The Yellow Braid by Karen Coccioli Read Free Book Online Page A

common thing they
had in common was their DNA.
    “Isn’t that the truth,” Nina said. “With
myself I can hardly believe where the years went. I’m going to be
forty-three next birthday and my accomplishments are a husband and
a house in the Hamptons.”
    “You sound disappointed,” Caro said.
    Nina was about to reply when Tommy jogged
across the street toward them with Livia and Alex tagging
behind.
    “ How about an early supper and a movie
tonight? Harry Potter for
us,” Tommy said, indicating Livia and Alex along with himself.
“ Julie and
Julia for you
two?”
    “Caro?” Nina asked.
    “Sounds great,” Caro said and tugged lightly
at Livia’s braid.
     
    ***
     
    Caro mounted her bike on her car and went
next door.
    Livia was sitting on the porch steps, her
face smothered in her palms. The twin tufts of baby-fine hair that
were her eyebrows rose above her fingertips at Caro’s unexpected
appearance.
    “Hello.” Caro noticed a faint crease across
the bridge of Livia’s nose, the beginning of a glower behind her
hands.
    When Livia didn’t respond, Caro sat down
next to her. “You’ve got quite a frown for such a beautiful, sunny
day.”
    “So…”
    “ So what’s wrong?” Caro asked.
    “I’m lonely. And I’m bored, that’s what’s
wrong.”
    “We can do things together,” Caro blurted.
“That’s why I came over today.”
    “It’s different. Aunt Nina understands. She
felt really bad,” Livia said.
    “About what?”
    “About that my cousin had to cancel her
visit because she got mono and has to stay in for six weeks. That’s
half the summer!”
    “How long was she planning to stay?” Caro
asked.
    “Two weeks. We get together every summer.
Either I go to her house in Maryland or she comes to me. This year
she was coming here to be at the beach.”
    Two weeks without Livia alone! Caro exhaled
in relief. “I think what I planned for us today is especially,
exactly what you need now.”
    Caro saw a subtle rise in Livia’s
expression. “Your aunt told me you like to bird-watch so I thought
we’d go over to Shelter Island. Interested?”
    “I guess,” Livia said, and took off to look
for her aunt.Caro and Livia boarded the ferry at Sag Harbor for the
ten-minute ride across Noyack Bay, one of three deep harbors along
the twenty-five-mile coastline. An eight-thousand acre windswept
island town tucked between the twin forks of eastern Long
Island—the rural northern fork with its horse farms and apple
orchards and its posh southern counterpart, the Hamptons—Shelter
Island was known for its mist-laden bluffs, vast tracts of salt
marsh, and pebbled beaches.
    As they drove off the ferry, Caro headed
toward the Visitors Center at the Mashomack Preserve, which was to
be their starting point. “I went online and downloaded the
bird-watching trails. But I thought you might want to first bike
along the coast and check out the boats in the marinas. Your Aunt
Nina said—”
    Livia interrupted. “You talk a lot to Aunt
Nina.”
    “Guess I do. Is that a bad thing?”
    Livia shrugged and focused on unfastening
her bike from the trunk rack.
    Before long, Caro’s car was left in the
distance as they pedaled toward Coecles Inlet on North Ferry Road.
She’d estimated the nine-mile ride to take about an hour, given the
hilly terrain, and praised herself for having stayed in shape over
the years. In the city she bicycled often. It was so much easier
than hailing a taxi or fighting the elbowing throngs in the
subways.
    They rode in silence with Livia in the lead.
The fat tires of her mountain bike dispersed gravel in wavy
rivulets as she swerved from side to side, keeping time to some
inner rhythm.
    Before long, she spotted a female osprey who
had built her nest on the top mast of a dry-docked schooner.
“Look!” Livia pointed and sped up for about fifty yards before
turning into the driveway of Gates Marina. She jumped off her bike
under the nest. When Caro caught up, Livia exclaimed,