Beyond That, the Sea

After spending seven years out west as a graduate student and then a counselor, Gerald moves back to Boston, accepting a job to head the counseling and tutoring center at his old school. He longs for home, especially because Nancy has been alone since Ethan’s death and William’s two children are growing up so fast.

Gerald takes a different house on campus but also spends time at Nancy’s throughout the summer. One morning in August, he finds Nancy preparing for her grandchildren’s arrival. Gerald resents how often William and Rose dump the children on Nancy, but he loves them dearly himself. As he reads to Kathleen and Jack at night, he reflects on how he loves being with them and can’t imagine why William wants to get away.

Rose heads to Hyannis for the weekend with a group of girlfriends. She loves the Kennedys and is hoping to run into one of them in town. They drive past the Kennedys’ house, and the women sigh at how beautiful it is. At one time, Rose hoped to buy a house there, despite William wanting to buy back his family’s old house in Maine. Now they have no money to do either. Rose imagines Jackie Kennedy relaxing inside with staff to take care of her house and kids.