My Summer of Pink & Green Read online

  Mom’s on the phone in the pharmacy office. I can’t hear everything she’s saying, but it’s probably about the inspection or a story for the Old Mill Observer. She takes her sort-of staff writer position very seriously, even though it’s not even full-time.

  I wonder if Anais is at her apartment now, packing up, ready to go somewhere else. Or what if she loses her job all together because she messed up everything for Pink & Green?

  Yeah, she got a little crazy after a while, and she didn’t really want me involved with anything, but she’s good at her job. I just wanted her to like me and to realize that I knew what I was talking about. I didn’t want her to get fired.

  I’m reading through more of the business owners’ group e-mails, all this stuff about misfiled paperwork, and certain forms needing stamps, and other forms needing to be clipped and not stapled, and that’s when it occurs to me. I don’t know why it took so long. Sometimes forcing myself to figure things out isn’t necessary when the answer is really right in front of me.

  Sometimes if you just open your eyes and calm down, you realize all the resources you have right at your fingertips.

  I almost don’t know what to do first.

  “I’m going to do research for Earth Club,” I call out to the pharmacy as I’m leaving. I don’t want to get into a lengthy conversation with Mom and Grandma where they ask where I’m going, so instead, I just run out of the store. If they really need me or get worried, they can call me on my cell phone.

  It seems like God is looking out for me, because Ruthie volunteers at the southeastern Connecticut food co-op a few days a week, and this just so happens to be one of the days she’s there. I wonder if she knows my mom. My mom used to work here back in the day before she got so fed up with the people. All they did was sit around and talk about all these amazing things they were doing, but they never actually did anything. Instead of stocking shelves or bagging groceries, they’d just sit there talking about how amazing it is to use cloth diapers. Finally my mom got so mad she quit.

  I wonder if Ruthie’s one of those sit-around-and-talk-instead-of-doing people. I doubt it.

  “Louise!” Ruthie yells as she sees me coming in. I guess she recognizes me even without the sari on. The co-op is walking distance from the pharmacy, but it’s over a hundred degrees, so I’m dripping with sweat when I get there. “Let me get you some water.”

  It turns out Ruthie is one of the managers, so she’s allowed to go in the back office and talk. She guides me there and hands me a jar, like an old cleaned-out pickle jar, full of water with a lemon slice. Some people love to use jars for glasses. It’s kind of cool, and very green—reusing the jars is better than throwing them away!

  “How can I help?” Ruthie pulls her frizzy gray curls into a tortoiseshell clip, which makes it look like she’s ready for business.

  I debated the whole way over whether or not I should tell Ruthie my real name and admit that I lied. I decided I had to come clean. I need real help here.

  It was probably wrong of me to lie, but I hope Ruthie understands why I did it.

  I tell her the whole story, about the pharmacy and the spa and Anais and the inspection.

  She smiles this calming grownup smile and sits back in her chair. “I know who you are, Lucy. I knew the whole time.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” She smiles. “Your mother and I go way back. She’s a doll.”

  I should’ve figured, but somehow it was easier to be Louise Ramal for a little while. Sometimes you need to pretend a little bit to get where you want to be. It’s like that saying: “Fake it till you make it.” If you act like you belong, you will be treated that way. It doesn’t really make sense, but it’s just the way it is.

  “Here’s what you need to do,” Ruthie says, leaning forward in her chair. “Go find Anais, get all the paperwork you can, every single thing even if you think it’s not necessary, especially the forms from the inspector. Then come back here.”

  “Please don’t call my mom or grandma,” I say, suddenly worried. “I don’t want to involve them. You’d think they’d believe me by now that I can handle things and help things, but for some reason they don’t.”

  “Lucy, here’s one thing you should remember,” Ruthie says softly. “In some people’s eyes, you will always be a kid. It’s just how it is. And you will grow to appreciate it.”

  Ruthie’s one of those people who has a calming presence. She could be talking about the country’s deficit and how much in debt we are to China, and it would seem calming.

