Nantucket Threads

by Pamela M. Kelley

  Rick’s truck was in the driveway, but he didn’t answer the door right away when Izzy rang. She stood there for several moments, freezing. It was cold and windy and the air was raw as it whipped into her. She set Emily’s carrier down and banged on the door. Where the heck was he? She’d talked to him on the phone just an hour ago, and he’d said he had dinner in the oven and was making one of her favorite meals.

  She rang the doorbell again and banged one last time for good measure. Finally, Rick came to the door, rubbing his eyes and apologizing.

  “I’m sorry, I must have dozed off. I was watching TV in the other room.”

  Izzy stepped inside with Emily and Rick grabbed her overnight bag and shut the door behind them.

  “What’s that smell?” It smelled like something was either burning or very close to it.

  “Oh, crap.” Rick ran to the kitchen where a thin trail of smoke was coming from the oven. He clicked on the vent fan and opened the oven. A gust of smoke rushed out and Izzy saw the remains of what had been dinner.

  “I’m so sorry. This was your favorite chicken, the marinated breasts from the market. I must have been out for longer than I realized.”

  She looked at him with concern. “Not a big deal. We can just order pizza or something. Is everything okay, Rick?”

  He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “Yeah, it’s fine. Just a rough day at work. My buddy Dave lost a big job we were all counting on, so my hours might be cut for the next few weeks. We went to the pub for lunch and there was no more work rest of the day, so I had a few drinks with the guys. You know how it is.”

  She did know how it was. She’d seen this before. Rick and his buddies drowning their sorrows in beer and then Rick passing out on the living room sofa. She’d hoped that Rick was in the past.

  “It’s not a big deal, Izzy. Don’t go freaking out on me. It’s not going to be like it was before. I promised you that.”

  “I know you did. So, should we order some pizza?”

  They discussed their pizza options and then Rick called the order in for delivery. Rick offered to go get it, but she didn’t think that was a good idea, and she didn’t want to go out and leave Emily or take her out in the cold again.

  Izzy got Emily settled, changed her diaper, fed her and played with her for a bit before she fell asleep on her favorite baby blanket. She got her playpen out of the car, set it up in the corner of the room and carefully set Emily and her blanket in it. Emily stirred for a moment and then fell fast asleep.

  Their pizza arrived a short time later, and they ate it while they watched a movie on Netflix. Rick was quieter than usual, and they mostly ate in silence. Halfway through the movie, she looked over and saw that he was fast asleep again.

  She got up and cleared their paper plates away, and when she did, she noticed an empty beer can next to Rick’s chair. She picked that up too and tossed it in the garbage. So, Rick had come home from the pub and after putting their dinner in the oven, sat down and had another drink. No wonder he fell fast asleep and almost didn’t hear her banging on the front door. It was certainly disappointing, and not the evening she’d hoped for.

  She checked on Emily, then set up the baby monitor in her playpen and went into Rick’s guest bedroom and climbed into bed. She didn’t even wake him up. He could get himself to bed.

  Izzy was up early the next morning after getting up twice during the night as well, as soon as she heard the sounds of Emily moving around through the baby monitor. She changed and fed her, and while she was happily hanging out in the playpen, Izzy made herself a cup of dark roast coffee. She looked around in Rick’s refrigerator, which was surprisingly bare except for a few six packs of beer, ketchup and a package of expired bacon. He never was much of a cook. She decided to heat up one of the leftover slices of pizza in the toaster oven.

  She was done with her pizza and on her second cup of coffee when Rick stumbled into the kitchen, all bleary-eyed. She guessed he was nursing a painful hangover.

  “Coffee?” She offered to make it for him.

  “I’ll do it, thanks.” He made himself a cup and joined her at the kitchen table.

  “So, last night didn’t exactly go as planned,” he said.

  “No. I’ve burned dinner before, though. The pizza was good.” But she knew he wasn’t just talking about dinner, and she wasn’t sure she was ready for this conversation. Because it kind of was a big deal. Especially if this was going to be typical behavior.

