Secret Sundays

by Judith Keim

  Lynetta smiled. “Thanks.”

  After their food came, quiet dominated their table as they each dug into their meals.

  “I’m worried about Ed,” Carol Ann blurted into the silence. The ring on her finger sparkled as she clutched her hands together. “With Lee living in the same complex as Ed, we agreed we’d spend any time together at my apartment. Only that hasn’t happened. He’s had one excuse after another for not spending the night.” Her eyes filled. “What if he doesn’t love me, after all. He’s been out of the office a lot too. Maybe he’s seeing someone else. Or worse, maybe he’s seeing Lee.”

  Tiffany clucked her tongue. “Don’t go there, Carol Ann. The Ed Pritchard I know wouldn’t do something like that.”

  “He must have a lot on his mind with all the changes at the office,” said Lynetta.

  “Give him time and space,” said Sukie. “He has a wedding and a new family to get used to in a matter of a couple of months. You are getting married right after the baby arrives, right?”

  Carol Ann nodded. “That’s the plan. I’ve picked out a simple, ankle-length white dress to wear.” She smiled at her. “I want to be married in the same chapel you and Cam were married in.”

  At the memory, Sukie’s lips curved. “It was lovely, wasn’t it?” It hardly seemed possible that it had happened only seven months ago.

  Sukie looked around the table at her dearest friends. So much had happened to all of them since then. She couldn’t imagine what the future held.

  CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT

  CAROL ANN

  When Carol Ann returned to the office, Ed had left her a note. “Gone for the day. We need to talk. I’ll call you tonight.”

  Suspicion crept inside her, a sneaky, slithering thing. She checked Lee’s office. Lee was sitting at her desk, working away. Some people in the office said Lee was like a ghost that lingered in the dark, haunting their every move. Others said worse.

  Ashamed for thinking Ed might be doing something with Lee, Carol Ann sank down into her desk chair. A worrisome feeling gnawed at her insides like some hungry creature. Something was terribly wrong with Ed, with their relationship.

  Carol Ann started to rise to inform Lee she wasn’t feeling well, then decided her going home wouldn’t answer the nagging questions that were rocking her world off balance. She had no idea where Ed was. But she couldn’t just sit, wondering what was going on. She punched in his cell number, but the call went right to voice mail.

  Lee came out of the office. “What are you working on, Carol Ann?” she asked, giving her a penetrating look.

  Carol Ann picked up one of her projects and began typing.

  ###

  After work, Carol Ann went right home, hoping Ed would be there. But when she pulled into the parking lot of the apartment complex, there was no sign of him.

  Shoulders slumping with discouragement, she went inside to wait for his call. She set her purse down on the kitchen counter and went into the living room to open the sliding glass door to the balcony. The warm weather greeted her with a soft brush of air on her cheeks. The tension in her shoulders eased. She checked the potted geraniums she’d recently planted and then went inside to get water for them.

  As Carol Ann was standing at the sink, the doorbell rang. She let go of the watering pot and raced to answer the door.

  At seeing Ed, she cried, “I’ve been waiting to hear from you!”

  The somber expression on his pale face tore at her.

  She stepped back. “Is ... Is everything all right?”

  He shook his head. “No, it isn’t. May I come in?”

  Carol Ann’s stomach whirled with dismay as she waved him inside.

  “What is it?” she asked. Ed looked awful. Lines of distress creased his brow. He stumbled as he walked into the hallway. Catching himself against the wall, he straightened.

  “Are you okay?” she asked, taking hold of his arm.

  “No.”

  He walked over to the couch and sat down.

  “My God! What is it?” Fear chilled Carol Ann’s insides.

  Ed looked up at her with tears in his eyes. “I’m going to have to call off the engagement.”

  Carol Ann sank onto the coffee table in front of him, too weak to stand. “Why? What has happened?”

  Ed took a moment to answer. “You know all the client appointments I’ve had out of the office recently? They weren’t with clients. They were with a whole bunch of different doctors.”

  “Doctors? What’s wrong with you?” Carol Ann’s throat closed. She reached for him, but he held up a hand to ward her off.

