Friends Forever

by Danielle Steel

  Connie smiled to herself as she thought of the first time she’d ever seen Marilyn, on the first day of kindergarten, the day Brian was born. It amazed her to think that Marilyn wanted to have another baby, and start all over again. Connie couldn’t imagine doing that herself. She and Marilyn had been friends for twelve years. It seemed hard to believe, it had all flown by so fast. And it was even more amazing to realize that the kids’ school career, the five best friends, was almost over. The twelve years since they’d all met in kindergarten had passed in the blink of an eye.

  Chapter 6

  Marilyn and Jack came back from their honeymoon three weeks after the wedding. It was already mid-September, Brian had started seventh grade, and the Big Five were all seniors. They were in the home stretch of their high school careers.

  Marilyn took Connie to lunch to thank her for taking care of the boys while she was gone, and Connie insisted it had been no trouble. She and Mike loved having them, and so did Sean.

  “Our house is so overloaded with testosterone, with Mike, Kevin, and Sean, believe me, two more guys isn’t a problem. I wouldn’t know what to do with a girl.” And then she thought of Gabby’s sister, Michelle. “Did you notice Michelle at your wedding? She gets thinner every time I see her. I was worried about her. I wanted to say something to Judy, but I didn’t want to upset her. She’s always focused on Gabby, I’m not sure she sees what’s happening. Michelle looks anorexic to me.”

  “I did notice,” Marilyn admitted. “I’ve seen it for a while. I keep wondering if I should mention it to Judy, or mind my own business.”

  “That’s kind of how I feel too. But I’ve always been grateful when people told me things about Kevin, when he was in trouble. Sometimes you’re too close to it to see it, or they hide it from you.”

  “I know. How’s he doing, by the way?”

  “Terrific. He’s still at City College. He’s getting there slowly. He should graduate next year. It’s taken longer than we hoped, but his grades are really strong, and he’s still sober. He’s in good shape … which reminds me,” she said with a serious look. “I found a few beer bottles under Billy’s bed. I think he and Sean may have partied a little one night. They’re nearly eighteen, but I gave them hell about it anyway. They both apologized but I wanted you to know. I think he’s still kind of upset about your getting married. He likes Jack, but he feels torn between him and Larry. He doesn’t want to be disloyal to his father, but he’s happy for you. Jack is a great guy. He’s ten times the man Larry is.” Marilyn knew that too.

  “That’s why I married him,” Marilyn said with a slow smile. She looked peaceful and happy, and Connie was pleased for her. “I think Larry puts a lot of pressure on Billy, so he doesn’t bond with Jack. Brian had no relationship with his father, so he threw himself into it with Jack. But it’s a lot harder for Billy. I think it will be good for him when he goes away to school next year, and gets away from his father. Larry is such a mess, I don’t know how he keeps his business together.” He was still making money hand over fist, from everything Connie knew, but drinking more than ever, and dating girls less than half his age. It was pathetic. And she knew Billy didn’t like it either, although he rarely criticized his father, but he had made a few oblique comments.

  “Billy says he’s still trying to decide what school to go to,” Connie said with interest. The schools with the best football teams had been recruiting him since the spring of junior year, which was exciting for him, and for Larry. “He says he’s still serious about a career in pro football, and he’s certainly got the skills for it. Mike promised him we’d go to all his big games, wherever he is.” Marilyn smiled at her faithful friend of so many years. And she knew they would go to Billy’s games. She, Jack, and Brian were planning to go too. “It sounds like he might do USC, so he can be close to Gabby, and it’s a great school for him.” He had the pick of them all, and recruiters had been doing everything possible to get him to accept their schools’ offers.

  “Jack is worried that he only wants to play pro football to impress his father,” said Marilyn. “It’s the only thing Larry ever cared about since the day he was born. Jack tried to ask him if there was any other career he might like to pursue. I don’t think Billy’s ever even thought about it. And that’s a tough life, a short career, with a lot of pressure, and a lot of injuries. I can see Jack’s point.”

