“Oh, I understand,” he said hurriedly.
“Are you married?”
“No.” He shook his head.
“Well, then, I won’t be of much interest to you. Thanks for stopping by. I’ll tell my husband you came.”
He was being dismissed. He stood there for a moment, looking at her hopefully. Would something trigger her memory? Would something flicker, some deep emotion somewhere? She looked back at him, an uncertain look on her face.
“Mom?”
“Pardon me?”
“Mom? It’s me....”
The uncertainty turned to alarm on her weathered features, and he sighed. She didn’t remember him. “Thank you, Mrs. Taylor. Give your husband my best.”
Backing out of the room, he felt a lump rising in his throat. He took a deep breath, trying to push all the emotions out of sight. It had been getting worse and worse, her memories staying in the distant past for most of the time. This wasn’t a good sign, and he knew it. If only she’d let him chat with her as a friend, at least then he could spend some time with her, but she kept dismissing him like some inappropriate flirt.
Fran came ambling down the hallway with a cart of medication squeaking cheerfully. She gave him a long, searching look.
“I’m sorry, honey,” she said.
“I guess I missed the window.” He gave her a shrug. “I’ll drive faster next time.”
“She was quite alert. She knew your dad was gone, and she thought you were a new police recruit. I thought for sure she’d recognize you.” Fran shook her head. “Where was she now?”
“Dad was alive, and I was five.”
She nodded. “That’s a nice time for her. Well, next time, honey.”
If there even was a next time.
“Thanks.”
“Are you all right, Chief?”
“Oh, yes, I’m fine.” He gave her a polite nod, covering the sadness that welled inside of him.
“You know, Chief,” she said softly, putting a hand on his arm. “On the other side, your mother is going to know what a loving son you were to her. She’ll know.”
“She’s been getting worse, hasn’t she?”
“I can’t talk about that. I’m not the doctor—”
“I can tell.” He sighed and pressed his lips together. “You know, what I wouldn’t give to just hug my mother. But she won’t let me.”
“Now, that is a lady with boundaries!” Fran chortled, her eyes twinkling. Then she grew more serious, and her eyes filled with sympathy. “Come here, honey.”
She opened her arms. Greg bent down and she wrapped her warm, soft arms around him, rocking him gently back and forth. He and Fran had become friends over the past couple of years that his mother was in Shady Pines, but they’d never hugged.
“I’m a mother with a boy your age,” she said, nodding reassuringly. “I’ll pass along this hug just as soon as she’ll let me.”
He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling the maternal love surrounding him. “You’re a good boy, Greg,” she said softly. “I know that your mother loves you. And you’re taking real good care of her.”
She released him and he stood up, a lump in his throat.
“Thanks, Fran.”
“Anytime.” She patted his hand and went back to her cart with the wobbly wheel, moving down the hallway toward the next door. He peeked back into his mother’s room. She was watering the plants. With a sigh, he headed back down the hall toward the outside door and blinding sunlight. He’d do what he always did—go back to work.
* * *
“Seriously?” Emily stared at Beth in dismay. “What about a baby shower for you?”
They sat outside a little café, Cora sleeping in her car seat in the shade of the table’s umbrella and two tall glasses of fruit smoothie between them. The day was warm and the drinks were chilled—the perfect combination for late June.
“I’ve got three months to go,” Beth said with a faint shrug. “Everybody likes having the baby shower after the baby has arrived so they can ooh and aah over a little cutie.”
“I know, but...” Emily sighed, letting her eyes rove out to the street, watching some pickup trucks navigate the four-way stop. “But this is terrible timing. I don’t even know if Cora will be able to stay with me.”
“I didn’t tell them about that.” Beth stirred her raspberry smoothie with the straw, her eyes on her drink. “I didn’t think it was their business, and they were so eager to do this for you. We’ve both taught at that school for our entire careers. The other teachers feel a little protective. You can’t blame them.”
