by K L Finalley
Before she could search for the right word to explain their relationship, Zoe appeared. "Hi, Mrs. Yates."
"Hi, Zoe. Aren't you going to say hello to Emma and Isla's mothers?"
Zoe gave them a wave. Then, she tugged at Jacqueline's shirt as she often did when she wanted a private moment. Jacqueline bent down and Zoe said, "Can Abbie stay the night? She says they're gonna have to go soon, because Mr. Josh has to go back to the base in the morning. We're having so much fun. I don't want her to leave. Please. Please."
"Zoe, did she ask to stay the night or are you asking on her behalf?"
"We both want to know. See, she's over there asking Mr. Josh." Jacqueline glanced over to Abbie in Josh's arms trying to talk to him. "Mom can drop us both off at school. It's not out of the way. I'll even share my lunch with her. We've both eaten dinner. And, I promise we'll be good."
"First of all, we can make two lunches, but, let's wait and see what Mr. Josh says."
"Does that mean it's okay with you if it's okay with him? Does it?" Zoe asked anxiously.
"Yes, Zoe. It's okay with me if it's okay with her parents, but you two cannot stay up all night or fight or argue or act crazy. This is still a school night."
"I know," Zoe said as she ran off to collaborate with Abbie.
"You're so good with her," Celeste said. "Emma tells me you live in a penthouse. Must be nice."
Angela said, "Isla says you've got a huge boat."
"And, superpowers," Jacqueline teased. Neither of them smiled. She wondered if they had gotten the joke or if they suspected that she might really have superpowers.
Before she could apologize for her sarcasm, Josh reappeared with the girls. Since he was no longer telling the story from overseas, Danny, Ben, and Dalton began to chat with Celeste, Angela, and Mrs. Yates. "So, I hear something's up. Abbie wants to stay the night with you guys, so she can stay at the carnival longer."
"That's what I hear, too. They're surely getting craftier."
"Well, it would definitely help me out if she stayed the night, but I don't want you to think I put her up to it."
Jacqueline chuckled, "Never thought it. These two are masters. We're just their puppets." As Jacqueline and Josh laughed, the other adults rejoined the conversation and shared stories of their children's antics. With the heat off of her, Jacqueline felt more at ease. The group moved to the next row as the children moved from station to station. When Jacqueline noticed that the kids were heading to Mallory and Lauren's station, she excused herself and joined them. Mallory was helping a first grader aim for the shark's mouth when Lauren noticed Jacqueline, Abbie, Dalton, and Zoe approaching.
"Here comes Zoe and Jacqueline." As the child successfully tossed a fish into the shark's mouth, Lauren let her select a prize. Then to the kids, she asked, "Are you having fun?"
Abbie nodded, but Zoe answered as if Mallory had asked, "Mom, a ton of people are here. I saw, like, my whole class. Jax was walking around with the other parents. She and Mr. Josh were talking to Dalton's dads and Emma's mom and Isla's mom. Even Mrs. Yates came over to talk."
Mallory eyed Jacqueline. "Everything okay?"
"Yep."
"We can talk about it later. Let me know if I need to say something."
"No, honey, it's fine. They're just more forward than I had expected."
"Mom, look at all the stuff I won," Zoe reached her hands into Jacqueline's pocket to retrieve her winnings.
"Okay, Zoe. I got it." Jacqueline pulled out the handful of trinkets to show Mallory.
"That's great. You better go play with Abbie. They're gonna go soon. Miss Lauren needs to get home and rest."
"Abbie's coming home with us," Zoe announced.
"What?" Lauren said.
"Dad said it was okay. I didn't want to leave, so Zoe and I asked if I could spend the night with them. Okay, Mom." Abbie begged.
"Please, Miss Lauren. Mr. Josh and Jax said it was okay. We swear,” Zoe added.
"Stop saying you swear," Mallory mumbled under her breath as she rubbed her forehead.
"It's fine with me, girls. I just wish someone would have come over and mentioned it to me."
"Us," Mallory added.