  “I don’t think you’ll get Billy to change direction now,” Connie said, “especially with all the top schools after him. Who could resist that? And he’s been headed that way for too long. You have to see how he does in college, of course, and if they draft him, but Mike says he’s got what it takes to be a star quarterback and have a fabulous career in the NFL. He’s a lucky kid. It’s every boy’s dream.”

  “Jack thinks so too. He just wonders if he’ll be happy doing it.” It was a reasonable question to have asked him, and Marilyn was glad he had.

  “It’s what Billy wants,” Connie said quietly. “His eyes glow full of dreams whenever he talks about it. The way Sean’s do when he talks about law enforcement.” But Billy’s was a much bigger dream and a lot harder to achieve, sometimes at a very high price. They both knew that not all of Larry’s important sports clients were happy people, and some led very empty lives, particularly when their careers ended, or they got badly injured on the field. The risks were high, no matter how good the money was, and Marilyn knew better than most that there was a seamy side to that life too, that she didn’t want for her older son. But the die had been cast, by his father, ever since he was a little boy. And Larry wanted Billy to live out his own dreams, so he could live vicariously through his son. And Marilyn knew she couldn’t change it now, especially not with all the top schools recruiting him.

  “So how was the honeymoon?” Connie asked her as they finished lunch. It was what she had really wanted to know, but she could see the answer in how relaxed and happy Marilyn was.

  “Fantastic! Paris was unbelievable, and the boat in Italy was like a dream honeymoon in a movie. Jack is such a sweet guy. We spent a few days in Rome after the boat, and then drove to Florence. And we came home through London. It was an incredible trip. He spoiled me rotten.” He was a very loving man, and excited to be with a good woman he loved so much, and he loved both her boys, and she loved his too. They made a perfect family, despite Billy’s reticence about it, which they were hoping he would get over eventually, and figure out that he could enjoy Jack and their family without feeling disloyal to his father. “I’ve got some news to share with the boys, but I don’t want to say anything too soon.” Marilyn’s whole face lit up as she confided in Connie. She had been dying to tell her ever since she got home.

  “What kind of news?” Connie looked instantly suspicious, as Marilyn beamed at her. Just looking at her expression, it was easy to guess.

  “I’m pregnant, only about three weeks, but I saw the doctor yesterday, and she said everything is fine.” By coincidence, when her own doctor retired after Brian was born, she had become one of Helen Weston’s patients—Andy’s mother—and she liked her very much. She was a good doctor, and she was very attentive to her patients. She wasn’t concerned about Marilyn being pregnant at forty-two, although she had told her that she might want to wait until after the twelve-week mark before she started announcing it, since the risk of miscarriage was higher at her age, and a possibility for all women. But she saw no reason for concern—she said she had lots of patients older than Marilyn having babies these days. “I have to go back for a sonogram next week, but she thinks everything is fine. The only thing she warned me about, other than miscarriage, is a higher possibility of multiples at my age. Jack would be thrilled if they were girls. With four boys between us, he really wants a girl.” She was beaming as she looked at Connie, who was excited for her.

  “Wow! I didn’t think it would happen this soon.”

  “Neither did we. It happened in Paris. I’m due the week of the kids’ graduation in June,” she said sheepish
ly, and Connie laughed out loud.

  “You’ll be ending Billy’s school career the way you started it, giving birth, like you did with Brian on the first day of school.”

  “I thought of that too,” Marilyn said, looking concerned. “I think Brian will be okay with it, because he’s so crazy about Jack, but Billy will be pissed.” She looked genuinely worried about it. “He hasn’t even gotten used to the idea of our being married, and now we’re having a baby right away. But at our age, we didn’t want to waste any time. I’m lucky I got pregnant this fast, without having to take fertility drugs or any kind of intervention. Jack is as excited as I am, but we’re both a little worried about Billy.”

