by Rebeca Seitz
Wait, where had March gone? Or more to the point, where had March’s time of the month gone?
She counted back. This was the second week of April. Her period should have been two weeks ago. In all the craziness of dealing with Joy, and then worrying about Joy over in China, and helping Kendra and Zelda with these weddings, she’d lost track of the calendar.
She rinsed as fast as a tornado and jumped out of the shower. Scrounging under the bathroom sink, she snagged the pregnancy test she and Clay had purchased right after their honeymoon while they were in a joking mood.
The directions were simple. “Wow, even picture descriptions for those illiterate mothers-to-be.” She stumbled over the word mother but managed to follow the directions anyway.
The box said to wait two minutes.
It took twenty seconds before the second pink line began to appear.
Thirty-Four
Two minutes later, with a pink line more pink than any flamingo dared dream, Tandy raced down the stairs and through the back entrance of the diner. She stopped short at the swinging door that stood between the kitchen and dining area. If she ran out there and blurted out their good news, the entire town would know in as long as it took for her to see the pink line.
And no way could Joy hear this from anyone but her.
Shoot, after what Joy had been through, they might not tell anyone until they’d made it to the second trimester anyway.
She walked through the door as casually as if she planned to consult Clay about their grocery list.
He stood across the room, joking with Ms. Corinne.
Tandy watched him for a moment. When she got herself out of the to-do list in her head and let the moment fully invade her mind, Clay still took her breath away. Would their little one have his daddy’s strong back and easygoing way? Or be headstrong and stubborn like her? Would they have a little girl with long red curls, or a little boy with wavy black hair?
She stepped across the dining area and tapped Clay on the shoulder. “Honey, can you come to the kitchen for a second?”
Clay turned. “Hey! I thought you were going to Zelda’s?”
“I am. I just need to see you for a second before I go.”
“Oh. Okay.” He looked back at the customer and grinned. “Be right back with your breakfast, Ms. Corinne.”
“Take your time, Clay.” Ms. Corinne waved him away and went back to her morning paper.
Tandy walked behind her husband to the kitchen, certain if he got a good look at her face, he’d know their news and blurt it out for all of Stars Hill to hear. Hours passed—entire civilizations crumbled and rebuilt themselves—in the time it took them to cross the dining area and stop in the kitchen.
Safely ensconced behind the swinging door, she grinned. “Guess what.”
Clay’s crooked smile warmed like summer sunshine and she hoped their child would get that feature. “What?”
“No, no, guess.”
“Zelda and Jack eloped.”
She swatted his arm. “Of course not! Be serious.”
“I’m never serious.”
What if their child got that trait? “I know. You might have to figure out serious though.”
“What?”
“Well, we don’t want our child thinking life is all play and no work.”
Tandy counted about three milliseconds before understanding dawned on his face. “No way! We’re p—”
“Shh!” She clamped a hand over his mouth and looked around the kitchen, but no one had come in. Oscar must be scheduled for the dinner shift today. “We don’t want the entire town knowing.”
Clay moved her hand and laced his fingers through hers. “But that’s what you’re saying, right?” he whispered. “We’re pregnant?”
She bobbed her head. “Yep!” Digging in her pocket, she pulled out the test. “Check it out. Two pink lines!”
Clay took the test from her and looked at it for himself. “I can’t believe this. We haven’t even been married a year yet! This is—I mean, I’m thrilled. It’s awesome. It’s just—”
“I know. I’m with you.” She leaned against the counter. “I’m so excited, but I don’t know how we’re going to tell the family. Especially Joy. Especially after all that’s happened.”
Clay’s brow creased. “In light of Joy, should we even say anything right now?”
“I’ve been thinking about that ever since that line popped up,” she waved toward the test still in Clay’s hand. “I can’t decide. I think the first thing we need to do is get a doctor to confirm. Those tests can be wrong, you know.”
