, looked like a forlorn white ghost. aWhatever happened to Nurse Bordner?a she asked, but n.o.body answered her.

The sixth floor, unlike the first floor and lobby of the hospital, was essentially unchangeda"a coat of paint perhaps, new lighting. The locks on the doors looked sleeker and more efficient than the locks he remembered. There was the same smell, though, a smell that came rus.h.i.+ng back to him, slightly sweet with a layer of bleach underneath. Off the long hallway were the labs with the Bunsen burners and beakers and centrifuge machines, the lab techs bent over test tubes, siphoning away with their pipettes. His friend Ebb Hahn had worked in that room there, processing blood samples from Wilsonas radioactive iron study. What were they working on in there now? He had no idea.

They pa.s.sed the biohazard labs, where the workers now wore goggles, caps, paper gowns, and latex glovesa"fancier versions of the same old stuffa"and the central supply room where two women loaded beakers into the steam machines. Martha Meharry used to work in there, perched on a stool between loads doing the jumble and crossword in the Commercial Appeal.

Their nurse stopped beside an office that said Nuclear Medicine on the door. aThis hereas Dr. Wilson Spriggs,a she announced to the secretary inside, and then ducked off down the hall.

The secretary, a pinched-faced woman, sighed, then got up from her desk, disappeared into a warren of offices behind her. She emerged shortly with two doctors in tow, two doctors who looked remarkably, eerily, like Wally and Theodore Cleaver.

Wally and Beav, in their pressed plaid dress s.h.i.+rts and tasteful neckties, grinned at Wilson, who was wearing his yard clothes. They shook his handa"one of them shook it twicea"and told him how much they admired him, how much they admired his work on the therapeutic use of radioactivity in the treatment of cancer. aThis gentleman published the seminal articles on radioisotope therapy,a Wally informed the secretary, who was feigning interest while playing solitaire on her computer. Seminal articles! The adjective, one Wilson had used himself once upon a time, sounded absurd and pompous to him now.

The two doctors also mentioned Wilsonas work at the University of Iowa, his treatment of malignant effusions in lung and uterine cancer, what a pioneer head been, how he had changed the field, and so on and so on.

Wilson, bleary-eyed from the drive, felt like head stepped into another dimension. He was unable to believe that these two men had heard of him and that he was being treated like something other than a pariah. He glanced at Marylou, who glared at him. She hadnat come here to witness this. Wilson didnat know how to introduce her so he just stood there like an idiot.

Finally Marylou spoke up. aHowdy, fellas.a aThis your wife?a Beaver asked Wilson, reaching for Marylouas hand.

aIam his guinea pig,a Marylou said, but she shook the Beavas hand and then Wallyas. aDr. Spriggs experimented on me in the fifties. Remember the radioactive c.o.c.ktails?a She mimed drinking one. Thumb and pinky extended, head tilted slightly back, glug, glug, glug. aYep, I drank the Kool-Aid!a When she made this gesture, when she mimed drinking the c.o.c.ktaila"the jauntiness of it, the self-mockery, and also the refusal to be denieda"Wilson wanted to catch her up in his arms.

aWow,a Beaver said, shaking his head, gazing at Marylou like she was a specimen. aLook at you now!a he said. aSo many years later. Youare doing so well! Those experiments werenat nearly as bad as the press tried to make them seem.a aEveryone who knew anything knew they were only administering trace amounts,a Wally agreed. aThe media just didnat get that. Sheas living proof. And the two of you are friends! Amazing.a aIt is amazing,a Wilson said, and he felt, for the first time, how amazing it was.

Marylou took a deep breath, and Wilson wondered if she was going to launch into her litany of woes, wondered if she was going to tell them the story of Helenas death. He wouldnat blame her if she did. Those two bozos deserved to have their bubble burst, at the very least. But, no, she surprised him again.

aWhatas really amazing,a Marylou said, ais how boring the three of you are. Youare boring the socks off me right now.a Wally and Beaver actually glanced down, whether out of embarra.s.sment or to see if she really had lost her socks, he couldnat tell.

Wilson knew he had a choice. He could stay here and bask in the false but gratifying praise or leave with Marylou, who wasnat having any of it.

