“Excellent. You’re feeling okay then? No morning sickness?”
“I’ve had some, but it’s mostly eased off and now I’m in the hungry phase.”
She looked up as a waiter arrived with a basket of chips, guacamole and salsa.
“I ordered the guac for you,” Rick said.
Izzy appreciated the gesture. He knew she always ordered it and she was ready to dive in.
“Can I get you something to drink?” the waiter asked.
Izzy saw another waiter walk by with a tray of freshly made frozen margaritas. They looked delicious.
“Could I please get a virgin raspberry margarita?”
“Of course.”
He returned a few minutes later with the frosty, non-alcoholic beverage and they put their orders in. Scallop and bacon, and shrimp tacos for Izzy, and a shredded beef chimichanga for Rick.
Izzy reached for a chip and dunked it in the creamy guacamole.
“So, work is going well?” she asked him.
Rick nodded. “Really well. Dave’s a good guy and business is booming for him, so I’ve been able to work some overtime too, almost every week.”
“That’s great.” His friend, Dave, owned the company where Rick worked and if this job didn’t work out, Izzy didn’t know where he’d be able to get a job. So she was glad, for his sake, that it was going well.
“How are things at the shop?” Rick asked.
“Good. Well, slow. It’s always slow this time of year, of course.”
“Have you thought of closing for the rest of the winter? You could move back in with me and you wouldn’t have to work. You could relax and just take care of the baby when it comes.”
“That’s a generous offer.” Izzy chose her words carefully. She knew Rick’s goal was to get her back and for them to be a couple again and a family. But she wasn’t ready to go there. Not yet, and maybe not ever. “I can’t really afford to take the winter off, though on some days it is tempting.”
She took a sip of her margarita, which was delicious but really not the same without the tequila. It was too sweet.
“I’m actually planning to expand the shop. I’m taking over the space next to me as that tenant is closing her business, and I’m going to start a website too and put the shop online.”
Rick frowned. “Are you sure you want to do that? It sounds risky and expensive. Did the bank approve a loan?”
She shook her head. “I’m not getting a loan. I have savings. I’ve looked into this pretty carefully, and I think it will be a good investment. A way for me to grow my business and diversify, which should actually be safer in the long run.”
“Hmm. I thought you were going to put that money towards a down payment on a house?” He didn’t add the words that she knew he was thinking—our house. They’d once talked about buying a house together, when they’d also assumed that they would marry. Izzy would have happily put most of her savings into buying that house. But things were different now, and it felt like putting it into her business instead was the better investment.
“This feels like the right thing. Mia has said I can stay with her for as long as I like after the baby comes. I don’t want to wear out my welcome, but it’s nice to have that option and I’m thinking a year at most. If my calculations and projections are right, I should be well on my way to replacing those savings by then.”
Rick was quiet for a moment as he ate a few chips and took a sip of his beer.
“The course worked, Izzy. I’ve got a handle on my temper now. Things are good at work. I won’t disappoint you again. I still love you and I think maybe you still love me too? Would you consider giving me another chance? For our sake and for the baby? We could be a family.” He smiled and his eyes locked onto hers and she saw the hope there and the love. He really wanted this. He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’ve missed you, so much.”
When Izzy stayed silent, her emotions warring within her, he released her hand and simply said, “Please just say you’ll consider it? We can take things slow, ease back into it, go on a few dates. Whatever you want, Izzy.”
Izzy let out the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “I’ll think about it,” she said finally.
Their waiter arrived with their food and they dove in and the conversation turned to less serious things. Rick told her about the project he was working on and what some of their mutual friends were up to, and she filled him in on how things were going with Mia and Sam. She found herself enjoying their time together. Rick could be funny and she’d forgotten that side of him. He was definitely more relaxed now, and he really seemed sincere. He was trying.
So, when they finished their meal and the check came, Rick insisted on paying. And when he walked her to her car, gave her a respectful hug and asked if they could meet again soon for dinner, she said yes. It felt like the right thing to do, and it was just dinner.
Mia looked up when Izzy walked into the condo. She and Penny were in their usual spots on the living room sofa, watching TV. Izzy took a breath, readying herself for Mia’s questions. She didn’t have to wait long. She’d just removed her shoes and settled on the opposite side of the sofa, when Mia spoke.
“So, how did it go? Did you tell him it’s over for good?”
“Not exactly. We actually had a nice time. Rick seems good, really good. Like the Rick I first met.”
Mia didn’t look happy to hear it. “Please tell me you didn’t agree to see him again? I’m sure he still wants to get back together and have you move in again? Did you tell him you’re staying here after the baby comes?” Her sister fired the questions at her.
“He does want to get back together, but we knew that. I didn’t agree to anything other than dinner. I said I’d go to dinner with him next week. I don’t see the harm in that. Even if we’re not still together, we can be friends. That’s important, for the baby’s sake.”
Mia looked disappointed and skeptical. “Friends. Do you think Rick is capable of that? Are you right now? You look all starry-eyed, Izzy. Don’t trust your hormones.”
