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.”Tess shook her head.“And I still can’t believe we haven’t found lavender black currant champagne anywhere.Maybe it’s a bait and switch.”“Maybe it’s a drink,” Rosie said.“You know, you muddle lavender and black currants together and then add champagne.”“Too much work,” Tess said.“We’re on vacation.”“I’m dying to learn how to make lavender wands,” I said.I took another sip of my lavender iced tea.“I thought my muslin lavender sachet bag came out great yesterday.”“Boring,” Tess said.“I thought this was going to be a little bit more of an adventure, not a crafts session.Although I’m planning on making lavender halos with ribbon streamers on the first day back at school.The kids will love it, and halos couldn’t hurt in terms of setting the tone for the year’s behavior.I think I’ll send the directions to Annalisa when I hear from her.”“Nothing yet?” Rosie asked.“I’ll check again later,” Tess said.“Did you see that lavender pasta salad at that farm café yesterday? I am so having that for lunch.We might have to tack an extra five thousand steps on today.I was finally back into my old jeans before we left.”“I think I’ll go for the lavender chicken tahini wrap this time,” Rosie said.“And I really want to try a piece of lavender cheesecake at some point.I’ll just throw out my old jeans, if it comes to that.”I HELD UP my finished lavender wand for the instructor to admire.“This is the coolest thing ever,” I said.“I want one for each of my drawers, and I think I might even hang one from the rearview mirror of my car.And my mother is so going to want one for her lingerie drawer.”“I’d almost forgotten how to make these,” Rosie said.“My mother used to make them every year.Be sure the ribbon is pulled really tight, because it will loosen up as the lavender dries.And if the scent starts to fade, you just have to squeeze the wand, and it will renew.”Tess held hers up.“They’re actually kind of phallic,” she said, “not that I’m complaining.Can we go do some more wine tasting today? If we start early, we might be able to get to the rest of the six wineries.”“Maybe,” I said.“Let’s go back to the hotel, drop this stuff off, and pick up the car.”We grabbed the C bus to the street fair, then hoofed it back to the hotel from there.Rosie sprawled out on the cot and checked her pedometer.“I feel great,” she said.“The air, the lavender, the food…”“The fabulous company,” I said.“The fabulous company,” she said.Tess was firing up her laptop.“Check the news,” I said on my way into the bathroom.“That video can’t still be up, can it?”“Oh, no,” Tess was saying when I came out.“Damn,” I said.“It’s still up?”“Oh, no,” Tess said again in a tiny voice.“What?” Rosie said.She sat down beside Tess on the couch.I was afraid to sit down.Maybe Hannah had been arrested, or worse.I should have told Tess I knew she was sneaking around.The point wasn’t whether or not Hannah would have ever spoken to me again.I should have done it to keep her safe.And because Tess was my friend.I made myself sit down on Tess’s other side.A message filled her computer screen.This update is being posted by Annalisa Grady’s family.As some of you know by now, Annalisa passed Tuesday evening.She was surrounded by her loved ones, and she died peacefully in her sleep.Among her final requests was that we tell everyone at this care site how grateful she was to her sister teachers and friends for their loving support.We thank you, too, more than we can ever say.Annalisa was a very lucky woman to be able to call so many people from all over the world her friends.Although she was no longer able to post, her delight in reading your messages continued until the end.Know that they made all the difference.Annalisa’s wish was that her remains be cremated, and that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to a fund for teaching supplies started in her name.Information for donating to and applying for funds from the Ms.Grady the Great Memorial Fund follows this message.As those of you in the New Orleans area already know, a memorial service will take place Sunday at 3 P.M.in Annalisa’s school gymnasium.Annalisa asked that we celebrate her life and not mourn her death, so if you’re near NOLA, we hope you’ll come on down.If not, please close your eyes and say a prayer for our Annalisa.Tears were burning my eyes and streaming down my face.“Ohmigod,” I said.“I can’t believe it.”“It just sucks,” Rosie said.She pulled a travel pack of tissues from her purse and passed them around.“She was so young.Wasn’t she?”Tess blew her nose.“I’m not sure,” she said.“I think she was probably our age.But we have to go.”“Go?” I said.Tess was already searching for flights.“The memorial service.We have to go to Annalisa’s memorial service.”“Do you have any idea how much it would cost us to fly from Seattle to New Orleans tomorrow?” I said.“Plus, we’d have to buy another ticket back to Boston, too.”“Maybe we can get a bereavement fare,” Tess said.“I think we just have to show a copy of the death certificate.”“Tess,” I said.“You can’t get a copy of Annalisa’s death certificate.You barely knew her.”Tess slid her laptop down to the coffee table and closed it like a coffin.She put her elbows on her knees and buried her head in her hands.Rosie sniffed.I blew my nose.Tess lifted her head up.“If this were the movie of our lives, we’d go.”Rosie smiled.“It would be the montage part.Everything would go all slow motion and we’d be running to make the plane.And then there’d be scenes from Annalisa’s life, and our lives, too.”“And music,” I said.“Maybe ‘Stairway to Heaven.’”“No, that’s all wrong,” Rosie said.“Minnie Riperton’s ‘Lovin’ You.’ You know, the one with the bird sounds.I bet Annalisa liked that song [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]