“Can’t you cancel it?” Emily asked.
“Yeah, I’ll tell them to cancel it. Sure.” Beth nodded.
Emily sighed. She knew they were just trying to be supportive and kind. She’d been teaching at that elementary school for five years now, and the staff had a great camaraderie. Beth looked up, and Emily caught her eye.
“It’s already planned, isn’t it?” she asked.
“Yes.” Beth blushed. “Mary Ellen is making the cake, and everyone has contributed one square for a quilt. Nancy is going to sew it up the night before the party. She’s a pro when it comes to quilting.”
“Oh, my goodness.” Emily closed her eyes for a moment. “You are all so sweet.”
“We know.” Beth chuckled. “But no pressure, Em.”
“What do you mean, no pressure?” Emily retorted. “How can I tell them I’m not interested, especially when they’ve already put so much into this?”
“It was supposed to be a surprise party, but I talked them out of that,” Beth offered.
Emily shot her friend a wry grin and took a sip of her watermelon-mint smoothie. She looked down at Cora, who lay happily in her car seat, wiggling her bare toes in the summer warmth.
“When is it?” Emily asked.
“In a couple of weeks.” Beth reached over and put her hand over Emily’s. “You can back out, Em. They’ll understand. This is complicated.”
“Maybe we could just put it off until after the hearing....” Emily watched as a woman across the street paused to look in a shop window, her toddler in a stroller, doing his best to squirm out. She smiled wistfully.
“Look,” Beth said quietly. “We all know that this is complicated. This is a small town, and gossip travels faster than light. So don’t blame me for gabbing, but everyone is well aware that it isn’t all cut-and-dried.”
“I know, I know. People will talk.”
Cora let out a whimper, and Emily bent down to undo the straps of her seat and lifted the baby up onto her lap. Cora snuggled into Emily’s arms contentedly, looking around herself with big blue eyes.
“We want to be here for you,” Beth said. “I don’t know how this will work out, but let’s have some faith that God will leave the two of you together. In the meantime, you’re a mom. Let us support you. That’s what this is about—us taking care of you.”
Emily couldn’t help but smile. “I guess you have a point.”
“So?” Beth asked cautiously. “Can we have the baby shower?”
Emily nodded. “Okay. You make a good argument.” She took a long sip of her drink.
Beth grinned. “Excellent. Now find a date. It’s a Jack and Jill.”
Emily almost choked and coughed several times before she could catch her breath. “What?” she demanded.
“Oh, didn’t I mention that before?” Beth asked innocently. “Well, think about Neil and Marcus.”
Neil and Marcus were fellow teachers both women knew well.
“They’d want to be there, too,” Beth continued, “and we can’t very well allow them to come and not their wives...so you can see how it would get awkward if we didn’t make it a Jack and Jill.”
�
�You’re telling me that on top of all this, I need a date?” Emily shook her head. “Beth, no!”
“What about Greg?”
“What about him?”
“Why not ask him to come as your Jack?”
Emily shot her friend a dry look and turned her attention to Cora, who was trying to suck on her tiny fist. “A date, huh?”
“Oh, I’m just being a pain.” Beth chuckled. “Come alone or come with Greg. We’ll love you either way.”
Emily pointed her straw at Beth and narrowed her eyes teasingly. “You’re pushing.”
“Maybe a tad, but he’s a sweet guy, and you have to admit that you’ve got a wee crush.”
“A tiny one.” Emily held up half an inch with her fingers. “But crushes are no excuse for hugely awkward social situations.”
“Since when?” Beth asked. “There’s no better excuse. But really, do what you want. Just come, okay?”
Emily grinned. “I’ll be there.”
The rest of the time they spent chatting about Beth’s baby shopping, Cora’s sleep patterns and Nina, considering she wasn’t there to roll her eyes at them. When Beth announced it was time for her to go for her doctor’s appointment, they hugged each other and headed off in opposite directions.
