Allie nodded.
A little before noon, Noah and Allie went in to prepare lunch. Both of them were starving again because they hadnt eaten much the day before. Using what he had on hand, they fried some chicken and baked another batch of biscuits, and the two of them ate on the porch, serenaded小夜曲; 情歌 by a mockingbird.
"I know you dont think so, but I always liked you, Noah. I just didnt think you were right for my daughter. Can you understand that?"
He stammered out a reply as she walked past him, stopping just before the stairs.
The table was silent for a moment as they wondered what was coming next, but Anne remained quiet.
Anne turned to Noah. "These last couple of days must have been full of surprises."
"How could you be so sure?"
She spent the morning with Noah. Together they fed Clem and checked the windows to make sure no damage had been done in the storm. Two pine trees had blown over, though neither had caused much damage, and a few shingles屋顶板 had blown off the shed, but other than that, the property had escaped pretty much unscathed.
"No one will ever do that," her mother said, and she released Allies hand.
He stared for a moment at a beautiful woman in her early fifties, a woman he would have recognized anywhere.
"I should go, Allie. Youve got some decisions to make,and you dont have much time. Do you want me to stay in town?"
They showered together, and afterward Allie put on her dress, which had dried overnight.
"May I come in?" she asked, her voice steady, revealing nothing.
"Hello, Noah," she finally said.
"Who is it?" Allie shouted from the kitchen, and the woman turned at the sound of her voice.
"Yes, I do," Allie answered softly, "very much."
"What did you say to him?"
"I dont know, Allie. Thats up to you. But I would think about it. Think about what you really want."
"As we speak. He arranged to have the trial postponed until next week. If hes not in New Bern yet, hes close."
Allie took them and ran her hand over them, shocked.
"These are the letters that Noah wrote you. I never threw them away, and they havent been opened. I know I shouldnt have kept them from you, and Im sorry for that. But I was just trying to protect you. I didnt realize..."
"Do you love Lon?"
Noah said nothing.
"I love you, too."
He held her hand most of the morning and the two talked easily, but sometimes he would stop speaking and just stare at her. When he did, she felt as though she should say something, but nothing meaningful ever came into her head. Lost in thought, she usually just kissed him.
Noah couldnt speak.
Knock again.
When he was gone, Anne whispered, "Do you love him?"
"Oh, my God."
"Not much. But he knew. He had it all figured out. He remembered my telling him about Noah a long time ago."
On her way out the door, Allie thought that she heard her mother whisper, "Follow your heart," but she couldnt be sure.
"What about Daddy?"
"No. And I wont. Thats between you and him. But knowing him, Im sure hell find you here if you stay. All it takes is a couple of phone calls to the right people. After all, I was able to find you."
"I cant make this decision for you, Allie, this ones all yours. I want you to know, though, that I love you. And I always will. I know that doesnt help, but its all I can do."
Allie, though obviously worried, smiled at her mother. "Thank you," she said, and her mother reached for her hand.
"Im coming," Noah said. Knock, knock. Louder. He approached the door. Knock, knock.
Allie shook her head. "No, this is up to me."
"What are you going to do?" her mother asked, pulling back. There was a long pause.
She smiled, but her manner was stiff, and Noah imagined how difficult this must be for her. "I saw the article, too, and I saw your reaction. I also saw how tense youve been during the last couple of weeks, and when you said you were going shopping near the coast, I knew exactly what you meant."
"I know weve had our differences, Allie, and that we havent seen eye to eye on everything. Im not perfect, but I did the best I could with raising you. Im your mother and I always will be. That means Ill always love you."
"Its your mother," Noah finally answered, and immediately after he said it, he heard the sound of breaking glass.
"Im coming," he said again as he opened the door.
"Yes, I do. I love him, too. Dearly, but in a different way. He doesnt make me feel the way Noah does."
"I came because I had to," her mother said, "which Im sure is the same reason you came. Am I right?"
Anne Nelson shook her head. "No, I didnt tell your father or anyone else about it. Nor did I tell anyone where I was going today."
Allie paled.
He shook his head as he answered, his tone serious. "No, not really. It wasnt fair to me, and it wasnt fair to Allie. Otherwise she wouldnt be here."
Allie turned away, her eyes reddening. A moment later a tear drifted down her cheek.
Anne nodded and watched her daughter for a moment, wondering. Finally she stood, went around the table, leaned over, and kissed her daughter on the cheek. She could see the question in her daughters eyes as Allie stood from the table and embraced her.
Allie was silent for a moment, then: "What should I do?"
Anne turned back to her daughter. "This has nothing to do with trust. This has todo with Lon. He called the house last night to talk to me about Noah, and hes on his way here right now. He seemed very upset. I thought youd want to know."
Her mother raised an eyebrow. "I thought I would be the one to ask that question."
Allie swallowed hard. "Did you tell him I was here?"
"Youre my daughter. One day when you have kids of your own, youll know the answer."
"Yes," he answered simply, and she smiled at him.
She watched him as he answered, but she said nothing. Allie, sensing an argument, cut in: "What do you mean when you say you had to come? Dont you trust me?"
She reached in her pocketbook and removed a bundle of letters held together with string, the envelopes old and slightly yellowed.
"I knew you would be here," Anne Nelson said to her daughter as the three of them sat around the coffee table in the living room.
While they were inside doing the dishes, they heard a knock at the door. Noah left Allie in the kitchen.
"I dont know," Allie finally answered. They stood together for another minute, just holding each other. "Thanks for coming," Allie said. "I love you."
"Why did you come?" Allie finally asked.
Allie inhaled sharply. "Hes on his way?"
"I dont know," she trailed off, and her mother squeezed her hand. Anne looked at Noah, who had been sitting with his head down, listening carefully. As if on cue, he returned her gaze, nodded, and left the room.
Nah made breakfast for Allie while she slept in the living room. Bacon, biscuits, and coffee, nothing spectacular. He set the tray beside her as she woke up, and as soon as they had finished eating, they made love again. It was relentless, a powerful confirmation of what they had shared the day before. Allie arched her back and cried out fiercely in the final tidal wave of sensations, then wrapped her arms around him as they breathed in unison, exhausted.
