Read the first chapter of Emma Straub's delightful new novel, All Adults Here
Astrid Strick had never liked Barbara Baker, not for a single day of their forty‑year acquaintance, but when Barbara was hit and killed by the empty, speeding school bus at the intersection of Main and Morrison streets on the eastern side of the town roundabout, Astrid knew that her life had changed, the shock of which was indistinguishable from relief.
Astrid let her eyes wander to the eyesore, the bête noire of every Clapham resident, both year‑round and summer interloper—the unwieldy, trapezoidal building that had been empty for a year, the large space inside totally bare except for things abandoned by the most recent tenant: a ladder, two cans of paint, and three overstuffed garbage bags. There was a Sold sign in the window, with a telephone number, but the telephone number had long since been disconnected.
“It was empty,” Randall said. He owned the gas station, which made him an easy authority on vehicles. “Except for the driver. No kids.” Shear Beauty had made some improvements over the years, some attempts at modernization. The mirrors were frameless, and the wallpaper was silver with a gray geometric pattern, all of it meant to make the place seem sophisticated, which it wasn’t particularly. Birdie never could let go of the bowls of dusty potpourri in the bathroom or the embroidered pillows on the bench at the entrance. If someone wanted a fancier place, they were welcome to find one.
If Randall was right and the bus had been empty—that was important. Astrid had three children and three grandchildren, and even if she hadn’t, the loss of a child was the most acute tragedy, followed closely by a young parent, followed by cancer researchers, sitting presidents, movie stars, and everybody else.
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