  “I haven’t done anything like this in ages. It’s not who I am anymore. I swear it.” He seemed genuinely contrite, and once again, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

  “Good. Well, we’ll just have a good rest of the weekend, then. And I’ll give you some lessons on diaper changing and bottle feeding.”

  He smiled. “Sounds good. What do you feel like doing today and tonight?”

  “I don’t know. Any thoughts?” Normally, if she was home, Izzy would have plenty to do. She’d probably work a little online, go into the store for a few hours and do something with Mia in the afternoon or evening, depending on if she had plans with Sam or not.

  “Well, I’d say we could go downtown and see what’s going on, but it’s freezing out. So not a good day for walking around. There’s not much here to eat, so I could run to the store and pick up some stuff for lunch, cold cuts or whatever. And maybe if you want, we could go out to dinner tonight somewhere?”

  Izzy glanced over at Emily, who was now sleeping peacefully in her playpen.

  “I’d love to go out to dinner, but we have Emily. I haven’t taken her to a restaurant yet. She might be fine though.”

  Rick grinned. “We could see what happens.”

  They agreed to go to Mimi’s Place and to go early, before it got too crowded, in case Emily was difficult, so they wouldn’t disturb too many people.

  After Rick showered, he ran to the store while Izzy worked online for a bit. She was amazed by how many orders came in each day. Marley’s trick with the Instagram videos was working well and anything that she wanted to move out of the shop, she just did a video on. She was having to place new orders more than she’d ever anticipated to keep up with the demand. Fortunately, the biggest percentage of orders came through Shopify and her partner vendors, so she didn’t have to deal with packing and shipping those items.

  Once Rick returned from the store and they made sandwiches for lunch, Izzy closed her laptop and curled up on the sofa with Rick and Emily to watch a few movies. Emily was good all day but didn’t sleep a lot, which made Izzy a little apprehensive about taking her out to a restaurant. But she was also curious to see how she’d do and Izzy missed going out to eat. A nice glass of wine and someone else cooking and serving dinner sounded wonderful to her.

  After the second movie Emily started to cry, and Izzy changed and fed her and soon she was sound asleep. While she slept, Izzy jumped in the shower and got ready to go to dinner. Emily was still sound asleep when they were about ready to go, and Izzy gently gathered her up and strapped her in her carrier. She tucked her favorite blanket around her snugly and grabbed a pacifier and a bottle in case she needed them.

  Rick drove, and they arrived at Mimi’s Place a little before five. Izzy knew one of the owners, Mandy, who was at the front desk when she walked in. Mandy walked over to get a good look at Emily.

  “Izzy, she’s so beautiful! I’d heard both you and Kate had your babies around the same time. I haven’t seen hers yet either. Though with twins, I don’t imagine she’ll be coming to dinner anytime soon.”

  Izzy laughed. “This is actually our first time out with Emily too. And I’m not sure how she’ll do. You might want to seat us away from other people, just in case. And don’t be surprised if we have to make a quick get-away.”

  “I understand.”

  “We’re not going to have to leave. Emily will be fine,” Rick said.

  “I know exactly where to put you. Follow me.” Mandy led them to a corner table by th
e window. It was on the opposite side of the dining room, as far from the rest of the crowd as possible.

  “I don’t know how long you’ll have this area to yourself, but we’ll try to keep people away for as long as we can,” Mandy said.

  “Thank you. I really appreciate it.”

  Rick looked at her funny as Mandy walked away. “You don’t seem very optimistic. What do you expect her to do? Look how sweet and peaceful she is.”

  Izzy glanced at Emily in her carrier, and she really did look angelic. Izzy wondered if she was overreacting and anticipating the worst.

  “You’re right. Let’s order some cocktails and relax.”

  When their server, Stacey, came to the table, Rick ordered a draft beer and Izzy went with a glass of La Crema chardonnay. It was her special occasion chardonnay, rich and buttery and she felt like she deserved it.

