"What happened?"

A tear rolled down one cheek, and she brushed it away. "Well, we all got caught equally, but then everybody else decided to say it was my fault. Like I kept them out all night without them having anything to do with it. So now nobody's allowed to hang out with me. As if I'd hang out with them anyway." She took a ragged breath. "I can't wait to get out of this stupid town. It's so annoying."

"Your life will get better," I said. "Next time you'll be smarter, and you'll pick better friends, too." I hesitated. "And a better boyfriend."

Hannah looked me right in the eyes. "Did my mother tell you?"

I nodded. "Here's my best advice: pick a guy who deserves you. And the smartest thing you can do is to make sure you don't get pregnant in the first place."

"No shit," Hannah said. She looked exactly like Tess when she said it.

WE GOT A fabulous turnout at the first meeting of the Marshbury Clothesline Alliance. About thirty women and exactly three men, not counting Rosie's dad, Tess and Rosie's husbands, and Rosie's two sons, milled around in the lavender shed and sat on the lawn in folding chairs Tess had borrowed from her school. The citronella and lavender oil in the tiki torches Rosie had lit kept the mosquitoes at bay and also smelled great. fabulous turnout at the first meeting of the Marshbury Clothesline Alliance. About thirty women and exactly three men, not counting Rosie's dad, Tess and Rosie's husbands, and Rosie's two sons, milled around in the lavender shed and sat on the lawn in folding chairs Tess had borrowed from her school. The citronella and lavender oil in the tiki torches Rosie had lit kept the mosquitoes at bay and also smelled great.

Rod Stewart cock-a-doodle-do cock-a-doodle-doed a few times, and the Supremes took turns working the lock on their pen, but I could see that somebody, possibly my mother, had wrapped some extra wire around to hold the gate secure, so I knew they were out of luck, at least for tonight.

My mother and Rosie's dad were handling the cash box, while I took orders for custom clotheslines. Lots of them. Apparently clotheslines really were the new cool.

"Oh, that's a great idea, Lo," a woman was saying. "That lavender wreath would be perfect on my front door. And thanks, I didn't even see those lavender bath salts."

As soon as the woman walked away, my mother said, "I only wish we had my Florida friend up here selling her lingerie. It would be the hit of the party. Maybe you and Rosie should look into it as a sideline."

"That's a fine-looking plant," Rosie's dad was saying to another woman. "Here, let me get the wheelbarrow for you, and I'll wheel it out to your car."

"I got it, Mr. Stockton," Hannah said. She grabbed the wheelbarrow and started maneuvering it through the crowd.

Tess looked at me. "Scary," she said. "You don't think she has a body double, do you?"

"She's a great kid," I said. "She's going to be just fine."

Before we started the meeting, Rosie and Tess's husbands made sure everyone had either a glass of seltzer or some lavender black currant champagne, made the real way, without cutting any muddling corners.

Tess stood in front of the chairs and clapped her hands. I could suddenly picture her as a teacher. I bet the kids quieted down right away for her.

"Welcome to the first meeting of the Marshbury Clothesline Alliance," Tess said. "It all started with a few posters on a clothesline and a vast quantity of bubbles in the fountain, but on the advice of counsel, we're not allowed to discuss that."

Everybody cheered.

"Most days," Tess continued, "I am proud to live in this beautiful little town, but every so often I am outraged by the elitist, small-minded, judgmental, bourgeois...."

I made a cutting motion across my neck.

"But I digress," Tess said. "Anyway, we're here tonight to strategize so we can right a simple wrong. Energy costs are crazy, and there's nothing like the smell of your sheets fresh off the line. Green is the new black, and clotheslines are as green as you can get. The Marshbury Clothesline Ban has seen its day, and it's up to intelligent people like us to make sure the ban is banned. I'd like to see a clothesline in every yard in Marshbury by the end of the year. Whether they want one or not!"

Everybody cheered again.

I stepped up beside Tess. "We'd like each of you to take a copy of the Ban the Marshbury Clothesline Ban petition. If you can circulate it for signatures, and drop it off back here at the lavender farm by August fifteenth, that would be great. We're hoping to go before the board of selectmen to present our case at the end of August. If we get enough signatures, they'll put a question on the ballot at the town election in November. And, of course, we'll win."

The cheering grew even louder, then tapered off. I waved to Sherry, who was sitting between two other women from work. It was nice to see them again.

Everybody started surging toward either the petitions or the lavender black currant champagne.

Something made me turn to look down Rosie's long driveway. A man was emerging from the path that ran through the pine grove from my house to Rosie's.

I threaded my way through the cars that lined both sides of the driveway and met him halfway.

"Hey," Rick said. "Some party."

"It is now," I said.

"ISN'T IT LOVELY you boys have so much in common?" my mother said. She lowered her voice and whispered, "I have a good feeling about this one, honey." you boys have so much in common?" my mother said. She lowered her voice and whispered, "I have a good feeling about this one, honey."

Rosie's dad had borrowed his grandsons' Wii, and he and Rick were getting it plugged into my television.

"So, what will it be, bowling or tennis?" Rick asked.

"Ladies' choice," Rosie's dad said.

"How about bowling?" I said. "I have fond memories of Wii bowling."

Rick was squatting in front of the TV. He turned around, and his eyes met mine. My heart leaped, and we both smiled like we were kids again.

"Bowling's fine with me," my mother said.

"You'll love it," I said. "And don't worry, you'll pick it up right away."

"Oh, please," my mother said. "I'm on a Wii bowling league at my condo clubhouse. I even have my own designer Mii."

After we finished playing, I walked Rick out to his Honda.

"Sorry about that," I said.

"What?" he said. "I had a great time. Plus, we kicked their butts."

