“I remember, because I wouldn’t eat them,” he said with a laugh.

“I

thought it was weird that they had all these different-colored beans in them. Didn’t look like the canned kind I was used to. ” He took another bite.

“Didn’t know what I was missing.”

He couldn’t believe he was talking to her about beans and food, when his insides were still churning from their conversation that afternoon. In less than two weeks, the country would divide them. She felt the same way, he could tell by the way she looked at him as they sat down on the beach chairs near the fire. It was a look of resignation and sorrow that made him reach out to touch her arm. He wished they had the beach to themselves rather than having to share it with their neighbors from the cul-de-sac.

Daria suddenly looked over her shoulder in the direction of the cul-de-sac.

“There’s Grace,” she said.

Rory turned around. Sure enough, Grace had crossed through the sea oats and was walking toward them, a large bowl in her arms.

“What’s she doing here?” he said under his breath to Daria. He hadn’t seen Grace, hadn’t even heard from her, since the day he’d told her that he and Daria were together. He stood up and took a step away from the circle to greet her.

“Hi, Rory. Hi, Daria,” Grace said, an uncertain smile on her face.

“I

hope you don’t mind my stopping by. I brought some fruit salad. “

Daria rested her plate on the fire ring and stood up to take the bowl from Grace’s arms.

“We’ve got the food over here,” she said, walking toward the picnic table.

Grace must have caught Rory’s look of confusion as they followed Daria to the table.

“I know you weren’t expecting to see me here,” she said.

“And, Daria, I want you to know how really pleased I am that you and Rory are… you know, seeing each other.”

Daria gave her a half smile.

“Thanks,” she said.

“I think you two are really good together,” Grace continued “But when I remembered that tonight was the bon fire, I decided to come over. I hope that’s all right. It’s just that I knew everyone from the cul-de-sac would be here, and there’s something I need to talk about.

To everyone. “

Why? he wanted to ask. Grace had perplexed him. from the moment he’d met her. He wasn’t sure what she was up to this time, but he didn’t feel like making her his responsibility.

“Okay,” he said.

“Help yourself and come sit by the fire.”

He and Daria waited while she took a couple of spoonfuls of food onto her plate, then the three of them moved to the fire. Rory found an empty beach chair and set it in the sand next to Daria for Grace.

Better next to her than him, he thought. Chloe, who was sitting on the other side of the fire near Ellen and Ted, greeted Grace by name, but the other neighbors merely nodded and smiled in her direction.

Chloe stood up and moved to the empty beach chair next to Rory, leaning across him to speak to Daria.

“How’s Shelly?” she asked.

“Isn’t she eating?”

“She said she’s not hungry,” Daria said.

“What’s wrong with Shelly?” Grace asked.

“Where is she?”

“She had a seizure today,” Daria said.

“I think she’s still feeling a little tired from it.”

“Is she at the Sea Shanty?” Grace glanced over her shoulder, where the widow’s walk was barely visible in the darkness.

“No, she’s down there with the kids.” Daria pointed toward the second fire.

Melissa lifted her head to sniff Rory’s food, then leaned against his legs. He scratched her behind her ears.

“My guys are going to miss you when summer’s over,” Linda said to Rory from her seat on the other side of the fire. She had her arm around Jackie.

“Yeah, I was thinking I might have to get me one of these when I get home.” Rory looked down at Melissa’s kind eyes.

“When do you leave?” Ted asked.

“September third.”

“I’m sorry to see you go,” Ted said.

“It’s great seeing you and Daria together.”

Ellen rested her empty plate on the edge of the fire ring.

“So, was this just an end-of-the-summer fling for the two of you?” she asked bluntly.

“What happens next?”

Rory took Daria’s hand again.

“No,” he said calmly.

“It’s not a summer fling. We’ll have to figure out how to keep things going. I’d like to have Daria and Shelly move to California, but Daria doesn’t think that would work out.”

“Shelly would never survive in California,” Daria said. “And she needs me too much for me to just pick up and move three thousand miles away.”

“Oh, for Pete’s sake,” Ellen said.

“When are you going to start living your own life, Daria?”

Rory felt Daria bristle next to him, and Ellen continued.

“It’s like you’re married to her,” she said.

“Ellen, that’s really not fair,” Rory said. He wondered how Ellen could talk that way to Daria, when Daria had been the one to so lovingly raise the child Ellen had abandoned.

