prenatal care.
Thomas had reviewed the details of Rachel’s pregnancy a dozen times, but
his answer always went back to the genetics factor, which wasn’t the
explanation Larry Lackey had wanted to hear. Thomas understood the
problems, the anger, the denial, the inclination to blame someone,
although there was nothing any of them could have done to predict the
infant’s health problems. And unfortunately, they still couldn’t assure
the couple the baby would survive.
The memory of his lovely evening with Rebecca emerged like sunshine
breaking through thunderclouds, but he suppressed it immediately as he
pulled
off his clothes and stretched out on his bed, exhausted. The empty house
echoed with silence, the scent of furniture polish and pine cleaner
strong. No homey smells like freshly baked brownies or that
apple-cinnamony scent he’d detected at Rebecca’s.
Forget Rebecca. This house was what he wanted. Big, impressive,
perfectly decorated. The kind of place he could entertain a hospital
board, even throw a party for potential charity drives. Still, the
massive rooms weren’t as comforting in the dark of night as he’d
imagined when he’d first purchased the house. He closed his eyes and
tried to find the peace he so craved, but instead he saw the pale Lackey
baby squirming in the incubator and his forlorn parents watching helplessly.
Just like his parents had years ago with his baby brother. And just as
he had….
He fisted his hands and pounded the covers. No matter how hard he tried
and how much he learned, there would always be problem deliveries, sick
infants…
The sooner he moved to Atlanta the better.
“You look fabulous!” Suzanne shrieked as Mimi modeled a black crepe
off-the-shoulder dress that hugged her curves. “And the sapphire blue is
you, Hannah.”
Mimi giggled and wiggled her hips. “It’s nice to have some shape again.”
Hannah waved a hand. “Oh, hush, Mimi, you looked fabulous pregnant.”
“Yes, you did, Mimi,” Rebecca added, imagining her own body growing with
a child.
Suzanne held up an emerald-green backless dress. It was slinky and sexy,
as if the designer had Suzanne in mind when she’d created it. “What do
you think?”
“Try it on,” Mimi coached.
“You’ll look great in it,” Rebecca said. “Of course, with your figure
you’d look great in anything.”
Suzanne laughed. “Right. With the help of a Won-derbra,” Suzanne said.
“But it’s not so much fun when the clothes come off and the guy realizes
half the up-front is not real.”
Rebecca shook her head. “I can’t imagine any guy being disappointed in you.”
“Then tell me why Nick dumped me.”
“‘Cause he’s a fool,” Mimi said.
“An idiot,” Hannah chimed in.
Suzanne laughed again. “Thanks. I needed that. I’ve been so depressed
about the whole thing. I just can’t seem to find anyone serious. Every
guy I date in Atlanta just wants sex, no commitments. Is that what I
look like? The love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type?”
“Of course not,” Mimi said.
“That’s their problem,” Hannah said.
“Except it’s starting to get to me,” Suzanne said, sounding frustrated.
Rebecca quirked her head sideways, surprised at the sincerity in
Suzanne’s admission. She never thought Suzanne got depressed. Or that
any man dumped her.
Whereas, Rebecca’s middle name was dump. In high school, three guys had
cozied up to her, pretending interest, only to discover they really
wanted Suzanne. Memories of prom night her senior year surfaced. When
Suzanne’s date had come down with the
flu the day before the prom, Rebecca’s date had canceled right in front
of everyone in the lunch line at school, then turned and asked Suzanne
in class that afternoon. Of course, Suzanne had refused him. She’d also
ditched the other guys when
Thomas had reviewed the details of Rachel’s pregnancy a dozen times, but
his answer always went back to the genetics factor, which wasn’t the
explanation Larry Lackey had wanted to hear. Thomas understood the
problems, the anger, the denial, the inclination to blame someone,
although there was nothing any of them could have done to predict the
infant’s health problems. And unfortunately, they still couldn’t assure
the couple the baby would survive.
The memory of his lovely evening with Rebecca emerged like sunshine
breaking through thunderclouds, but he suppressed it immediately as he
pulled
off his clothes and stretched out on his bed, exhausted. The empty house
echoed with silence, the scent of furniture polish and pine cleaner
strong. No homey smells like freshly baked brownies or that
apple-cinnamony scent he’d detected at Rebecca’s.
Forget Rebecca. This house was what he wanted. Big, impressive,
perfectly decorated. The kind of place he could entertain a hospital
board, even throw a party for potential charity drives. Still, the
massive rooms weren’t as comforting in the dark of night as he’d
imagined when he’d first purchased the house. He closed his eyes and
tried to find the peace he so craved, but instead he saw the pale Lackey
baby squirming in the incubator and his forlorn parents watching helplessly.
Just like his parents had years ago with his baby brother. And just as
he had….
He fisted his hands and pounded the covers. No matter how hard he tried
and how much he learned, there would always be problem deliveries, sick
infants…
The sooner he moved to Atlanta the better.
“You look fabulous!” Suzanne shrieked as Mimi modeled a black crepe
off-the-shoulder dress that hugged her curves. “And the sapphire blue is
you, Hannah.”
Mimi giggled and wiggled her hips. “It’s nice to have some shape again.”
Hannah waved a hand. “Oh, hush, Mimi, you looked fabulous pregnant.”
“Yes, you did, Mimi,” Rebecca added, imagining her own body growing with
a child.
Suzanne held up an emerald-green backless dress. It was slinky and sexy,
as if the designer had Suzanne in mind when she’d created it. “What do
you think?”
“Try it on,” Mimi coached.
“You’ll look great in it,” Rebecca said. “Of course, with your figure
you’d look great in anything.”
Suzanne laughed. “Right. With the help of a Won-derbra,” Suzanne said.
“But it’s not so much fun when the clothes come off and the guy realizes
half the up-front is not real.”
Rebecca shook her head. “I can’t imagine any guy being disappointed in you.”
“Then tell me why Nick dumped me.”
“‘Cause he’s a fool,” Mimi said.
“An idiot,” Hannah chimed in.
Suzanne laughed again. “Thanks. I needed that. I’ve been so depressed
about the whole thing. I just can’t seem to find anyone serious. Every
guy I date in Atlanta just wants sex, no commitments. Is that what I
look like? The love-‘em-and-leave-‘em type?”
“Of course not,” Mimi said.
“That’s their problem,” Hannah said.
“Except it’s starting to get to me,” Suzanne said, sounding frustrated.
Rebecca quirked her head sideways, surprised at the sincerity in
Suzanne’s admission. She never thought Suzanne got depressed. Or that
any man dumped her.
Whereas, Rebecca’s middle name was dump. In high school, three guys had
cozied up to her, pretending interest, only to discover they really
wanted Suzanne. Memories of prom night her senior year surfaced. When
Suzanne’s date had come down with the
flu the day before the prom, Rebecca’s date had canceled right in front
of everyone in the lunch line at school, then turned and asked Suzanne
in class that afternoon. Of course, Suzanne had refused him. She’d also
ditched the other guys when
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