“How you managed to shove all these decorations in your car without breaking them escapes me,” Jessica said to Darcy.
“Magic. That’s the most logical explanation because it’s got no room. They lost my reservation they insisted I never made. So I got the last car they had on the lot.”
The tables, the big tent was perfect, setup with a patterned pink border on the top outside edge, framing the tent. Pink chiffon twisted and tied at the edges, draping to the top of the tent underneath and on the outside, streaking pink against white tent. Around the sides, white and pink draped to the lawn, cinched at the middle like curtains. Pink lace hung from the edges all around the tend and strips of lace hung from the top, like pink raining down on the guests. The card tables and chairs were wrapped in pretty pink, a darker shade than the rest. For the momma to be, they had a sofa covered by pink runners.
As Darcy and Jessica worked in tandem, placing cake balls gently on cake layers, behind the delicate frosted edges, Jessica worked the outside of each tier with lacy and paper thin fondant.
“It’s a pink orgy. That’s what’s happening here,” Jessica said, admiring the first lace application to frosted round cake. She had the lower, fattest layer done. Two more to go. Each chore took at least five minutes of delicate, patient application to get the lace on without smooshing the frosting, because if it squeezed it would seep into the lace and ruin the look. “They should have frozen this cake before icing it. It would help right about now.”
“Is it just me or did they go overboard?” Gillian volunteered, standing beside Jessica and Darcy while they worked as quickly as they could.
No one answered Gillian.
“I think I’m sweating, which feels super gross,” Darcy said.
“You’re not the only one,” Kristi said, shoving pink frosting into a pastry bag, armed with a fine tip. She piped beautiful writing, sugar and spice and all things nice, on the top layer. The other ladies stood by, marveling in silence.
Darcy whispered, “You picked the right partner,” to Jessica, watching Kristi work.
“You say that and then I make a boo boo,” Kristi said, talking at the cake as she examined her work which looked perfect to everyone expect her.
“It’s gorgeous,” Gillian said and Darcy bit her lip.
“It’s on girls,” Jessica said, “Snap those pictures. Instagram here we come. Don’t anyone ask me to cut it. I might cry.”
Everyone laughed a little, letting nerves out. Darcy exhaled, blowing air out of her lungs like a great release, staring at the parking lot. “Where is she?” Darcy said for her own benefit.
“She’s late,” Gillian said. “Again. Nothing new. Loads of time to finish.” Gillian laughed at her own joke, which Darcy was coming to understand that Gillian did that. A lot.
Darcy rolled her eyes and held her tongue. Four cars, no, five cars, pulled into the parking lot and more ladies approached. Darcy recognized three of them and didn’t quite know what to say to old high school friends she hadn’t kept contact with so she smiled back at them pleasantly and kept her opinion to herself. The guest list got out of control because she had delagated those responsibilities and Marcella had essentially taken over by force.
More ladies arrived, strolling across the green lawn to their party area, gasping in all the right ways.
No sight of her sister’s SUV. It was both green, spacious and newly minted from her husband. No more college two door. This car was for baby and the incoming paisley diaper bag Lila would tote like a crash course of fashionista meets parenting. A handful of guests had arrived and Darcy had no idea who they were. Probably friends of Marcella.
For an instant, a couple walking by with a dog, holding hands, Darcy thought she was seeing Tyler. Seriously.
Focus on the moment. Why did the past always have to interfere with living? ‘Happiness is highly elusive when you keep reliving past hurts,’ her therapist had said over and over but Darcy was still working on believing her.
“Lila is constantly late. What gives?” Gillian said to Darcy but it sounded more like an accusation than a question.
Darcy did her best to laugh it off and, wanting to be politically correct, she said “No clue,” to Gillian, then turning to Jessica “What’s left to do?” Though she was pretty sure they were set.
Monica had bags over her shoulders and under her arms, toting games and wearing a happy face. Something Monica had said more than once, that time away from her husband and kids was a precious escape. Monica called to the circle of chattering ladies that had formed, recruiting help.
