Scrapping Plans

by Rebeca Seitz

  I need to think this through, formulate a plan, but I can’t get my mind to slow down long enough to even know for sure if this second pink line is real.

  It is real. I know it’s real. It’s right here in my hand.

  With two more just like it on the vanity. Of course, I wouldn’t rely on one test’s results for such a monumental occurrence. I had to verify.

  Twice.

  And all three of them are screaming double pink lines at me.

  Perhaps those articles about getting rid of the stress were right. Less stress equals greater fertility equals greater chance to conceive.

  Which makes me wonder how the human population has survived. Didn’t the women of old have it much harder than we do today? They walked all over the place, made everything from scratch, and were demoted in the group if they didn’t manage to give birth to males.

  I’d say that is some serious stress.

  I have to think here. Should I make a special meal and announce our grand success to Scott over candlelight?

  That doesn’t seem special enough.

  Make a reservation in Nashville and tell him across a linen tablecloth with silver utensils sparkling in the light of chandeliers?

  He’ll know before I tell him if I make reservations.

  Oh, heavens, I can’t think! I cannot wrap my brain around this! I need Meg. Meg will know how to do this right.

  But how do I tell Meg?

  Meg won’t care how I tell her. She’ll simply be happy to hear it. I pick up the phone—my hand won’t stop shaking— then put it down. This isn’t the sort of news to share on the phone.

  I slip on my black Coach pumps—all grand news should be delivered in gorgeous shoes that have stood the test of time—and make my way down the staircase.

  I must be extra careful not to trip and fall. I’m walking for two now.

  Two!

  The keys are there on the kitchen counter where I left them yesterday.

  When I didn’t know I was pregnant.

  Pregnant! What a glorious word!

  Hello, world! I’m Joy Sinclair Lasky, and I am pregnant. That’s right. Pregnant. Preggo. Knocked up. Bun in the oven and whatever other crass way people announce that they’re growing a human being.

  I have a little Lasky growing inside me right now!

  The air is frigid when I step into the garage. If it’s cold in here, it must be painful outside the garage door. I slip into my Lexus and start the engine, then breathe thanks for the luxury of seat warmers.

  I have to keep myself warm. After all, I’m staying warm for two now.

  As I drive the short distance to Scott’s office, the sky seems bluer somehow. Birds are chirping. Why are birds chirping when it’s ten degrees outside?

  They must have heard the news.

  I’m pregnant!

  The clouds are giant and billowing. They look like cotton balls stacked on top of each other and falling over. Their exuberance is perfect. Everyone should be exuberant today.

  Everyone!

  It isn’t long before I pull into the parking lot of Scott’s office. He’s inside, probably focused on a computer screen or fourteen pounds of closing documents. He has no idea how good his day is about to get!

  I open the car door and arctic air rushes into the compartment like fingers of ice, stealing their way across the leather and into the crevices of my coat. I don’t care though. Let the iciness try to find a way inside me. It will melt the moment it hits my heart. A heart that beats above a womb that now has life!

  My pumps clop across the pavement and my hand is shaking on the doorknob. This is it!

  The receptionist isn’t at her usual spot, so I breeze on down the hallway and turn in to Scott’s office. He’s sitting just where I’d pictured, shirt sleeves rolled up and tanned arms resting on a desk scattered with papers.

  “Joy?” He stands and circles the desk, hands outstretched. “Is something wrong?”

  I can’t help it. A grin befitting a cheerleader besotted by the quarterback splits my face. “No, honey, something is definitely right.”

  It only takes him a millisecond and that light—so long dimmed in his eyes—begins to burn bright. He grips my elbows. “Are you sure? Are you absolutely certain?”

  I nod, the tears starting again and pouring down my face. “We did it! I’m pregnant!”

  He pulls me to him, and I wonder if the little one inside can hear the joyous pounding of my heart, of her Daddy’s that flutters just below my ear.

  “Oh, Joy,” Scott breathes and, for the first time in a very long time, I think my name is just right.

