Spring Broke

by Melody Carlson

  “Why?”

  “She’s kind of freaking over how her parents are going to handle things.”

  “I thought that’s why Megan was going?”

  “But it’s not a hundred percent for sure that Megan can get time off of work. Apparently her boss is kind of mean.”

  Anna nodded. “Yes. She’s a witch.”

  “So Lelani went ahead and booked her flight in the hopes that things would work out for Megan, but then she got to thinking that she’d be stuck on her own if Megan didn’t go. And Lelani and her mom don’t exactly have what you’d call a good relationship, if you know what I mean.”

  “No, I wouldn’t possibly know anything about difficult mothers, Gil.”

  “It sounds like our mom is a piece of cake compared to Lelani’s.”

  Anna considered this. “Poor Lelani. She should’ve thought things through a little better before she started dating you.”

  Gil frowned. “Mom will come around about Lelani eventually, Anna.”

  “Yeah, like when pigs fly.”

  “So, after we got off the phone I decided to go to Maui. I’ll stay in a hotel, and if Lelani needs me for moral support, I’ll be there. And if she doesn’t …” He shrugged. “Hey, I’ll still have a good time. I mean it is Maui. And the snorkeling is great and I’ve always wanted to learn to surf and I hear the whales are—”

  “Okay!” Anna held up her hands to stop him. “Now you’re making me seriously jealous, Gil. Enough.”

  “Sorry, sis.”

  “Well, I’m sorry that I kind of spilled the beans with Mom. I tried to cover it, but sometimes it’s like that woman has some kind of ESP when it comes to her kids.”

  “I know.”

  “So, should I assume Lelani knows about all this?” They were at the front door now.

  “Actually that’s why I zipped over here after work. I wanted to tell her in person. I thought she should be home from work by now.”

  Anna pointed down Bloomberg Place to where a tall slender figure was coming down the street toward them. “Looks like you’re timing’s good, Gil. Here she comes.” Then Anna went inside and left them to their vacation plans. Okay, maybe it wasn’t exactly a vacation to Lelani. But it sure would be to Anna. The more she thought about it, the more jealous she did feel. Oh, it wasn’t a jealousy that made any sense. Kind of like when Anna’s best friend Mandy Peters broke her arm in third grade and ended up getting all this attention, and Anna wished she could break her arm too. In fact, she even jumped out of a tree, hoping that she’d injure herself.

  Feeling jealous of Lelani’s trip was equally ridiculous. It would be no fun to do the hard emotional work of seeing her parents and figuring things out with her baby girl.

  Most of the time, Anna found it hard to believe that Lelani really had a child. It just seemed so out of character for someone as smart and sensible as Lelani. Now Kendall, that was a different story. But Anna knew it was true. Not only did Lelani have a baby, she wasn’t sure that she wanted to continue letting her parents raise her daughter. Anna tried to imagine what Lelani’s life would be like if she decided to be a mother to her child.

  Would she be able to support herself and Emma? Would she continue to live at Bloomberg Place? What would Kendall think of it? And what about Kendall’s baby? Would Bloomberg Place start looking more like a home for unwed mothers than friends sharing a house? Anna wasn’t sure she wanted to live in a place like that.

  And what about Gil? How would this change his life? And why hadn’t he thought about this before he’d gotten so involved? Whether Anna’s family could admit it or not, Anna felt pretty sure that Gil was in love with Lelani. She had felt that from the start. To be fair, other than the baby dilemma, Anna thought Lelani would make a lovely sister-in-law. It’s just that throwing a child into the picture complicated things. And as far as Anna and Gil’s mother was concerned, things were complicated enough already.

  “You don’t look very happy,” observed Megan as Anna came into the house. “Bad day at work?”

  Anna shook her head. “No. Just thinking.” She wondered if Megan was aware of this latest development—that Gil might be with them in Maui. Or at least be nearby. “Did your boss give you time off for Maui?”

  Now Megan looked unhappy. “Not yet. But I left her another message, specifically asking for that week off. At least she’ll know that I want it.”

