by Pamela Bauer
“Want to talk about it?”
She did, but she wasn’t going to spoil the end of what had been a very happy evening for her friend. “You don’t need to hear me whine about my mother. This is your day to be happy.”
Dena reached across and touched her arm. “I may have wedding jitters, but I’m not a basket case yet. Besides, I want to know what happened when Roy came here.”
“You know he was here tonight?”
She nodded. “I saw his car out front when I went outside to say goodbye to one of the shower guests.”
Krystal sighed. “It was not a pretty scene, believe me.”
“What did he say?”
She hesitated only a moment. After everything that had happened that day, she needed a friend now. She relayed the entire story, leaving out the part with Garret on the patio.
When she’d finished, Dena gave her another hug. “You poor thing. That’s horrible!”
“It’s unbelievable is what it is,” Krystal said, shaking her head. “I guess there is one positive that came out of all of this. I’m finally rid of Roy.”
Dena threw up her hands in a gesture of triumph and said, “Yes! And that is reason to celebrate.” She jumped up and went over to her compact refrigerator where she pulled out a bottle of grape juice. When she’d filled two paper cups, she returned to the love seat.
“It’s not wine, but it’s the next best thing.” She lifted her cup in midair for a toast. “To my dear friend Krystal, who had a frog pretending to be a prince, but she was smart enough to see his warts and kick his butt back into the pond.”
Krystal grinned, then took a sip of the juice. “Mmm. This tastes good. I’d like to propose a toast, too.” She lifted her cup. “To my dear friend Dena, who never made me feel I was crazy for wanting to get back together with the frog after he came home from his military duty.”
“You weren’t crazy. You just had to be sure of your feelings and now you are.”
Krystal drained the remainder of her juice and said, “I am.” She shuddered. “Just thinking about that guy creeps me out. But enough talk about him. Let’s talk about something fun. The wedding. It’s getting so close! Aren’t you excited?”
“I am but I’m also scared.”
“Scared? About what?”
“I love the thought of being married to Quinn, but don’t forget that besides getting a husband I’m getting two kids. What if I’m a lousy mother? I mean, I’ve never done it before. How do I know I can do it?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve been asking myself those same questions.”
“We’re in the same boat in that aspect, aren’t we? We’re both going to be new moms. The only difference is my kids are going to be seven and twelve. You’re getting a newborn.”
“And you already know Sara and Luke like you.”
“Your baby’s going to like you, too,” she stated with no uncertainty. “You’re going to be a great mom.”
“Both of us will be,” Krystal added with conviction. “We’ll help each other out, right?”
“Of course. And what’s really cool is that Sara will be old enough to baby-sit, so if we want to go out for an iced latte we can. We’ll have our own little new moms support group.”
While Dena rambled on, thinking up all sorts of fun things for them to do as mothers, Krystal could only stare at her in disbelief. Finally Dena asked, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because I was just thinking what a unique friend you are. I’ve told you Roy isn’t the father of my baby, yet not once while we’ve been talking have you asked who is.”
She shrugged. “I figured if you wanted to tell me you would.”
That was so like Dena. Always listening but never prying. If there was one thing she’d never be accused of doing, it would be gossiping.
“The reason I haven’t told you is I’ve been trying not to complicate your life,” Krystal told her.
Dena reached out to take her hand. “It’s not going to complicate my life. You know that anything you tell me won’t leave this room.”
“I know that. That isn’t the reason why I haven’t told you.” She took a deep breath and said, “It’s Garret.”
“Oh.” If she was surprised, she hid it well. “I take it you haven’t told him yet?”
She shook her head. “I was waiting until after the wedding. For obvious reasons.”
“Leonie,” she said in understanding.
She nodded solemnly. “And Samantha lives upstairs.”
Dena grimaced. “And she’s been seeing Garret.”
“It’s going to be really awkward around here when everyone finds out.”
“No one will find out until you’re ready to tell them,” she assured her.
Krystal leaned over to give her another hug. “Thank you. I want so much for you to have the perfect wedding.”
“Don’t worry. Everything will be fine.” Then she wrinkled her nose. “I just thought of something. I paired you and Garret for the bridal procession.”
“That’s okay.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. We’re still friends.” Or we used to be, she should have added, but she really didn’t want to go into the details of her relationship with Garret. And Dena, being the kind of friend she was, didn’t ask.
Krystal was grateful when she changed the subject, asking her opinion on what hairstyles would work with the veil she’d chosen. There was no more talk of babies or boyfriends, and by the time Krystal returned to her room, she felt much better.
But as she climbed into bed, all the upsetting things that had happened to her during the day came into her mind. And one refused to be ignored. It was Garret telling her he was going to be gone for six months to a year in the Doctors Without Borders program. Visions of him in a war zone haunted her until she fell asleep.
AS DENA’S WEDDING DAY approached and 14 Valentine Place became a beehive of activity, Krystal felt more confident that she’d made the right decision to wait to tell Garret she was pregnant. She saw how something as minor as a delay in Maddie and Dylan’s travel plans could upset the harmony in the house. She wasn’t about to risk creating an even bigger upheaval with her news.
