fine.” She finished washing the glasses, and they went back to her bedroom to lie on her bed, and the usual thing happened. They wound up making love again. She forgot about Stacey and Tammy being pregnant, and Anthony leaving and how long he would be gone, and Claire’s delivery. All she thought about for that moment in time was Scott and how much she loved him. He was part of it now too. And when they made love, they only belonged to each other. She was his woman, and he belonged to her.
* * *
—
Anthony called Tammy on his way back to the hotel where he and Alicia were staying, at his company’s expense, for their last few nights in New York. He had given up his apartment, and Alicia had given hers up too. They would get a new one when they moved back in two years. They were planning to stay with Kate when they came back in June.
Tammy picked up and Anthony laughed as soon as she answered. “I think Mom has a new boyfriend. I just went to say goodbye to her, and there was a guy there.”
“There was? Who is he?”
“She says he’s a friend from work, but I don’t believe her. She was in her nightgown and bathrobe, and he was wearing a shirt and jeans, but he looked like he’d just climbed out of bed. He seems like a nice guy though. He looks a little younger than Mom, but not much, a couple of years maybe.”
“Are you sure? I don’t think she has anyone new. She’s been with us a lot lately. She doesn’t have time for a guy the way she works.” Tammy sounded dubious.
“We thought that about you,” he teased her. “She can make time if she wants to.” He was smiling. He didn’t mind, as long as Scott was good to their mother. He didn’t like the idea of her being lonely and alone. “Just keep an eye out to make sure that Claire doesn’t beat the shit out of Mom. She can be such a bitch to her.”
“I think she’s getting better. She needs Mom right now.”
“I’m going to miss you guys,” he said, sounding emotional himself.
“I was thinking last night, it’s a good thing you broke it off with Amanda. You could never have taken this job if you were married to her.”
“I thought about that too. Alicia is much more adventurous, even more than I am. She can hardly wait to get there.”
“Let’s FaceTime a lot while you are away,” Tammy suggested.
“I will,” he promised. “And see what happens with the new guy. I bet he’s a new boyfriend. I just got that feeling about him. And if he is, good for her. He looks like a good guy. Talk to you soon, Sis. I love you.”
“I love you too,” she said and they hung up. She told Stacey about the man Anthony had seen in the apartment. “I wonder if she does have a new man. She hasn’t said anything to me about it.”
“Maybe she’s keeping it to herself for a while. There’s no harm in that. This is a big group, and we talk a lot. Maybe they’re not ready for that,” Stacey said thoughtfully.
“I doubt it,” Tammy said. But Stacey was older and wiser and she thought Anthony was probably right. If he was, more power to her, and she was glad for Kate. She deserved it.
* * *
—
Anthony called his mother again from the airport the next day before he left, so she had another chance to say goodbye to him. He didn’t ask her about Scott, and she didn’t mention him.
She and Scott were having a quiet Sunday at the apartment, reading the paper in their pajamas.
They had a busy week ahead. They both had new cases, and old ones to wrap up. Kate knew the next few months would be hectic again. There was a constant flow of work for Kate, and Scott had a big trial scheduled in May.
By early February, Scott and Kate were both swamped.
Stacey was having violent morning sickness by then. She was six weeks pregnant and felt awful every day, and threw up six or eight times a day. Tammy felt fine, and sorry for Stacey, watching her throw up all the time. A few times, she was too sick to go to work and had to call relief doctors to replace her.
“Why do I feel so horrible, and you feel