“So when you agreed with me that kids weren’t necessary for a happy marriage,” Edmond said slowly, “underneath that you were really afraid you couldn’t protect them.” He understood her fears, considering his regrets about not intervening with Barbara.
“I guess so, but I hated to cause problems in our marriage, particularly at such a difficult time for you. For a while I figured this desire for a baby would pass, so I tried not to dwell on it,” Melissa admitted.
“What pushed you over the edge?” He assumed there’d been a trigger.
“One day at the lab where I worked, a woman who’d been on maternity leave brought in her baby.” Melissa unsnapped her seat belt. “She offered to let me hold him. Feeling his little body in my arms, inhaling his baby scent, I just...I understood that having children was the reason I was put on this earth. That discovery must have been building inside me, but it hadn’t hit me until then, and when it did, I had to share it with you right away. I suppose I should have eased into the conversation with more care.”
A chill ran through Edmond. That conversation remained burned into his memory. “To me, your announcement came out of nowhere. It was as if you rejected everything we’d built together. As if you rejected me.”
She stared at him, aghast. “I assumed it would bring us closer together.”
“How could you imagine that?”
“I figured that once you got used to the idea, you’d be as excited about the new adventure as I was.” She swallowed hard. “It meant so much to me, and then you went out and destroyed any possibility of compromise.”
“Compromise?” Edmond didn’t see how one could compromise on the subject. “You either have children or you don’t.”
“I believed you would discover that you’d grown, that you’d...matured since we first talked about kids.”
Despite his resolve to listen patiently, he couldn’t let the remark pass. “That’s unfair. My decision not to have children was a mature one, based on my experience and my beliefs—beliefs we both held.” His old anguish still burned. “When you changed your mind, you basically chose motherhood over me.”
“When you had a vasectomy, you chose childlessness over me,” she answered unhappily.
“That’s not what I meant at all. I was choosing you, I was choosing the happy life that we shared..”
“To me, it seemed like I’d shared what mattered most to me, and you threw it in my face. How could I ever trust you again?” Melissa scooped her purse off the floor. “It’s too late to undo any of this, even if we wanted to.”
Edmond’s chest hurt. More than that, his entire body hurt. Yet unfortunately, she was right. It was too late. “I hope we can still cooperate for Dawn’s sake.”
“Certainly.” She opened her door. “We just have to keep our emotions out of it.”
“And if you need anything during your pregnancy, don’t hesitate to call me.” Edmond knew she was facing serious challenges.
“Thanks.” She stepped out into the night and walked to her car.
Sitting there and mentally replaying the conversation, he wished he’d grasped her perspective at the time. He wouldn’t have arbitrarily obtained a vasectomy—that had been arrogant. Still, it was doubtful their marriage could have survived. Edmond didn’t want to be a father. He loved Dawn and he’d do his best as her guardian. But that didn’t make him daddy material.
He waited while Melissa started her car and backed out. Then he followed the white sedan onto the freeway, watching over her until their paths diverged in Safe Harbor.
They might have no hope of reconciliation, but he still cared about her safety. He still cared about her.
Tuesday afternoon
Sender: Edmond Everhart
Subject: Our new home
Cc: Melissa Everhart
Dear Dawn and Isabel,
At lunch today, Aunt Lissa and I visited two houses for rent in Safe Harbor. One is a cottage near the beach, with a small yard and two bedrooms. The other has three bedrooms and a nicer yard and patio, but it’s farther from the beach. I’m attaching pictures. Which looks better to you? I can’t guarantee we’ll get your pick, but I’ll try.
Also, is it okay if I sign you up for sports camp during the day, while I’m working? You can play games and go swimming. Everyone says it’s fun.
Love, Uncle Eddie
“I’d pick the house with more space,” remarked legal secretary Lisa Rosen, removing a yogurt from the refrigerator in the law firm’s lunchroom. Edmond had shared the pictures with the staff, who took a keen interest in his domestic situation.
“It’s smart to include your niece in the process,” added the fiftyish receptionist, Marie Belasco, who was replacing coffee supplies in the cabinet. “Fresh pot will be ready in a minute.”
“I’ve had too much caffeine today anyway.” Edmond had been running on full speed since early morning, returning phone calls and preparing pleadings for clients while starting on the list of things Dawn would need. He’d emailed Children and Family Services to ask the name of the social worker and checked out the sports camp website. Melissa had been a champ, setting up their lunchtime tour of rentals and accompanying him.
They were an effective team. He’d observed the overall condition of the houses, the square footage and the floor plans. She’d noticed the state of the kitchen appliances, the color schemes and the ages of the children playing in the neighborhood.
“The best houses go fast, so don’t delay.” Lisa, tanned and slim as befitted a sailing enthusiast, leaned against the counter while opening the carton. “Have you talked to Paula about registering Dawn for school yet? My son Fred was in Paula’s class last year and she’s fantastic.”
