Shakespeares Counselor Page 0,43

the wall. I forced myself to go on. If there was anything I hated, it was explaining myself. "I'll just brood for a while and get it over with."

I just couldn't, shouldn't, treat Jack this way. I was ashamed. I did my second least favorite thing, and began crying. My tears felt hot against my face. I bit my lips to keep from making a sound, but it didn't work.

"I'm sorry," I said, "I'm sorry I couldn't hold on to our baby."

"Move over."

I scooted as much as I could in the narrow bed. I heard Jack's shoes hit the floor and then the mattress took the weight of his body. He wrapped himself around me. There was not anything to say, but at least we were together.

Chapter Eight

The next morning, right after Carrie checked me over, I went home. Jack was silent for the short drive, and so was I. When we got to the house, he came around the car and opened my door. Slowly, I swung my legs out and got up, glad he'd brought me clothes to replace my ruined jeans. Trying to be modest in a hospital gown would've been just too much. I was a little shaky, but he let me make my own way into the house.

When I looked around the living room, I was stunned.

"Who?" I asked. Jack was focused on my face, his own dark and serious. "What... ?"

A vase of pink carnations was on the table by the double recliner. Three white roses graced the top of the television. A small dried bouquet was arranged in a country basket on my small bookshelf.

"Go lie down, Lily," he said.

I shuffled into our bedroom, saw two more little flower arrangements and two cards. I sat gingerly on the edge of the bed and eased back. I swung my legs up.

"Where'd these come from?" I was realizing that my initial idea, that Jack had gotten them all, was just plain crazy.

"Carrie and Claude. Janet, the dried arrangement, and she brought some chicken. Helen Drinkwater left a card in the door. Marshall brought you a movie to watch; a Jackie Chan. Birdie Rossiter sent flowers and included a card from her dog Durwood." Jack's voice was very dry. "The Winthrops sent flowers, Carlton from next door dropped by and left a card, the McCorkindales brought flowers." Jack picked up a notepad he'd dropped on the night table. "Let's see. Someone named Carla brought you a sweet-potato pie. Someone else named Firella called, said to tell you she'd be bringing by a ham tonight."

People here in Shakespeare had been kind to me before, helped me out when I needed it, but this was a little overwhelming. The Drinkwaters, for example. Since when had they cared about my well-being? The McCorkindales? I'd been beaten black and blue before and they hadn't noticed. Something about my losing a baby had struck a chord.

"How did they find out so fast?"

"You were brought up in a small town and you haven't figured that out?" Jack tried to sound teasing, but couldn't quite manage it.

I shook my head, not feeling smart enough to figure out how to untie my shoes.

"McCorkindale, the minister, visits at the hospital every evening. Beanie Winthrop is a volunteer Pink Lady. Raphael Roundtree's oldest daughter is an admissions clerk, so Raphael carried the news to Body Time. I had to call your clients and tell them you couldn't come in this week, so they knew. I arranged with the sister of the woman who does Carrie's office for the Winthrops and the Althauses to be covered this week, and she's best friends with Carla's little sister."

"You did?" I was so startled by all this that I was caught off balance. "I won't go to work this week? But Carrie said I would be okay tomorrow," I said. I could feel the blood rush into my face. "I could - "

"No," Jack said flatly.

There was a long silence.

"What?" My ringers began to roll into fists.

"No." Jack's face was quite expressionless. "You are not. And before you get that look on your face, listen to me. What Carrie actually said was, you would be feeling fine tomorrow if you took it easy. That means no work. That means you really do stay home and take it easy. Now," and he held up a warning hand, "I know you're going to get into the 'I have to earn my living' speech, and I know you're going to get mad."

He