As she strapped Cora into her car seat, Emily heard her cell phone ringing in her purse. Pulling it out, she flipped it open as she tightened the last strap.
“Hello?”
“Hi, Emily.” It was Greg. Emily couldn’t help but smile.
“Hi. How are you?”
“Not bad. Say...I’ve dug something up, and I wanted to run it by you.”
“Oh?” Emily straightened and pulled her fingers through her hair. “What did you find?”
“Can you think of any reason that Jessica would have had large deposits coming into her checking account the last few months?”
Emily was silent for a moment, processing his question. Large deposits? That sounded weird.
“How large are we talking?” Emily asked.
“Ten thousand and larger, each coming into her account on the first of the month, going back four months.”
“Wow.” She let out a sigh and closed the door, moving around to the driver’s side. “I have no idea. You don’t know where they were coming from?”
“Not yet. Would her parents have been giving her money?”
Emily’s mind went to Uncle Hank. It didn’t seem even remotely possible. “Her mom died, and her dad spent pretty much all they had on her hospital care. He’s flat broke. He even lost the house. There’s no way he could be giving anyone thirty or forty grand in cash.”
“That’s what I suspected.”
Emily got into the driver’s seat and started the vehicle, cranking the air-conditioning for Cora’s benefit. Glancing back, Cora looked happy enough, looking around and attempting to chew on her little fist again.
“What does this mean?” Emily asked.
“I don’t know, but it doesn’t add up.” Greg was silent for a moment. “So how are you doing?”
“Good.” Emily flipped down the mirror. She looked tired. “Well, my friends at work are throwing me a baby shower.”
“That sounds nice.”
“It is...and it isn’t.” Emily wondered if he’d understand what she was about to explain. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, and celebrating all of this might be a bit premature.”
“I get that.” His voice was quiet and comforting. “So what are you going to do?”
“Beth convinced me.” She chuckled. “She’s awfully convincing when she wants to be.”
“Oh?”
“I can blame her for more than one fashion mistake.” Emily rolled her eyes. “But her heart is in the right place. What can I do?”
Greg just laughed.
“There is one complication....” Emily closed her eyes and silently grimaced. Should she even ask?
“What’s that?”
“It’s a Jack and Jill.”
“Meaning?”
“Nothing. Don’t worry about it.”
“No, I was serious.” He chuckled. “What does that mean? I’m a man. I’m not up on baby-shower etiquette.”
“It means that men and women will come. Mainly, it means that women will bring their husbands and boyfriends.”
“Ah...” There was humor in his voice. “You need a Jack?”
“That would help immensely.” She had to smile. “Thank you, Greg. I really appreciate this.”
“So do I need to bring you a corsage or something?” he joked.
“No, pretty much just show up. And I’ll be eternally grateful.”
“Oh, I don’t need eternal gratitude.” He laughed. “It’ll be fun.”
“If I can ever do anything for you, Greg, let me know.”
There was something muffled in the background. “...yes, thanks.... No, four of them. Oh, Joyce? Can I get some copies of these, too?”
“Busy?” Emily asked.
“Yeah, I’d better get going. I’ll get those party details from you later, okay?”
“Okay. See you.”
As she hung up the phone, she couldn’t help but smile to herself. Looking back at Cora again, she gave the baby a smile.
“Ready to go home?” she asked.
Cora blinked and pulled some glistening fingers from her mouth.
“Me, too,” Emily said, and put the vehicle in gear and pulled out onto the street.
Chapter Nine
A few days later, Emily stood in her parents’ living room, the diaper bag at her feet. Glancing at her watch, she mentally calculated how much time she had before she’d be late. Her mother cooed and babbled to Cora, lifting the baby into her arms.
“Oh, we’ll be just fine, Em,” she said. “Won’t we, Cora? Won’t we?”
