desk. “Do you have a
few minutes?”
Margaret O’Reilly strolled into her living room and sat on
the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table and unknowingly mimicking
her daughter’s position. “Of course,” she replied. “I was looked for an excuse
to not clean the refrigerator, and you’ve presented me with a fine one. How are
you, darling?”
Suddenly all of the pent up emotions from the past few days
escaped, and Mary’s voice trembled. “Mom, I’ve had a really bad week so far,”
she cried.
“Oh, darling,” Margaret said, sitting up in the couch. “What
happened?”
Mary thought about telling her mother about the close call
she’d experienced the night before and decided against it. There were some things Mary just didn’t tell
her mom, because she knew her mother would worry about her even more than she
already did. Mary took a deep breath and
went to the heart of what was really bothering her. “I don’t think Kate and
Rosie are my friends anymore,” she said.
Margaret smiled to herself and shook her head. She had been in contact with both Rosie and
Kate for the past few weeks, helping to plan the shower. She should have known her intuitive daughter
would feel that they were keeping something from her. “Why do you think that?”
she asked.
“They went shopping together, and they didn’t even ask me?”
she replied. “And then, when I found them there together, they lied to me.”
“That must have made you feel sad,” her mother sympathized.
“Yes. And a little angry,” Mary admitted.
“Well, of course,” Margaret empathized. “Who wouldn’t be
angry to discover her two best friends out shopping together? Unless…” She paused for a moment, letting the word hang. “No, never mind.”
“Never mind what?” Mary asked,
wiping a tear from her cheek.
“Well, the only time I didn’t invite you to come shopping
with me was when I was going Christmas shopping or birthday shopping for you,”
Margaret suggested. “But, really, Christmas is about two months away. That
doesn’t make sense.”
“Oh, what if they were getting something for the baby?” Mary asked, a hint of relief in her voice. “What if there
were buying a gift together, and they didn’t want me to see it?”
Margaret grinned and sat back on the couch again. “Would
they do something like that?” she asked.
Mary exhaled and smiled. “Of course, that makes perfect
sense now,” she said. “How silly of me to be worried.”
“Well, it’s only natural for you to respond that way,” her
mother replied.
“Only natural if you’re not thinking straight, and your
hormones are crazy,” Mary chuckled.
Her mother laughed softly. “Well, that’s just another one of
those maternity bonuses,” she said. “So, how is everything else going?”
“Everyone is so excited about Friday night,” Mary said.
“It’s so wonderful of all of you to drive up here to celebrate Halloween with
us.”
“Oh, now, we wouldn’t miss it,” Margaret said. “Your father
and I plan on coming up early to help you take Clarissa trick-or-treating. We haven’t done that in too many years.”
“Clarissa will love that,” Mary said. “She’s been busy
trying to find a ghost story to tell. She’s even asked Maggie to help her find a real ghost.”
“Ah, she’s a bright girl,” Margaret said. “And a determined
one, too. I’ll be surprised if she
doesn’t have the best story of the night. And how is Bradley coming along with
his story?”
Mary chuckled. “Well, he’s certainly practicing,” she said.
“And I’m sure by Friday night he’ll be just fine.”
“He’s a good man,” Margaret said. “Playing
along with our family’s strange traditions.”
“I actually think he’s looking forward to it,” Mary said.
“And he even volunteered to take care of the refreshments, knowing how tired
I’ve been lately. That is so unlike
Bradley. He usually hates doing
few minutes?”
Margaret O’Reilly strolled into her living room and sat on
the couch, propping her feet up on the coffee table and unknowingly mimicking
her daughter’s position. “Of course,” she replied. “I was looked for an excuse
to not clean the refrigerator, and you’ve presented me with a fine one. How are
you, darling?”
Suddenly all of the pent up emotions from the past few days
escaped, and Mary’s voice trembled. “Mom, I’ve had a really bad week so far,”
she cried.
“Oh, darling,” Margaret said, sitting up in the couch. “What
happened?”
Mary thought about telling her mother about the close call
she’d experienced the night before and decided against it. There were some things Mary just didn’t tell
her mom, because she knew her mother would worry about her even more than she
already did. Mary took a deep breath and
went to the heart of what was really bothering her. “I don’t think Kate and
Rosie are my friends anymore,” she said.
Margaret smiled to herself and shook her head. She had been in contact with both Rosie and
Kate for the past few weeks, helping to plan the shower. She should have known her intuitive daughter
would feel that they were keeping something from her. “Why do you think that?”
she asked.
“They went shopping together, and they didn’t even ask me?”
she replied. “And then, when I found them there together, they lied to me.”
“That must have made you feel sad,” her mother sympathized.
“Yes. And a little angry,” Mary admitted.
“Well, of course,” Margaret empathized. “Who wouldn’t be
angry to discover her two best friends out shopping together? Unless…” She paused for a moment, letting the word hang. “No, never mind.”
“Never mind what?” Mary asked,
wiping a tear from her cheek.
“Well, the only time I didn’t invite you to come shopping
with me was when I was going Christmas shopping or birthday shopping for you,”
Margaret suggested. “But, really, Christmas is about two months away. That
doesn’t make sense.”
“Oh, what if they were getting something for the baby?” Mary asked, a hint of relief in her voice. “What if there
were buying a gift together, and they didn’t want me to see it?”
Margaret grinned and sat back on the couch again. “Would
they do something like that?” she asked.
Mary exhaled and smiled. “Of course, that makes perfect
sense now,” she said. “How silly of me to be worried.”
“Well, it’s only natural for you to respond that way,” her
mother replied.
“Only natural if you’re not thinking straight, and your
hormones are crazy,” Mary chuckled.
Her mother laughed softly. “Well, that’s just another one of
those maternity bonuses,” she said. “So, how is everything else going?”
“Everyone is so excited about Friday night,” Mary said.
“It’s so wonderful of all of you to drive up here to celebrate Halloween with
us.”
“Oh, now, we wouldn’t miss it,” Margaret said. “Your father
and I plan on coming up early to help you take Clarissa trick-or-treating. We haven’t done that in too many years.”
“Clarissa will love that,” Mary said. “She’s been busy
trying to find a ghost story to tell. She’s even asked Maggie to help her find a real ghost.”
“Ah, she’s a bright girl,” Margaret said. “And a determined
one, too. I’ll be surprised if she
doesn’t have the best story of the night. And how is Bradley coming along with
his story?”
Mary chuckled. “Well, he’s certainly practicing,” she said.
“And I’m sure by Friday night he’ll be just fine.”
“He’s a good man,” Margaret said. “Playing
along with our family’s strange traditions.”
“I actually think he’s looking forward to it,” Mary said.
“And he even volunteered to take care of the refreshments, knowing how tired
I’ve been lately. That is so unlike
Bradley. He usually hates doing
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