He took Marylouas hand. aActually, gentlemen, my friend here is not doing well at all. She hasnat been doing well for a very long time. Thanks for your kind words. And good luck with whatever youare doing. Iam sure itas very important, but in my book youare like a couple of blisters whoave shown up after the real workas been done.a Marylou allowed him to lead her out the door, down the hall, down to the first floor, and out of the hospital, where they stood under the awning. aIam ready for a little drinkie poo,a she said. aHow about yourself?a Wilson was momentarily confused. Where was he? He knew he should know. How could he have left the familiar labs and then stepped outside and not known where he was? Where was home now? Where was he supposed to go? How was he supposed to get there? Would Verna Tommy be there waiting for him? Would anyone be expecting him?

aOh G.o.d,a Marylou said, jerking on his hand. aListen. Iave got to tell somebody. I did something horrible.a aYou?a Wilson said. aI canat believe it. You couldnat even bring yourself to kill me.a And she told him about Buff.

Rather than going back to her house on Evergreen Street to spend the night, she decided they should splurge and stay at the Peabody Hotel, since shead never stayed there, and because, for some reason, this was turning into a pleasure trip rather than an abduction. Wilson told her that being kidnapped by her was the best time head had since Verna Tommy dieda"which she was thrilled to hear, even though odds were he couldnat remember good times even if head had them. She herself felt as if, even though she was achy and bleary-eyed from the car ride and disappointed by the hospital visit, the foreign phrase having a good time could be applied to her as well.

Instead of feeling weighed down by her past, as shead often felt when she was home in Memphis, the fact that she was in the company of the wicked Wilson Spriggs, the last person on earth shead ever imagined hanging out with, and that the two of them were fixing to shack up at the touristy Peabody Hotel, a place shead never thought shead stay, made her practically giddy.

Grinning like imbeciles, she and Wilson reserved room 624. After nine-dollar gla.s.ses of wine in the lobby while the Peabodyas famous ducks waddled out of the fountain and over to the elevator to ride up to their penthouse coop, after listening to the player piano play Cole Porter songs and pretending that an invisible black man was at the keys (for a time they called him Topper and they became George and Marion), after dinner across the street at Automatic Slimas Tonga Club (coconut shrimp for Marion, sa.s.safras smoked chicken for George), when they were both lying in their separate beds, with the orangey lights of downtown Memphis seeping through the gauzy curtains of room 624, Wilson told her again that two slices of cake laced with antifreeze would only have made Buff sick but wouldnat have killed him.

She already knew head been sick. As she and Wilson had driven away from her house back in Tallaha.s.see, raindrops just beginning to fall, shead glanced over and seen Buff staggering around in his side yard, wearing his bathing trunks, throwing up in some bushes.

Wilson promised to tell no one, ever, what shead done.

In a way, his knowing about her evil deed created the t.i.t-for-tat situation shead been hoping to achieve when she moved to Tallaha.s.see in April. It wasnat the same kind of t.i.t-for-tata"his life for Helenasa"but, in this new version, she knew all about his reprehensible experiment, t.i.t, and he knew that shead tried to kill someone, tat. She hadnat known how much antifreeze would kill Buff, but killing him had been her aim. If Buff was dead right now, shead be a murderer. And only Wilson knew.

Before they fell asleep, wearing their clothes, Wilson said, from his double bed beside hers, aI went for months, years, without talking about that study. Iad think about it sometimes, feel sick about it. It made me even sicker when I realized how much I didnat think about it. Just tucked it away somewhere in my mind and went about my business. But I needed to talk about it. I feel better talking about it.a aJust call me Oprah,a Marylou said. But then she told him that he was the only person left in the world she could talk to about Helen, the only other person she knew personally whoad been involved with the experiment, even if theyad been on opposite sides.

He admitted that his was the wrong side, but he said there had been a cold war going on and he was scrambling to get grant money. He was an ambitious young scientist trying to get data, a doctor trying to help determine how much radiation was safe. Back then, these sorts of studies were being conducted all across the country. They knew virtually nothing about radiation, but theyad all thought that small amounts had to be safe.

She listened, forcing herself to remain silent. Part of her understood. Part of her never would. But it made her feel calmer to hear his side.

Unlike Teddy, whoad had to detach from the past to go on living, she realized that she didnat feel alive, unfrozen, unless she held the past as close to her as possible, so she could take it out and examine it whenever she wanted to, with someone whoad been there, too. That was why she felt comforted by the presence of Wilson Spriggs. That, and shead always, from the first time she saw him, found him to be attractive, that foppish dandy in his bow tie.