  “He’ll be fine,” Connie reassured her. “He’s a great kid, and he loves you. And he’s leaving for college two months after you have it. He’ll be off on his own life. After college, they hardly come home again, if everything is fine. Once Kevin graduates and gets a job, we won’t see him either. You’ll be lucky if Billy comes home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, especially if he’s playing college football. A baby at home won’t make much difference to him, but it’ll be great for both of you.” She looked nostalgic as she said it. “You make me want to start again too, especially with Sean leaving for college next year, and Kevin will be gone by then too, once he’s working and can afford to pay his own rent. It’s over so damn fast, before you know it. But I’m three years older than you are, and I think at forty-five, I’m too old to start again. I’d be practically seventy when the kid graduated from college. And Mike would kill me. He has all kinds of romantic notions about chasing me around the house naked when the boys leave, and trips he’s been waiting twenty years to take with me, and we can afford now. I don’t think a baby’s in the cards for me.”

  “I didn’t think it was for me either,” Marilyn said, sitting back with a blissful smile.

  Marilyn was scheduled the following week for a sonogram, and Jack went with her. They were both excited to catch a first glimpse of their baby, and find out that it was healthy, had a strong heartbeat, and the right number of everything. Marilyn held her breath and Jack held her hand, while the technician moved the metal wand around her belly, and all three of them watched the screen. They saw the image appear, and the technician continued to move the wand through the gel on Marilyn’s abdomen and said nothing. She smiled brightly at them both then, said she’d be right back, and left the room, as tears filled Marilyn’s eyes and she looked up at Jack in panic.

  “Something’s wrong,” she said in a hoarse whisper, as they both glanced at the screen again, but they couldn’t see anything. It looked like a section of a gray blur to them. It was too early to be able to make out the shape of the baby without some explanation from the technician, and she hadn’t said a word. Tears rolled down Marilyn’s cheeks as they waited, and Jack gently stroked her fiery red hair that he loved and then bent to kiss her. He was as alarmed as she was but didn’t want to show it. He had waited a lifetime for this woman and he loved her. He didn’t want anything bad to ever happen to her again, and he knew how miserable she’d been with Larry and how badly treated, and he hated him for it, although he never said it in front of her sons, out of respect for their relationship with their father, as minimal as it was.

  Jack was holding tightly to Marilyn’s hand, with the wide diamond wedding band he had given her, as Helen Weston walked into the room, with a broad smile that encompassed both of them. Marilyn was both frightened and reassured when she saw her. Obviously, something serious was going on if the technician had called the doctor in to look at the sonogram, but at least Helen would tell them what was happening. Marilyn liked her a lot as her gynecologist and obstetrician, and they shared the additional bond of their sons who were close friends.

  “Let’s take a look here,” Helen said, smiling at both of them, in her white doctor’s coat with her name on it, and a stethoscope hanging out of the pocket. It was the kind of stethoscope that allowed her to hear a baby’s heartbeat.

  “What’s wrong?” Marilyn said miserably, as tears continued to roll down her cheeks. She was braced for the worst, maybe a deformed baby, or maybe she had already lost it, without knowing. She knew that happened early in a pregnancy sometimes, that a fetus began to form, didn’t attach properly, stopped growing, and then died or even disappeared.

  “Nothing’s wrong,” Helen said gently. “I get to be the bearer of good news too.” She smiled at both of them calmly, and Marilyn’s tears stopped for a minute as she squeezed Jack’s hand harder. “Elaine just wanted to be sure I agree with what she’s seeing. It’s still early days here, and I think it’s great news. I hope you will too.” She turned away from the sonogram screen and looked at both of them with a kind expression. She liked them both and was sorry she hadn’t been able to go to their wedding. She had been on call, and Robert, a somewhat well-known media shrink, had been in L.A. for a TV appearance. “It looks like we’re going to be having a double birthday party here. You’re having twins,” she said, and Marilyn burst into tears again and threw her arms around Jack’s neck in relief. She was sobbing openly then, and he had tears in his eyes too, when he looked back at Helen. It was great news to them both. They had talked about wishing they had time for two babies, not just one, but at forty-two, Marilyn didn’t think they’d be lucky enough to have another one after this. It was possible, but seemed unlikely, and now they had their wish. Two babies, twins, in addition to the four children they had from their first marriages.