  When Stacey returned with their drinks, she told them the specials and they both went with the same special, blackened swordfish over lobster and corn risotto with a mango salsa. They also ordered a shrimp cocktail to share as an appetizer. Everything was delicious, and Izzy finally relaxed and ordered a second glass of wine when their swordfish arrived. Emily was still sleeping peacefully, which almost seemed like a miracle. They were having a wonderful, relaxing night out.

  Until dessert came, and Emily woke up.

  The screams that came from her child were like nothing Izzy had heard before. It was like the wet, hungry, bored cry all in one with an addition of extreme annoyance at being somewhere new and scary.

  Izzy scooped her up, and she quieted a little. “I’m going to run into the bathroom with her and see if she needs changing or a bottle or whatever. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

  Rick didn’t look overly concerned. “Take your time. I’ll be here.”

  Izzy made her way to the bathroom and checked Emily’s diaper. It was dry. She tried to give her a bottle, and Emily swatted it away.

  “What is it then, honey?” Izzy looked at her tiny daughter and wished Emily could just tell her what the problem was. Emily just shook and scrunched up her little face, which was now very red and let out a howl. Emily looked in her purse for the pacifier and realized it was in her carrier, which was back at the table. Izzy needed to calm her down first before walking back through the dining room. She tried the bottle again and this time, Emily took it for a moment or two before pushing it away and starting to cry again.

  “Okay, looks like it’s time to go home.” That quieted Emily. Izzy walked quickly back to the table where Rick was taking his first bite of cheesecake. He’d ordered one for her, too. But Izzy knew there was no way they were going to be able to enjoy that cheesecake in the restaurant.

  “Rick, we need to get the check and go. We can pack up these desserts and finish them at home.”

  Rick raised his eyebrows at her like she was out of her mind.

  “Why? She’s a little angel again. Just put her in the carrier and enjoy your cheesecake. We’ll head home after that.”

  “Rick, I really don’t think that’s a good idea.” Emily was watching them both, with wide eyes and Izzy knew in her bones that it was the calm before the storm. But she also knew the look on Rick’s face—when he got stubborn and dug his heels in about something. They weren’t going to be leaving until he finished his cheesecake or until he experienced the less angelic side of Emily.

  “Okay. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Izzy buckled Emily into her carrier and when she caught Stacey’s eye she waved her over and asked for the check and two to-go boxes. Rick looked irritated by the request but didn’t say anything. He just kept eating his cheesecake. So, Izzy decided she might as well do the same. It did look like good cheesecake. She always liked it best when it was topped with cherries.

  She took her first bite and was reaching for her second when Stacey returned to the table with the check and two boxes. A moment later, Emily discovered her vocal chords again and let out a piercing howl that seemed to echo in the room. Two tables turned to look at them. Rick continued eating his cheesecake. He made no movement toward his wallet, so Izzy reached into her purse, got out her Nantucket Threads American Express card and gave the bill and card to Stacey the next time she walked by.

  “You didn’t have to get dinner,” Rick said as Emily belted out another scream and more tables turned their way.

  “I’m happy to do it.” Izzy signed the charge slip as soon as Stacey dropped it off. Izzy dumped the rest of her cheesecake in a box, and stood. She glanced at Rick’s plate, which still had half a cheesecake left. “Finish that quick or take it to go. We need to leave, now. People are staring and this is embarrassing.”

  Rick sighed and put the rest of his dessert in the other box and followed Izzy out. She was already to the front hostess desk and said an apologetic goodbye to Mandy.

  “I’m so sorry if she disturbed anyone.”

  But Mandy just laughed. “Please don’t worry about it. I hope you enjoyed your dinner?”

  “It was wonderful. And a treat to get out, even if it was a little stressful worrying about whether she would start crying again.”

  “Babies cry. It’s what they do. I’m glad you came in.”

  Izzy relaxed once they were in the truck and as soon as they pulled out of the parking lot, Emily was quiet again. The motion of the vehicle rocked her to sleep. When they got back to Rick’s place, he carried Emily’s carrier in and Izzy grabbed the boxes of cheesecake. Emily was still sound asleep, so Izzy put her in the playpen and then settled on the sofa with her cheesecake. Rick took his to the refrigerator.