Izzy laughed. “It’s not hormones. I loved him once. It’s not easy to just turn that off. Especially when he’s trying. Really trying. People can change.”
“I suppose anything is possible. But, I just worry about you Izzy. I don’t want to see you hurt again.”
“I know you don’t. I don’t want to be hurt again either. But you have to trust me to do what feels best for me and for the baby. Like I said earlier, it’s just dinner.”
“Well, you know how I feel. I’m here for you, whatever you decide.”
“Thank you, Mia. I really don’t think you have anything to worry about.”
Izzy’s phone dinged, and she glanced at the text message and smiled. It was Rick.
“How about next Saturday night at The Gaslight for dinner and some music? There’s a good band going to be there.”
Izzy typed back, “Sure, sounds good. Talk soon.”
She looked up and Mia’s eyebrows were raised. “Is that him already? Kind of fast, don’t you think?”
But Izzy shook her head. “I think it’s sweet, actually. There’s a good band next weekend at The Gaslight. Rick knows I love hearing live music there. It was one of our favorite spots.”
“Sam and I like it there too. Maybe we’ll join you?” Mia suggested.
Izzy hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Great. I’ll let Rick know. I’m sure he won’t mind.” She wasn’t actually sure of that, but she thought it might be interesting to see how Rick behaved around Mia and Sam. There had always been some tension there as Mia had never really approved of Rick, and Izzy was pretty sure that Rick sensed it. If he was able to stay calm around Mia and have a good night, that would be a good test of how much he really had benefitted from the anger management course.
Chapter 6
The wind was already howling Friday morning when Kate stepped outside onto the front step to get the morning newspaper. The air was so
cold and damp that it went right through her. She hurriedly grabbed the paper and shut the door tightly behind her. The big storm, the nor’easter everyone had been talking about all week, wasn’t due until later that evening.
The wind was always stronger by the ocean, though. Jack had already left for work and Kate poured herself a second cup of black coffee and brought the paper into the office where her laptop was firing up. She wasn’t ready to dive into the writing just yet, though. Some days, most days, she had to ease into it. She had a morning routine where she drank her coffee, read the news headlines and then stared out at the ocean, waiting for inspiration to strike.
She noticed as she sipped her coffee that the waves were already looking frothy, bigger than usual and with white caps. The trees by the house were swaying. But there was no rain or snow yet. Just the promise of what was coming. She finished reading the paper, then set it aside and opened Scrivener, the software program she wrote her first drafts in. She read over what she’d written the day before, made a few tweaks and then began her work for the day.
Nearly two hours later, she jumped when her cell phone rang, startling her. It was Jack.
“Hey, just checking in with you. It was pretty windy when I left today. I think we might close up a little early today, around four or so. We’ll play it by ear. How’s the writing going?”
Kate laughed. “It was going great until I almost jumped out of my chair when the phone rang.”
“Oops. Sorry about that. I’ll let you get back to it…feel like some fish for dinner? I could bring home some haddock for us.”
“I actually have some short ribs I thought I’d cook up. My mom’s recipe. Does that sound okay?” Kate was in the mood for comfort food.
“That sounds amazing. Call me if you need anything.”
“I will.” Kate smiled as she ended the call. Jack had grown very protective of her since she discovered she was pregnant. He checked in on her at least once, sometimes twice a day when they were slow at the store. They never talked for more than a few minutes, but she liked the connection, especially as she spent most of her day alone. Writing was a solitary job. Sometimes, for a change of scenery, she’d bring her laptop downtown and settle in for a few hours at one of the many coffee shops. There were always others doing the same thing, now that so many people worked remotely.
She stood to stretch her legs and use the bathroom. As she walked, she suddenly felt strange, like something wasn’t right. A crampy feeling that she hadn’t had in months made her a little concerned as she reached the bathroom. Another wave of cramps, a bit worse this time came, and she was really alarmed when she saw some light bleeding in the toilet.
Her first instinct was to call her mother, who, after having four children, would know what might be going on and what she should do. She answered on the first ring and Kate told her how she was feeling.
“Do you think it might be a miscarriage?” Kate asked as another cramp came.
“Oh, honey, I hope not. It’s probably nothing. Sometimes there’s light spotting. I had that once or twice. But call your doctor. You have an appointment on Monday anyway, right? Maybe they can squeeze you in today if you tell them what’s going on? Call them and call me back. If they can see you today, I’ll drive you over.”
Kate appreciated that. She didn’t want to pull Jack out of work and, while she could have driven herself, she would happily let her mother do it. She looked up the doctor’s phone number, called and breathed a sigh of relief when they said they could see her in an hour.
Kate called her mother back and also called Jack to let him know.
“I can come take you,” he said immediately.
“Jack, it’s probably nothing, hopefully. My mother’s not busy and she wants to drive me over.”
“Okay. But call me as soon as you know something.”
“I will.”
Kate watched the clock after that. Her concentration was gone, and she wasn’t able to do any more writing. She was concerned that the cramps were still coming. And there was more blood when she used the restroom shortly before her mother came. It seemed like more than light spotting to Kate, but she really didn’t know what to think. Her pregnancy had gone so smoothly so far and they were looking forward to the ultrasound on Monday to learn what they were having. She’d had her first ultrasound at barely eight weeks when she first suspected she was pregnant, and it was too early to see much at that point.