From the next bed Wilson began to sing, in a warbling, cracking tenor: a aI will tell all the world / Of my young Southern girl, a /I love you, Mary Lou Brown.a a aVery interesting,a Marylou said. aBut stupid.a aAinat it?a aYou canat remember my last name. But I like the young Southern girl part.a Then she paused and stretched, her old bones cracking and creaking, the elastic waist on her linen pants sliding up. Even though theyad spent nine hours in the car today and then toured the hospital, walked around downtown Memphis, her ankle and hip ached only a little. A four, on a pain scale of one to ten. aHave you ever seen the movie Attack of the Fifty Foot Woman?a Marylou asked Wilson.

aDonat think I have. But I am losing my memory.a aWell, shoot,a she said. aCome over here and Iall tell you all about it.a * * *

When she and Wilson dropped by her house on Evergreen Street around noon, she saw Carolineas minivan in the driveway. And Vicas Volvo. The jig was up, whatever the h.e.l.l that meant.

When she and Wilson went inside, she was expecting to be yelled at, castigated, attacked even. It was a stupid thing shead done. No doubt about that. One of many stupid things. She hadnat thought theyad come after her, though, and it was jolting to see thema"Caroline, Vic, Ava, Otis, and Suzi, sitting in her Memphis living room. Parson Brown herself was sprawled out in Marylouas favorite leather chair. Buster lay in front of the sooty cold fireplace, possibly dreaming of Christmases of yore and hoping for a yuletide blaze.

aYour hair looks darling now that Iam getting used to it,a Marylou said to Caroline, which wasnat the right thing to say, she realized as soon as shead said it.

Caroline ignored her. aDad!a Caroline said, all goggle-eyed, and rushed forward to hug him. aAre you okay?a aIam perfectly fine. Iam having a good time, in fact.a aIave got your medications here.a It was only then that Caroline looked at Marylou, glared really. Anyone could see that Caroline longed to flail at Marylou, claw her eyes out, but before she could Suzi came over to Marylou and hugged her. Then, after some fumbling and awkwardness, they all sat down, Wilson and Marylou side by side on the couch, with Suzi next to Marylou.

aThings are bad at home,a Vic told them, running his hand through his wild-looking hair. He sat in the padded rocking chair wearing lime green swimming trunks and a wrinkled, too-tight cotton oxford s.h.i.+rt and looked like head been driving all night with the windows down. n.o.body had gotten enough sleep, and they had all, Wilson and Marylou included, been in the same clothes for a while, since none of them had packed for this crazy trip to Memphis.

aWhatas the storm damage like?a Marylou asked him. aHowas Canterbury Hills?a aThe pondas flooded,a Vic said. aLots of trees down. Power outages all over the city. We went through some bad stretches coming back from the beach, didnat we, Ava.a aScary,a Ava agreed. She sat in a straight-backed chair nearest the door.

aBut when we finally got home,a Vic said, athatas when we heard. The EPA came and got Otisas shed.a Vic told them how, even though the storm was in full swing, their neighbor John Kane saw their car pull up and came over and told them what had happened while he and Ava had been down at the beach and Caroline, Suzi, and Otis were on their way to Memphis. Earlier that afternoon, before the storm hit, a flatbed truck and a van had pulled in the Witherspoonsa drive and a handful of people got out of the van and donned white astronaut suits like something straight out of a science fiction movie.

Mr. Kane watched with some other neighbors as two s.p.a.cemen went into their side yard and removed refuse from the old shed, dust billowing up around them. A burned, chemical smell hung in the air, making the bystanders choke. Three other s.p.a.cemen wrestled a huge industrial-size vacuum cleaner over the Witherspoonsa front lawn. Mr. Kane finally got up his nerve and approached one, who he realized from looking through its plastic face mask was a woman wearing purple lipstick. She said, through an intercom device, that they were from the Environmental Protection Agency. No, there was n.o.body in the house. No, she couldnat tell him anything. Nothing. Sir. Please. Step away. Keep back. Sir. The two vacuumers stopped their vacuuming and stared at him menacingly until he retreated to the sidelines.

The astronauts, John Kane said, mustave vacuumed up every speck of dust and debris on every blade of gra.s.s and shrubbery, trampling the flower beds and smas.h.i.+ng all the azalea bushes. Then they dumped the shed remains and whatever theyad vacuumed up into black steel drums. They loaded the black drums onto the flatbed truck and roared off for parts unknown.

aWhat was in that shed?a John Kane had asked Vic, and Vic could tell that John was scared to death but trying to be nice.

Vic told them he didnat know. Technically, that was the truth.

But when Vic and Ava arrived in Memphis and told Otis what had happened, Otis had finally come clean and explained to his parents and siblings what head been up to.

aYou were actually building a model reactor,a Wilson said now. aYou actually followed my directions? I never thought youad aa he trailed off, and Marylou knew that he was going to say, I never thought youad be so stupid, but he didnat, and she was glad he didnat say it.

aYou told him how to do it?a Caroline asked her father. She and Otis shared the love seat, but at opposite ends.

