Sisters in Bloom

by Melissa Foster

  “You must be Danica.”

  Danica didn’t recognize the petite blonde with the beady eyes and perfectly matched blouse and slacks. “Yes.”

  “Trisha.” She extended her hand.

  Trisha? Trisha! Oh, God, Dave’s other woman. “Trisha, hi.” Danica fumbled with the empty coffee cup, dropping it on Sally’s desk, and then caught it as it fell off the edge. “Sorry. Crazy morning.” She shook her hand, stealing a look toward the back, wondering where Sally was.

  “Thanks for letting me help out. Sally said you needed all the hands you could get, and with Michelle and Chase carrying on and all, it seemed the least I could do.”

  “Michelle and Chase?” What on earth is going on?

  “Well, yeah. They’re so cute. They text all the time, and I don’t think they know that I know.”

  “Michelle and Chase?”

  “Yeah, I know. What are the chances, right? I guess I hadn’t remembered Allure being such a small town.” She walked with a bounce in her step toward the front door. “I’ll see you tonight. Thanks again. I’m really glad we’ve finally met.”

  A handful of adults and children came into the lobby from the hallway. She’d missed the entire meeting. The voices pulled Danica from her stunned state in the middle of the floor.

  “Hey, Danica.”

  Danica waved at the teens. “Hi.” She scanned the kids for Michelle, but she was nowhere to be found.

  “Missed you at the meeting,” Gage said as he came to her side.

  Michelle and Chase? Then why did Rusty look so upset when Michelle was talking to Brad? “Sorry, I was at the barn. How’d it go?” She kept her eyes trained on the hallway.

  “Great. As long as Kaylie doesn’t go into labor, this should be a really fun night. I think the kids are really looking forward to it.” Gage leaned over Danica and looked down the hall.

  “Who are you looking for?”

  “Michelle and Sally.”

  “They’re in the game room. Is everything okay?”

  Danica was already heading down the hall. She stood outside the game room watching Michelle and Sally putting the Ping-Pong paddles and pool cues away. Michelle had been wearing shorts instead of her black jeans lately, and Danica noticed, as she turned and smiled at Sally, that she’d done something different with her hair, too. It was still jet black and hung straight down to the middle of her back, but the bangs didn’t fall in her face. She had them brushed back, and her smile reached all the way to the rosy puffs of her cheeks.

  “Some people would call you a stalker.”

  Danica socked Gage in the arm. “I’m not stalking. I’m watching.” She pointed at Michelle. “She was my Little Sister in the Big Sister program. Gosh, it’s been a few weeks since we’ve done anything together.”

  “Michelle? She’s great. Everyone really likes her. Her mom, too.”

  It wasn’t Michelle whom Gage was watching. Danica noticed the way his eyes tracked Sally’s every move. “Yeah, Sally’s pretty great, too.”

  Gage handed Danica a piece of paper. “Uh, here. This is a list of the volunteers, phone numbers of the vendors, everything for tonight.”

  “I’ve got this already,” she said, and watched his eyes return to Sally. “Hey, did you guys meet for breakfast again to go over the details?”

  “What? No, not today.”

  No wonder you look like a lonely puppy. “Gage?”

  “Yeah.” His eyes were trained on Sally.

  “Do you know if Michelle is dating anyone?”

  He shrugged. “She hangs out with Rusty a lot, and Brad comes to see her. My money’s on Brad, because Rusty sort of hangs back, you know? I’m not sure he’s got what it takes to make a move.”

  “It’s tough to be a teen.” Or an adult lusting after a coworker. She eyed Gage as he practically drooled over Sally.

  At three thirty, they locked the center doors and agreed to meet at the barn by five. The event started at seven thirty, leaving just enough time for Danica to stop by Kaylie’s and see if she needed help. She considered calling her instead, but with everything Kaylie had been through, she thought it was best to see her in person.

  Her cell phone rang, and she snagged it from the passenger seat.

  “Hey, Mom.”

  “Hi, honey. I just thought I’d see how you and Kaylie were doing. She still hasn’t returned my calls.”

  Danica sighed. “I’m sorry, Mom. You know how she gets when she’s upset. I’m heading there now. I’ll remind her to call you.”