  “OK. I’ll try to remember that.”

  “It’s going to work out,” she tells me.

  I stand up. “Thank you so much.”

  “You’re very welcome. Good luck.”

  It feels like a billion degrees, like I’m walking through a fire pit in a fur coat, but I start running anyway. Anais’s apartment is about a mile from the co-op, but I can do it. I throw my backpack over my shoulders and put my hair up in a high bun and I run. I run and run and run and I’m huffing and puffing and worried I may pass out on the sidewalk, but I keep running. It feels good. I suddenly understand why people who love running talk about it all the time. It feels like I’m literally releasing all the stress and frustration into the air and it’s leaving me and hopefully won’t ever come back.

  I finally get to Anais’s apartment complex. Before I ring her bell, I go out on the beach and breathe in the salty sea air. There’s something about ocean air that makes all of your problems seem small. The salty smell and the view of the ocean and the waves make every problem seem fixable. Everything can be solved, if you take a few minutes to look at the ocean before dealing with it.

  I can’t let any more time slip away, so I walk into Anais’s apartment building and tell the doorman that I know her and that I can just go up and ring the bell. I don’t want the doorman to call up to her in case she doesn’t let me up.

  The doorman agrees and I go to the elevator and push floor number five, and then I walk to her apartment. I use the silver knocker, and after a few seconds, Anais comes to the door.

  “Lucy,” she says with a hint of surprise.

  “Hi, Anais, I know you don’t really like me, but can I come in for a minute? I think I can help.”

  She sighs. “I never said I didn’t like you, Lucy.”

  I probably shouldn’t have said that.

  “Come in.”

  I walk in slowly, expecting to find boxes all over the place. But her apartment looks just as lovely as it did when I was there over the Fourth of July. Maybe she’s not running away as fast as I thought she was.

  “Would you like some lemonade? Water? It’s so hot.” Anais has a ceiling fan going and the door to the balcony open and it actually feels so lovely and cool. I can hear the ocean. If I were her, I’d sleep with the windows open every single night.

  “Lemonade would be great,” I tell her. When she’s in the kitchen, I sit back on her couch and look out the window and I imagine myself living here as a grownup. I’d throw dinner parties and we’d play board games and go for late-night swims in the pool and the ocean.

  “So,” she says when she gets back to the couch with the lemonade.

  “Here’s the thing. I’ll make it quick,” I start, and then take a second to collect my thoughts. I don’t want it to seem like I know better than Anais, because I obviously don’t. I just know this one thing. “A few weeks ago I snuck out to this Connecticut and Rhode Island small business owners’ meeting because … well, I just felt like I wanted to be a part of things, and I didn’t know how to be. When I was there, I met this woman, Ruthie, who runs the group. She can handle any inspection problem, and so I came to talk to you and we can collect the papers, and um, she can help us.” I decide it’s time to stop talking. I’ve probably already said too much.

  “Lucy, that’s very sweet of you,” she says, and I’m waiting for the “but,” the reason why it won’t work and I should give up trying right now.
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  “So you’ll do it?” I ask.

  “Do what?”

  “I mean, um, you’ll listen to me, and we can organize the paperwork and then go back to Ruthie and then, um, see what happens?” I’m rambling and can’t seem to stop. Maybe it’s the sugary lemonade going to my head, or the relaxing salty ocean air breeze.

  “Sure. Whatever you think.” Anais smiles. “Everything got crazy back there. I really love your family and your pharmacy and the spa, and I want things to work out for the grand opening Labor Day weekend. So if you know of a way to help, it can’t hurt to try.”

  “Great!” I jump up and move to hug her, and it feels like such a relief that I didn’t have to battle it out with her. She just listened to me, and believed me, and has faith that I can help.

  It’s that whole bring-your-own-chair philosophy. If you just go into it, and bring everything you’ve got, people will trust you eventually.

  “We’re going to need to go back to the spa, though, and grab all the files,” Anais tells me. “I’m not sure what your mom or grandma will think.”