To everyone’s relief, Dena’s third bridesmaid did arrive on the Friday before the wedding. She’d missed the final fitting for the bridesmaids and their dresses, but to Leonie’s relief, her dress was a perfect fit. Everyone saw it as a sign the wedding would go off without a hitch.
“I am so lucky this fits,” Maddie said as she pirouetted in front of Krystal wearing the plum-colored bridesmaid dress. “I thought for sure when I missed that fitting we were going to be scrambling to find a seamstress at the last minute.”
“You’re lucky you’re here. If the weather hadn’t improved, you could still be sitting at the airport in Paris,” Krystal pointed out.
“Yes, and we might have missed the wedding entirely. You want me to zip you up?” she asked as she watched Krystal struggle to get the back closed on her dress.
“Thanks.” She turned around, lifting her hair off the nape of her neck.
“It’s a little snug,” Maddie said as she hooked the zipper in place. “I thought you said you had yours altered.”
“I did. It was too big in the shoulders.”
“Well, now it’s a little tight in the bodice.” She came around to Krystal’s front side to peer closely at the dress. She pinched a layer of fabric under her arm, then down the skirt. “It appears that it’s just the bodice. I think you’re going to have to leave the padded bra at home.”
Krystal didn’t tell her that she wasn’t wearing a padded bra. The fullness in the bodice was due to her swollen breasts, another of the changes her body had undergone during her early pregnancy.
“It doesn’t feel tight,” she told her, although it wasn’t quite the truth.
“No? Well, then don’t worry about it. I’m sure none of the men will care,” Maddie said with a knowing lift of her br
ows. “You look lovely.”
“So do you. It’s a great dress. Don’t you just love it?”
“I do. I was a little worried when I saw the picture, but now that I’m here—” she pivoted in front of the full-length mirror “—I can see that Dena did a great job of picking a dress that minimizes the tummy area, although nothing’s going to hide this I’m afraid.” She rested her hand on her slightly swollen stomach.
“Nothing should. You look beautiful,” Krystal told her because it was the truth.
“I look pregnant.” Maddie turned to the side. “I’m pretty big for twenty-two weeks, don’t you think?”
“Mmm-hmm.” Krystal wasn’t sure what to say. It had been a shock to see Maddie walk through the front door of 14 Valentine Place wearing maternity clothes, because Krystal knew that in two months’ time she would be wearing the same size and looking just as pregnant as her friend.
“At first the doctor thought it might be twins, but it’s only one. Leonie told me all of the boys were over nine pounds, which means I’ll probably have a big baby. I guess that’s the price I have to pay for falling in love with a Donovan.”
Krystal knew it was an opportunity to tell her friend that she was paying the price, too, but she hesitated because Maddie, besides being her friend, was also Garret’s sister-in-law. Even though Krystal trusted her to keep her secret, she didn’t want to put her good friend in the position of knowing something of importance and not being able to share it with the rest of her family. Krystal also knew that Maddie told Dylan everything and as much as she wanted to believe he wouldn’t say anything to Garret, she simply didn’t think it would be wise to tell any of the Donovans unless she was telling all of them.
“You’re glowing, Maddie. You must be happy,” Krystal remarked as Maddie stood in front of the mirror.
“I am happy. Dylan and I didn’t plan to start a family so soon after we got married, but now that I’m pregnant, it just feels so right,” she said.
“You’re going to make wonderful parents. I wish you weren’t going to be so far away when the baby’s born. I miss you.”
Maddie reached for her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Oh, I miss you, too. France is wonderful, but it’s not home. It would feel more like home, however, if my friends would visit,” she said with an appeal in her eyes.
“Oh, you know I’d love to, but…”
“If it’s money stopping you from coming over, Dylan has a ridiculous amount of frequent flyer points.”
She held up her hand. “It isn’t that. This just wouldn’t be a good time for me.”
“Oh, come on. You’re the one who always wants to travel someplace new and exciting. Paris is definitely exciting. And if you come before I get much bigger, Dylan and I can take you to the most fabulous places—”
She stopped suddenly and said, “Quick. Give me your hand.” She took Krystal’s palm and placed it on her stomach. “The baby’s kicking. Can you feel it?”
Krystal shook her head because at first she didn’t notice anything, but then she felt a tiny flutter. “Ohmigosh! I think I did!”
“There it is again. Feel it?”
Krystal giggled gleefully. “That is so neat!”
“I know. You should feel what it’s like on my end.” She rolled her eyes. “This little guy is either going to be a soccer star or a dancer. His feet never stop.”
“Guy?” Krystal looked at her inquisitively. “Are you hoping for a boy?”
“It is a boy,” she announced proudly.
“You found out?”
She nodded. “They did an ultrasound at twenty weeks, but don’t say anything to Leonie. We haven’t told her yet.”
She shook her head. “Of course I won’t. She’s going to be so excited.”
“I think she wanted a girl, but she’ll just have to wait for her first granddaughter.” She reached for her purse. “I have pictures in my bag. Want to see?”
Krystal nodded and Maddie pulled out an envelope. “It’s amazing how much of the baby’s anatomy you can identify.” She named the different body parts as she pointed to them with her finger.