She heard her mother’s car pull into the driveway and grabbed her coat and purse and hat and gloves. She didn’t usually bother with the hat and gloves, but it was too cold not to today. She slid into the passenger side of her mother’s Volvo station wagon and her mother smiled brightly.
“Okay, we’re off. I’m so glad they could squeeze you in, honey. It will be okay, you’ll see,” she assured her. But Kate could see the worry in her eyes, too.
The wind had died down a little, but the air was still heavy and calm. So calm that it was a bit eerie. The streets were mostly deserted, as very few people were out and about unless they had to be.
A few minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot of the doctor’s office. Kate and her mother made their way inside. The waiting room was empty and the receptionist, Caroline, smiled when she saw them.
“Thank you so much for getting me in today,” Kate said.
“It worked out well as we had two cancellations, people wanting to reschedule because of the coming storm, right before you called. The doctor will be right with you.”
They took a seat and two minutes later, the doctor’s assistant came to get her.
Kate followed her into an examination room and she checked Kate’s vitals—blood pressure, weight and temperature—before leaving and said the doctor would be in shortly. Kate changed into a paper Johnny and waited.
A moment later there was a knock and Dr. Leslie Johnson entered the room. She was very direct but also warm and friendly, and Kate felt very comfortable with her.
“Kate, good to see you. Tell me what’s going on?”
Kate filled her in and she nodded. “Okay, let’s take a look. There are a few possibilities. How are you feeling right now?”
Kate realized she was feeling a bit better. “The cramping has slowed down, actually. I feel okay right now.”
“Good. Scooch down to the end of the table and put your feet in the stirrups. I’ll take a look inside and then we’ll do a quick ultrasound.”
Kate did as instructed and a few minutes later, the doctor told her she could relax and take her feet out of the stirrups. She squirted some warm gel on Kate’s stomach and slowly ran the ultrasound wand all around her stomach, stopping now and then to check the image on the screen. Kate glanced at the screen, but it all looked like a blur, a slightly moving blur. Finally, the doctor stopped and handed Kate a cloth towel to wipe the gel off her stomach.
“Okay, I have some good news and some not-so-good news. The not so good news is you have a common condition placenta previa which is when your cervix gets blocked by your placenta and that causes the cramping and bleeding. It means that you need to take it easy and we have to keep an eye on you. But the good news is your baby is fine. Actually, your babies are fine.” The doctor smiled. “You’re having twins, Kate. It looks like a boy and a girl. Do they run in your family?”
“Twins? Really? Yes, I’m a twin. Are you sure?”
The doctor laughed. “Yes. Very sure. Look.” She pointed to the monitor and the ultrasound image. “See, there are two babies here. We didn’t see it when you first came in because you were so newly pregnant and it wasn’t obvious.”
Kate was feeling overwhelmed and wished that Jack had come with her to hear this news. It didn’t seem real. “Can I get a print-out of that ultrasound?”
“Of course. Congratulations, Kate. Why don’t we see you back here in four weeks? And if you have any concerns, or cramping again, give me a call. Try to rest as much as possible, eat well, and avoid stress.”
Ka
te nodded and agreed, feeling relieved but dazed by the news of twins.
Her mother stood as soon as she walked into the lobby.
“Is everything okay?” she asked anxiously.
“Yes. Have you ever heard of placenta previa?”
“That’s something to do with the cervix, right?”
“Yes, the placenta blocks it and that’s what causes the bleeding. I have to take it easy and come back in a month. She did an ultrasound, so I know if it’s a boy or a girl now.” Kate couldn’t resist having a little fun.
“So, which is it?”
“Both! One of each.”
Her mother looked confused at first, then thrilled. “Twins?! Kate, that’s fabulous news.” She laughed. “And perfect. I saw the cutest sweater set while you were gone and couldn’t decide which color to get, so I got both.”
“I can’t wait to tell Jack. It’s exciting, but a little scary too. Can I handle having two babies at once?” The thought of it seemed a little overwhelming.
“You’ll be fine. The first year you’ll be a little sleep-deprived.” Her mother chuckled. “Okay, maybe a lot sleep-deprived, but it will go by fast and it’s still a magical year. It will get easier after that. Especially once they are a few years old and have each other to play with. An only child is more demanding on your time.”
“I do like the thought of not being pregnant again. One of each and we’re done,” Kate said.
“That’s what we thought too, that we might just have you two girls. But then your brother and sister came along. You never know.”
“That’s true. I have to call Jack. He’s going to be shocked.”
Chapter 7
Izzy sipped her favorite afternoon treat, an iced decaf hazelnut coffee with a splash of chocolate syrup as she sat behind the register in her shop. Her laptop was in front of her. The store was completely empty, and she hadn’t had a customer in over an hour. It was almost one thirty and the wind was picking up, rattling the front door now and then. All the ferries had already been cancelled, which meant the usual steady foot traffic along the wharf wasn’t happening.
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