I smiled. I'd had a great time, too, a grand time, as my mother would say. A grand time with a man who might or might not be able to dance, but he was definitely quite the nice guy.

We both looked up at the sky. The moon was almost full, and about a gazillion stars twinkled around it.

Rick put his arm around me.

"So what made you just show up tonight?" I asked.

"Well," he said. "I was going to wait and talk to you tomorrow at Fresh Horizons. You know, give you some time to figure out whatever you needed to with the guy in the suit."

I leaned into Rick. "Nothing to figure out. Old news."

"Good to know. But then I was afraid you might misinterpret it as a lack of interest on my part and take my head off in front of our small-group cohorts again."

I laughed. "I didn't take your head off. I was just drawing a line in the sand."

"Perfectly executed," he said. "That small-group stuff is really rubbing off on you, isn't it?"

And then he kissed me.

Day 32

10,001 steps

"SO," TESS SAID TESS SAID. "WHAT A GREAT TURNOUT LAST NIGHT."

"I was hoping a lawyer would show up," Rosie said. "It always helps to have a lawyer present your case at those selectmen's meetings. Otherwise, they try to trip you up."

"Just let 'em try it," Tess said. "A part of me is hoping they don't simply cave and ban the clothesline ban right away. Then we can get some picketing in."

"Just no bubbles," I said. "That's all I ask. And remind me to keep my ski mask on this time, okay?"

We took a right at the end of Wildwater Way. Tess moved up ahead, and Rosie stepped back beside me.

"So," Rosie said. "Those clotheslines of yours certainly were a big hit."

"I know," I said. "Do you believe it? And I heard you sold practically every lavender item in the shed."

"Yeah, it was great. Your mother promised she'd help me make lavender wands and more lavender wreaths. And she and my father are fine with keeping an eye on the shed through the season. After that they're talking about heading to Florida so your mom can show off my dad at her condo complex."

Tess turned around. "Hel-lo. I'm starting to feel left out up here."

We crossed the road to our side street shortcut, and Rosie and I arranged ourselves on either side of Tess. "I was thinking," I said. "Maybe you could put together an outreach program for schools and other groups. You know, tours and mini-workshops at the lavender farm on weekends and school vacations...."

"Not that left out," Tess said.

We all laughed. It was hot and muggy already, but it felt good to sweat, to move. I couldn't get over how much stronger and fitter I was now than I'd been just over a month ago. I was eating better and even liking myself a lot more, too. This morning I'd dared to step on the scale in my bathroom again. I was seven pounds lighter. I'd tiptoed into my bedroom, stood in front of the full-length mirror on my closet door, and dropped my towel. Not bad. I mean, not perfect by any stretch, but the fitter I got, the more I was okay with looking like the best version of myself, instead of trying to measure up to some airbrushed Hollywood fantasy.

We walked through the opening in the seawall. "Oh, I can't believe I almost forgot," Tess said. She pulled a folded note card out of her pocket.

Dear Tess, Noreen, and Rosie,I will be taking over Ms. Grady's class until a permanent teacher is hired. The school year starts early down here in the South, and we'll be back at it in just over two weeks' time. Where does the summer go?I want to thank you for sending those precious lined journals and fancy pens for the students, which will help us out tremendously. That sweet clothesline will sure come in handy for drying our artwork in the classroom, too. The school custodian promises to hang it up for me any day now, but he's slower'n a bread wagon with biscuit wheels, so I'm not holding my breath. We'll get it up there eventually though, and please know that Ms. Grady the Great will shine on forever in our hearts.Sincerely, Laurel Cobb Tess pulled out a photo of Annalisa with last year's class. "Be careful," she said. "Don't either of you dare get any tears on it."

Rosie sniffed loudly. "Oh," she said. "Look how happy they all are. And Annalisa is so beautiful. Well, maybe not beautiful, but she looks like one of us, doesn't she?"

I wiped my eyes with the sleeve of my T-shirt. "I think we should donate a portion of our profits to the Ms. Grady the Great Memorial Fund," I said.

"Absolutely," Tess said. "And don't forget about the Marshbury Clothesline Alliance. Activism doesn't come cheap, you know."

RICK PICKED ME up in his blue Honda, and we drove to our Fresh Horizons South small-group meeting together. We were early, so we used the extra time to sit in the parking lot and kiss. up in his blue Honda, and we drove to our Fresh Horizons South small-group meeting together. We were early, so we used the extra time to sit in the parking lot and kiss.

"I like this retro parking thing," I whispered into his ear.

"That's because you don't have the steering wheel wedged into your rib cage," he said.

Eventually, we made our way to the meeting. We found two vacant chairs next to each other and sat down. I'd forgotten all about Michael until I saw him sitting at the other end of a row of chairs. As soon as he saw me looking, he leaned over to the woman next to him and whispered something. She laughed.

Brock walked into the room and set up his video camera. He shut his eyes and let out three quick puffs of air. He opened his eyes again, tilted his chin up, and threw his shoulders back. "Welcome," he said. "Welcome to all of you."

"And make that welcome back if you've been here before," the rest of us said.

"My name is Brock," he said.

"And I'll be your Fresh Horizons certified small-group career coach for the next ninety minutes," we yelled.

Brock grinned. "Sounds like some of you are just about ready to graduate. Okay, who's first?"

Rick and I both put our hands up.

"Ladies first," Rick said.

"No, after you," I said.

"Really, I insist," Rick said.

"As do I," I said.

We both cracked up.

"Methinks I detect a hint of romance in the air," one of the disheveled guys said.

Brock clapped his hands three times. Then he looked at me. "Ready?" he asked.

I licked my lips and nodded.

He pushed a button on the video camera. He lifted one hand over his head and brought it down like the clapper on a movie set. "Go," he said.