  “The diagnosis was confirmed today. I have MS. I may end up in a wheelchair someday.”

  “MS? That’s the disease that has something to do with the nervous system. Right?”

  “Yes. To put it in the doctor’s lingo, it’s a neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system. There’s hope that it’s a relapsing type, but, Carol Ann, every person reacts differently. I could end up disabled. I can’t do that to you. I know how many years you’ve spent taking care of your parents. It just wouldn’t be fair for you to be stuck with me.”

  Carol Ann reached for his hands. Clasping them tightly, she took several calming breaths. “Ed, I love you and want to marry you. This isn’t a death sentence. We can’t let this stop us.” Tears rolled down her cheeks. She couldn’t go on.

  He shook his head. “I’ve thought about this for the past several days and decided it’s best to call off our engagement. I hope we can be friends in the future, but for now, it’s over.”

  Carol Ann jumped to her feet as angry as she’d ever been. “You’ve decided this all by yourself? What about me?”

  “You’re such a nice, trusting person, Carol Ann; you probably think everything will be fine. But I can’t cope with the idea of anyone taking care of me, especially you. I’m still trying to get my head around the fact that I’ve got this crazy disease. Can’t you understand?”

  “No.” Carol Ann slid the ring off her finger. “What I understand is that you’ve changed your mind about me, about us. This is just an excuse. Here.” She slapped the ring into his hand. “Marriage is for better or worse. You know that. You’ve changed your mind about me. You’d better leave.”

  “I’m sorry, Carol Ann. I really am.” His eyes filled once more as he rose to his feet. “You’ll see I’m right about this. I’m leaving for Baltimore tonight. I’m going to Johns Hopkins to have more testing done. So, I won’t be in the office next week. Lee knows about it.”

  “You talked to Lee about this before you talked to me?” Carol Ann’s words roared in her ears. Furious, she pushed at his back. “Go!” Her voice cracked. “This isn’t about your illness. It’s about you wanting to break up with me.”

  She waited, hoping Ed would say something, anything to tell her she was wrong, but he simply walked out of the apartment.

  She heard a loud wail and realized it was coming from her. Still sobbing, she collapsed on the couch.

  CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

  TIFFANY

  Tiffany left the luncheon with a new worry. The idea of Muffy and Regard living in Williston was enough to make her stomach churn. They’d never liked her and didn’t respect her or the work she was doing for Beau. And no matter how much they might love their granddaughter, those feelings about her weren’t going to change.

  Instead of returning to the office she and Kevin were setting up in his old apartment, Tiffany swung by her house to check on her daughter. She loved her little girl like she’d never loved anyone before. The fact that Vanna looked a lot like her father made Tiffany sometimes feel disloyal when she was with Kevin. But she was trying to move beyond that.

  She pulled into her driveway and stood a moment looking at the house she’d bought on her own. She’d first loved it as Sukie’s house. Now with her things inside and the few little touches she’d added to make it her own, she loved it even more. But it was another thing Muffy and Regard didn’t li
ke.

  Inside, Tiffany found Vanna sitting on the kitchen floor, tapping on a cooking pot with a wooden spoon. Hildie was doing dishes at the kitchen sink. She looked up at Tiffany and smiled.

  “Glad you stopped by. Vanna is just about to go upstairs for her nap.”

  Tiffany knelt on the floor and opened her arms. Vanna crawled and slid across the floor to reach her. Tiffany swept her up into her arms. “Hi, baby girl!”

  Vanna beamed at Tiffany and then began laughing as Tiffany pretended to nibble on her cheeks. Hugging her close, Tiffany rose to her feet.

  “I’ll put Vanna down for her nap,” she said to Hildie.

  Upstairs in Vanna’s room, Tiffany made a game of changing Vanna’s diaper, buzzing like a bee and tickling her. The sound of Vanna’s laughter filled Tiffany with joy. She and Beau might have had their troubles, but this precious baby had come from their union.

  Tiffany placed Vanna in the crib, kissed her cheek, and left the room filled with gratitude.

  Downstairs, Tiffany chatted with Hildie about the day’s activities and then left for the office.