  “Your event is tonight, right?”

  “Yeah.” It had been so long since Danica and her mother had taken a real interest in each other’s life that she had to remind herself that her mother might be vying for an invitation. The luncheon the other day had been a step, hadn’t it? It was silly, really, the distance that had somehow formed between them all, like a cockeyed triangle where the angles didn’t meet very well, and when they did, it was awkward and pokey.

  “Hey, Mom, why don’t you and Patrick come by tonight? We’ll all be there, and Kaylie’s singing, so it’ll be a chance for you to see what it is that I’m doing and hang with me and Kaylie. Spend some time with Blake and Chaz.”

  “I’m not sure. It’s a young event, isn’t it?”

  “Mom, come on. It’ll be fun.”

  She imagined her mother creasing her brow, her finger on her lips as she thought through the potential scenarios.

  “Mom?”

  “Okay. I’ll ask Patrick, and if he’s free, we’ll be there.”

  “Great!” When she hung up the phone, she knew she’d made the right decision. They were a family, and no matter how hard it might be for Kaylie, it was time to start moving forward.

  Kaylie answered the door in a short yellow bathrobe that barely covered her thighs, her hair piled high on her head, secured with a rhinestone hair clip.

  “Wow, aren’t you the sexy mama?”

  “More like the walking whale,” Kaylie joked. “Come on in. What’re you doing here?”

  They went into the living room, where Danica studied the photos of Kaylie and Chaz on the mantel. She’d seen the photos dozens of times, but now, as she looked at their eager, excited faces, she wondered if they’d ever be those same carefree people after they had a baby to care for. “Are you nervous?” she asked.

  “Not really nervous. I mean, I know how to sing in front of a group. More, I don’t know. I think I feel out of practice. It’s actually been a while.”

  Danica nodded. “I really appreciate you singing, and you’ll be great.”

  Kaylie put her hand behind her and lowered herself onto the couch. Danica sat beside her and reached for her belly.

  “How’s the evil spawn?”

  “You’re not going to call her that when she’s born, right? That could hurt a girl’s ego.”

  “How about if it’s a boy?” Danica joked.

  Kaylie sneered at her.

  “I just want to give you fair warning. Mom’s coming tonight. Probably with Patrick.”

  “What? Danica, why would you do that?”

  “Chill, would ya? It’s time, Kaylie. We all have to move on, and you can’t blame Mom for everything.”

  “I know I can’t, and I’m trying not to. It takes me a while to get from knowing to acting on. You know that about me,” Kaylie said honestly.

  “Yeah, I guess I do.” Danica heard Chaz talking in his office. “How’re things?” she whispered, nodding in Chaz’s direction.

  “Great.”

  “Great, really? Or great, sarcastic? I have a hard time determining which sometimes.”

  “Great really.” Kaylie pushed to her feet. “Wanna help me get ready?”

  Danica followed her into the bedroom, where Kaylie had her clothes laid out on the king-sized bed. Spike heels lay on the pillow.

  “Kaylie, really? You’re almost ready to pop, and you’re gonna wear those? What if you fall or something?” She touched her finger to the tip of th
e stiletto and pulled it back. “Dangerous.”

  “I’m not gonna wear them.”

  “Now you’re thinking.”

  “I was going to, but then I realized, when else can I ever be comfortable while performing? Pregnancy is a great excuse not to wear killer heels.” She bent down and when she stood back up, a pair of low-heeled black shoes swung from her index finger.

  “Those look like mine.”

  “They are. I borrowed them when I stayed at your house. Who’d have ever thought I would be borrowing these from you?”

  “You’re such a snark,” Danica teased, and flopped on the bed.

  “Am I? A snark?” Kaylie asked as she slipped her dress over her head and tugged it down past her belly.

  “Sort of.”

  Kaylie turned around for Danica to zip her dress.

  “Where did you get that? You look like a pregnant model, Kay. My God, you really are stunning.” The navy fabric clung to every curve of her life-affirming figure. The neckline scooped to the crest of her ample breasts, and her slim arms and fit legs gave her the appearance of a girl playing dress up with a fake baby bump.

