by the books in front of her. “I freelanced for a while, but it just got to be too difficult after Ben was born.”
“So you stopped writing?”
Annie looked at her. “For now. I can’t seem to manage to put sentences together. But someday I hope to get back to writing.”
Interesting young woman, who seemed to have intellect, yet put her kids first. She had a handle on time—that there would be enough of it someday for her to write.
“I hope you do,” Beatrice said. “Oh, that’s a good book, really. Don’t let the title put you off.”
Annie laughed. “ Quantum Physics for Dummies, eh? I like it.”
An ambulance flew down the road again, its sirens interrupting a perfectly good conversation.
Then they heard a strange scuffling noise—someone was on the porch. Beatrice opened the door to a winded Sheila, in her stocking feet, with her high heels in her hand.
Chapter 16
Vera was dreaming. She was certain of it. She was sitting on her father’s lap, just the way she used to, even as a grown woman. She could feel his arms around her, smell his tobacco, and feel his breath on her neck as she leaned her head down on his shoulder.
“Vera,” he said. “You’re not happy. Time is wasting.”
“What do you mean, Daddy?” She wanted to pick up her head, but she was so tired and couldn’t manage.
He ran his fingers through her hair and against her forehead. “Oh, Vera, I wasn’t ready to leave you or your mother. And you weren’t ready to leave New York.”
“What else could I do?”
“You can’t go backward, only forward. Find out what makes you happy now.”
She thought about her mother, Sheila, her dancing school, and Bill. None of it seemed to make her happy. In fact, when she thought about the people in her life, she sort of went numb. It wasn’t just Bill. It was everybody.
“That’s what I mean,” her father said. “Believe me when I tell you, every day is a gift. Don’t waste it.”
“Oh, Daddy, I’m not. I’m making a difference here.”
“Forty-one years old and pregnant?” No, it wasn’t her father speaking. She struggled to open her eyes. It was a blurry Bill, talking with that same handsome doctor who had operated on her mother.
“Yes,” the doctor said. “Vera is pregnant.”
Vera thought she was still dreaming and closed her eyes. She could hear voices as she drifted back off to a place that wasn’t quite sleep. “Daddy,” she said out loud. “Daddy?”
“Vera, are you awake?” Bill rushed to her side and kissed her on the cheek. Tears glistened in his eyes. She nodded. “God, you gave us a scare,” he said, voice quavering.
Just then, she could hear her mother’s voice.
“Goddamn you, get out of my way! My daughter is in that room,” she bellowed. Vera wanted to close her eyes again and now hoped that she was dreaming. But the door flew open.
“Bill, what’s going on?” Bea asked, with Annie at her side. Sheila came in on their heels, still carrying her high heels from the memorial service.
“Calm down, Beatrice,” Bill said calmly. “She’s fine.”
“Yes,” Vera said weakly, smiling at the crowd of women gathering around her bed.
“You don’t pass out if you’re fine,” Sheila said. “I’m no doctor,” she said, looking at the doctor, “but I know that.”
He raised his eyebrows, as if to say, You again?
“Excuse me, please,” he said, and left the room.
“Well, she has a point,” Beatrice said.
“Sit down, Beatrice,” Bill said, pulling up a chair, close to Vera’s bed. “You’re going to need to.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, slowly sitting in the chair.
“I wanted to give Vera the news alone, you know like all couples at a time like this. But since the day I married her, I knew you two came in a package,” he said, looking at Bea and Sheila. “So I want you all to know that Vera and I are expecting a baby.”
“That’s impossible,” Vera said, her heart beginning to race.
“That’s what
“So you stopped writing?”
Annie looked at her. “For now. I can’t seem to manage to put sentences together. But someday I hope to get back to writing.”
Interesting young woman, who seemed to have intellect, yet put her kids first. She had a handle on time—that there would be enough of it someday for her to write.
“I hope you do,” Beatrice said. “Oh, that’s a good book, really. Don’t let the title put you off.”
Annie laughed. “ Quantum Physics for Dummies, eh? I like it.”
An ambulance flew down the road again, its sirens interrupting a perfectly good conversation.
Then they heard a strange scuffling noise—someone was on the porch. Beatrice opened the door to a winded Sheila, in her stocking feet, with her high heels in her hand.
Chapter 16
Vera was dreaming. She was certain of it. She was sitting on her father’s lap, just the way she used to, even as a grown woman. She could feel his arms around her, smell his tobacco, and feel his breath on her neck as she leaned her head down on his shoulder.
“Vera,” he said. “You’re not happy. Time is wasting.”
“What do you mean, Daddy?” She wanted to pick up her head, but she was so tired and couldn’t manage.
He ran his fingers through her hair and against her forehead. “Oh, Vera, I wasn’t ready to leave you or your mother. And you weren’t ready to leave New York.”
“What else could I do?”
“You can’t go backward, only forward. Find out what makes you happy now.”
She thought about her mother, Sheila, her dancing school, and Bill. None of it seemed to make her happy. In fact, when she thought about the people in her life, she sort of went numb. It wasn’t just Bill. It was everybody.
“That’s what I mean,” her father said. “Believe me when I tell you, every day is a gift. Don’t waste it.”
“Oh, Daddy, I’m not. I’m making a difference here.”
“Forty-one years old and pregnant?” No, it wasn’t her father speaking. She struggled to open her eyes. It was a blurry Bill, talking with that same handsome doctor who had operated on her mother.
“Yes,” the doctor said. “Vera is pregnant.”
Vera thought she was still dreaming and closed her eyes. She could hear voices as she drifted back off to a place that wasn’t quite sleep. “Daddy,” she said out loud. “Daddy?”
“Vera, are you awake?” Bill rushed to her side and kissed her on the cheek. Tears glistened in his eyes. She nodded. “God, you gave us a scare,” he said, voice quavering.
Just then, she could hear her mother’s voice.
“Goddamn you, get out of my way! My daughter is in that room,” she bellowed. Vera wanted to close her eyes again and now hoped that she was dreaming. But the door flew open.
“Bill, what’s going on?” Bea asked, with Annie at her side. Sheila came in on their heels, still carrying her high heels from the memorial service.
“Calm down, Beatrice,” Bill said calmly. “She’s fine.”
“Yes,” Vera said weakly, smiling at the crowd of women gathering around her bed.
“You don’t pass out if you’re fine,” Sheila said. “I’m no doctor,” she said, looking at the doctor, “but I know that.”
He raised his eyebrows, as if to say, You again?
“Excuse me, please,” he said, and left the room.
“Well, she has a point,” Beatrice said.
“Sit down, Beatrice,” Bill said, pulling up a chair, close to Vera’s bed. “You’re going to need to.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, slowly sitting in the chair.
“I wanted to give Vera the news alone, you know like all couples at a time like this. But since the day I married her, I knew you two came in a package,” he said, looking at Bea and Sheila. “So I want you all to know that Vera and I are expecting a baby.”
“That’s impossible,” Vera said, her heart beginning to race.
“That’s what
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