“Daria’s done the best job possible with Shelly,” Chloe said to Ellen.

“I agree,” Grace said firmly.

“From what I’ve seen, Daria’s been fantastic for Shelly.”

“Give me a break,” Ellen said.

“If anything, she’s ruined Shelly.”

The atmosphere around the bonfire was suddenly thick with tension.

Mrs. Wheeler told her granddaughters to “go over to the picnic table and get some dessert.” Jill studied her fingernails, and Jackie studiously began petting one of the dogs.

“I’m sorry, Daria,” Ellen continued, “but it’s the truth, and it’s time somebody told you. You’ve made Shelly so dependent on you and on this tiny little corner of the world, that living anywhere else is going to be a major hurdle for her. But it’s a hurdle she has to jump over one of these days, and you need to let her.”

“Don’t you dare give me advice about Shelly.” Daria’s voice was even, too even, and in the firelight, Rory saw the rigid set of her jaw.

“You see her for a couple of days at a time, then you go back to your own, self-absorbed life and complain about what I’ve done with her.

That doesn’t help, Ellen. As a matter of fact, you’ve done nothing to help with Shelly, have you? “

Chloe reached across Rory to wrap her hand around Daria’s arm.

“Daria,” she said softly.

“Not here, sis.”

“You wouldn’t have accepted my help even if I’d offered it,” Ellen said.

“You resented any suggestions I’ve ever made. In my opinion, you should move to California and be with Rory. Leave Shelly here, if this is where she wants to be. She’s an adult now. She’ll survive somehow.”

Daria wrenched her arm free of Chloe’s hand.

“Is that what you thought when you left her on the beach twenty-two years ago?” she snapped.

“That she’d survive somehow?”

The bonfire crackled, waves broke and hissed to shore, and the teenagers laughed. But no one around the bonfire uttered a word. People looked from Daria to Ellen and back again.

Ellen’s mouth dropped open in what Rory guessed to be a pretense of shock.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Ellen bit off each word as it came out of her mouth.

“I’ve had it with your insensitivity to Shelly,” Daria said.

Rory stroked his hand down Daria’s back, wishing there was something he could do to change the direction of her anger. This was not the place or time for a personal confrontation. But Daria seemed completely unaware that her neighbors were even present, much less paying attention to every word.

“Shelly has special needs,” Daria continued.

“And she probably wouldn ‘t have them if you’d… If she’d been born in a hospital to a mother willing to take responsibility for her, she’d probably be fine. You’ve even been a lousy mother to the two daughters you acknowledge as yours.”

Ted leaned forward.

“Daria, you’re off your rocker,” he said.

“If you’ve got a bone to pick with” — “Are you accusing me of being Shelly’s mother?” Ellen interrupted her husband.

“Is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” Daria said.

“You are losing it, Daria,” Ellen said.

“I didn’t have anything to do with Shelly being dumped on the beach.”

Daria started to stand up, but Rory caught her arm. She looked at him and must have seen the plea in his eyes, because she dropped into the chair again. When she spoke, her voice was calmer.

“I know this isn’t the time for this,” Daria said.

“I’m sorry I spilled it out this way. But it’s the truth, Ellen, and it’s time you admitted it. I found your pukka-shell necklace lying right next to the baby. I’ve known all along. I didn’t say anything back then because I didn’t want to get you in trouble. But it’s twenty-two years later, and it’s time to own up to the fact that Shelly was yours.”

Rory’s gaze was suddenly drawn to Grace. She looked truly ill, her face more ashen than usual. Even the golden flames from the fire brought no color to her cheeks. She opened her mouth as if to say something, but Chloe spoke first.

“I took Ellen’s necklace that night,” Chloe said.

All heads turned in her direction. Sitting right next to her, Rory could see the resolve in Chloe’s face.

“I borrowed it without her permission,” Chloe continued.

“I never knew what happened to it. I guess it fell off while I was…” Her voice trailed off. She stared into the fire, then looked up again, her eyes glassy and apologetic as she turned to Daria.

“Shelly’s mine,” she said. “Chloe.” Mrs. Wheeler breathed the word in disbelief.

Rory’s mind raced. Sean Macy. The priest had been involved with Chloe for many years, had even managed to help her parents adopt Shelly. No wonder he had killed himself when Rory was trying to uncover Shelly’s parentage. He rested his hand lightly on Chloe’s arm.