  Anna considered telling her about Gil, but since she’d already let one cat out of the bag today, she decided to keep her mouth shut. “So”—she glanced around the still-cluttered living room—“how’s Kendall today?”

  Megan kind of smiled. “She’s actually a little more positive. My mom called her and talked about Antiques Roadshow, and now Kendall is certain she’s going to become a millionaire from all her junk.”

  Anna laughed. “Yeah, right. I’ve seen that junk. She’ll be lucky if she can get rid of it without paying people to haul it away.”

  “You never know. Anyway, my mom will be here to help her to sort through things and price them tomorrow and the next day. I’ve already put ads in the papers, and my mom’s bringing signs and some tables and stuff.”

  “So we’re really doing this thing?”

  “Looks like it.”

  Anna nodded. “Good. It’ll be nice to get this place back to normal.”

  “And then, if all goes well, Lelani and I will leave for Maui the following Saturday. She’s already booked her flight, and I’m tempted to go ahead and book mine.”

  Anna just pressed her lips together.

  “Are you feeling bad that you’re not going?”

  “No, I’m fine. Okay, I’m a little jealous, but I’ll get over it.”

  “Not me,” said Kendall as she came into the room. “I mean I’ll get over it, but I’m more than a little jealous. I’m screaming mean green with envy.” She made a face at Megan. “And I really think Lelani should reconsider the whole thing. I mean I have more in common with her than you do, Megan. I’m going to be a mom too. Shouldn’t we moms stick together?”

  “So you’ve made your decision?” Anna asked with hopeful relief. “You’re not still considering an abortion?”

  Kendall put a finger on her chin and looked uncertain. “I’m mostly sure that I’ll have the baby. Not completely.” Just then Tinkerbell started to bark to be let out. “But I’m determined to make up my mind by the end of this week. Lelani thinks I’ve already let it go too long. She said that not making a decision is like making a decision. I suppose that could be true.” She turned to her dog. “I’m coming, Tinker. Sheesh, with you to keep me hopping, who needs a baby?”

  Anna sighed and Megan just rolled her eyes.

  “Sometimes I think that stepping into 86 Bloomberg Place is like stepping into a soap opera or Lifetime movie,” said Anna.

  Megan laughed. “Isn’t that kind of like life?”

  “I guess.” Anna just shook her head as she went up the stairs. Having grown up with a mom who was fairly melodramatic, Anna had decided that she didn’t particularly enjoy drama. Oh, it was okay on TV or the big screen or theater. But when it came to her own life, she liked things to be nice and even. Maybe that’s why she liked Edmond so much. And so she decided to give him a call.

  “Hey, Anna,” he said happily. “You slipped away from the office before I could say good-bye.”

  “I was done with work and just wanted to leave. Sorry.”

  “So, how’s life at Bloomberg Place? Is Kendall behaving?”

  Anna often filled him in on the activities there. “She’s okay. But I’m having attacks of jealousy over not going to Maui.” So she told him about Gil.

  “Why don’t you go?”

  She laughed. “Well, for one thing I haven’t been invited.”

  “No one needs an invi
tation to go to Maui, Anna. You just buy a ticket, reserve a hotel, and go.”

  “Hmm.” Anna considered this. “By myself? Isn’t that a little pathetic?”

  “I’d be happy to go with you.”

  “Right.” Anna laughed. “That would send my poor mother right over the edge. She’s already freaking over Gil and Lelani. Not that they’ll be staying together.”

  “So if it weren’t for your mother, would you consider going there with me?” asked Edmond hopefully.

  “No,” Anna answered firmly. “I wouldn’t.”

  Now there was a long pause.

  “Sorry,” said Anna. “It’s nothing personal. But if I go to Maui with a guy it’ll have to be on my honeymoon.”

  “Are you proposing to me, Anna Mendez?”

  She laughed. “No, I’m not. And, just so you know, I’m a little old-fashioned that way. I expect the guy to propose to me.”