“Right. Okay.” Clay ran a hand through his hair and blew out a breath. “Let’s call the doctor and find out if we’re right. If we are, then my vote is to tell everybody. If the roles were reversed, wouldn’t you want Joy to tell you?”
“Yeah, but Joy and I do things different.”
“A fact for which I am most grateful.” He closed the distance between them in a short step and enveloped her with his arms. “Oh, honey, this is awesome.”
She felt his heartbeat—galloping like a wild herd of horses—through his soft cotton shirt. “I know! Just think. We’re gonna be parents!”
He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her arms. “Go see how fast you can get in to the doctor’s office. I want to know for sure before we start celebrating.”
“You’re right. I’ll call on my way to Zelda’s. If I don’t get there soon, they’re going to know something’s up.”
Clay released her and stepped back. “You be careful on the road. You’ve got my kid in there.”
* * *
FIFTEEN MINUTES LATER Tandy pulled into Zelda’s driveway. Homer sat on his porch, a newspaper folded open and obscuring his face, but she could tell from the rumpled pants that it was him.
“Good morning, Homer!”
The paper rustled as he folded it down to see. “Morning, missy!” He gestured to Zelda’s apartment. “I see you worked yourself a miracle.”
“That’d be God, sir.”
Homer chuckled. “I’d say you’re right about that. Did I hear there’s a weddin’ in the works?”
“You heard right. We’re going shopping for it today.”
He rustled his paper again. “Then I’ll be saying good day to ya,” and the paper came back up.
Guess one wedding was more than enough for Homer.
Tandy walked down the driveway and up the porch steps and knocked on the door. “Zelda! It’s Tandy! You ready to go?”
Zelda opened the door, her red hair sticking up in an even odder assortment of spikes and valleys than usual. “Morning, hon. I’m just about ready. Are Meg and Kendra outside?” She peered around Tandy, checking out the driveway.
“Nope, not yet. Want me to just hang out here and wait for them? You could just come on out when you’re ready.”
“That’d be great. I’ll be ready in a jiffy.”
Tandy turned on her heel and made her way back down the porch steps. She crossed the driveway, settled back into her car and turned on the radio to wait out the few minutes until Kendra and Meg decided to make an appearance.
I wonder if the sisters will be able to look at me and tell I’m pregnant. I’ll be so glad when Joy knows if their IVF worked and then gets to that second trimester. I hate leaving her out of this stuff. She should be here today, helping us plan this wedding. But no, Scott’s got her laying down and taking it easy until the calendar says it’s okay.
I hope I’m not supposed to be doing the same thing. Meg didn’t.
Joy had shared all kinds of tips and tricks about event planning with them last night, and Meg had dutifully noted each one of them in a spiral-bound turquoise notebook they’d found in one of the desk drawers. Now all they had to do was remember to consult the thing throughout the day.
The tires of Kendra’s red Rav4 crunched gravel as she pulled up beside Tandy’s Beemer.
Tandy waved a hello and got out of her car to get into Kendra’
s. “Hey, you.” She plopped into the passenger’s seat.
“Hey, yourself. Zelda not ready yet?” Kendra swigged a Diet Dr. Pepper.
“Nope. She’ll be out in a few minutes. Have you talked to Meg this morning?”
“She’s on her way—had to run by Clay’s for a decent cup of coffee and a donut this morning.”
“She better be bringing enough for all of us. I could use more sugar this morning.”
“I hear ya on that.”
“What do you think we should conquer first today? The dress or the flowers?”
Kendra looked out the windshield, considering. “I think the dress. That will set the tone for everything else if we can find it without having Sara order it.”
“Do you want to look around for your dress today too?”
Kendra shrugged. “It can’t hurt. I haven’t decided if I need the traditional wedding gown or something a little more suitable to the islands.”
“Like a tank dress?”
“Yeah. That’s what the women in the pictures for the resorts down there are wearing. But some of them are in full-on wedding garb too—veil, train, gloves, the works.”
“Are you getting married in that church you talked about or on the beach?”
