Colleen didn't understand, Audra's pleasant disposition annoyed her. In the midst of Colleen's anxiety Audra smiled. But Audra could always smile. Encased in the protective bubble of her religious beliefs, she was immune to tragedy and sadness, apparently even unaffected by it when it occurred to others, close friends included. It wasn't that she was insensitive or uncompassionate; it was more that she dispensed sympathy and consolation with the professional expertise and aloofness characteristic of the way a good doctor or nurse could dispense medical treatment.
"Call you later," Colleen repeated, and hurried away from her. As planned, Teddy met her in the parking lot. She was out before him and waited impatiently. The sky had darkened, adding to her sense of gloom. She was anxious to get home now and see how things were. As usual, when he emerged, he sauntered out slowly, relishing the attention his teammates and other students were giving him. She got into her car and slipped behind the steering wheel before he arrived.
"Hey, what's the hurry? Aren't you going to the M and W?"
She had promised to join him at the root-beer and fast-food drive-in restaurant in Loch Sheldrake. The coach had decided to give the team the day off, and a number of them, along with their friends and girlfriends, were going to hang out awhile.
"No, I've got to get home," she said, punctuating her determination to do so by starting the engine.
"What's up?" Teddy grimaced and raised his arms.
"Problems," she said cryptically. He smirked, his eyebrows knitting emphatically. "Dana's not well," she added, sotto voce.
His expression didn't change. "She looked all right to me last night."
"Well, she's not all right. I told you what Jillian said when I called her at lunchtime," she said sharply.
His smirk evaporated. "So what are you going to do?"
"Help with something. I don't know. There'll be something. I just can't go off and forget about it, Teddy." She put the car into drive to signal there would be no changing her mind.
"All right, all right. I just thought with all the excitement, you'd wanna be part of it," he said, stepping back, his face cast in disappointment.
"I do want to be part of it, but I'm worried about everybody. I just wouldn't be good company right now," she added.
He nodded in reluctant understanding. "I'll call you later," he said, stepping back toward her.
"Okay." She leaned out the window and they kissed. Then he turned away quickly as she backed out of her parking spot and started away.
When she arrived home, she found Jillian alone, watching television in the living room. She was surprised that she was still wearing the blue housecoat she had been wearing at breakfast. She had done nothing with her hair or makeup, either, and her face looked even older than it had that morning. It was as though Colleen had been away for years instead of hours.
"Hi," she said, standing in the living-room doorway and embracing her books. She looked around quickly and realized Dana wasn't anywhere downstairs. "How are things now?"
"Oh, Colleen. Hi, honey." Jillian got up and turned off the television set. "I don't know what I'm doing watching soap operas. I never do. I watched three of them in a row and they all ran together for me." She released a thin, nervous laugh and ran her right hand through her hair, the expression on her face revealing that she had just realized how she was still dressed. "My goodness, I should change before Harlan gets home. He had a late-afternoon class today," she added, smiling.
Colleen didn't understand why, but her heart began beating quickly.
"How's Dana?"
"Dana? Still sleeping. I think. Last I looked, that is. She sleeps on and off all day," Jillian added, shaking her head. "And the baby—except for when I woke him—as far as I know, hasn't woke up either. Isn't that weird? I don't know. It seems weird to me," she added, quickly answering her own question,
"Did Harlan make the doctor's
"Call you later," Colleen repeated, and hurried away from her. As planned, Teddy met her in the parking lot. She was out before him and waited impatiently. The sky had darkened, adding to her sense of gloom. She was anxious to get home now and see how things were. As usual, when he emerged, he sauntered out slowly, relishing the attention his teammates and other students were giving him. She got into her car and slipped behind the steering wheel before he arrived.
"Hey, what's the hurry? Aren't you going to the M and W?"
She had promised to join him at the root-beer and fast-food drive-in restaurant in Loch Sheldrake. The coach had decided to give the team the day off, and a number of them, along with their friends and girlfriends, were going to hang out awhile.
"No, I've got to get home," she said, punctuating her determination to do so by starting the engine.
"What's up?" Teddy grimaced and raised his arms.
"Problems," she said cryptically. He smirked, his eyebrows knitting emphatically. "Dana's not well," she added, sotto voce.
His expression didn't change. "She looked all right to me last night."
"Well, she's not all right. I told you what Jillian said when I called her at lunchtime," she said sharply.
His smirk evaporated. "So what are you going to do?"
"Help with something. I don't know. There'll be something. I just can't go off and forget about it, Teddy." She put the car into drive to signal there would be no changing her mind.
"All right, all right. I just thought with all the excitement, you'd wanna be part of it," he said, stepping back, his face cast in disappointment.
"I do want to be part of it, but I'm worried about everybody. I just wouldn't be good company right now," she added.
He nodded in reluctant understanding. "I'll call you later," he said, stepping back toward her.
"Okay." She leaned out the window and they kissed. Then he turned away quickly as she backed out of her parking spot and started away.
When she arrived home, she found Jillian alone, watching television in the living room. She was surprised that she was still wearing the blue housecoat she had been wearing at breakfast. She had done nothing with her hair or makeup, either, and her face looked even older than it had that morning. It was as though Colleen had been away for years instead of hours.
"Hi," she said, standing in the living-room doorway and embracing her books. She looked around quickly and realized Dana wasn't anywhere downstairs. "How are things now?"
"Oh, Colleen. Hi, honey." Jillian got up and turned off the television set. "I don't know what I'm doing watching soap operas. I never do. I watched three of them in a row and they all ran together for me." She released a thin, nervous laugh and ran her right hand through her hair, the expression on her face revealing that she had just realized how she was still dressed. "My goodness, I should change before Harlan gets home. He had a late-afternoon class today," she added, smiling.
Colleen didn't understand why, but her heart began beating quickly.
"How's Dana?"
"Dana? Still sleeping. I think. Last I looked, that is. She sleeps on and off all day," Jillian added, shaking her head. "And the baby—except for when I woke him—as far as I know, hasn't woke up either. Isn't that weird? I don't know. It seems weird to me," she added, quickly answering her own question,
"Did Harlan make the doctor's
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