  Now there was another silence and Anna got worried that Edmond might think she was hinting. “Not that I’m ready for anything like that,” she said quickly. “Because I so am not. I was just saying.”

  “Hey,” said Edmond. “I wonder if Gil wants a buddy to go with him to Maui. I mean if he’s getting a hotel room, we could split the cost. And I can—”

  “That’s actually a great idea.” Anna remembered Gil’s talk of snorkeling and surfing. But what if Lelani was busy doing other things? The idea of Gil out there alone was a little scary. “Do you know how to snorkel?”

  “Oh, yeah. And I’m a certified diver too.”

  “How about surfing?”

  “I’ve done it a few times, but I’m not great.”

  “Sounds like you and Gil are a perfect match.”

  “Great. I think I’ll give him a call.” Edmond ended the conversation and Anna realized that now she was not only jealous of her brother going to Maui, she was jealous of Edmond as well. And to think she’d encouraged it. What had she been thinking?

  “Hey, Anna?” Kendall poked her head in her room. “Can I borrow your shampoo?”

  “Uh … yeah, sure.” Anna nodded. Okay, she wanted to say no and to point out that her shampoo was expensive, and that Kendall always left the lid off and used too much, and why couldn’t Kendall just buy her own anyway? But Anna didn’t say any of that. Instead, she just sat there on her bed considering the fact that she’d be spending the whole week of spring break here with Princess Kendall. Just Kendall and Anna. Together for one whole week. No Megan or Lelani to balance things out or soothe Kendall’s feelings or reassure her that her life wasn’t over just because her size-four jeans didn’t fit anymore.

  And then it hit Anna: not only that, but now there was a very good chance that she wouldn’t even have Edmond to run away and escape with. For all she knew he was talking to Gil right now, booking a flight to Maui online, and asking his uncle for time off. To make matters worse, Anna wouldn’t even have her brother. Just Anna and Kendall. Anna groaned loudly and flopped back on her bed. This was so unfair!

  Twelve

  Kendall

  Kendall did not feel like getting out of bed Wednesday morning. But then she’d never been much of a morning person—at least not since she was a kid. And mornings were even less welcome now that she was knocked up. Okay, her housemates had told her numerous times to quit referring to her pregnancy in such negative terms. Just last night Lelani had given Kendall the spiel that she was carrying a miracle inside of her body. Maybe it was something she’d learned in med school. But this little “miracle” had gotten Kendall up to hurl just a little past seven, and Anna had not appreciated it one bit when Kendall blasted past her to get to the toilet. However, Anna might’ve appreciated it even less if Kendall hadn’t made it in time.

  “Eeuw,” Anna complained as she stepped back, holding her hair dryer as if it were a handgun. “Can’t you do that somewhere else?”

  Kendall had glared at her. “Like where?”

  At least Anna had the good sense to apologize and ask if Kendall was okay.

  “Define okay,” Kendall had snapped back at her, snatching Anna’s still damp bath towel and using it to wipe her face.

  Anna then had the good sense to keep her mouth shut.

  Of course, Tinkerbell wanted to go out. Kendall had reluctantly trudged down the stairs to oblige the dog. At least that meant one less puppy pad to change. She couldn’t imagine what it would be like having to change baby diapers and, according to an ad she’d seen in some stupid baby magazine at the ob-gyn office yesterday, the average baby went through around five thousand diapers before it was potty trained. As she stood outside waiting for Tinker to do her business, she tried to remember what the ad had been trying to sell. Perhaps the idea that having a baby was ridiculous. In that case, she was buying.

  Eventually, she fell back into bed again, and now she did not feel like getting up—ever. But someone kept knocking on the front door, incessantly ringing the doorbell, which had caused Tinkerbell to go into a barking frenzy that was not going to stop. And so Kendall dragged herself out of bed, pulled on her robe, which was looking ratty, shoved her feet into her pink bunny slippers, whose ears had been chewed to pieces by Tinkerbell, and once again she trudged down the stairs. Maybe she should consider forcing Lelani or Megan to switch rooms with her. How was it fair that a pregnant woman had to climb up and down all those stairs?

