Feet kicked, laughter gurgled, and the child said, “I’ll be whatever I wish to be. The world is there for the taking.”
“You’re still too little to take on the world just yet. Stay with me.”
“Mothers and children can’t always be together.” The child’s voice held no hint of sadness.
“But that’s wrong,” Libby said softly.
“That’s life.”
“No, there’s an order to life. It’s not time yet. Don’t leave me, little one,” Libby said.
But the girl was gone, her laughter faded, and the dream vanished, leaving Libby fully awake and staring at the popcorn ceiling of her father’s living room.
The rumble of pots in the kitchen had her rising and reaching for her phone. She knocked over another empty wineglass. She couldn’t remember the wine or what it had tasted like as she had gulped it down last night and prayed for sleep.
She had spent the better part of yesterday editing the photo files from Ginger and Cameron’s wedding while she also compulsively checked Jeremy’s and Monica’s Instagram accounts. Every ten images she finished for Ginger and Cameron earned her another peek at the expectant couple. She had confirmed that Jeremy and Monica had gone public with their relationship five days after she and Jeremy had signed divorce papers. Their first post was a selfie, and they did not look like a couple. Jeremy was holding the camera high, grinning, and Monica was holding her hands up, as if she was asking a question.
Libby swung her legs over the side of the couch and scrolled through her phone to the couple’s latest post, featuring bright smiles, heads tilted close to each other, and clinking coffee cups. Monica’s ring finger now sported one hell of a rock, which must have set Jeremy back a pretty penny.
She studied Jeremy’s smile as well as Monica’s, trying to decide if maybe she looked a little happier than he did. She did not want her Jeremy back. But to think he was not quite whole after their shared losses had been okay. However, she found no signs of a joy imbalance. In fact, he looked positively buoyant after his visit to see her.
The happy couple did not advertise Monica’s baby bump, but if Libby scrolled back and looked hard enough, she could see signs of it in March and April under Jeremy’s oversize college sweatshirt. Her face was rounder, her breasts fuller. She had all the telltale signs that Libby had missed.
As Libby’s hand slid to her flat belly, she remembered when it had been barely rounded at fourteen weeks along. It was getting so hard to remember the soft flutter kicks.
More pots clanged in the kitchen, shaking Libby’s thoughts away from her phone. “Sierra, if that’s not you, I’m calling the cops.”
“What thief would make coffee and scramble eggs for you?”
“Good point.” Libby’s oversize T-shirt brushed her legs just above her knees as she picked up the wineglass and carried it into the kitchen.
Libby found Sierra standing in front of the stove, which dated back to the 1950s. Her parents had never had cause to replace the appliance, because it worked just fine. That mind-set also explained the refrigerator from the Reagan years and the dishwasher purchased right before Y2K. If her dad had thought she was going to sell the house, he had not gotten the memo stating that kitchens and bathrooms were key to a successful sale.
Sierra’s black pencil pants, polka-dot blouse with an exaggerated white collar, and round red earrings created an I Love Lucy vibe that meshed with the kitchen.
“Get a lot of work done?” Sierra cracked an egg with one hand as she reached for another.
“I did. It’s going to be a crazy week ahead, so I decided to knock out the look book for Ginger and Cameron. I’ve got to say, there are some pretty magical moments with the two of them laughing in the rain.”
“Sounds like a musical.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you taking any kind of break?” Sierra asked.
“I will as soon as I get through June and the first week of July. Next wedding won’t be until September.”
“Good. You could use the time off.” She poured Libby a cup of coffee and handed it to her.
Libby took a sip and then pressed the warm cup to her temple. “Bless you.”
Sierra dug aspirin from the cupboard and put the bottle in front of her. “I won’t ask about the two empty wine bottles in the trash.”