Olive, Again

Two days earlier, Olive Kitteridge delivered a baby in the yard of a woman hosting a baby shower. It has been four years since her husband Henry had his stroke. Olive goes to town, buys a lobster roll, and sits in her car, eating, looking at the ocean. She spills mayonnaise on her quilted jacket, which she had just finished making the previous day. She is thinking about Jack Kennison. She has not contacted him out of fear.

At home, Olive talks to her son, Christopher, on the telephone. She tells him that she delivered a baby. He tells her that his wife, Ann, is going to give birth in a pool when they have their next child. He tells her that they are trying to get pregnant; they are not telling anyone because of what happened the last time.

Olive rinses the mayonnaise from her jacket. She thinks about the baby shower, where she blurted out that Christopher’s baby had died a few days before it was due, and that his wife, Ann, had to go through labor and birth the baby. Olive was brusque when describing this, even though she had cried about it at home. As the shower continued, Olive realized that she had forgotten to bring a gift. While the guests opened each gift individually and commented on them, Olive thought about Henry and how she hadn’t been happy in their marriage, even before he had his stroke. The pregnant girl next to Olive left the room. Olive followed her, sure that the girl was in labor. The girl didn’t want to spoil the party, and Olive planned to take her to the hospital. In the car, Olive realized that the girl was going to give birth right then. Olive delivered the baby in the backseat.

Restless, Olive calls Jack Kennison. He is aloof until she tells him she delivered a baby. He tells her to come over. Olive goes. He tells her about the phone call with his daughter, which didn’t go well. She tells him about Christopher and Anne’s baby. Jack asks why she hasn’t seen her grandson. She says she hasn’t been invited. He asks if she has invited them to visit. She replies that they don’t need to be invited. He counters by saying that people like to be invited sometimes. He chastises her for the way she stopped speaking to him, but tells her that he likes her. They talk about their families, then Jack tells her about being stopped by the police. When Olive gets up to leave, Jack asks her to stay. He clarifies that she can stay in the guest room, that he just wants her there in the morning when he wakes up. She decides to leave, but ends up returning and staying the night. In the morning, when waking up and hearing Jack laugh, she feels relief and freedom. This sensation terrifies her. Jack laughs

Kayley Callaghan is fourteen years old, in the eighth grade, and lives in an apartment with her mother. She has three older sisters, who are all married with families. Kayley is in English class, thinking about her father, who taught her about the Irish famine. Her teacher, Mrs. Ringrose asks her to stay after class, then asks Kayley to clean her house. Kayley cleans the houses of senior citizens as a part-time job.

The week before, Kayley had come home early from cleaning Mrs. Babcock’s house and interrupted a conversation between her mother and her oldest sister, Brenda. Brenda complained that her husband wanted to have sex too often, and their mother said that it was her duty. Her mother also told Kayley that Mrs. Babcock thinks of her as a servant because she is Irish. Kayley said that she was going to start cleaning Mrs. Ringrose’s house as well. Even though Kayley has stopped playing the piano since her father died, she played that night.

Mrs. Ringrose is a Mayflower descendant, which she brings up often in class and when Kayley goes to clean her house. Kayley thinks about watching the movie “Michael Collins” with her father, and seeing the English attack the Irish. Mrs. Ringrose makes Kayley try on her wedding gown. She asks her to wear it and play the piano for a church group fashion show. After this, Mrs. Ringrose is never at the house again while Kayley cleans.

Kayley often goes to visit Miss Minnie, a former neighbor who now lives in a nursing home. She bumps into Olive Kitteridge, who she met at the nursing home for the first time a month prior. They chat about the home and the women that Kayley cleans for.

One day, while cleaning the Ringrose house, Kayley sits on the couch and begins removing her blouse, touching her breasts. She opens her eyes and finds Mr. Ringrose watching her. He tells her to continue, and she does. When she opens her eyes, he is gone. When she leaves, she finds an envelope of money he has left for her. She goes home and plays the piano again. The next week when she goes to the Ringrose house, Mr. Ringrose is there. She opens her blouse and touches her breasts. He thanks her and leaves, and again leaves her an envelope of money.

In June, Kayley wears Mrs. Ringrose’s wedding dress and plays the piano for the fashion show. For the past nine weeks, she has been taking her blouse off for Mr. Ringrose. Every time, he leaves money for her. Lately, she plays the piano every night. One day, she goes to the nursing home and finds out that Miss Minnie has died. During the summer, Kayley works at the doughnut shop. One day she sees Mr. Ringrose outside, acting strange. That same day, Olive comes into the shop with Jack and introduces him to Kayley. Soon after, Kayley gets a call from Mrs. Ringrose that she does not need Kayley to clean anymore. Kayley is very upset and eventually quits cleaning Mrs. Babcock’s house, too.

One day, Kayley’s mother finds the money that Mr. Ringrose has been giving her. Brenda comes over to talk to Kayley. She tells Kayley that she is smart, unlike the rest of the family, and to keep going in school. Kayley hides the rest of her money in the piano, which she has stopped playing again, but one day her mother sells it. Mrs. Kitteridge comes in the doughnut shop. Kayley tells her that Mrs. Ringrose fired her. Olive says that Mr. Ringrose is having mental health issues, and that Mrs. Ringrose is going to put him in a nursing home.

A few days before she starts high school, Kayley rides her bike past the house that they lived in when her father was alive. The new owners have renovated it. She rides out to the nursing home, where Miss Minnie used to live. She thinks about the way Mrs. Ringrose clings to history. She thinks about Mr. Ringrose, and wants to be near him.