  Kendall opened the door to see a middle-aged woman with an oversized bag smiling at her. Thinking she was selling something, Kendall prepared to tell her to take it someplace else, but then she realized it was Megan’s mom.

  “Remember me?” she said pleasantly. “I’m Linda Abernathy, Megan’s mom.”

  Kendall nodded dumbly.

  “And we were going to—”

  “Oh, yeah.” Kendall nodded. “I totally forgot. Uh, I wasn’t feeling too good this morning and I—”

  “Are you sick?” asked Linda as she pushed her way into the house. This woman actually reminded Kendall of Megan, the pushiness anyway.

  “Not exactly sick, but sort of …” Kendall frowned as she looked at the junk that was still cluttered about the living room.

  “Don’t you want help with this?”

  “Yeah, I guess so. I mean I need help, don’t I?”

  “It seems you do.” Linda smiled again. “Why don’t you go get dressed and I’ll start going through things.” She held up her bag. “I found some more books at the library that will help us to price some of the collectables.”

  Kendall felt slightly encouraged. “Do you really think there might be something valuable here?”

  “Well, based on what you told me, the age of the home, how long things have been in that attic, it seems likely.”

  “Cool.” Kendall nodded. “I’ll go change.”

  “And I’ll get to work,” chirped Linda. “This is going to be fun.”

  Kendall wasn’t so sure about fun, but if it was a way to make some money, Kendall was in. Her last viable credit card had been rejected at the gas station yesterday, and she’d been forced to spend her last bit of cash on a few gallons of gas. She really was desperate. As she pulled on the same sweats she’d worn yesterday—for the past week for that matter—she considered once again asking someone in her family for help. But she knew that would mean revealing to them her delicate (rather, indelicate) condition. And that would give them just one more thing to throw in her face. Plus, she still wasn’t convinced that she’d continue her pregnancy.

  If only Matthew would step up and be the man she had thought he was. If only he’d come to his senses and realize that Kendall, not Heidi Hardwick, was the woman he should be spending the rest of his life with. But the last time she’d tried to contact him, just days ago, he’d politely threatened to get a restraining order on her if she continued to pester him. Then she’d jus
t as politely threatened to go public with her pregnancy if he pulled a stunt like that. Now it seemed they were in a standoff. The only way to prove it was his baby would be to give birth and have a DNA test to determine paternity. Then she could either sue him for child support or hope that he’d figure things out and leave Heidi to marry Kendall.

  Still, the more she thought about the possibility of Matthew giving up his high-profile Hollywood marriage, the less likely it seemed. Although she had tried, she had not forgotten her therapist’s suggestion that Kendall, besides being narcissistic, might sometimes suffer delusions of grandeur. Well, who didn’t sometimes? And what was wrong with believing that you were someone special? Wasn’t that also called good self-esteem? Why did everyone have to make everything so complicated?

  “Are you coming down, Kendall?” called Linda from the foot of the stairs.

  “Oh, yeah.” Kendall shoved on a pair of flip-flops. “Coming!”

  Linda had already begun sorting some things out. And now she was holding a small stack of old magazines and grinning like they’d just won the lottery. “Do you know what these are?”

  Kendall peered at the musty looking pile of periodicals. “Trash?”

  “No, they’re old hunting magazines.”

  “And?”

  “And they are very collectable. Not just for the contents, but some people like to frame them and use them for wall art.”

  Kendall peered at the cover on top. A guy in a plaid shirt and Elmer Fudd hat was aiming a long gun at what appeared to be some kind of mountain lion that was about to leap down onto him. “Who in their right mind would put something like that on their wall?”

  Linda just chuckled like she knew some big secret. “Oh, plenty of people. Especially here in the Northwest.”

  “Oh.” Now Kendall was curious. “How much would one of these magazines go for? Like a hundred dollars?”

  Linda laughed. “No, I don’t think so.”