"The girls have promised to behave, to stay settled, and be ready for school bright and early tomorrow morning," Jacqueline tried to soothe both mothers.
"Are you sure about this?" Lauren asked Mallory.
"No, it's fine. Abbie's never any trouble. And, after all the running they've done tonight, I'm sure they'll pass out before we ever get home."
"Jacqueline, do you know where my husband is?" Lauren asked.
"He was talking to the others at the end of the row when we last saw him. Everyone wants to talk to him and Abbie was so excited to go and play that I told him that I'd look after her."
"Has she been good?"
"Absolutely," Happy that the conversation was going well, Jacqueline pressed for more, "How are you feeling? Josh said that it'll be anytime now."
"Yeah, I can't wait until he punches out."
"I guess I'll start preparing myself for the middle of the night call. You know, if you need me to, since Mallory is going to go with you to the hospital, I can keep an eye on Abbie. I mean, unless you want her there with you."
Confused, Mallory asked, "I'm going to be where?"
"At the hospital. Since you're gonna be at the hospital, Zoe and I can go to their house and wait for news. Or, we can drop you off at the hospital and pick up Abbie and bring her home with us to wait for news. Then, when Mason is born, I can bring her up to the hospital. She can stay with us for the couple days you'll spend in the hospital if you want."
Looking at Mallory, but speaking to Jacqueline, Lauren quietly said, "That's very nice of you. You know, Josh and I hadn't talked about what to do with Abbie. We may have to take you up on it. His parents are going to come from San Diego after Mason's born, but for those first few days, I may need your help." Before Jacqueline could respond, the girls pulled her off towards the next row.
In the distance, Lauren heard Jacqueline say, “It's no problem at all."
Now, with her arms folded, Mallory sucked on her tongue. Rolling it around inside her mouth, she tried to phrase her thoughts as gently as she could, "So, do you want to tell me what this is all about?"
Removing the fish, the last child threw into the shark's mouth, Lauren said, "I've been trying to talk to you. I wanted to ask you if you would go with me when it's time."
"Why?"
"To help me."
"Help you do what?"
"Have Mason."
"What? Josh's here."
"He's no help. You know how he is."
"Actually, I don't."
"Exactly. He's doing his own thing. He's either at work or busy with that damn motorcycle. He has no idea what I'm going through."
"Why me?"
"Because you're my closest friend."
"I am?"
"Yes, you are. That's why I've been so upset with you."
"What? You're upset with me?"
"Nevermind. You haven't even paid me any attention. You're just like Josh. You think everything is pregnancy related emotional outbursts, but I have feelings whether or not I'm pregnant."
"I don't even know that the hell you're talking about."
Chapter 10
Jacqueline was sitting behind her desk feeling the heaviness of her eyelids when Mallory entered her office door. Despite their newfound relationship, Mallory knocked on Jacqueline's office door before she entered. "Are you going to come in?"
"I was waiting on you to invite me in," Mallory held the door and stuck her head around it.
"Good morning. Again."
"Good morning," Mallory drug into Jacqueline's office and slouched into the chair. "You snuck out of the house this morning."
Laughing, she said, "I did not. I kissed you goodbye."
"Well, you sure as hell didn't dillydally around. You were in a hurry to get away."
J
acqueline laughed as she rested her head on her desk. "I'm so tired. Two little girls are exhausting. Even when I tell them to calm down, they don't. I just don't understand how they have so much energy."
"It was your bright idea to have a mid-week sleepover."
"What could I do? Zoe was begging. Abbie was begging. Josh looked like it would really help them out. I was trying to do the right thing. The good thing, you know?"
Mallory laughed, "Oh, I know."
Realizing she should apologize, Jacqueline atoned, "Sorry, I didn't check with you first. I tried to clear all bases. I knew we didn't have any plans that would exclude Abbie. I tried to make them promise to be good and take baths and not fight. I really did think this over."
"I'm okay with it. I know you had Zoe's best interest at heart. And, I, also, know," she leaned forward towards her face and said, "you needed to learn the lesson."
"What lesson?"
"Sometimes, you're too tired for your own kid. When you are, you definitely don't have energy for an extra kid."
