her.
Kate laughed. “Yes, and it’s the strangest thing. I used to love coffee, now I can’t stand the smell of it and instead I’m drinking tea with milk. I never put milk in anything before. And potato chips. I can’t get enough of them and I know they are awful for you. But, they keep finding their way into every sandwich I make, an actual layer of chips on top of whatever else—turkey, ham, even peanut butter. I know that’s super weird, but it’s so good.”
“It’s not weird. I had my share of strange cravings too,” Mandy assured her. “Some of them stayed with me too. I still crave fried clams every now and then.”
“Well, I crave those and I’ve never been pregnant. They’re just really good,” Jill said.
“Speaking of really good, here’s your mimosas.” Kate handed them each a tall champagne flute filled with champagne and fresh squeezed orange juice. “And grab a plate and eat. My mother went overboard, as usual. She’s always afraid that she won’t have enough food.”
Mandy and Jill both reached for a plump shrimp, dunked it in cocktail sauce and followed Kate into the dining room where platters of food were everywhere. They made their way around the room adding stuffed mushrooms, various dips and chips, a small wedge of Lisa’s famous lobster quiche and a bite-sized chunk of lobster tail. The lobster pieces had toothpicks in them and a small pot of melted butter set over a candle to keep it warm. They dipped the lobster in the butter before taking a bite.
“I think this may be my favorite appetizer of all time,” Mandy said.
“It’s so simple too,” Kate said. “Jack brought the lobster tails home from work and we just chopped them up and melted some butter.”
“I’ll have to remember that for when Billy and I have people over when we’re back in Manhattan. It’s an impressive dish.”
They saved room for the cinnamon walnut coffee cake that Lisa always made. It had sour cream in it and was the moistest, most decadent coffee cake. And it went really well with the mimosas.
Kate wandered off to mingle with other guests, and after they finished eating, Mandy and Jill took their barely touched mimosas into the living room, where a giant, beautifully decorated tree stood in the corner and Rhett was sitting at the piano playing Christmas carols. Abby waved to them to come join her on the sofa where she was sitting with her daughter, Natalie, who was about two and half, if Jill remembered right. And she did look much bigger than the last time she’d seen her. She was very cute in her red velvet holiday dress with smocking details at the top and black patent leather Mary Jane shoes and white socks. Her soft baby curls were tied back with a black velvet ribbon. She had a hardcover children’s book with a picture of Elmo on the cover in her lap.
Jill and Mandy joined them on the sofa with Jill sitting next to Natalie. Mandy smiled as she looked at Natalie’s book. “My kids loved Elmo too.”
“Natalie is obsessed with Elmo. She has a stuffed Elmo that goes with her everywhere.”
Natalie’s eyes filled up. “Where’s my Elmo?!” She looked all around them in a panic. But Abby calmly reached to her other side and pulled out the stuffed toy and handed it to her. “We moved him out of the way so you could read the book.”
Natalie grabbed the Elmo toy and hugged it to her fiercely, then turned to Jill and handed her the book. “Read.”
Mandy laughed. “She wants you to read to her.”
“You don’t have to,” Abby said. “Natalie, we can read later, honey.”
The little girl’s eyes filled up with tears again and she kissed the top of Elmo’s head. Jill felt something shift inside her, a need to make those tears go away.
“I don’t mind. I’m happy to read about Elmo.”
“Natalie, you remember Jill? Say thank you.”
“Thank you.” Her eyes grew wide and dreamy as Jill opened the book and started reading. A few minutes later, Natalie snuggled against her and Jill got a whiff of baby shampoo. She kept reading and was almost done when Abby said, “You can stop. I think she’s asleep.”
Jill paused for a moment, and Natalie stirred and mumbled sleepily, “More.”
Abby chuckled. “I guess I was wrong.”
Jill kept reading and five minutes later, the adventures of Elmo were over and Natalie was fast asleep.
“I should put her in my mother’s bedroom and