  “You’re not going to finish yours?”

  “No, I’m going to have a beer instead. Do you want one? I’m sorry I don’t have any wine to offer you. I should have picked some up. I didn’t think of it when I was at the store.”

  “No, I’m fine. I had two glasses at the restaurant.”

  Rick sat next to her on the sofa and put his arm around her. She snuggled into him as she finished eating her dessert. They were halfway through a movie when Izzy heard a snore and realized Rick had fallen asleep. She took the empty beer can from his hand and threw it out along with her to-go box. Just as she was settling back on the sofa, Emily woke up and started screaming like Izzy had never heard her scream before. It was louder and more alarming even than at the restaurant.

  She went to her and immediately checked her diaper, which was still dry. She took a bottle for a few minutes only, pushing it away and starting to cry again. It was too late to call anyone for advice. Rick somehow was still asleep as Emily continued to howl. Izzy pulled up her laptop and searched google for answers. But it turned out there were a million different reasons why babies cried. She tried burping her, and that didn’t help. She wasn’t especially hot, so Izzy didn’t think she was sick. But she’d never cried like this before, and it was scary. Izzy didn’t know what to do, and she was beginning to worry that something might be really wrong.

  Rick woke up and stared at the two of them.

  “What the…What’s wrong with her?”

  “Nothing is wrong with her!” And then Izzy burst into tears, too. “I don’t know what’s wrong with her. I’ve tried everything. She doesn’t want food. She doesn’t need her diaper changed. She’s not hot, so I don’t think she’s sick. But, I don’t know. Maybe something is wrong.”

  “Maybe she’s just in a bad mood.” Rick tried to joke about it. “Maybe she needs to just cry her frustrations out. Let’s give it a little time and see if she gives up and falls asleep.”

  Izzy was surprised that he seemed so unflustered about it, as their child continued to scream bloody murder with no signs of stopping. But maybe he was onto something.

  “Just put her in her playpen and see if she goes to sleep. With you holding her, she’s getting what she wants, attention.”

  Izzy didn’t know what to think. So, she tried what he suggested. She wrapped Emily snugly in her blanket and laid her gently in the playpen. Th
e cries continued, unabated. Izzy continued to search the internet for answers, and more than once she saw that uncontrolled crying could be a sign of something serious. Twenty minutes went by and Rick looked as frustrated as Izzy felt.

  “Why won’t she shut up?”

  “I don’t know. She’s never done anything like this before.”

  “Well, this is pretty miserable.” Rick got up and went to the bathroom, then went into the kitchen and opened another beer.

  Izzy glared at him. He didn’t seem overly concerned that something could be wrong.

  “I might as well have another drink. Might make the screaming more bearable.”

  “Aren’t you worried at all?”

  “Because she’s crying? That’s what babies do. Or so they say. I’m not really around them much.”

  Izzy checked on Emily again, and what she saw alarmed her. Her little face was so red, and she looked so stressed out and miserable. There might be nothing wrong with her, but Izzy wasn’t going to just sit around and let her cry any longer. She put her shoes on and put Emily in her carrier. Then slipped on her jacket, found her purse and headed for the door with Emily.

  “Where are you going?”

  “I’m taking Emily to the ER. This might be nothing, Rick. But it’s not normal for her, at all.”

  He nodded. “Okay, I’ll see you when you get back.”

  “You don’t want to come?”

  He shook his head. “I have a headache from all that screaming.” Izzy did too, but that wasn’t the point. She stared at Rick with disappointment.

  “Don’t look at me like that. I think you’re being ridiculous. She’s fine. She’s just a crier, evidently. Like I said, it’s what babies do.”

  “I’ll talk to you later.”

  Izzy buckled Emily into the backseat of her car and drove off to the ER feeling a mix of emotions. She hoped Rick was right, and that there was nothing wrong with Emily and that she was overreacting. But, when it came to their child, wasn’t that a good thing? To make sure nothing was wrong? Rick was certainly no expert on babies. Izzy wasn’t either, so she wanted to have Emily seen by someone who was.