A text message came from Alyssa: running late, sorry. She used the runner emoji.
Breathe. The beverage tub, a statement piece based on pictures Alyssa had sent to Darcy, would arrive. Eventually. Lila would show up, eventually. Marcella would arrive. Hopefully late and two drinks in.
Darcy had no control over too many details. Still. How did she miss the obvious? Sure, the beverage table had a pitcher of water and tea, glasses elegantly displayed, but where was the ice bucket?
Galen had said the same thing without saying it quite the same way.
Jessica and Kristi did a spectacular job with the decorations and while it was a little winder than desired, meaning that center pieces were at risk, the setup looked picture perfect.
Oliver would not come to a baby shower, of course not, which made Darcy sad and relieved, considering if Oliver came around there was a chance for his charming friend to be at his wing. Dangerously hoping. Maybe he would be around at Oliver and Lila’s house after the party ended.
Darcy helped unload games from Monica’s trunk, watching for her sister’s Rav 4 as her timer went off, showing it was now 11:00. Official start time had arrived. No Lila. Sure, Lila was habitually late, but still. It was her party. People were arriving. Marcella wasn’t among them, probably because she and Lila were coming together. Their mother was paranoid of Lila being out on her own, away from home and Oliver, then spontaneously entering labor and being stranded, unable to move, to drive, to help herself and being a victim in need of intervention from a cynical and condemning public.
Alyssa pulled up and recruited help to haul ice bags, cases of bottled beverages and the tub itself and there was no good way to put it on wheels. Drinks setup, there was little else to do, other than get the games situated.
Ladies were cracking up, passing around pieces and collaborating on the baby face game. “How can we resist?” One had said. Laughter erupted as ladies were experimenting with picture sections from Oliver and Lila, sticking each on a cardboard cutout to assemble what their future child would look like.
Gillian at the center, started on the diapers box, leading five others and drawing new arrivals in pairs, like an open bar after work at the end of happy hour. One hundred diapers in a decorative pink box, labeled, fitting, with a 3 a.m. poop emoji that Tera printed out, laminated and glued to a wicker basket. A magic marker, attached by string to the box, was for writing humorous messages directed at mom.
Gillian wrote: ‘do you know what the hell you’re doing?’ On one of them, to mixed reactions. Her #shitgotreal received laughs around and Darcy could tell this was heading out of control. Fast.
Anxious pangs hitting, all tied to starting without Lila. Then there was the recurring nightmare that Lila didn’t show up for the party. For that, reasons didn’t matter. Much. There was nothing else for people to do except wait, which sort of happened. Listening to the girls cracking up at the diaper station made Darcy want to join them, but she was so focused on her sister’s arrival that she tuned it all out best she could.
At last, Lila arrived, looking absolutely adorable and gorgeous if that were even possible, in her white lacy strapless dress that lovingly showed off her protruding tummy. She wore a sign, tied around herself with a big pink bow, June 29th. As expected, Marcella, dressed as though she had knocked over a Chico’s, her zebra like shaw swaying about as though it were powered by more than the breeze, walked i
n step with her prize daughter, as though she had won a championship. Lila’s tummy suddenly became the artwork everyone had to touch and she was playing too nice to tell anyone to backoff. They gathered, hands on, all wanting to feel the rumored ninja tactics from their coming offspring. Of course, baby girl did not cooperate. Darcy stepped in and fending them off, sending them to the game tables. Lila was carrying new life with a fond affection for sleeping on her pelvis and making momma need to pee every ten minutes created an interesting dynamic at a public park and a shower that should last two hours or longer.
Elnora followed and it was as though everyone decided to show up exactly ten minutes late. With Elnora’s arrival came the nursery set, and all eyes were on those formidable boxes wrapped in paisley paper for several minutes, though they were technically supposed to pretend it wasn’t there. Somehow.
Darcy told herself to pitch her glass bottle, having drained it, and get this party started before it took off on its own. Lea brought wireless speakers and streamed a sound track. A good vibe without going too loud for the fifty plus guests.