Wilson admitted that, sure, head answered Otisas many questions about how to construct a breeder reactora"but head thought it was all theoretical!

aI did it, Granddad!a Otis said, clenching his fists on his thighs. aI got all the parts myself, and figured out how to put them together and it worked. It actually worked!a aThatas quite an accomplishment,a Wilson said. aNo doubt about that. Youare a genius, son. You really are.a There was pride in his voice as well as bafflement.

Otis rocked back and forth, a smile on his face, and it was similar to the way Ava paced when she was happy or excited. This was what head been wanting. His grandfatheras praise.

aOtis didnat protect himself,a Vic told Wilson. aHe only used a paper mask and gardening gloves. You failed to impress upon him how dangerous those elements are.a aBut I did!a Wilson said. aI told him that real radioactive research is done in full protector gear, in sealed chambers with lead-lined gloves!a Then he paused and his tone changed. aAt least I think I did. No, I know I did.a aYou did,a Otis said cheerfully, still not, Marylou thought, grasping the enormity of what head done.

aItas our fault, Vic,a Caroline said, afor not paying attention. We shouldave been monitoring what he was doing.a Even so, she couldnat help making excuses for Otis. Arguing his case. While she talked, Marylou watched Otis, wondering how he felt being dissected like a specimen in front of his family. His blank, handsome face revealed nothing.

Caroline said shead been talking to him about the consequences of what head done, and she realized that being on the autism spectrum had prevented him from thinking things through, from evaluating the possible consequences. Head gotten caught up in the scientific possibilities, in doing something n.o.body had ever done before. It wasnat because he lacked empathy. He just had a one-track mind. All he could focus on was the attention head get if he succeeded and the glory that would be heaped upon him, the thrill of being crowned a young scientific genius. Heck, she said, probably most of the scientists working on the atomic bomb had an autism spectrum disorder. What else would explain their lack of foresight?

aYouare in good company, son,a Wilson said.

aThatas hardly relevant,a Vic snapped.

aWell, at least the shedas gone,a Marylou said. aHopefully the EPA got it all.a aYou put that deadly stuff in our yard,a Vic said. aNext to our house.a aThatas bad,a Wilson agreed.

aOhhhhh,a Ava howled.

Suzi started crying. aWe wonat ever be able to live there again.a Marylou patted her hand.

aWe havenat seen the EPA report yet,a Otis said. aThe levels might be in the safe range. The federal government says that people can get up to five thousand mrems of safe exposure per year. There was only fifty last I checked. I think there was only fifty.a aWe wonat go back unless we know itas safe,a Vic put in.

aHow will we really know?a Suzi said, wiping her eyes.

aWe wonat,a Caroline said.

aIam sorry,a Marylou told Vic and Caroline. aI suspected for a while that he was messing with radiation, but by then it was too late. Course, it doesnat scare me, acause Iam already radioactive.a Shead meant to lighten the mood, but it didnat work.

aThereas more bad news,a Caroline said. She stood up, scooped Parson up into her arms, and held her like a flopped-eared baby. And Marylou had thought Buster was spoiled.

aWe just got a call,a Ava added, round-eyed with all the drama. aBuff is dead.a aWhat?a Marylou grabbed Wilsonas hand and squeezed. He squeezed back. aHow?a was all she could manage to say.

aSomebody came into his house while he was asleep,a Vic said. aSmashed his head with a baseball bat.a aOh my G.o.d,a Wilson muttered.

aThatas horrible.a Marylou sagged with relief. Not that he was dead, but that she hadnat been the one who killed him. She tried not to picture Buffas head being smashed with a baseball bat, and mostly succeeded in not picturing it.

aWho?a Wilson said.

aThey donat know,a Caroline said. aBut there are plenty of people with a reason to kill him.a Marylou glanced over at Vic, who was gazing back at her. She couldnat read his expression.

aIt wasnat me.a Vic ran his fingers through his stiff, windblown hair. aAlthough I did think about it.a Parson struggled out of Carolineas arms, righted herself on the floor, shook her ears, and sauntered over to curl up next to Buster, who merely opened an eye and closed it again.

aWell,a Marylou said, squeezing Wilsonas hand. aYou can all stay here as long as you want. Take a little breather.a aI should get back to work,a Vic said. aWeall have to find a place to stay. For who knows how long. Jesus.a He ran his fingers through his hair again. aI canat even think about it.a aIall stay here for a while,a Caroline said. aRest up before I wade back in. Just the thought of everything weall have to do exhausts me.a But she didnat sound exhausted. She sounded exhilarated by the prospect of staying in Memphis. Caroline had been miserable at home, and the whole family had known it, even though they might not have realized theyad known it.