“I plan to.” Until recently, Edmond hadn’t paid much attention to his coworkers’ family situations. Now he could reel off the statistics: Lisa and her husband, both in their thirties, had a son and daughter ages eight and ten; Marie was divorced and an experienced foster mom whose adopted kids were in their teens. Geoff and Paula had two girls, ages eleven and fourteen.
His other perceptions were changing, too. How had he managed to drive down Safe Harbor Boulevard for a year without noticing either Krazy Kids Pizza or the Bear and Doll Boutique? This morning, their signs had jumped out at him. He suspected he’d be visiting those places with Dawn in the near future.
Since he really had consumed too much coffee—half a dozen cups by late afternoon—Edmond excused himself, cut through the outer office and passed Marie’s desk. No clients waited in the small reception area—a far cry from the large law office where he’d worked as an associate. A few more years there and he’d have been in line to make partner, but in that high-pressure environment, what had once been a major life goal had loomed like a prison sentence.
The term prison sentence hit Edmond painfully. Today was Tuesday, which meant Barbara should be en route to the reception center in central California. He had a vision of his sister huddled in her seat, shaken by every jolt of the bus carrying her farther and farther from home.
He hadn’t realized that Geoff had stepped into the room until he heard the man’s soft voice say, “I won’t ask if the situation’s getting to you, because you wouldn’t be human if it weren’t. But since you’ve been standing here staring at the blinds for several minutes, why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon off?”
Embarrassed, Edmond tilted his head in acknowledgment. “I was thinking about my sister, but I assure you, I’m on top of things.”
“I never doubted it.” Geoff Humphreys gave him a genial smile. Although only forty, the guy projected a fatherly air. His receding hairline and tendency to wear wrinkled suits wouldn’t have stood him in good stead in L.A., but he had a gift for putting clients at ease. And me, Edmond conceded. “You don’t have to maintain a stoic front, Edmond. If I can help, jus
t ask.”
“I could use some advice from your wife,” Edmond said. “I hear she’s a great teacher, and my niece will be entering second grade.”
“Paula loves animals and uses them in her lessons because kids really respond to them,” Geoff said. “She’s even converted me, and I’m allergic to cats and was never keen on dogs. But now we have a houseful of pooches.”
“That’s great.” The stray dog hairs on the man’s suit were part of his down-home charm.
“Pets are great for kids, too,” his boss added. “Your niece like them?”
“It’s hardly fair to bring a pet into a home that’s empty all day.” Diplomatically, Edmond added, “Unlike yours, I’m sure.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not offended,” Geoff said. “Besides, the dogs keep each other company. That’s the trick. Don’t stop at one.”
“I’ll remember that.” And run in the opposite direction.
Edmond’s cell phone sounded. As he answered, he gave Geoff a farewell nod and headed for his office.
It was Mark Rayburn. “Got a minute?”
“Sure.”
“I’m hoping you can bail us out of a jam.” The administrator’s pleasant manner didn’t hide the determined undercurrent of his words. “We have a lecture series here at the hospital called the Medical Insight Series. On Friday, a speaker from D.C. was scheduled to discuss changes in health care laws.”
“Excellent topic.” Through the window, Edmond noted a few cars traversing the narrow parking lot. The office’s location in a strip mall might be far from glamorous, but the busy convenience store and dentist’s office brought in foot traffic.
“Unfortunately, he’s had to cancel.” Frustration underscored Mark’s tone. “I wondered if you’d be willing to step in.”
That was a tall order. “Wouldn’t Tony be more knowledgeable about changes in health care laws?” That wasn’t Edmond’s field, nor did he have time to research it this week.
“I didn’t mean you had to address the same subject,” Mark assured him. “How about new directions in family law? There are new directions in family law, aren’t there?”
“Collaborative law,” Edmond confirmed. “It’s an area I’m focusing on more and more.”
“Yes, I recall discussing it with you,” the administrator said. “That would be fine.”
“This is called the Medical Insight Series, though, not the Legal Insight Series,” Edmond noted wryly. “Won’t that topic disappoint the audience?”
“Just weave in a few case histories that relate to surrogacy and such,” Mark replied. “After all, Safe Harbor specializes in family medical issues.”
Preparing a speech would add to a heavy week’s schedule. Still, Edmond appreciated the honor, and Geoff would be pleased at the publicity. “Sure. I’ll be happy to step in.”
“Thanks. I’m glad we can count on you.”
Within minutes after the call ended, Edmond had already thought of several examples to enliven the talk. The prospect of headlining an event was invigorating, reminding him that he loved practicing law despite the pressure and the occasional frustration. Every day brought unique personalities and challenges that stimulated his mind and drew on his creativity. He enjoyed steering people through difficulties, analyzing their situations, mapping strategies and finding solutions.
Swiveling to his computer, Edmond opened a file and began jotting notes for his speech, energized for the first time in weeks.
Chapter Ten
Tuesday afternoon
Sender: Isabel Everhart
Subject: From Dawn
Hi, Uncle Eddie and Aunt Lissa,
Please rent the house with three bedrooms. Then Mommy can stay with us if she comes to visit. [From Isabel: I told her this can’t happen, but she insists on including it.]