  Nineteen

  Tandy Sinclair.” Tandy ducked into a corner of Something by Sara and put one hand over her ear so that she could hear the caller on her cell phone. “Hello?”

  “Hey, honey girl. Can you hear me?”

  “Daddy! Hang on. I’m in Sara’s shop and—hang on a second.” She wound her way through the sales racks swamped by Stars Hill women on a mission—a bargain-hunting mission—and snagged an open changing room.

  “Okay, can you hear me now?”

  “Loud and clear. Can you hear me?”

  “Like you were standing beside me. Which would be weird since I’m in a dressing room, but that’s another story. Where are you?”

  “I’m in a truck.”

  “A truck? That wouldn’t happen to be a U-Haul truck, would it?”

  “Well, now, let me see. It’s white, drives like a tanker with broken rack and pinion steering, and gets about two miles to the gallon. Yep, I’d say I’m in a U-Haul.”

  “Then I trust there’s a red-headed lady at your side?”

  “Present and accounted for.”

  “Oh, Daddy, that’s great!”

  Daddy’s chuckle had lost the strain of the previous weeks. “You’re right about that.”

  “How’d you finally get her to come back?”

  “I’ll give you the whole story when we get there. We’re probably six hours away still.”

  “Six hours—how about dinner at Joy’s?”

  “Sounds good. We’ll see you there around seven.”

  “Seven it is.”

  Tandy flipped the phone closed and punched the air. “Yes!” she whispered. “Yes! Yes! Thank You, Lord!”

  “Do I hear some worshipping going on in my dressing room?” Sara’s voice floated over the top of the door.

  Tandy ducked her head and walked out. “Sorry about that.”

  “Never be sorry for telling God you’re happy.” Sara gave a knowing smile and adjusted the bun of hair at her nape. “Jack headed back home?”

  “He is! And Zelda’s with him!” Having everyone in your town know your business had its perks.

  “And thank heavens for that. I think if he’d have grouched around here any longer, Tanner would have issued some sort of grouch ordinance.”

  “He did get bad before he went down to Florida, didn’t he?”

  “He passed bad when he stood up in the town meeting and told us we should cancel the Iris Festival parade because no fun was worth that much mess.”

  “I thought Tanner would come up out of his seat.”

  Sara winked. “He would have if I’d let him.”

  “Thanks for that.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  “I guess I better get back to those racks. If I sit back here much longer, there won’t be anything left.”

  Sara shook her head. “I’m telling you, it gets crazier every year. You’d think these women had never seen a sale.”

  Tandy walked with Sara out of the fitting room. “Well, a dress sale at Sara’s is an event no self-respecting woman should miss.”

  “Thanks, dear.”

  “Don’t mention it.”

  Tandy left Sara standing at the entry way to the dressing room and meandered across the gray carpet back to the spring-clearance rack. Dresses of every hue imaginable hung there—most of them now slipping off their hangers. What was it abo
ut a sale that made women forget their manners and let clothes fall to the floor?

  Tandy adjusted the straps as she went down the array. Her fingers paused on a gold silk. It flowed from the metal hanger like lava down the side of a volcano. Thick—thicker than any silk had a right to be—and so perfectly gold it looked like light itself. Sara Sykes had always had an expert eye for beautiful clothing, but this was something else entirely. This begged for a night on Broadway, dinner over flickering candlelight at Tavern on the Green. Or better yet, a small, intimate restaurant lit only by wall sconces and blanketed by soft conversation and tinkling glasses. Or a charity ball on a warm Orlando night where partners from the old firm talked it up and, in the end, raked in millions for some deserving organization while holding crackers so delicate they might break under the weight of the caviar.

  She couldn’t think of a single reason to own this dress. Orlando dinners and New York arts nights were a part of her old life. The life of an attorney who fought Orlando traffic each morning, worked out in the company gym, and sat at her desk drawing up briefs and answering clients’ phone calls. This dress didn’t belong in the closet of a small-business owner in the tiny town of Stars Hill, Tennessee. It certainly didn’t fit the life of a diner owner’s wife. Or a preacher/farmer’s daughter.