  It occurs to me that maybe Anais is nervous to see them after the whole argument. I’m nervous to see them too, and I haven’t done anything wrong.

  “You’re right.” I stop to think for a second, wondering if maybe they have plans and they’ll be out somewhere. I doubt it. They rarely have plans.

  I text Claudia to see what’s going on at the store. I realize I didn’t even see her before I left.

  Hey claud. What r u up to?

  A few seconds later, she texts me back.

  Mom, Grandma and I r @ Sil’s to look for a dress

  4 Mom 4 Esme’s wedding. U @ earth club still?

  I totally forgot! Today was the big shopping day. My mom hates shopping, so she had to make this whole big production of scheduling a day when we could go with her to find a dress. Sil’s is this boutiquey shop in North Mill and it’s the only place my mom shops. I was supposed to go with them and they must think I bailed for Earth Club. Oh well.

  Yup. So sorry I forgot. Get Mom something

  good! Xo

  “OK, coast is clear,” I tell Anais. “They’re all out shopping. I guess Tory and Charise are covering the store. Who knows where Gary is, but he’s so oblivious, I bet he won’t even notice us in the spa getting the files.”

  “He is really oblivious, right?” Anais laughs. “I must’ve asked him thirty times to go over all the order forms and invoices and he was barely paying attention.” She stops talking for a second, and dabs on some lip balm. “Not that I’m placing blame.”

  “Yeah, he’s a scatterbrain. My mom is too. That’s why they can’t get along.” I laugh. I don’t know why I’m sharing these family secrets with Anais, but it seems like it’s easing the tension.

  “I think Gary’s in love with your mom,” Anais adds, and then covers her mouth. “Oops. I’ve said too much.”

  I crack up. “No, it’s OK. It’s never gonna happen. He’s been in love with her for years. My dad’s coming back in a few days and going to a wedding with my mom. They were invited separately; they’re still good friends with this woman Esme they knew in college. She’s seriously a crazy person, but they stay friends. I don’t know why.”

  Anais nods. “My parents are divorced too. I get it.”

  “Oh, they’re not divorced,” I add. “Just separated. They get along. I’ve heard them on the phone and stuff.”

  Anais nods again. I know what she’s thinking. That I have all this false hope and I should get over the idea that they’re going to get back together. I’ve seen that nod and that expression from a million people before. I don’t care, though. I still have hope. I think it can happen.

  with Bevin,” Anais says as we’re in a cab on the way back to the pharmacy. She gets to take cabs back and forth since she doesn’t have a car and her company pays all expenses. It’s a really nice life, if you ask me.

  “I didn’t make up with her yet,” I say, confused. “I’ve been planning out exactly what I want to say. I totally messed up.”

  “She told me you did.” Anais gives me a crooked smile and I’m not really sure what it means. “She said you apologized and you went out for ice cream at 384 Sprinkles and then got manicures or something?”

  I giggle nervously. “That sounds fun, but it didn’t actually happen.”

  “The manicure part seemed a little iffy, since you guys practically live in a spa that just hired manicurists.” Anais laughs too. Even though this story is really funny, I’m not sure what I should do about it.

  “She just wants to be your friend, Lucy,” Anais adds after a few minutes of awkward silence with only the cab’s eighties music station breaking the tension.

  “Yeah. I know. I was actually starting to like her.”

  “I guess she made up that whole story because that’s what she wishes would happen,” Anais says. “But she’ll be leaving soon anyway, to go back to Manhattan, right?”

  I nod. “Yeah, I guess right after Labor Day.”

  “Today’s the last day of her sailing camp,” Anais tells me.

  “I’ll make up with her,” I say. “For real this time.”

  The cab lets us out right in front of the pharmacy. Inside, I see Tory and Charise helping customers and everything going smoothly even without Grandma or Mom or me there. It’s good to know we can all take a break once in a while and not have to worry.