"No joke," She smirked. "Did Lauren call you this morning?"
"How'd you know?"
"She always calls the next morning after Abbie has spent the night."
"Oh my God, she does. That's weird."
"Nah, it gives her a good excuse to talk to you. Think about it. She says you're her closest friend. That means she wants to talk."
"She's so weird. This morning, she was going on and on about how we used to talk. She told me that she misses the conversations and wonders what happened."
"Yeah, Josh mentioned something to me about that. He said she told him that you stopped talking to her when we got together."
"Oh my God, is everyone talking about me?" Mallory sat back in the chair. "She says that we used to talk about what was going in my life. She said I used to share who I had dated and what had happened, but, now, we don't talk at all."
"Is that true?"
"I'll tell you what I told her. When I was dating, it wasn't going well, so when we would have events and she'd ask how things were going, I would just tell the latest story. Some of them were funny. But, then I started having feelings for you and I wasn't sure what they meant. Then, you and I were together more, so I didn't see her all that often. But, when I did, I was distracted by thoughts of you. I just couldn't figure it out myself. I couldn't talk to anyone. It wasn't personal. Anyhow, she said that she wished I knew that I could talk to her. I said I'm sorry. I guess I haven't talked to a lot of people. There weren't a lot of nice reactions from the few people I did tell, so I've just stopped sharing. She said that I didn't have to be that way. She said that she was still there to listen if I wanted to talk."
Jacqueline lifted her head, "That's nice."
"Or crazy."
"I think I get it. You thought that you were just rambling to Zoe's friend's mom. You thought nothing of it. But, to her, you were sharing. You, two, were bonding. She was telling you what was going on in her life and you were telling her what was going on in your life, then you just stopped. She thought she did something, but she didn't. So, she's been pissed off that you stopped being her friend, but you never knew you were her friend. Are you friends, now?"
"I guess so. She told me that she likes you and that Josh has a gay cousin."
Jacqueline teased, "People always think that it helps the awkward hurdle to say 'Hey, I know a gay person.'"
"I think she felt that way, too. She told me all about his cousin like it was going to make me feel some kinda way."
"See, it's classic. Well, now, that that's all hashed out, are you going to the hospital?"
"Yeah, I guess so."
"Then, the gay cousin story has worked,” Jacqueline teased. "What'd she say about me?"
"Oh, that you're really nice and are good with Zoe and love me."
"Well, it's good to know I've got her approval." As she saw the lights fill the news floor, Jacqueline said, "I wonder what the people 'round here think when they see the two of us together."
"Probably not much. I think they've gotten used to it."
Jacqueline stood up and walked to her window. "They're thinking something. They don't come over when we're talking. They assume it's personal. If you're in my office, Grant blocks my schedule. He sends them away." She turned back to Mallory, "I've told him not to. I've told him that it's okay."
Mallory was indifferent to what they thought, but she entertained Jacqueline's curiosity. "I bet they wonder what things are like at home. What you are really like when you aren't here? What am I like? Are we talking about business? Are you telling me corporate secrets?" She moved her hands about the air like a ghost.
"No. I mean, on mornings like today. We both look exhausted. I want to put my head against my desk and nap. You're in here slouched down in the chair. We look like we had some late night. I wonder if they think it's late nights of drinking and partying and sex.
"They probably do think it's late nights full of sex. Great sex, I might add."
"If only they knew that two little girls having a sleepover on a weeknight after a school carnival is the cause of our exhaustion,” They laughed.
Mallory stood up from the chair, "Well, we've gotta suck it up. My boss has called an all-employee meeting this morning and the subject of the meeting is top secret. Do you know how many people asked me what the meeting was about? They really do assume that we sit around and talk about business all day and all night long. Even, Paige asked and she knows us both. They ask me if we're all fired, if the paper is bought out, if Jack has resigned. I get all the questions."
"Sounds like it's tough being the boss' girl..." Jacqueline stopped. She was going to say girlfriend, but she remembered how she didn't like that when Ben said it. She flashed through all of the euphemisms and decided to make light of the situation. "Ole lady," she chirped and gathered her belongings for the meeting. She noticed the look on Mallory's face.