“Darin’s supposed to call the church here in the next few days and find out if we can even get married there. It’s the oldest Lutheran church in the western hemisphere and neither of us is Lutheran, so I’d say our odds are pretty slim. But if we get married on the beach, then we’ll have to go over to the resort side to have a pretty setting.”
“What about that place Darin was talking about for your honeymoon? Can you get married there?”
“We could, but I’d rather not have the entire family at the resort where we’re honeymooning, know what I mean?”
Tandy nodded. “Totally. I guess we’ll just hope that St. Frederick’s overlooks your heathen nondenominational status and lets you in.”
“Darin’s family members are Lutheran, so we stand a chance.”
“You know, it’s crazy how we Christians have divided ourselves up so completely.”
Kendra stuffed a wayward spiral back into her wide scarf headband with purple paisleys on an ivory background. “I hear you on that. I wonder sometimes if the whole denominational system wasn’t set up by the devil himself.”
“Hmm, that’s something to think about. I don’t know how much good has come out of it, and I can tell a host of evil that has.”
“Guess that’s your answer.”
Kendra glanced in the rearview mirror. “Here’s Meg.”
Meg’s minivan came to a stop behind Kendra’s Rav4. Kendra and Tandy moved from it to Meg’s vehicle.
Tandy climbed into a mid-row seat. “Did you bring enough donuts for everyone?”
“And chocolate milk.” Meg handed a Clay’s sack back to Tandy, then tossed her a plastic bottle of chocolate milk. “And good morning to you too.”
“Hey, where’s mine?” Kendra whined.
“Keep your britches on.” Meg handed her another Clay’s bag. “I had them keep yours separate because I know how Tandy hates goop on her donuts and that’s all you seem to like.”
“Aww, she loves us, Ken.”
Kendra tilted her head and batted her eyes. “You’re the bestest sister a girl could ever ask for.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Meg rolled her eyes and chomped down on a cinnamon and sugar twist. “So where’s Zelda?” she asked around the mouthful of bread and sugar.
“Coming.” Tandy pointed out the windshield.
Kendra and Meg turned to catch a glimpse of Zelda huffing and puffing her way across the lawn to the minivan. Meg reached up and pushed the button to automatically retract the side door.
“Morning, ladies.” Zelda climbed into the van. “Y’all ready for a day of shopping?”
“Can’t think of another thing I’d rather do.” Tandy realized that was the truth. “We think dress first, then everything else will mold itself around that choice. What do you think?”
Meg backed the minivan out of the driveway while Zelda considered Tandy’s suggestion. “Hmm, sounds logical to me.”
“Dress it is then. There are a couple of bridal shops in Franklin, a couple more in Cool Springs, more in Green Hills, and then there are the department stores.”
Zelda sighed and laid back in her seat, her lime-green quilted purse in her lap. “This is all so surreal, shopping for a wedding dress at my age. I wonder sometimes if we’re making too big a deal of this.”
“Too big a deal of a wedding? You’ve got to be kidding.” Meg sounded appalled.
“No, I’m serious. Jack and I have both had dream weddings once in our lives. Shouldn’t that be enough?”
Tandy pulled another donut from her bag and offered it to Zelda. “I guess God didn’t think so. That’s why He brought the two of you together.” She reached into the bag again, then bit into a yeasty glazed donut. It melted in her mouth and she closed her eyes to relish the flavor before it could dissolve completely.
Zelda chomped down on her donut. “You’ve got a point there, I’ll admit. Yet I can’t help but wonder how many ladies will be talking about us behind their hands for making a big to-do over this.” She swiped at a bit of glaze stuck to the corner of her mouth.
“Don’t you worry a second about the blue hairs,” Kendra said. “We’ll keep them under control.”
“On this issue at least,” Tandy hastily amended. No need promising something they couldn’t deliver. As soon as they found out about this baby, they’d turn their focus from Zelda and Daddy anyway. And if Joy was pregnant too, then the blue hairs were about to make the phone lines in Stars Hill hotter than an August day at Daytona Beach.
