"We have one more thing to talk about," Matty said, as she walked into the bathroom, closing the door behind her.
Bill pulled open the shower curtain slightly and poked his head out.
"In case you haven't noticed, I am taking a shower here."
Matty walked to the toilet, put the seat down and sat on it.
"You really should keep the seat down, especially when you have company."
Bill stared at her.
"Again, can I have some privacy. I want to take a shower, pack and get out of here."
Matty nodded.
"Yea I kinda figured that by the way you were talking."
"It wasn't a secret, Matty. I told you flat out that I am leaving."
Bill closed the curtain and continued his shower.
"Now, can you please leave?"
Matty sighed.
"No can do, Bill. There is one more thing I need to tell you about last night."
Bill's head appeared through the shower curtain again.
"I'm not engaged to that huge man, am I?"
Matty shook her head.
"Nothing like that. No marriage, no engagements. Nothing embarrassing."
Bill closed the curtain once again.
"Good then I have no legal bonds to this place."
"Well," Matty whispered.
"Thats not exactly accurate."
Bill's head slowly appeared from the shower, for a third time.
"What does that mean?"
Matty was silent.
"Matty?"
Matty let out a long breath.
"Well, when we came back here last night, we had a beer. While we were talking ...
Well more like while I was talking and you were slurring, you came to a decision."
"How could I come to any decision? I don't even remember coming back to the house."
"I know that," Matty seemed to apologize.
"But you still did something."
"I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No. No. No.
You were actually very sweet, but there was a point where I went to the bathroom. When I returned, you were sitting at the desk."
"And?"
"And you had the papers for the sale of the lighthouse."
"Ah fuck," Bill sighed.
"Tell me I didn't sign those papers."
Matty smiled, slightly.
"You signed the papers, Bill."
"Well, it doesn't matter, unless I signed the other documents, right?"
Matty smiled and licked her lips nervously.
"Tell me I didn't sign those documents."
"Well Bill, actually ..."
"Never mind. So I signed everything?"
Matty nodded.
"I did try to stop you, but you insisted."
Bill thought for a moment.
"Ah but they had to be witnessed to be legal."
Bill went back to showering.
"Well ..."
"Ah fuck."
Bill's head appeared for the fourth time.
"Well?"
"You insisted that we go to the General Store and get Henry to witness the signatures, so it would be legal."
Bill started laughing.
"You find this funny?"
Bill went back to showering.
"Nice try, Matty."
"What? What are you talking about?"
"I'm talking about you and your plan."
Matty stood up and walked toward the shower.
"What plan?"
"Come on, Matty. Get me drunk. Get me back here. Get the papers, go to Henry's.
You knew damn well I would not remember a thing."
"What?" Matty yelled.
"You think I purposely got you drunk so I could trick you into signing the papers."
"Well, didn't you?"
"No," Matty yelled, slapping the shower curtain.
"Well isn't it just a little strange that you stayed sober, just to make sure I got home. So that you could get me at that desk to sign those papers."
"That is not true. I just wanted to make sure you got back to the lighthouse in one piece and we didn't find your body washed up on the shore, you fucking asshole."
Bill laughed.
"Okay, Matty? Whatever makes you feel better. But you know it will never stand up in court."
Matty tried to talk, but she was so mad, the words stuck in her throat.
She let out a scream, turned around and flushed the toilet.
"What the fuck," Bill yelled as the water in the shower suddenly turned icy cold.
"You trying to kill me?"
Matty flushed the toilet again.
"Will you fucking stop that?" Bill yelled at her.
"Not until you come to your fool senses, you asshole."
Matty heard the water go off in the shower.
Bill's hand reached out for the towel on the rack next to the shower stall.
Matty grabbed all the towels and even the facecloths that were there.
Bill's head appeared again. He saw Matty with the armful of towels and facecloths.
"Give me a towel."
Matty shook her head.
"Give me a towel, Matty."
"Not a chance."
"Fine," Bill snapped.
"Fine," Matty spat back at him.
Bill looked at his change of clothes on a small stand, near the sink.
Matty grabbed the clothes quickly and even quicker, opened the bathroom door and ran out, slamming the door behind her.
"Matty you get back here with my clothes."
"Not until you start acting civilly and let me explain."
"I don't think there is anything to explain, Matty"
Matty put the towels and clothes on the desk.
"Please Bill."
The bathroom door opened and Bill walked out, with the shower curtain wrapped around his naked body.
He walked past Matty, without looking at her and disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind him.
Matty looked at Nanny Dove.
"What do I do now?"
Nanny Dove stopped knitting and rocking.
"Ise don't tink dere bes much youse can do, Matty. Ise tinks dat 'e 'as made 'es mind up."
Matty slumped on the chair, near the desk and sat in silence.
Bill appeared, fully clothed, a few minutes later and took the clothes from the desk. He didn't even look at Matty. He returned to the bedroom and threw the clothes into the open suitcase on the bed, closing it quickly.
He then grabbed his duffle bag, slung it over his shoulder, picked up the suitcase and walked out of the bedroom.
He looked at Matty.
"It was a pleasure meeting you, Miss Dove. I am so sorry things did not work out."
He passed Matty two cheques.
"I hope the Pub and General Store accept cheques. I didn't know how much I owed the General Store but I figured fifteen grand should cover it. If they need more, you can email me and I will send the money."
Matty didn't reach for the cheques. She just stared at Bill, biting her lower lip.
Bill laid the cheques on the desk and looked at Nanny Dove.
"Pleasure meeting you Mrs. Dove."
Nanny Dove simply nodded and went back to knitting and rocking.
Bill looked at Matty one last time and walked across the living room, opened the door and left.
A moment later, Matty heard the truck start.
She took a deep breath and fought to hold back the tears. She listened as the truck pulled onto the cobblestone road and drove off.
Seconds later the sound of the truck faded and then disappeared.
Matty looked at her grandmother.
Suddenly she burst into tears.
"What have I done Nanny?"
"Youse didn't do anyting, me love. Ifin it wasn't meant to bes, den it won't bes.
Ise jest guess it weren't meant to bes."
"But I failed."
Matty took one of the towels on the desk and dried her eyes.
"I let the Bay down."
She broke down into tears again.
"Youse did da best dat youse cud, me love."
"But he's gone," Matty sobbed.
"And I ....
and I ..."
"Youse what?"
Matty just stared at he grandmother and wiped her eyes again.
"I failed the Bay. I let everyone down."
"Ise beginnin' to tink dis 'ave nothin' to do with da Bay."
Matty took a deep breath.
"Of course it does. What else would it be?"
"Ise knows Ise jest an old lady, but Ise knos when two peoples likes each other."
Matty shook her head.
"What are you talking about old lady? Me and Bill?"
Matty laughed, but the laugh quickly turned to tears.
"I do like him, don't I?"
"Well Ise tinks youse do."
"But he doesn't like me."
"Sweetie, da way dat boy looks at youse, bes da same way a little boy looks at a puppy dog. 'es jest bes a little shy and a little slow."
Matty wiped her eyes one last time. She looked at the documents on the desk.
"No way. No fucking way."
She took her car keys from her jeans pocket.
"No fucking way."
She headed across the living room.
"Go gits 'e girl. Go gits 'e."