Krystal gazed in amazement at the grainy printouts. It was hard to believe that something very similar was forming inside her. “It’s really a little person, isn’t it?” she said as much for her own benefit as Maddie’s.
“Look at the tiny little hands and feet! When I see these pictures, I get this lump in my throat and mist in my eyes.”
Krystal understood why. “It’s just so incredible to think that…” She didn’t finish her sentence, because if she had she would have told Maddie that in two months she’d know if she was carrying a boy or a girl.
There was a knock on the door followed by Dylan’s voice. “Hey, don’t take too much time in there. We have a wedding rehearsal to get to.”
“We’ll be down in a few minutes,” Maddie called out, then said to Krystal, “We’ll have to talk later. There’s so much I want to tell you.”
“The same goes for me. I’ve missed you,” Krystal told her, her eyes filling with unshed tears.
“I’ve missed you, too. I wish I could have been here for Dena’s shower. How is she holding up?” Maddie asked as she tucked the photos back into their envelope.
“She was fine until this morning,” Krystal answered. “It’s actually quite funny. You know how she’s always trying to look as if she has everything under control…well today, she’s the total opposite. She’s running around like a chicken with her head cut off.”
“That doesn’t sound like the Dena I know,” Maddie commented. “Back in college she was the one who kept me grounded.”
“I know what you mean. We’ve become really good friends. I’m so glad you recommended her to Leonie.”
“You become good friends with everyone who lives here.”
“Yes, which makes it really hard when they move away. At least when you left Dena moved in across the hall. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I don’t like the next person who takes her place.”
“That won’t happen, because you know Leonie is very careful when it comes to choosing her tenants,” Maddie told her.
“I don’t think she’s looked for a replacement for Dena—she’s been too busy helping with the wedding plans.” She sighed. “Guess I’ll just have to be alone for a while.”
“You’re not alone. Isn’t Samantha Penrose upstairs?”
“Oh, yeah. I forgot about her. I don’t really know her.”
“She hasn’t been down for any girl talk?”
“Uh-uh. I hardly see her around here at all.”
“She’s a doctor and if she’s anything like Garret, she works all the time,” Maddie surmised.
“I think she’s a lot like Garret. That’s probably why they get along,” Krystal pointed out.
“I was surprised when Leonie told me she’d rented a room to her. What’s the deal with her and Garret anyway? Are they really back together?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. You’d have to ask him.”
Maddie stared at her, her hands on her hips. “Since when do you not know what’s going on at 14 Valentine Place?”
She turned away so Maddie wouldn’t see her face when she answered. If there was one thing she knew she couldn’t do, it was lie to Maddie. They’d lived together too long and had become too close of friends.
“I told you why. I haven’t seen her. Or Garret for that matter. And Leonie’s been so caught up with the wedding….” She trailed off, not wanting to say too much about Samantha.
“I’m looking forward to meeting her.”
“I thought you knew her. She and Garret dated in college.”
Maddie shook her head. “They broke up before I moved to St. Paul. I remember Garret talking about her, though.”
Krystal wanted to ask her what he’d said about her, but Dylan pounded on the door for the second time, reminding them they needed to hurry. Maddie disappeared with her husband, leaving Krystal to change out of t
he bridesmaid dress. Before slipping on the two-piece skirt and jacket she was wearing to the rehearsal, Krystal stood in front of the mirror in her bra and panties. Turning sideways, she tried to imagine Maddie’s gently swelling tummy on her body. Then she placed her hand on her stomach, searching for some sign there was a baby kicking inside. There wasn’t any.
Hearing Maddie so lovingly include Dylan’s name when she talked about the baby made Krystal wish that she wasn’t going through her pregnancy alone. She, too, had questions and concerns she wanted to share with the father of her baby. Only she couldn’t. At least not yet.
Soon she would tell Garret he was going to be a father and then what? She wondered. His reaction was something she’d thought about often and each time she’d hoped that, after his initial shock, he would tell her he wanted to be a part of the baby’s life. Until the night they’d conceived a child, they had been friends. Surely they could maintain a friendly relationship for the sake of their child.
She closed her eyes, not wanting to think about it. But she had to think about it. Because in a very short time there would be no more hiding the truth.
KRYSTAL KNEW DENA had planned for her to be escorted down the aisle by Garret. What she didn’t expect was that she’d be seated next to him at the groom’s dinner following the rehearsal. She had hoped to sit next to Maddie, but she found herself sandwiched between Dylan and Garret, and feeling very uneasy about it.
If she could have pleaded a headache and gone home after the rehearsal, she would have, but she knew Dena would suspect the reason she’d left. She’d spent the past six weeks trying to keep from letting her situation spoil Dena’s happy occasion. She could get through a few more hours.
So she put on a happy face and acted as if she was enjoying herself. It wasn’t as hard as she thought it would be. She was, after all, a people person and had no trouble making conversation. The difficult part was eating.
“Aren’t you hungry?” Garret asked, glancing at her plate where most of her dinner sat untouched.
“I think I’m too excited to eat,” she told him, not wanting to admit the true reason for her lack of an appetite. She usually became nauseous about this time every evening. Tonight was no exception.