Marylou decided it was time for good news, or at least what she considered to be good news. aWilson and I have decided to get married,a she announced.

Silence. Someone gasped.

Then, bless her heart, Suzi leaned over and hugged Marylou, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Caroline shrieked, aDad! Are you crazy?a aYes, but thatas beside the point.a Wilson fixed Marylou with puppy dog eyes. The goofball.

aAnd weare ready now,a Marylou added. aWe want to do it right away. We donat have time to diddle around.a aGet married at Graceland! At the chapel!a Ava said, jumping up and doing her pacing thing, the skirt of her coral dress swis.h.i.+ng back and forth. aPlease? That would be so marvelous.a aIall vote for marvelous,a Wilson said. aLong as there arenat any Elvis impersonators, except me singing aMary Lou Browna to my bride.a aYou want to get married at Graceland?a Caroline asked with irritated disbelief. aThis is insane.a She glared at Marylou. aMy father has dementia. Are you prepared to take care of him? He doesnat have money, if thatas what youare thinking.a Marylou decided not to rise to the bait. aIam aware of all that,a she said calmly. aWeall take care of each other.a She sounded like a different person talking. Donna Reed, maybe. Where was the Radioactive Lady? Still there, shaking her head incredulously. Cue the birdies and the violins. Disgusting. Marylou was glad she hadnat disappeared altogether. Take a chill pill, Nance.

The Witherspoon family sat there staring at her and Wilson, waiting for them to say more. Wilson squeezed her hand but didnat speak, so Marylou plunged in. aI know itas not like a young couple getting married,a she told them, abut itas something to celebrate, donat you think? We want you all there with us.a aI donat really feel like celebrating,a Otis said. aI feel bad about our house. And I feel bad for Rusty.a aAnd for Angel,a Suzi added.

They were silent for a minute, all of them thinking about Rusty and Angel, trying to imagine how they must be feeling but knowing they couldnat really know how bad it must be. The air conditioner cut off, and Marylouas old Bakelite clock on the side table, in the corner, tick-tocked away. The room needed a good cleaning, which wasnat surprising. That graduate student couple, who couldnat even clean their own eyegla.s.ses, wouldnat have noticed dust if it had reared up and bit aem. But it was so good to be back in her old house.

Finally Vic broke the silence. He leaned forward, clasping his big hands on his knees. aWeall be at your wedding,a he said. So Vic did have an earnest side. Who wouldave thunk it? aItas great you found each other,a he went on. aItas a miracle, under the circ.u.mstances. We do need to celebrate. Congratulations, both of you.a But he didnat sound happy. He sounded wistful and a little sad, and Marylou knew that he was sad about the state of his own marriage.

Caroline forced a smile. aWell, right after the wedding Suzi and Otis and Ava need to get back to Tallaha.s.see. School starts next week.a aAnd soccer.a Suzi lay her head on Marylouas shoulder. Dear Suzi. Now shead be her real granddaughter.

aWilson and I will take you kids back to Tallaha.s.see,a Marylou offered. aYou can stay at my house. Your mother and father should stay here and have a little vacation together.a Vic and Caroline glanced across the room at each other, their expressions tentative and hopeful. Marylou had never seen this kind of interaction between them. They usually faced off from their corners, entrenched in their positions, ready to defend themselves. Now they appeared vulnerable. It was hard to watch. What if one rebuffed the other one?

aI do have some vacation days coming,a Vic said quietly, as if he didnat want to get too hopeful.

aI wish youad take them,a Caroline told him. Then she gave him a shy smile.

There was a sudden lightness in the air, the way it feels when a storm has finally pa.s.sed over. A relief, renewed purpose. Mama and Papa were friends again! They do like each other! Life could go on! These thoughts, Marylou knew, were flitting around their circle, joining them together in joy like the Holy Spirit did at Genesis Church. Marylou expected someone to get up and dance, wouldave done it herself if she wasnat nearly eighty.

It didnat last. Of course, they couldnat let it last.

aIam not going to stay with Marylou,a Ava announced from her chair where she sat like a queen, swinging her crossed leg. aIam going to get an apartment. With Travis.a Suzi guffawed and Ava shot her a black look.