  “Maternity Road.” She sat down next to Danica. “I don’t want to be a snark,” she said. “I hate snobby girls.”

  “You’re not snobby. Snarky is different. It’s…you. Fun, witty.”

  Kaylie smiled. “Good.”

  They went into the bathroom and Kaylie applied her makeup. “How’s your licorice stash these days?”

  Licorice—Danica’s after-sex go-to snack. “Delicious,” she gloated.

  Kaylie’s eyes lit up. “Yeah?”

  “Oh, yeah,” Danica said with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “Kay, how would you feel if I lived closer?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Would you mind?”

  Kaylie stopped applying her mascara and turned worried eyes on Danica. “Did something happen between you and Blake?”

  “Nothing bad. Um. He…” Danica ran her finger in circles on the countertop. “He’s sort of buying that house down the road.”

  Kaylie put the mascara brush down and leaned on the sink. “Shut up!”

  Danica smiled, shrugged.

  Kaylie squealed so loudly that Chaz came running into the room. Kaylie wrapped her arms around Danica. “We’re gonna be neighbors!” she squealed.

  “Great! Who?” Chaz asked, taking in his dancing wife and soon-to-be sister-in-law.

  Danica pulled herself from Kaylie’s grasp. “Us. Blake put in an offer on the house down the road.”

  “Fantastic!” Chaz hugged Danica. “Congratulations.”

  “Listen, you guys, if it’s too close, or suffocates you, just tell me before he settles, please. I can take it.”

  “Nonsense. It’s gonna be great,” Chaz assured her.

  “So great!” Kaylie confirmed.

  Chaz excused himself so that he could get ready for the evening, and Kaylie finished putting on her makeup, already making plans for future barbeques and movie nights.

  “I’m not really a movie night girl, Kay.”

  “I know, but you will be when our little one is born. You’ll want to see her.” Kaylie grabbed Danica’s hand and led her to the nursery.

  “You have such a knack for color. It looks amazing.” Danica touched the soft stuffed bear in the corner of the crib.

  “We’re rich,” Kaylie blurted out.

  “Rich, like blessed?”

  “Rich, Danica,” she whispered. Then she grabbed Danica’s arm and dragged her to the corner of the room. “Rich, as in more money than we could ever spend.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Chaz has a trust fund. He doesn’t use it, but it’s there.”

  “Kaylie, that’s wonderful, right?” Danica eyes bounced across Kaylie’s eyes. “Wait. You’re not smiling. What’s wrong?”

  “We’re not going to use it. Ever. We’re going to live like we do now. Chaz makes plenty of money, and so do I, when I’m singing. He’s sensitive about having money, so don’t tell anyone.”

  Danica nodded. “Oh.” Her jaw dropped as understanding shone in her eyes. “Kaylie, can you do that? You like to shop, and eat out, and...Oh, God, this is big, Kaylie. Can you do this?”

  “Not only can I totally do this, but I will do this. I really don’t care about money, and I’m just going to go on like I never knew it existed. I mean, I do like to shop and to go to nice restaurants, but we always had enough for that. I didn’t miss it before. Why should it matter now? It’s not like I’ll change my behavior because of it.” Kaylie paused.

  Danica watched her intently. “Kaylie, money does weird things to people.”

  “That’s what he said.” Kaylie sighed. “I realized today that I don’t care if he has money or not.”

  Danica took her by the shoulders. “Look at me, Kaylie, and tell me honestly what you are thinking.”

  Kaylie looked into her sister’s eyes, and she felt as if she were on the edge of a precipice: twentysomething Kaylie on one side, grown-up Kaylie on the other. If she failed, she’d fall into an abyss of a lonely, meaningless life. “I’m thinking that I love him and that I hate snobby kids, and that I might need some reminding at times, when I long for something expensive. But overall, I’m thinking that I’m so thankful I didn’t lose Chaz when I walked out, and no amount of money in the world could take his place.”

  Danica continued staring.

  “Danica, I mean it.”

  She nodded. “I actually think you do.”

  Chaz popped his head in and Danica jumped away from Kaylie. “Did you tell her yet?” Chaz asked.