  We rush into the spa area and Anais goes straight to the pink filing cabinet behind the reception desk. All of the filing cabinets and supply cabinets are either pink or green, and some are pinkand-green striped. When I think about the time it took to order these supplies, it’s amazing we got it done and with a few weeks to spare. The tables are covered with that soft paper, and the towels are rolled up neatly in baskets.

  I want the grand opening to be now! I want to greet the customers and I want to welcome them and I want to hear all the compliments about how amazing Pink & Green is.

  “Well, this is it.” Anais shows me about four folders stuffed full of paper. “It’s all organized by date. I have the sign-off from B. Bond, the inspector.” She points to the signature and everything.

  “If we have the sign-off, what happened? Why aren’t we approved or whatever?”

  Anais sighs. “Apparently it wasn’t filed the right way, and we missed the person who does the filing because he’s away the next two weeks.” She rolls her eyes. “You’d think anyone could handle the filing, since it’s the actual inspection that matters, but it’s all red tape.”

  I still don’t understand it, but Ruthie said she could help.

  I sit at the spa reception desk while I’m waiting for Anais to finish gathering all the paperwork. I look at the beautiful Pink & Green notepad and business cards that just came in. I love the font on everything—curly and cute and feminine. Mom really did an amazing job with the branding. She even found these pinkand-green-striped gift bags so if people buy products to take home, they’re carrying them in style. And the best part is that all our paper stuff is made out of recycled materials; even the gift bags are reusable. We’re totally true to our eco-spa mission.

  Anais comes back over to me with another folder. “E-mails back and forth,” she says. She’s wearing an ivory sundress and gold strappy sandals and, truthfully, she should’ve been the one to take Mom shopping. Anais has the best fashion sense out of any of us.

  She’s also probably right about Bevin. As soon as this whole inspection thing is taken care of, and Ruthie helps us, I’m going to smooth things over with Bevin.

  Slowly but surely I’m checking things off my worry list. Soon all I’ll have to worry about is Sunny and Yamir. But they’re still in California, and I think a little time away will do all of us good. Besides, I can’t fix everything at once!

  to pick us up when my phone rings. I told Anais that we could walk to the food co-op from here, but she decided that it’s way too hot to walk even a few inches. I pretty much agree
with her, especially after running all the way to her apartment.

  “Hello?” I say, worried that it’s going to be Ruthie telling us not to even bother coming. The number on the caller ID came up as private.

  “Luce! Guess what? Mom found an ah-may-zing dress!” Claudia shouts. “Come over here, now. Bean can pick you up!”

  “Um.” As nice as it is that Claudia thought to call me, I really can’t just drop everything and go over there right now. “I can’t, actually. But I am so so so so excited about Mom’s dress. I’ll see it later tonight.”

  “No. It’s going to the tailor for alterations in an hour. You need to see it now.”

  She’s acting a little crazy. “I can’t, Claud. You know how important this school board proposal is.” I pause and I hear voices in the background, but I can’t tell who’s talking. I didn’t know Sil’s was such a popular store. It always seemed like a weird combination of hippie and old lady to me.

  “Lucy! Seriously. Just come. Bean will get you at school in ten minutes. Finish up.” She’s talking with a list of instructions and commands, not suggestions. She’s talking like I don’t have a choice.

  “I can’t. Also, my phone’s dying. I gotta go. Love you.”

  I hang up and exhale and pray that Bean doesn’t just show up at school.

  “What was that all about?” Anais asks, startling me. For a second, I forgot she was even there.

  “My sister was insisting that I go over to this boutique to see a dress my mom bought for that wedding this weekend.” I brush some sweat off my forehead. “I don’t get why it’s such a big deal. It’s not like it’s her best friend’s wedding or anything. They talk once a year.”

  Thinking about that makes me sad. What if that’s what happens to Sunny and me one day? What if we become busy grownups who only have time to talk once a year? We talk pretty much once an hour now—or at least, we did before our fight—so it would really have to be seriously bad to turn into once a year. I try to brush that worry away. There’s no way that will ever happen.