by Iris Parker
"The people like me," I concluded.
"Exactly," Charlie said. "But it seems like she's moved on. She might not even remember that stuff anymore. I wouldn't worry about it."
"I hope so," I said with a shrug. The story had been unsettling, but there was nothing I could do about it. It did seem like Helena had moved on, and besides, it's not like I was the one who had hurt her. "What's she doing now, anyway?" I asked, trying to change the subject.
"Other than fomenting revenge if she heard me tell you all that? She's tutoring the neighbor's kid in math. Or rather, taking over. Joana has learning difficulties, Helena and I take turns helping her out with homework."
"That's sweet," I said. "I know I struggled with math classes all the way through college. Things probably would've been a lot easier with someone like Helena around."
"Probably," Charlie agreed. "If you two had met earlier, maybe you would've balanced each other out a bit…or killed each other."
I took another sip of beer and smiled. I still felt almost as off-balance as I had when I first met Charlie, but I didn't mind it anymore. If it helped me understand Helena better, I would've have gladly taken all the vertigo in the world.
Helena
Joanna gave a big smile as I handed her a sticker, praising how well she'd done with the math problems I'd assigned her. School was out for summer, but the tutoring continued year-round. I had high hopes for her. Despite her learning disability, she was a diligent worker and still enjoyed the challenges that I gave her.
Joanna got up and I followed her to the driveway, where her mother's car was parked and waiting. Sybil waved when she saw me, slowly climbing out of the small vehicle with great care and difficulty.
"It's okay," I called to Sybil, walking over to her quickly—but of course, by that point it was too late. She gave me a long and heartfelt hug, leaning forward a little so that her large pregnant belly didn't get in the way.
"Happy early birthday!" Sybil said happily. "Do you have any plans?"
I shook my head. "Not really. You know I've never really been that into my own birthday."
"I'll say," Sybil agreed. "You were so quiet about it back when we were young! It wasn't until you showed up to one of mine for the second time that I realized I had never been to one of yours. You really ought to do something, you know."
"I was thinking a quiet day at home," I explained. "Nothing fancy."
"You should let me take you out shopping or something," Sybil argued. "Call it a thank-you if you need to. You and your dad help Joanna out so much. She doesn't like school but loves coming here, you know. I don't even understand how that works. Not to mention how big of a relief it is to have someone who can watch her sometimes in the summer. With the baby coming soon, Dan and I have been really busy lately."
"Well, if you're busy, then you shouldn't waste time taking me shopping," I said, and Sybil made the kind of mocking face that only an old friend could get away with.
"I guess I'll just have to drag you out of the house, kicking and screaming," Sybil said playfully. Before I had a chance to respond, her husband Dan appeared down by the corner of the street. He was carrying a bag from a nearby convenience store with one hand, waving at us with the other.
"Hey, Helena!" he called as I waved back. I'd known the couple since high school, although they hadn't been a couple then. They were just two of the precious few people that were friends with me, and while even I could pick up on their mutual interest in each other, somehow they hadn't.
Not until years later, anyway.
And they're making up for lost time, I thought, watching Sybil as she rubbed her belly absentmindedly. This was her fifth pregnancy, and while I might've expected her to be exhausted with four-coming-on-five kids, she seemed to do a great job of keeping up with everything.
Dan finally caught up to us, and I couldn't help but chuckle as he reached into the bag and handed Sybil a large jar of pickles. She didn't waste any time before opening it up and grabbing one, devouring the entire thing in two big bites.
"What, you're not having it with ice cream?" I joked.
Sybil shook her head, and Dan laughed. "No, but the pickles have to be from that convenience store. Not even that chain, but that one specific location down the street. None of the others get it right, apparently."
"I think it's something in the brine they use," Sybil added. "Maybe they change it more often…or maybe they don't change it at all. I don't know. In any case, I can't get enough of them, and I can't wait to I have this baby so I never have to look at one of them again."
"Until next time, anyway," Dan teased.
"Oh hush, you!" Sybil teased back, playfully pressing her wet fingers on Dan's chest and leaving salty impressions onto his shirt. "If we have any more, people are going to start asking us when we're getting our own reality TV show."
"Or what the name of our militia is going to be," Dan added, placing a loving arm around his wife as he spoke. "I got that one at work the other day."
"That seems a bit rude…what did you say?" I asked.
"I played along. I acted really enthusiastic about the idea, and then offered to start paying him in scrip instead of—what did I call it?—'the currency of statist lies,'" Dan said with a chuckle. "You should've seen the look on his face. Abject terror."
"Well, that's what he gets for teasing the owner," Sybil laughed. "Just be careful not to take it too far, hon. I don't want us to get on any kind of watch-list."
I smiled, enjoying the back-and-forth between Dan and his wife. The look of adoration on Sybil's face said everything, as did the way Dan clearly went out of his way to help out every way he could. If Sybil managed to maintain her sanity with four kids, I had no doubt that a lot of it was due to her husband's endless love and support.