  No reason for this dress to find a new home hanging in her closet.

  Other than its perfection.

  Tandy picked up the hanger and held the dress before her. Maybe Kendra would let her wear it in the wedding. Its floor length would be formal enough for the occasion unless Kendra decided to get married outdoors or on a beach somewhere.

  Even outdoors, the natural color of the dress would be beautiful against a backdrop of leaves and flowers.

  She headed for the dressing area again, catching Sara’s eye along the way.

  Sara looked up from the customer at her side and gave a knowing smile with a little nod.

  Tandy walked into the fitting room and quickly disrobed. The cool silk felt nothing like lava as she slid it over her body. It felt like a tall, cool drink on a hot summer’s day. She stepped out to the three-way mirror.

  Like the blue dress she’d found last year, this dress seemed made for her body. Every stitch sat in the most exquisite spot possible. The folds of draping from her left shoulder to right hip lay in gorgeous arrangement. Not a pull in place.

  She returned quickly to her dressing room. Where in the world she’d wear such a dress she didn’t know right now. But the fact that this dress would soon be hers had just become a given.

  As Tandy arranged the dress back on its hanger, Kendra’s voice floated over the door.

  “Is she here? Tandy! Tandy, are you in here?”

  Tandy opened the fitting room door and stepped out. “Yeah, Ken. What’s going on?”

  “A-ha! I knew you wouldn’t miss this sale! What’d you find?”

  “A to-die-for gold dress.” Tandy turned back and snagged the hanger. “Look at this. Isn’t it divine?” She laid an arm behind the dress and brought the fabric forward so that it caught the light.

  “Wow, that’s stunning.”

  “I kind of thought so.”

  “What am I saying? I didn’t hunt you down all over town to talk about a dress. I’ve got news!”

  “I already talked to Daddy. That reminds me, I need to call Joy and arrange dinner at her house.”

  “Daddy’s on his way home?”

  “Isn’t that your big news?”

  “No! But that’s great news too.”

  “Wait, I’m confused. What’s the news?”

  “Joy’s pregnant!”

  “You’re lying!”

  “Nope.” Kendra jumped up and down. “Can you believe it? Meg called me and told me to come find you.”

  “That’s incredible! She’s pregnant? Really? For sure?”

  Kendra’s curls shook wildly as she nodded. “Yep! You know Joy, she wouldn’t rely on one test. She took three.”

  “Three tests?”

  “We’re talking about Joy here.”

  “Who confirmed with three sources which pregnancy test gave the most reliable results before buying her first one.” Tandy hung the dress back on the door hook so she could jump up and down too. “Joy’s pregnant!” She grabbed Kendra’s hands and they danced around the dressing room like eight-year-olds with new party dresses.

  Sara peeked her head around the corner. “Anything you’d like to share with the rest of the store, ladies?”

  “Joy’s pregnant!” The sisters blurted out in unison.

  Sara’s face lit up like the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center. “Oh my stars, that’s wonderful!”

  Tandy’s cheeks ached from the constant grin. “We think so!”

  “Boy or girl?”

  That put a stop to the jumping. “Do we know?” Tandy asked.

  Kendra quirked her lips. “Meg didn’t say. Call Joy.”

  Tandy tugged her cell phone from her jeans pocket and punched in the memory number for Joy’s house.

  “Lasky residence.”

  “You’re pregnant!”

  “I know!” Joy’s voice rang more loudly than anytime Tandy could recall from childhood. Happiness infused it with such energy, it almost sounded like a different person. “Isn’t it fabulous?”

  “It’s fantastic! Wonderful! Stupendous! Amazing!”

  “And more!”

  “Am I getting a niece or nephew?”

  “We won’t know for a few months yet. For now, I’m thinking green and yellow.”

  Of course Joy had already begun thinking through the color scheme for the nursery. “Okay. Oh, Daddy and Zelda are on their way back. Can we do dinner at your house tonight?”

  “Sure! Invite the whole town, if you want. How many courses? I can conquer entire galaxies today! I am woman, hear me roar!”