  “Are you sure?” Jack looked thrilled.

  “Yes, I am.” Helen beamed at him. “That’s why Elaine called me in to look.”

  “Is it more than that?” Marilyn said hopefully, and Helen laughed.

  “Let’s not get greedy here. I think two will keep us plenty busy. You could end up on bed rest toward the end if the babies get too big. You’ve never had a history of early deliveries, and both your boys were pretty big, so you should be able to carry them to term without a problem, but you’re a little older now than you were with Brian, so we’ll have to see how things go. But I don’t foresee any problems. You’re healthy, and your babies should be too. Do the boys know yet that you’re pregnant?”

  “I wanted to wait till we knew everything’s okay,” Marilyn said, looking dazed by the news. She hadn’t let go of Jack’s hand since she lay down on the exam table.

  “I’d give it a few more weeks. It will be harder to hold out till twelve weeks with twins on board. You’ll probably start showing fairly soon. Maybe you could wait till then.” Jack and Marilyn both agreed. She gave Marilyn more vitamins, some instruction sheets with simple dos and don’ts about her pregnancy, all of which was familiar to her, and a book about delivering twins and what to expect in the first few months afterward.

  Twenty minutes later they were in Jack’s car on the way home. He had kissed her passionately as soon as they left the doctor’s office, and told her how much he loved her. They were both incredibly excited, and it was going to be hard not telling anyone right away, but it seemed wiser to wait. And Marilyn was still mildly worried about telling the boys. She was almost sure Brian would be okay about a baby, even two of them, but she was concerned about Billy, and he had so much on his plate right now, keeping his grades up, and deciding which school he would allow to recruit him. It was a major turning point in life for him, and she didn’t want to complicate things, or upset him. Jack reassured her on the way home, and she called Connie as soon as they walked into the house and told her it was twins. She was as excited as they were.

  “Holy shit! That’s fantastic!” Connie said enthusiastically. “Are you okay with it? You said you wanted another one anyway,” she reminded her.

  “We’re thrilled! The technician left the room without saying anything, and I thought the baby was dead or deformed or something, then Helen came in and told us it was twins. I was scared to death until she did, but everything is fine.” She was talking a mile a minute. Jack stopped in the doorway and blew her
a kiss before going back downtown to the restaurant.

  “ ’Bye, Mom!” he said, and then left as Marilyn talked to Connie.

  “I hope I don’t wind up on bed rest, especially for Billy’s graduation. I have to be there. But sometimes twins come early, so maybe I’ll already have had them by then.”

  “As long as you don’t have them at the ceremony, you’ll be fine. I can’t wait to see them!”

  “Me too.” They talked excitedly for a few minutes, and Marilyn said she hoped they would be girls, but she’d be happy with anything, just so they were healthy. And for the rest of the day, Marilyn felt like she was floating. Her whole life had turned around. After years of a painful marriage, she had found a wonderful man, and now she was having his babies. It was almost too good to believe. Jack called her twice that afternoon to see how she was feeling, and her answer was “Ecstatic!” So was he.

  By the beginning of November, her belly was getting harder and harder to conceal. She was wearing loose blouses and sweaters. She was eleven weeks pregnant by then, by medical standards of computation, which always added two weeks to the real number, and Helen said she was doing great, and she felt fine. She was a little queasy in the morning, but nothing major. The only noticeable change was that her breasts felt enormous and were growing by the day. Jack said he liked it.

  And two weeks before Thanksgiving, Billy made his big decision, and chose USC from among the schools recruiting him, and accepted their offer. He had talked to Gabby at length about it, and his father. It was a great school, with a terrific football team, and by staying in L.A., he’d be close to Gabby, working on her acting career there and modeling. He had been tempted to accept Florida or LSU, but he actually liked USC better, and their star quarterback had been injured recently, so they really needed him and were going to let him play freshman year. And Gabby was an important part of the equation for him. He told her even before he told his parents, and she was thrilled. Her parents were getting her an apartment in L.A., and he could spend weekend nights with her. Life was just beginning for them, and it was looking very, very good.