No one was drinking because Lila missed wine with passion. To drink in front of her, even if it were some nasty dry martini she would be more inclined to spit than swallow, would be cruel. Lila wouldn’t appreciate any such reminder. We missed most what we couldn’t have, apparently.
An hour flew by as ladies played games and rotated tables every fifteen minutes. Good system. Several didn’t like having to move and stayed past their expiration, until they were coaxed to move. Jessica’s idea. She hadn’t been declared a co-host, but she fulfilled the role splendidly, if you asked Darcy.
And, as expected and unexpected, Marcella’s friends all showed up bearing lovely wrapped packages with big bows, piling them on the long table near the sofa for Lila to sit on while everyone oohed and ahed over whatever she unearthed from candy colored wrapping paper or obnoxiously pink gift bags. The gifts were beautiful. By the grand finale of gifting, the nursery set, Lila had opened clothes for the first two years well set and more toys than she had space for, unless you counted her attic above the garage which Oliver added himself the weekend after they closed on the house. Elnora sat while Lila ripped the paper off the nursery set, a smile she fought with and lost while her daughter in law cried over her new set. Mission accomplished. Nursery set complete. She just had to task Oliver with picking it up with his truck and assembling all of it in the baby’s room.
“The shower was perfect,” Lila said, hugging Darcy, careful around her supple belly. The music was off, the ice cubes all melted and Jessica was collecting those two inch plastic babies they used for a game along with Kristi. Monica was de-pinkifying the tent. Guests lingered on the lawn, playing corn hole, as though no one wanted to leave and maybe they didn’t. Food was long gone, even though Marcella had ordered sandwiches and had them delivered, a move that had felt like a slight to Darcy but turned out okay. No cake survived, as two ladies famously had a corn hole death match over the final piece.
Gillian, on her way out, told Lila about how ecstatic she was for her friend, though it had seemed off handed. She promised a photo album for the event, as she had taken pictures and would be on the hunt to get photos from everyone else. A collage? A scrapbook. Whatever. It would be amazing!
The cake war was perhaps the greatest compliment.
“I’m so happy, right now. This was wonderful. It all turned out,” Lila said.
Darcy smiled through blurry vision, “I was scared to death.”
She didn’t want to elaborate how much she stressed up to the event but figured her sister understood. Dealing with Marcella was no small task. Throw in the personalities of Elnora and the rest of the clan and you’ve got a mix for a reality season’s worth of drama.
Everything happened as it should, as though Darcy had scripted the whole thing and the execution was flawless.
She tried not to think about all her credit card charges she had to pay off now and perish the notion of carrying a balance, but what the hell. It was only money. Interest was temporary family was forever.
Lila hugged her again and dabbed at her eyes with a pink napkin.
“You’re scared? I’m gonna be someone’s mother!” Lila said. “I’m petrified and it’s all sinking in at once. Uh. I’m so overwhelmed.”
Darcy was a little surprised, taken back, actually. “What do you mean? You’ll be an amazing mom. You’re amazing at everything,” she said and realized she felt that way toward her sister as soon as she said it. It was true. And it was an admission. Confession? Maybe not. Lila let everything bounce off her, like only big things mattered. Real things. Petty stuff that irked normal people was impervious to Lila.
Lila lost control, sitting there on the sofa the cleanup crew had yet to move away. Three teenage boys showed up and started hauling away the bedroom set and Darcy took notice of them, watching where they were going, wondering if they were recruited by Oliver. She hadn’t seen them before.
Sitting with Lila while she had a crying moment, Darcy was torn. She didn’t want to wish any this visit. This chance felt big. But she was silently hoping for a good opportunity to break away to check what was happening with Lila’s baby furniture. Lila hadn’t noticed the guys picking up her boxed furniture and hauling it to the parking lot. If she had noticed, she hadn’t said a word about it.
Marcella had said more than once about Lila being ‘mentally absent’ during the pregnancy, as though Lila couldn’t think anymore. Not one rational thought.
