The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love - By Beth Pattillo Page 0,40
thought you were already helping out.”
“Just mornings.”
“What will you do with Hunter?”
Merry felt tears spring to her eyes.
Eugenie frowned in sympathy. “I see. Big changes, hmm?”
“I wish I could do both. Help Jeff out as much as he needs and be with Hunter.”
“You couldn’t take the baby with you to Jeff’s office all day?”
Merry shook her head. “Not for much longer. He’ll start crawling soon. That wouldn’t be fair to Jeff or Hunter.”
“Or you,” Eugenie observed.
Merry let out a small laugh. “I’m not sure I even factor into this equation.”
Eugenie shook her head. “But you do. You’re the equal sign, trying to make both sides of the equation balance.”
Now Merry laughed for real. “That’s exactly how I feel. As if I have to somehow find the perfect formula to make it all work.”
More members of the Knit Lit Society appeared in the doorway, interrupting the conversation.
“Good evening, Maria. Camille.” Merry greeted the others. Esther followed close behind them.
“We’re just waiting on Hannah,” Eugenie said. She glanced at her watch.
Merry hid a smile. Poor Eugenie, who’d never had children, taking on a teenager out of the blue. It had to be a shock to the system.
“She’s probably with Josh Hargrove,” Camille said, her face alight with mischief. “They’ve been hanging out a lot lately. Dante says Josh has the potential to play professional ball.”
“He’s a good kid,” Merry assured Eugenie, even as she hid her curiosity about Camille and the new football coach. The word around town was that they’d had dinner at Tallulah’s after the football game two weeks ago, but she hadn’t heard much since.
As if on cue, Hannah came running into the room. “Sorry,” she said to Eugenie, gasping for breath as she collapsed into her chair. Eugenie looked as if she might scold her but then thought better of it.
“Perhaps we should get started,” Eugenie said. “I know you all have a lot to say about Romeo and Juliet.”
Merry thought the librarian was being pretty optimistic. Rather than read the play, she’d rented a performance on DVD. Shakespeare’s language never made sense to her on the page, but when an actor spoke the lines, giving them the proper inflection, she could almost get the gist of it.
“So,” Eugenie said. “What struck you most about the play?”
Everyone was quiet, intently focused as they unpacked their needles and yarn and began to knit.
“Did you all read it?” Eugenie asked with quiet patience and only the slightest hint of exasperation.
“Of course,” Esther said, “but I have to be honest, Eugenie. I’ve always thought this Romeo and Juliet business was a bunch of nonsense. Star-crossed love is a sentimental indulgence.” Esther’s face had a pinched look to it, which was hardly unexpected under the circumstances. Merry had heard through the grapevine that Frank Jackson had not left his widow in good financial shape. People in Sweetgum were polite enough not to mention it to Esther’s face but not good enough to refrain from gossiping about it.
Eugenie nodded, not in agreement but in acknowledgment of Esther’s opinion. “What about the rest of you? Do you think Romeo and Juliet were self-indulgent?”
Camille set her knitting on the table. “I think you can’t let your feelings run away with you. Even if you’d like to let them. You have to keep things in perspective. Keep your goals in mind.”
Hannah flipped her copy of the book onto the table in front of her. “Shakespeare had it right. It had to end badly.”
“Why is that?” Eugenie asked.
“Two people from different groups trying to get together. Cliques are there for a reason.”
Maria shook her head. “There’s no such thing as true social division. Not really. I mean, I know some people think they’re better than others, but we’re all the same at heart.” She stopped and then flushed, obviously embarrassed at her own vehemence, and returned her attention to her yarn and needles.
“Other people’s interference doomed them in the end,” Merry said to divert attention from Maria. “All those people carrying messages that didn’t get there in time. If Romeo and Juliet had just been left alone, they probably would’ve gotten married, had some kids, and turned into a boring old couple who finished each other’s sentences.” She laughed. “That doesn’t sound nearly as romantic, does it?”
“Romance is highly overrated,” Camille said, and Esther nodded in agreement. Their emphatic dismissal saddened Merry. She wanted everyone to find their happily-ever-after as she had with Jeff, even if there were sometimes big bumps in the road, like the day