Nights in Rodanthe - Nicholas Sparks [65]
As Adrienne finished, Amanda seemed to be studying the table. But then, almost as if moving in slow motion, she raised her head and looked up.
As much as she wished otherwise, Adrienne had no idea what Amanda was thinking.
Dan was folding the last of the towels in the basket while watching ESPN when Amanda returned home. The clothes had been sorted into piles on the coffee table. Dan automatically reached for the remote to turn down the volume.
“I was wondering when you were going to make it back,” he said.
“Oh, hey,” Amanda said, looking around. “Where are the boys?”
Dan motioned with his head as he added a green towel to the stack. “They just got into bed a few minutes ago. They’re probably still awake if you want to say good night.”
“Where are your kids?”
“I dropped them off with Kira on our way home. Just to let you know, Max dripped some pizza sauce on his Scooby-Doo shirt. I guess it’s one of his favorites, because he got pretty upset about it. I’ve got it soaking in the sink now, but I couldn’t find the stain remover.”
Amanda nodded. “I’ll get some this weekend. I’ve got to go shopping anyway. I’m out of other things, too.”
Dan looked at his sister. “If you make a list, Kira could pick up what you need. I know she’s going to the store.”
“Thanks for the offer, but it’s time I start doing that for myself again.”
“Okay…” He smiled uncertainly. For a moment, neither he nor his sister said anything.
“Thanks for taking the boys out,” Amanda said finally.
Dan shrugged. “No big deal. We were going out anyway, and I figured they might enjoy it.”
Amanda’s voice was earnest. “No. I mean, thank you for all the times you’ve done that lately. Not just tonight. You and Matt have been great since… since I lost Brent, and I don’t know if I’ve let you know how much I appreciate that.”
Dan looked away at the mention of Brent’s name. He reached for the empty laundry basket.
“What are uncles for, right?” He shifted from one foot to the other, holding the basket in front of him. “Would you like me to swing by for the boys again tomorrow? I was thinking of going on a bike ride with the kids.”
Amanda shook her head. “Thanks, but I think I’ll pass.”
Dan looked at her, his expression dubious. Amanda didn’t seem to notice. She slipped off her jacket and set it on the chair along with her purse. “I talked to Mom for quite a while tonight.”
“Oh? How’d it go?”
“You wouldn’t believe half of it if I told you.”
“What did she say?”
“You had to be there. But I learned something about her tonight.”
Dan cocked an eyebrow, waiting.
“She’s tougher than she looks,” Amanda said.
Dan laughed. “Yeah… sure, she’s tough all right. She cries when the goldfish die.”
“That may be true, but in a lot of ways, I wish I could be as strong as she is.”
“I’ll bet.”
When Dan saw his sister’s serious expression, he suddenly realized no punch line was coming. His brow furrowed.
“Wait,” he said. “Our mom?”
Dan left a few minutes later, and despite his attempts to find out what their mother had told Amanda, she had refused to tell him. She understood the reasons for her mother’s silence, both in the past and in the years since, and knew her mother would tell Dan when or if she had reason to do so.
Amanda locked the door behind Dan and looked around the living room. In addition to folding the clothes, he’d straightened up; she remembered that before she’d left, there were videos strewn near the television, a pile of empty cups on the end table, a year’s worth of magazines stacked haphazardly on the desk by the door.
Dan had taken care of everything. Again.
Amanda turned out the lights, thinking of