  As she drove into the apartment complex, Tiffany was overcome with memories of when she’d lived here, in the same apartment Carol Ann was now in. In those early days after she’d left Beau, she’d felt so alone. And then when she’d gone into labor with Vanna, Kevin was the only person there to help her. She’d never forget that.

  She climbed the stairs to the second floor, paused at Carol Ann’s door, and then moved on to their office next door.

  When she stepped inside, Kevin was kneeling on the floor with a number of wooden pieces around him. He looked up at her and smiled. “I’m putting together the last bookcase. It’s another one of those do-it-yourself puzzles that may or may not work.”

  Tiffany laughed. “Good luck!”

  She moved into what used to be the master bedroom but was now her office. She took a moment to assess the new furniture. It was attractive but not too expensive. Kevin had warned her about spending a lot of money on the office due to the fiscal responsibilities of a trust like hers.

  She sat behind the modern desk and began sorting through papers. After the move, she’d set up some new files, including the paperwork Beau had set aside for the charitable trust. As she reviewed some of it now, Tiffany realized how clever Beau had been. His father had always made him feel unworthy because he hadn’t done that well in school. But Beau was bright, and he’d used his creativity to make all this happen. With Kevin’s help.

  She was in the middle of creating a spreadsheet of the various files when Kevin stuck his head into the office. “Okay. Bookcase is done. Where do you want it?”

  They got the bookcase settled in Kevin’s office and then took a break outside on the balcony.

  “Are you going to be happy with these arrangements?” Kevin asked her. “This way, we can keep our business and personal lives separate, as you wanted.”

  Tiffany heard the anxiety in his voice and knew his question was much more complicated than he’d stated. “Yes. I like the idea that we’ll have more freedom to be ourselves away from the office.”

  Kevin smiled and pulled her into his arms. “I love you. Know that?”

  Feeling as if she could melt at his warm, brown-eyed gaze, she nodded and settled her head against his chest. She’d always felt a connection to him.

  Kevin stepped back, wiggled his eyebrows at her, and shot her an impish grin. “The beds might be gone, but that doesn’t mean we can’t use the couch.”

  Tiffany laughed. “It’s too late. I told Hildie I’d be back by six o’clock.” She was about to go back inside when she heard a loud wail from next door.

  “Uh, oh. Something must be wrong at Carol Ann’s. I’ll be right back.”

  Tiffany ran through her apartment and over to Carol Ann’s door.

  When no one answered the doorbell, she called through the door, “Carol Ann? It’s me! Tiffany. Are you all right?”

  When there still was no answer, Tiffany tested the door. It was unlocked.

  She pushed it open and called, “Carol Ann? It’s Tiffany!”

  Carol Ann appeared from the bedroom. “Tiffany? Oh my God!”

  Tiffany stared at the knife Carol Ann was holding in her hand, the wild look in her eyes. Horrified, she slowly moved toward her. “What are you doing, hon?” Tiffany asked, forcing a calmness into her voice she didn’t feel.

  Carol Ann threw the knife down onto the carpet and covered her face with her hands. “I don’t know. I don’t know. My heart is broken. I don’t know what to do about it.”

  Tiffany moved cautiously toward Carol Ann, speaking softly. “Whatever it is, we can work it out. Remember?”

  Carol Ann dropped her hands, and though the wild look was gone, her eyes were swollen from crying. “It’s over.”

  “What’s over?” Tiffany asked, continuing to speak softly as she moved.

  “Ed and me. I gave him his ring back.”

  “You what?” Tiffany said, unable to hide her surprise. “What happened?”

  Words tumbled out of Carol Ann’s mouth, making it hard to understand her. “Ed’s sick, and he doesn’t want to get married. I know he’s changed his mind about me, or else he’d let me take care of him.” She held up her left hand. The diamond ring was gone.

  Tiffany wrapped her arms around Carol Ann’s shaking shoulders. “Oh, honey. I’m sure you two can work it out.”

  “I don’t think so. Ed’s been told he has MS, and he’s freaking out. He says he won’t let me take care of him because of the years I spent taking care of my parents.”

