Treasure Beach: Chapter Three, Part Two

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Treasure Beach: Chapter Three, Part Two

"When do you stop worrying about your kids?" Tracy asked. "Because Olivia's not mine, of course, but I am worried about her. Will that end when she's, say, in college? It's not sounding like it."

"You're worried about her, too?"

Janya interrupted to ask for a job and Wanda put her in charge of slicing limes, something Wanda always did by hand to get them just right to adorn her signature Key lime pie.

"I'm worried about her myself," Wanda said, once Janya started her project. "Do you know about that bottle she found yesterday?"

"She told me."

Janya stopped slicing. "She did not tell me."

Wanda explained about the bottle with the message. "I showed it to Kenny, like I told her I would. He said most people in real need of help don't ask for it in purple ink on turquoise paper with a whole lot of curlicues. Of course he didn't say turquoise because he's a man. He called it green, but what does he know?"

"I took her up to Randall's yesterday and dropped her off," Tracy said. "When I picked her back up she said the last time Randall's carried that kiind of soda in bottles was the Fourth of July holiday, some kind of promotion."

"Right. Rest of the time they carry SunDrop in cans. Easier for them to get. I buy a bunch of the bottled kind whenever I can get it. It tastes better."

"I guess other people think so, too. The guy at Randall's told her it sold out in three days."

"And I bet he didn't have the names of his customers on file, either. Besides, anybody could pick up a bottle somebody else put out in their recycling or dropped in a vacant lot."

"Perhaps Olivia is just bored and wants a little mystery to solve," Janya said.

Tracy rinsed a metal bowl and set it in the drainer before she answered. "I think it's more than that. She's not even hanging out with her friends anymore. I think everything's just caught up with her. Lizzie and Dana leaving was kind of the last straw. Let's face it, from her standpoint, everybody she loves deserts her."

"She has Alice," Wanda said.

"Yes, and Alice is sick. I know she's getting better, but Olivia does worry about what will happen if Alice dies. She's told me as much. I told her we would all take care of her, but I'm not sure she believes it. "

"Maybe we should tell her again."

"Maybe we should make an extra effort to include her in whatever we're doing until school starts," Tracy said. "Take her mind off her worries."

"I will talk to her," Janya said. "She is like my little sister. I can help."

"Kenny reminded me of something," Wanda said. "It's easy to forget, but Olivia's going to have to fix this herself. You two will understand that once you have kids of your own."

"Like that's ever going to happen," Tracy said. "At least for me."

"I only hope that someday I will learn that lesson for myself," Janya said.

"Don't we all," Wanda said, reaching over to give her friend a hug. "Don't we all."