Grandpa helped me find the sports camp website. It says I can pick my favorite sports from a list. That will be fun.
XXX (kisses)
Dawn (and Isabel)
“Ask her what she likes to eat,” Karen prompted as Melissa drafted a response on her laptop.
She paused with her fingers above the keys. “You really don’t mind if they join us for dinner once in a while?”
“Are you kidding?” Karen sat beside her at the breakfast table, which doubled as a community desk in the evenings. Tonight, they had the house to themselves. Rod and Zora had gone to Jack’s apartment to put away Anya’s things. Lucky was out eating pizza and playing video games with his buddies. “Growing up, I wished for a houseful of brothers and sisters, plus cousins and aunts and uncles at the holidays. Heck, I’d have been grateful for a father who joined us for meals.”
Karen’s mentally ill father had rarely ventured down from the second floor, she’d explained to Melissa when they’d first become friends. He’d died when Karen was nineteen, more than twenty years ago. Her mother, a nurse, had supported the family, working until her sixties, when Parkinson’s disease forced her to quit. Divorced from an abusive husband, Karen had moved in with her mother until the elder woman’s death the previous December.
“You’re about to get your wish for more people. It’s going to be a full house soon.” Melissa adjusted her bulge beneath the lip of the table. “Even fuller than usual.”
“We should throw a baby shower for all three of you mommies.” Karen loved organizing social events.
“Let’s wait till the dust settles, okay?” They’d barely finished cleaning up after the wedding. “Besides, I’m borrowing so much stuff from our coworkers, I’m not sure what I lack.”
“We should start a list.”
Melissa groaned. “Not another list.”
“I’ll do it.” Her friend tapped on her tablet computer to wake it up. “It’ll be fun to coordinate. Even if we don’t have a shower, your friends will want to buy gifts for you, and I’ll make sure we don’t duplicate stuff that you and Zora could share.”
“Such as what?” With triplets, Melissa figured she’d be using everything from a changing table to high chairs practically nonstop.
“How many baby bathtubs will you and Zora use?” Karen responded.
“None for me. Too much trouble. My babies will have to be content with sponge baths.” That gave Melissa an idea, though. “I’ll bet there are lists of suggested baby gifts posted online. You could start with one of those.”
Her friend checked in her tablet. “Found one! Ooh, it’s long, and thorough.” Karen scanned it. “Let’s add a fund to hire Nanny Nancy.”
“Who’s Nanny Nancy?”
“A newborn care specialist who works with multiples.” Karen was jotting notes as fast as her fingers could fly. “Several staffers at the hospital have used her. Don’t forget, between you and Zora, we’ll have five babies in the house. Too bad there isn’t a spare room for a nursery.”
“We could kick Lucky out,” Melissa teased. She didn’t mention Rod.
“I wouldn’t do that to him.” Her friend grew serious. “Although he may have to move if he can’t find a job locally with his new administrative degree.”
“One problem at a time.”
“I’ll post the list on my blog as soon as it’s ready.” Karen usually blogged about the pluses and minuses of sharing a house, without revealing too many personal details. “Don’t forget, Anya’s due in September. That’s only a little over a month away.”
“I can’t think past Sunday.” As she’d explained to Karen, Edmond was planning to collect Dawn that day. It was fortunate the girl had chosen the three-bedroom, which had already been vacated by its previous tenants and was ready for occupancy. The beach cottage wouldn’t have been available for two weeks. “Speaking of which, I’d better finish my email to Dawn.” Melissa and Edmond had agreed that their niece should hear from both of them.
The infant had gazed inquisitively up at her aunt, her little mouth working and her hands waving. Helpless, sweet, filled with potential, but starting off in difficult circumstances—Melissa had instantly sensed that their lives would forever be entwined.
Whatever fears she’d harbored about having a child of her own didn’t apply to her niece. Being an aunt was pure pleasure. Over the next few years, they’d spent as much time together as Melissa and Edmond could manage, dropping in when Simon wasn’t around or running into each other at family gatherings. But after the divorce, Barbara had become hard to reach, and Melissa had reluctantly eased off her relationship with Dawn. It felt like fate that she and Dawn were once again connected.
“Don’t forget to ask about her favorite meals,” Karen prompted.
“Okay.” On her laptop, Melissa typed, What are your favorite foods? Maybe Isabel can send the recipes.
“I’m not sure if I should say anything about Barbara,” she told Karen. “It bothers me that Dawn is hoping her mom can visit, as if she were away at college.”
“The truth will sink in gradually.” Despite being childless, Karen had excellent intuition. “Focus on the things she can look forward to.”
“Us reading together. Fortunately, I’m well stocked.” During the past few months, Melissa had bought picture books for her triplets, including the favorites she and Dawn had once shared.
Remember Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny? she wrote. I’ll bet you can read those aloud to me now that you’re entering second grade. And the triplets can listen, too. Scientists say babies can hear while they’re inside their mothers. Karen set down her tablet. “How about some hot cider?”
The Surprise Triplets Page 10