With Lila, sometimes her emotional bouts were quick and sometimes they were drawn out. Darcy understood there was no real explanation. Just go with it. It’s normal. Okay, not quite normal. It’s Lila. Perfectly normal pregnant Lila.
Darcy had to nip jealousy and remorse, though there was nothing she could have done to change the outcome, though Tyler felt very differently about their aftermath.
To Darcy, that unknown pleasure of losing your mind and emotional control and quite possibly your bladder control all at the same time while new life grew within you, was beautiful and amazing. A miracle. An individual expression, contribution to humanity and validation as being worthwhile. Cherished.
Lila wasn’t carrying just a baby. She was carrying a new generation. A new human being who would make a great contribution to society and the world around her––if you asked Marcella.
“Lila. You can’t be serious. You will be an amazing mom. You’re such a fun person to be around. You can have fun and get all silly. And you’re so mellow. Cool. You don’t spaz out. You’ll be a cool mom.”
Lila got a little spastic, her hands moving flippantly as she spoke, “But you’re so organized. The way you pack. The way you keep your place so clean. You plan. Really well. I mean, you pulled off every stage of this super detailed itinerary for a baby shower and who knew that was even possible? You got like seventy people to do what they were told! I’m not sure I can manage me that well!” Lila said.
Darcy recognized her help, reiterating everything that friends did, which was a ton. By the end, Darcy felt like she hadn’t really done anything other than boss people around. Maybe that was what she was good at? Bossing people around. No wonder Tamar liked her. Being bossy wasn’t a skillset she wanted to have or be known for.
The furniture was leaving. In an SUV Darcy didn’t recognize. Was that Elnora’s maroon Cadillac? She wanted to jump off the sofa and run after the furniture, screaming like a crazy woman, all in defense of her sister’s prize, politeness be damned. Temporary insanity. That was what they called it.
Darcy watched them from her seat, which was hard to get the right angle past the big trees closer to the parking lot, flanking the sidewalk. Bikers and strollers dominated that path, making visibility even harder.
Lila took notice of what Darcy was staring at. “Oh. My furniture is leaving? Whose taking it?”
Darcy was sad and so relieved the shower was in the past. She no longer had it to look forward to and she no longer
had to worry about it. Impressions were made. Statements. Promises kept. Marcella even wore a smile for most of the party as she laughed like she was three drinks in from the moment she had arrived.
Darcy knew she could not panic her sister. “Oh, that’s supposed to happen. They’re taking it to your place,” Darcy said, expecting that was true. No one would steal baby furniture from a shower, right? Not right in front of everyone. Telling herself to breathe easy and she would find out about the furniture in a minute, she stayed with her sister, focusing on her.
“Oh. Why am I acting like this? Lila said, as though talking to no one in particular. She touched Darcy’s hand and focused on her sister, close, “The shower. Darcy. It was perfect. Girl. Just delightful. Wonderful. Thank you. It means so much to me that you did this,” Lila said. “And I know deep down, you want kids. Someday. You’re all career now and you might think I’m clipping my wings by choosing to stay home for a family of three, but it’s a choice. I’m gonna love it.”
Darcy didn’t want to get defensive, but felt that pang in her stomach to jump back and defend her decision. At the same instant, she felt the defensive need to tell her sister the truth. The real truth about what happened with her and Tyler. But how could she?
Darcy had to keep her own emotions in check, which came back in a rapid wave that felt like a kidney punch, at the mention of herself having a baby. Just that thought brought a torrent of emotion and history to her mind with it, all tucked on the inside and balled up like a cannon ball waiting to explode and kill its enemy. “I’m so happy for you. Seriously,” Darcy said. “You’re radient. Love the dress, but I told you that already. It’s just so, so beautiful.”
The furniture movers were bothering her, even though she was positive that those boys moving it were helping Elnora. She racked her brain, trying to remember if she had seen them before, hauling it in, but realized she had been so wrapped up in keeping the party flowing from game to game, often caught in conversation, that she totally missed the arrival of most of the gifts, including the nursery set.
Your Flight Will Leave Soon Page 14