  “No, what?” Kaylie muttered.

  “Tell? No, we were talking—”

  He looked from Kaylie to Danica, then back again. Chaz stepped into the room and crossed his arms as Kaylie dropped her eyes and Danica followed suit.

  “Yes, we’re rich. Incredibly, insanely rich.”

  The girls laughed.

  “Sorry, she did tell me,” Danica admitted.

  “I’m sorry. I just wanted support.” Kaylie bit her lower lip.

  Chaz came to her side and put his arm around her shoulder. “Danica, she is going to need your support. I think Kaylie has every intention to ignore the money, but money has a way of sending out a scent that’s hard to ignore. There’ll be times when she needs you.”

  Danica shook her head. “You must really love her.”

  Chaz nodded, kissed the top of Kaylie’s head.

  “Why did you even tell her?”

  “I didn’t want to start our life together with a lie.”

  Kaylie watched Danica bring her hands together underneath her chin, and she knew that if Danica had ever doubted Chaz, he’d just won her over.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Colorful lights glistened along the trees and the ridges and rafters of the barn, giving the evening a magical feel. Two adult volunteers worked the parking area and kept the kids from running past the ropes and into the back of the barn, where the refreshments were. Blake greeted the guests at the front of the barn, where a big banner hung from the high doorframe; “No Limitz” was written in funky letters, matching the center’s logo.

  Danica stood beside Sally, listening to Kaylie sing about a man who saved her from herself. She sang with such passion that, combined with the introspective and emotional words, it brought tears to Danica’s eyes. Kaylie looked at Chaz as she hit the high notes and scanned the audience, pointing to different teen boys, as if every word was meant specifically for them, when her voice turned raspy in all the right places.

  “She’s incredible,” Sally said, her shoulders moving in beat to the music.

  “I know, right? It’s easy to forget how talented she is, with all the drama that seems to follow her around.” Pride filled Danica’s heart.

  “Your sister has some lungs on her,” Gage said from behind them.

  “Yeah, she does,” Danica said, then made up an excuse and left the two of
them alone. She headed outside, where Nancy and Trisha were talking beside the refreshment table. She spotted Michelle standing beside Chase, each with a cup of punch; beside them were two groups of teenagers, each moving to the music, drinking punch, and laughing.

  Danica went to the refreshment table and picked up a cookie. “How’s it going?” she asked Michelle’s mom, Nancy, and Trisha.

  “Great. The kids are having a ball. That group of kids there must be the cool kids, because everyone seems to flock around them.” Trisha wore white capris, a yellow tank top, and a set of matching flip-flops with big fabric flowers above the toes. On anyone else, they might have looked over-the-top, but the way Trisha carried her small frame, with her head held high and a ready smile on her lips, they looked smart.

  Danica watched the kids and then turned back to Trisha. “I’m sorry if I seemed rude this morning.”

  Trisha swatted the air. “Don’t be silly. I’m Dave’s other woman, so to speak. I get it.” She laughed a pleasant, sweet laugh.

  Danica understood why Sally was comfortable with her. She wasn’t threatening or intimidating in the least. She was quite pleasant. “Nancy, I’m so glad you came out to help. You look great.”

  “Thanks, I’m almost one year sober.” Nancy crossed her fingers and held them up beside her smile.

  “That’s great news, and Michelle seems so happy. How’s Nola? She couldn’t come?” Danica would have to visit Michelle’s grandmother sometime soon. She’d been so good to Michelle while her mother was in rehab.

  “Nola’s doing great. She wanted to be here, but it’s her bridge night, and after Michelle and I moved back in together, I think she realized how much time she’d been missing out on with her own friends. I’ll tell her you said hello.”

  Danica thought of her mother, who had texted her to say that she wasn’t feeling very well, and she was sorry that she would miss the event. It made Danica happy to know her mother was creating a fulfilling life. “Thanks. I appreciate that.” Danica watched Brad walk over to Michelle and talk with her. Rusty couldn’t hide his dislike of the situation. He was practically breathing down the guy’s neck. Chase, on the other hand, was happily drinking his punch and listening to the music while they talked.