“Blue hairs—that’s hilarious. I’m going to think of that every time one of them walks up to me to complain about that day’s song selection or sermon topic, as if I have any say over either. I’m not going to get mad though. Nope, I’ll just remind myself that I could be walking around here with a cloud of blue hair.” Zelda let forth a loud guffaw, and it wasn’t long before the sisters joined in.
“Oh my.” Zelda regained control first. “Are shopping trips always this fun with you three?” “Not really, no. Perhaps it’s that you came along today.” Zelda patted Tandy’s knee. “Well, that was a mighty nice thing to say. Thank you, Tandy.” Tandy bit into her donut again and nodded.
Thirty-Five
Raindrops sluice down my window, turning the world into rivulets of color. The tulips are up, the grass lying like a new green carpet on the lawn, and baby birds are flitting back and forth testing their new wings. April has flown by, drenched in the showers of its fabled history.
According to Dr. Murray, those April showers will fulfill their promise to bring May flowers.
Pregnant. Again. I can’t believe our very first try with IVF worked! Dr. Murray says it’s not entirely uncommon, but I feel as if we’re the luckiest, most blessed people on earth right now.
My task is simple: make it to July, when that magical second trimester begins. Scott and I debated telling the family the IVF was successful, but they’re all waiting to know. I don’t think we should keep them in suspense for three months. That seems rather unfair. Besides, this whole pregnancy question has already taken a toll on my relationship with Tandy. She’s barely spoken to me for three weeks now, nearly the entire month! When I call, she says she’s just rushing out the door or has to go help Clay with something. I wonder if she simply doesn’t want to talk.
No matter, with our new baby news, everything will be all right again.
So long as I can make it to July.
I need to get downstairs and begin preparations for dinner. The family will be here in a few short hours, and I haven’t even set the table. I wonder if I should use a blue or pink theme? I have yellow napkins with white daisies stitched into the corners. I believe I’ll use those. I might fool them into thinking this really is just a dinner with the family and
not a special occasion where Scott and I will announce that we’ve jumped on the roller coaster again.
* * *
Clay opened Tandy’s car door, and she stepped out onto Joy’s driveway. “I really, really hope we’re here to find out Joy’s pregnant.” She adjusted the hem of her spring dress. “I don’t know how much longer I can keep our news quiet.”
Clay’s hand enveloped hers, and he led them to the grand staircase ending at the front door. “I know what you mean. Darin’s getting tired of me not wanting to go out with him anymore. He says I’ve been whipped by marriage.”
Tandy chuckled. “So if she announces, you want to share our good news too?”
“Absolutely.” He squeezed her hand.
They rang the doorbell, then stepped into the house. “Joy! We’re here!” Tandy’s voice bounced off the marble floor, and they crossed it to enter the large hallway. Tandy peeked into the dining room on their way to the kitchen, noting the yellow napkins with daisies. “Hmm, that could either mean she’s celebrating spring or a pregnancy,” she muttered and kept walking.
“Are you talking to yourself?”
“Just trying to figure out why we’re here, is all.”
“Well, it’s about time you two got here,” Kendra admonished when they entered the kitchen.
Clay checked his watch. “Hey, we’re, like, ten minutes early.”
“Yeah, but everybody knows Joy’s got odds and ends to eat at least half an hour before the meal.” She held up a sliver of turkey. “See?”
Joy pulled the oven door down and reached inside with a mitted hand. She retrieved a pie with meringue as high as the Eiffel Tower. “Those are not odds and ends, Kendra; it’s the main course.” She set the pie on a cooling rack and turned to Tandy. “Could you get her out of my kitchen, please?”
Tandy laughed. “Sure thing. Is there anything else I can help with?”
“Nothing. Just take Ken to the other room before we run out of food.”
“We can always call for pizza,” Kendra offered, and Joy gave a scandalized look.
“Bite your tongue, sister.”