"Well, your ole' lady thinks that if it was something really bad, then she would know ahead of time. She has a daughter to raise, after all."
"Of course, she would. Now, let's go. Apparently, they're stewing out there." Jacqueline watched Mallory move towards the door. She was wearing dark pants with a cream colored silk top that was decorated in small yellow polka dots. Jacqueline liked polka dots and Mallory knew it. She wondered if Mallory wore the shirt on purpose. She wondered if she thought of her while getting dressed this morning. Whether she did or she didn't, Jacqueline had convinced herself that it was, at the very least, a possibility. And, that was just the jolt she needed to overcome the hours they had spent yelling at two second graders in the middle of the night.
Quickly, she caught up to Mallory, so that they could exit her office together. As they did, Jack was exiting his door.
"Good morning, you two," he spoke through his yawn.
"Good morning, Jack. How are you?" Jacqueline replied. Mallory walked into the conference room ahead of them as though he had not spoken to them.
"Tired. I came in for a morning meeting. Do you know what time I have to leave my house to get here by seven-thirty?"
"No, but I can only imagine the horror of getting up early, getting dressed, and waiting on the driver to bring you into the office." Jacqueline teased.
"Well, I do have to stand outside and wait on him, you know?"
"Outside of what? The house? How long are you out there? Minutes?"
"That's not the point."
"Oh, the problems of the rich."
"Hardy har har. You're so funny." He said. Jacqueline jeered. "Let's get this show on the road. I need a nap."
As the two entered the room, with smiles on their faces, the faces of the in-office staff relaxed. At that moment, Jacqueline realized that Mallory was not being dramatic. She was not just curious about the nature of the meeting. People really were concerned about what was going to be announced. Grant had had the oversized mahogany table removed from the Conference room. But, in its place, there was an odd collec
tion of other chairs that had filled its void. She hadn't like the look of it. It was as if the once charming Conference room had been transformed into a supply closet. This debacle was an insult. Her eyes drifted all around. There were chairs from other conference rooms, some from the lobby, some looked like they might be desk chairs. It was a horrible sight. Thinking of how different things felt in the absence of the correct furniture, she jumped, when Jack spoke to her. "Am I up or are you doing this?"
She didn't respond. Jack nudged her. She didn't respond. As she glanced across the room, she met Mallory's eyes. Jacqueline lifted her eyebrows and smiled at her, but Mallory did not smile back. Instead, she nudged her head forward. Without speaking, she knew that Mallory wanted her to snapback from her thoughts to this moment. "It's all yours, Jack," she said. She had not known what Jack had meant by his question, but that felt like an appropriate answer. As Jack proceeded to the front of the room, she stood beside him but a step back.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Thanks to those of you, like myself, who got up and came in early for this quick meeting. I'm sorry that you were given such short notice, but we have an announcement to make." The room felt silent. Jacqueline scanned the crowd and noticed all eyes on Jack. All eyes except for Mallory. Mallory was not looking at Jacqueline nor was she looking at Jack. Mallory was staring at Grant who was behind Jacqueline. Jacqueline turned to look at him. In gray linen pants and a long sleeve cobalt blue shirt, he was slouched against the conference doors playing on his phone. She cleared her throat and glared at him. After he placed his phone in his pocket and stood upright, she turned back around to find Mallory smiling at her. Jack continued, "We're a family here at the Sun. We have gone through ups and downs together. We have had to say goodbye to many of the people who were legends in these halls, in this town, in this industry, but we forget that the ones of us that are left are legends in the making. Ladies and gentlemen, that's why we're here today." He pounded on the podium. "One of our own has been recognized and we're so proud that an email just wouldn't do. We needed to get as many of us together as we could to show our pride and offer our congratulations. Later this morning, the whole world will know what we are about to share with you. Clementine Porter, the most recent addition to our family, has been awarded a Wetty for the web design and management of our Tampa Sun Tribune's new web presence." The room filled with applause.