  Tandy rolled her eyes. “Just the fam, this time. But you get ready to be pestered for details, baby sister.”

  “You know, you’ll need to stop calling me that once the baby is here.”

  “Um, no. Why would I do that?”

  “Because you’ll want to be a good aunt and reinforce my parental authority. Being called baby certainly doesn’t give the illusion of authority.”

  “Oh, honey, what I call you in front of the little tyke is the least of your worries. I’ll have Little Lasky addicted to chocolate before we celebrate the first birthday.”

  “No, you won’t! Chocolate is bad for babies.”

  “Chocolate is a major food group. Accept it. Now back to dinner. Do I need to bring or buy anything?”

  “No, I’m sure I have plenty here for us. Where are you?”

  “Sara’s shop.”

  “Feel like doing some baby shopping?”

  “Absolutely. Hang on. Ken’s right here. Let me see what she’s doing.” She held her hand over the mouthpiece and said, “Hey, Ken. Joy wants to go baby shopping right now. You in?”

  “I’m more in than an Olsen twin on the cover of

  Vogue.”

  Tandy went back to the phone. “She’s in. Want to grab Meg and meet us down here?”

  “I need to do a little prep work for dinner. Let’s see, it’s about ten now. How about I meet you for lunch over at the diner and we’ll go from there?”

  “Sounds good. See ya soon, preggo!”

  Joy laughed. “Enjoy it while you can.”

  “I intend to.” Tandy flipped the phone closed and picked her dress up off its hook. “Come on, Ken. Let’s see what else is out there and run over to the bookstore before we hit Clay’s.”

  “The bookstore?”

  “We’re going to need baby books for Joy!”

  “Oh, right.”

  Kendra followed Tandy to the cash register and waited while she paid for the beautiful gold dress.

  “Where are you wearing that?”

  Tandy shrugged. “I’m not sure yet. I just have to have it.”

  “I get it.” Kendra nodd
ed and fished a piece of gum from her giant red purse. “Never leave a perfect dress behind.”

  “They should make a bumper sticker out of that.”

  “Or a T-shirt.”

  “Speaking of which, we’re running low on Sisters, Ink shirts.”

  “I’ll order more when we get back to the office.” Tandy signed the charge slip that Sara slid across the counter, then took her bag. “Thanks, Sara.”

  “My pleasure. You tell Joy I’m going through the maternity catalogs tonight.”

  “I will. She’ll be thrilled!”

  Kendra and Tandy left the store, turning left down the sidewalk toward Darin’s and the bookstore. “I can’t believe she’s finally pregnant.”

  “Me either. How cool is this?”

  “I wonder how many lists she’s made already?”

  “Knowing Joy, at least five.” Kendra ticked them off on her fingers. “Nursery list, hospital list, pregnancy list, sister list, Daddy list.”

  Tandy stuffed her hands in her jacket pockets. “Why would we get lists?”

  “You think she’s going to leave our actions to chance?”

  “Right, right.” Tandy grinned. “Still, I can put up with lists for the next nine months.

  “If it means I get to see a real smile back on Joy’s face, me too.”

  They stopped at the corner, waiting on a car to turn onto Lindell. “She’s finally pregnant.” Tandy bounced on her toes.

  The car pulled forward and Kendra hopped off the curb and into the street. “I know! We’re going to be aunts … again!”

  Twenty

  Nearly an hour later Kendra stabbed her fork into a Caesar salad. “I am so ready to get married and quit dieting to fit in a wedding dress.”

  “Ooh, I remember that.” Tandy licked the ice cream from her spoon.

  “You ought to be dieting too, T. You’ve got a bridesmaid’s dress to wear, you know.”

  “I know you’re not sitting there telling me to lose weight.”

  “I would never dream of such.”

  “That’s what I thought.” Tandy scooped more ice cream onto her spoon. Closing her eyes, she dumped the load of sugar into her mouth and smiled. “Mmm.”

  “I won’t tell you to lose weight if you don’t enjoy your sugar quite so much in front of me.”