Emily chuckled, watching her mother making a fishy face for Cora’s benefit. “Okay, I have three bottles. You won’t need all of them, but I have an extra, just in case. I think she’s growing, and she’s been hungry lately. The diapers will definitely be enough, but make sure you use the diaper cream. Her bottom has been sensitive lately. Also...”
“Sweetheart,” her mother said, looking up pointedly. “You’ve already told me all of this. Don’t worry. I raised you, you know.”
“I know.” Emily bent down and kissed Cora’s plump cheek. Only a few weeks ago, Cora had been much thinner. She was growing and getting nicely plump, and Emily felt a swell of personal pride in those rolls and dimples. She was doing something right.
“We’ll be fine,” her mother repeated, giving her a reassuring smile. “Okay? Have a good time.”
Emily wasn’t exactly going out for a good time. She had a dentist appointment, and then needed to make a quick stop by the drugstore to get a few toiletries. It would be the first time she’d gone out without Cora since the baby had arrived, and it felt strange.
As she walked out the front door toward her waiting vehicle, her father came around the house holding a garden hose. His iron-gray hair was neatly cropped in a fresh cut, and he wore a tattered yellow golf shirt. He loved that old shirt, and the only way her mother let him keep it was if he promised to wear it only when doing yard work.
“Hi, Emmy,” he called. “Off so soon?”
“I have a dentist appointment.”
“Look what I found.” He held up an old telescope, covered in dust. Emily stopped and squinted, looking more closely.
“You still have that?” she asked. “When did you get me that?”
“You were seven. You said you’d outgrown ‘Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,’ and I bought you this to look at the real thing.” He gave her a wistful smile. “I just found it in the garage. I thought maybe we coul
d show Cora the stars one day.”
Tears misted Emily’s eyes, the memories flying back. She’d been seven going on fourteen, as they said, and she remembered how disappointed her father had been when she declared herself officially grown-up and no longer in need of his silly songs.
“I think we’ve got some time before Cora is old enough for telescopes,” she said.
“Well, I’ll just get it ready.” He dropped the hose in a pile beside the outside faucet and wiped some of the dust off the old telescope with the palm of his hand.
“Dad?”
He looked up at her cheerfully. “Yes?”
“I have a court date for Cora’s custody hearing.”
The sparkle went out of his eyes, and his shoulders slumped just a little. He gave a quick nod. “Oh, that. Just a bit of red tape. It’ll be fine.”
“Do you think so?” She didn’t know what she expected him to say. He didn’t know any more than she did.
“I think so.” He nodded thoughtfully. “I’ll start cleaning this up.” He lifted the dusty telescope in a salute.
She felt like hugging her old father then. He was so determined, so stubborn when it came to letting go of hope, and that was part of what she loved about him.
“I’ll see you, Dad.” She gave him a grateful smile and pulled open the door of her vehicle. He didn’t know any more about this than she did, and he had no possible way to see the future, but somehow her father’s opinion made all the difference.
As she drove down the road toward the dentist’s office, her mind kept going back to that old telescope. When she’d turned seven, she’d decided that the second grade was too advanced for silly little songs like “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” and she’d informed her father that she would just have to grow up. She could still remember the look on his face when she said it—a mixture of sad tenderness and indulgence.
“I’ll tell you what, princess,” he’d said. “You’re right. You are very grown-up now. I think you’re grown-up enough to look at some real stars, don’t you?”
Looking back on it now, he hadn’t been willing to lose their little tradition together, even if it meant evolving it a little, and she was grateful for that. She had countless warm memories of standing with her father in their backyard, looking through that rickety little telescope at a full moon, or at a cluster of stars while he told her about the galaxies and nebulae beyond. As they looked at the craters in the moon, their conversation would move to other subjects: the girl who ignored her at school, her insecurity over her big feet, her curiosity about family stories she wasn’t old enough to know yet. She might have thought she was very grown-up, but her daddy still knew how to comfort her.
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