The three of us continued to exchange pleasantries for a few more minutes, before the happy couple got back into their car—Dan carefully making sure that Sybil didn't hurt herself as she climbed inside—and they were off. I stood on the curb, pondering my own situation.
Despite knowing them for years, it wasn't until recently that I had realized just how much they relied on each other. It seemed that Dan-and-Sybil, the couple, were much stronger than my friends Sybil and Dan. They built off each other, working together to create something that was more than the sum of its parts.
Of course, it had taken me a long time to see that. It wasn't until I'd met Dominick that I finally began to recognize their relationship for what it was, which had in turn made me question my own choices.
I'd always been so sure that I was better off alone, that I didn't need any help raising a child. For years, it had seemed I was right. Ali turned out great, after all…but just how much easier would it have been with someone who loved and supported me? How much more could I—we—have gotten done together, if I'd had someone to help like Sybil did?
Someone like Dominick.
Despite all my plans, I'd never counted on a man like him bursting into my life or being the donor to my children. Now he was here, bringing us all happiness, and I couldn't help but wonder how I was repaying him. Things needed to change soon, I knew, because I couldn't keep him in the dark forever.
Helena
I had thought that Sybil was kidding when she said that she would drag me from the house kicking and screaming, but apparently not. She showed up first thing in the morning, and apparently, she had enlisted help. Mrs. Lauer and Ali were both in on the plan, a Grand Conspiracy to force me out of the house and into the mall on my birthday.
It could've definitely been worse.
Before I even had a chance to worry about Dominick coming over to visit an empty house, Ali was already on top of it. She typed a few quick messages out to him from her phone, letting him know about the change in plans. As sad as I was that we were going to miss a day with him, it was nice to see Ali being so proactive and considerate.
It was more than I would've thought to do at that age.
After
we all ate breakfast together, the four of us headed to an upscale boutique. I found a pair of heels that I adored, which Sybil quickly volunteered to buy for me. Not content to leave it at that, she also found a set of sexy lingerie that she insisted I try on. The lacey, frilly bra and panties looked great on me, but the price tag was a little stiff.
"Don't worry about that, I'll get them," Sybil said from outside the dressing room.
"It's too much, you're already getting me the shoes," I protested.
"The shoes are for tutoring Joanna," Sybil argued. "And these are for your birthday. Come on, just think of how fun it will be to show them off!"
Show them off to whom? I asked myself. Of course the answer was Dominick, but Sybil didn't know anything about him, did she? The two hadn't met, and it seemed unlikely that Joanna would be gossiping to her mother about a man dropping by my dad's place for a visit.
But of course, regardless of what or whom Sybil was picturing, I had to admit that she was right. Just imagining Dominick looking at me in the fancy underwear sent an explosion of shivers down my spine, making me miss him that much further. I couldn't wait until I was back home, hopeful that he would still be able to visit for at least part of the night.
Now that was a birthday present I could get behind.
Our shopping at the boutique finished, Mrs. Lauer promptly insisted on buying me some tea. Even though there were two different tea outlets in the mall, the older woman assured us that she knew somewhere better. We all piled back into the car as she gave Sybil directions—getting lost once in the process—before we finally found it.
I had to admit that it was worth the trip. Not only was the tea noticeably better quality, but the prices were much better as well. Mrs. Lauer stocked up on her own collection, making recommendations to me as she went.
Shopping with her was a crash course in tea. Within minutes, I'd learned precisely enough to be profoundly confused. I now knew, for example, that dark tea was black. And that black tea was red. And that red tea wasn't actually tea, but did taste like tobacco.
"And where does oolong fit into all of this?" I asked, scratching my head.
"Somewhere between white and green," Mrs. Lauer answered with a shrug. "Usually, anyway. I keep telling the owner here to put up a flow-chart for newcomers, but so far he hasn't listened."
It was around that point that I decided to just nod and smile, trusting in Mrs. Lauer's judgment rather than trying to learn all of this myself in a single day. Ali kept up, though, and even picked out a couple of varieties for herself. I did make sure to get at least one herbal tea blend, imagining myself drinking a cup of the non-caffeinated beverage at night with Dominick.
After we were finished, Ali suggested seeing a movie. It was already getting late, but everyone agreed that it sounded like a lovely idea. As much as I was enjoying the trip out with my friends, I spent most of the film thinking about Dom and wishing I'd gotten the chance to spend a bit more time with him today. By the time the credits started to roll, I was eager to get home.
At which point Mrs. Lauer realized that she had forgotten to buy yarn, so back to the mall we went. From there, everyone recognized that it was starting to get late…so, of course, Mrs. Lauer suggested treating everyone to a late lunch before we finally headed back.
I have no idea how Sybil managed to keep her energy up. Her pregnancy was months ahead of mine, but by the end of the day I was completely exhausted. So exhausted, in fact, that it took me a few moments to notice something was strange.
The driveway was full.
Dominick's bike was there, parked next to my father's car. And rather than saying their goodbyes and leaving, Sybil and Mrs. Lauer were getting out of their seats.
It was only then that I realized the Grand Conspiracy went much, much further than I had suspected.