  Tiffany gasped. “But that’s so sweet! Carol Ann, that doesn’t sound like someone who doesn’t care for you.”

  She led Carol Ann to the couch in the living room. “Let me make a few phone calls to the group. You’ll see I’m right.”

  Carol Ann collapsed on the couch like a pillow whose stuffing had been ripped out.

  “Where’s your phone?” Tiffany didn’t dare leave Carol Ann alone, not even long enough to go next door for her own phone.

  Carol Ann pointed to her purse sitting on the kitchen counter. “In there.”

  Tiffany hurried into the kitchen, picked up the phone, and scrolled through the contacts list for Sukie’s name. She punched in the number and waited for Sukie to pick up.

  As soon as Sukie said “Hello,” Tiffany told her the news and asked her to call the other women in Fat Fridays. If ever there was an emergency, this was it. Heaven knew what Carol Ann had intended to do with that knife.

  CHAPTER FIFTY

  SUKIE

  Sukie was still in a state of shock as she absorbed the news about Ed and Carol Ann. Of all the couples she knew, their romance had seemed so right, so beautiful. On the phone call, it had been difficult to understand Tiffany’s whispers, but she’d heard enough hysteria in her voice to know how important it was for the women to gather. She quickly called Grace and Lynetta with the news and prepared to leave.

  “Where are you going?” Cam asked her, coming inside from the backyard where he’d been playing with Chloe.

  As she explained the situation, his look of annoyance became one of concern. “Okay, I’ll feed Chloe. We’ll have a late dinner.”

  She kissed him. “Thanks for understanding. The women ...”

  He cut her off. “I know. The women in the Fat Fridays group are your best friends. Go. Chloe and I will be here.”

  Sukie headed over to Carol Ann’s truly alarmed. Tiffany had mentioned a knife in Carol Ann’s hands. What in the world had caused this change? Carol Ann might be naïve and a romantic, but when things got tough, she was steadfast.

  At the apartment complex, Sukie parked the car and hurried into the building and up to the second floor. The door to Carol Ann’s apartment was half open.

  “Hello,” Sukie called and walked inside.

  Tiffany rose to her feet from where she’d been sitting on the couch. Next to her, Carol Ann remained seated, starin
g straight ahead.

  Sukie hurried over to her. “Hi, Carol Ann. I’m here. Want to tell me what’s going on?”

  “Oh, Sukie.” Carol Ann covered her face. “Ed and I broke up. I gave him his ring back. He doesn’t love me.”

  Sukie knelt before her and pulled Carol Ann into her embrace. “I’m pretty sure that’s not the case. Why don’t you tell us what happened?”

  Before Carol Ann could begin, Grace entered the apartment. Moments later, Lynetta arrived.

  After greetings and hugs had been exchanged, Sukie prompted Carol Ann to begin her story.

  The women huddled around her listening carefully as Carol Ann managed to get the words out between sobs.

  “The thing is, Carol Ann, having MS doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll be in a wheelchair. A friend of mine has it, and she’s doing well,” said Sukie. “There are different types of the disease, but many patients have mostly normal lives with some limitations.”

  Carol Ann swiped at her eyes. “He mentioned something about relapsing. I’m not sure what it meant.”

  “Okay, we’ll find out exactly what it means,” said Grace. “Misty is having dinner and spending the evening with a friend of hers from our support group, so I can stay here for a while. We’ll do some research of our own.”

  “Sounds good,” said Lynetta. “I imagine Ed panicked at the idea of your taking care of him.”

  “He’s going to Johns Hopkins for more studies. He’ll find out more about it there.”

  “I know you’re upset, Carol Ann,” said Sukie. “I would be too. But from everything you’ve told us, this is a man who loves you enough to give up what he wanted so you wouldn’t be burdened with him.”

  “Most guys don’t understand women,” said Grace. “He thought he was doing the right thing, but he didn’t realize how devastating it would be to you.”

  “Yes,” agreed Tiffany. “Ed was really thinking of you. Once you do some research on your own, you’ll be able to talk to him more reasonably.”

  “But he’s leaving tonight for Baltimore. He’ll be gone all next week.”