Dominick
"Surprise!" I said, waving excitedly at Helena as she walked around to the back yard. Her eyes were wide as she took in the scene, surprise not beginning to cover the expression on her face.
"You…" she began, trailing off before finishing the thought.
"Like it?"
"You…" she repeated.
"It was all my idea…unless you don't like it, of course. If you don't, then it was your dad's idea and I was just following orders," I joked, and Charlie laughed from behind me.
"You built a porch," she said finally, staring at the new construction in amazement. "Why did you build a porch?"
"Well, you get sunburned so easily," I explained. "I thought that it would be nice if you had a shady spot where you could still enjoy being outside. Later on, we can add screens to make the whole thing bee-proof. Also, it's your birthday. So, er, happy birthday!"
"How did you build a porch?" she asked slowly. "We were only gone for one day!"
"I'm just that good," I said with a chuckle. The truth, of course, was a combination of good luck and a small army of contractors who'd been helping since Ali sent the all-clear that morning—but there was no need to go into boring details.
"But what about the cost of building it? This couldn't have been cheap," Helena said, her voice getting quieter as she spoke.
"Relax," I said reassuringly. "It's a gift, and one that I can afford. Easily."
"Dominick," Helena said, rubbing her forehead. "This isn't even my house. I rent it!"
I bit the inside of my lip, worrying that this wasn't going quite as planned. It had seemed like exactly the sort of sweet and romantic gesture you'd see in a movie, but now I was beginning to suspect that doing major construction on someone's house without telling them might possibly have been a little rash.
Or, you know, completely insane. Why hadn't that occurred to me earlier? At the very least, I needed to stop acting glib about the whole thing and come clean.
"I know. Don't worry about that. I got permission, Mrs. Lauer was in on the whole thing, of course," I said, walking over to Helena and placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. She was a little pale and I could feel her trembling beneath my touch, and I was getting worried that I'd actually screwed up badly here.
Yeah, great job there Dom, I thought, mentally kicking myself. What better way to prove you're a responsible adult and father than surprise remodeling? I couldn't have seemed more impulsive if I'd tried.
"It's actually not as big of a deal as it seems at first," I explained carefully. "I had the idea a while back, when Mrs. Lauer noticed all the work we were doing in the yard. She mentioned how it used to have a beautiful porch that got damaged in a fire…turns out, all the foundations were still in-place. This is more of a restoration than anything."
Helena's face was downcast during my longwinded explanation, and this was definitely not turning out as I'd hoped.
Exactly the opposite, in fact.
Helena whispered something, but I couldn't quite make out the words. It took me a moment to understand them, and by then it was too late. She was already bolting for the back door, retreating into the house.
Dread filled my chest and I tried my best to keep calm. I quickly followed behind her, rushing towards the house while her words ominously echoed in my ears.
"I'm going to be sick," she had said.
Helena
Why did he have to be so perfect?
So damn perfect.
It was almost comical at this point. Not only had he somehow managed to figure out my birthday, but he'd also gone to great lengths to surprise me with the most elaborate gift I'd ever received. He'd even found a way to get my friends in on it, including ones he hadn't met yet!
Meanwhile, I was still struggling to find a way to say "by the way, I'm several months pregnant and have known all along."
Classy.
The phrase pearls before swine didn't even begin to cut it.
"Helena?" his voice called from outside the bathroom.
Of course he'd followed me.
"You shouldn't be here," I said woozily. "If we're both gone, Ali will come looking for us, and she
'll be worried if she sees me sick."
Or sees me getting into a nuclear argument with her father.
"I already took care of that," Dominick said gently. "She's with your dad. I told him you weren't feeling well, so he's showing her the porch and then taking her back to his place."
My head swam even more. The nicer Dominick was, the harder this became.
And of course, he was unbelievably nice.
Typical.
"Are you okay?"
No, I thought.
"Yes," I said. "Just—just surprised. And I ate a lot of crap at the movie. And I'm exhausted from the long day."
And I'm pregnant and feel incredibly guilty and also it turns out morning sickness isn't just for mornings.
"Is there anything I can do?" he asked.
You've done enough. Any more kindness and you'll send me to the hospital.
"No, I don't think there's any more you could possibly be doing," I answered, just before another wave of nausea hit and expelled the contents of my stomach straight into the toilet.
"I could hold your hair," Dominick said after a few seconds where I tried in vain to regain my composure.
"Is that a joke? Please tell me that's a joke," I thought, and a moment later I realized I'd actually said it out loud.
Crap.
This wasn't going to get any better until I told him. It had gone on way, way, way too long, and there was only one way to fix it. Fighting off the dizziness, I climbed back to my feet and lurched towards the bathroom door, pulling it open ahead of me.
"Dominick," I began, squeezing my eyes shut to deal with the sick fear in my gut and the swimming in my head. "There's—there is no good way to say this. I've tried. I'm sorry to be so blunt, but I hope—hope that you—can understand."
The more I spoke, the harder the words were to say.
"I'm sorry, but—"
