Sweet Serendipity (9 page)

“I don’t know. I had an incredibly selfish night. It was like something out of an erotica book. He touched me in places I didn’t know would react.”

The door opened and Tasha strolled in.

“I assume we are talking about artist boy?”

Rebecca wanted to crawl under a rock. Emily burst out laughing.

“I’m trying to get the details.”

“You don’t need them. Come on, guys, I don’t want to talk about it.”

Tasha dropped a box of muffins on the counter and sat down.

“Tough cookies, baby girl. You have to dish or we’ll go ask painter boy.”

“You wouldn’t dare.”

“OK, have it your way,” Tasha stood up and started to walk to the door.

“Tasha Brown, don’t you dare!” Rebecca yelled out.

All three girls started laughing and it woke baby Layla up, who was curled in a playpen behind the counter.

“Fine. He was incredible. My body never felt so…alive.”

Tasha handed her a bottle of cranberry juice.

“What is this for?” She asked her.

“Everyone knows that cranberry juice will keep UTI’s away.”

“Excuse me?” Rebecca remarked.

“Sex, a lot of it, can cause UTI’s, so drinking cranberry just helps out.”

Rebecca took the bottle and reluctantly took a sip.

“I’m thirsty anyway.”

“So how many times did you guys have sex?” Emily asked her. “Rumor has it that the neighbors heard a woman howling all night long.” Emily burst out laughing.

“I hope you are joking,” Rebecca said.

“Yes, I’m teasing, but seriously, how many times did you do
it
?” Emily asked again.

“Four times, three last night and once this morning.”

“Good numbers. At least he’s active,” Tasha commented.

“Oh God, guys stop. You make it sound so…dirty.”

“Hardly, you are doing exactly what you should be. Sex is a good thing.”

The bell on the door chimed and a customer walked in. Tasha finished her muffin and looked at her friends.

“Well, chickies, I’m off like a prom dress. I have my GYN appointment. It’s time to get poked and prodded, fun times, fun times.” She looked at Rebecca and winked as she walked out the door.

The afternoon stayed consistently busy. Emily was finding it a struggle to juggle the business and the kids. She went off into the backroom to take a phone call from the specialist at Mass General Hospital. After explaining to the specialist what the preschool teacher suspects, and what she had discussed with her pediatrician, they decided to go ahead and schedule some testing. Emily’s heart sank. How was she going to deal with everything if her little boy did turn out to have Asperger’s? Would he struggle his entire life? Would he have to be labeled? Oh the thoughts that ran through her mind as she cried. She fed the baby and rocked her back to sleep then called James and told him about the appointment.

Since coming home from the Army, James was able to get into the state police academy. He had some schooling to complete before he could join the force, so he was putting in really long hours between training and school. Emily was burned out. She debated selling the store, but decided to try to ride it out for a while. She would have to place and ad to hire a new full-time person. Rebecca was only helping out temporarily. Emily knew she couldn’t count on her forever. She had always been so grateful for their friendship. Rebecca stood by her when Emily started her business. She was there when she and James were married. Rebecca and Tasha stood at the altar with her when she exchanged vows. Emily had been there for the birth of both of Rebecca’s children. There was just a history and camaraderie that the three women shared with each other. When Richard and Tasha got divorced Emily and Rebecca helped Tasha repaint the entire inside of her house. They got together once a week at one of their houses just to catch up with one another, and she realized that she cherished her two friends the way sisters are cherished.

Emily wiped her face, looked down at her sleeping infant, and smiled. Back out in the store she looked around to find Rebecca was finishing up with a customer and laughing at something the customer said to her. Emily couldn’t help but notice how Rebecca glowed. She looked so young, happy, and carefree. Emily walked up behind her friend and sat on a stool. She thanked the customer for shopping with them, and once the customer was gone, she turned to her friend.

“Sweetie, you are positively glowing today. Ethan is like a wonder drug.”

Rebecca flashed a smile at her. “I can’t stop thinking about him.”

“Well, I hope you are going to see him again. The kids are gone for a few more days, go and enjoy yourself.”

“It’s what happens once the kids come home that scares me.”

“Why?” Emily asked her.

“Because last night was…incredible. I felt so young and sexy, and I was filled with an incredible passion. The fact of the matter is that’s not the real world. My real world is I have two kids and a house, and carpool, and bake sales. Ethan is a free spirit.”

“So, what is your point? Maybe he’d like bake sales, carpool, and kids. Don’t slam the door shut before you’ve kept it open long enough to explore all possibilities.”

The bell chimed and both girls gawked as a huge bouquet of flowers walked through the door.

A delivery man placed them on the counter and asked, “Rebecca Davis?” He looked at both of the women. Emily pointed to Rebecca, and Rebecca held her hand up.

“These are for you then.” He walked back out the door.

The bouquet was overflowing with bright colored flowers. There were purples, oranges, bright yellows, white baby’s breath, and red roses. Rebecca pulled out the card and opened it up.

I know you have your walls built up around you, but I am going nowhere. I have floated aimlessly all these years, unable to find that one thing that seemed to be missing from my life. When I saw you sitting across the restaurant, you haunted me. And, the more I got to know you, the more I knew that it was you that I had been missing. After last night, I don’t think I’ll ever be the same again. You opened up a part of me that I thought was long gone, and now I am under your spell. I know you have your reservations, but all that I am asking is that you not close the door before we’ve had a chance to explore what this is. Please come see me tonight!

Ethan---

Emily grabbed the card out of Rebecca’s hand and read it.

“Oh my God, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything so romantic. You have to go see him. You’d be a fool not to.”

“Emily, I can’t go down that road.”

“Why the hell not? What could possibly be holding you back?”

“ME! Alright? It’s me. I never had ‘me’. It was always Jack and me, and then it was Jack, Riley and me, and then Jack, Riley, Adam and me. I missed out on so much. I never finished with me. I don’t want to go and get involved in anything serious. He’s great, he’s amazing, actually, but I need to figure out what I am going to do before I let someone new in.” She saw the look of disappointment on her friend’s face. “Please don’t look at me like that. You couldn’t possibly understand. You are happily married. I never had the happily part.”

Emily put her hand up in front of her as she walked to her window display. “I don’t want to hear it, and neither will Tasha. You have the opportunity to explore the happily part with Ethan. You already said he’s amazing. You need to get over your hang ups before you
do
end up alone.”

Emily went to work changing her window display to attract the passersby. They worked in silence for the next hour, neither one talking. They were each lost in their own life’s situations. Emily worried about her son, and Rebecca worried about her heart.

It was closing time. Emily changed the sign in the door and gathered her children. Rebecca searched around the counter area for the book she was making for the baby, but couldn’t find it.

“Listen,” Emily began. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be telling you how to live your life. It’s just that as one of your very best friends, I don’t want to see you make a decision you might regret.”

Rebecca saw the sadness return.

“What’s going on Em?” She asked her.

“I have an appointment in two days at Mass General. I already know what they are going to tell me, I just don’t know what it’s going to mean for us.”

Becca hugged her friend to comfort her. “I’m sorry, sweetie. Do you want me to come with you?

“Then who will run the shop? Thank you, though. James is coming with me, and his mother is coming up for a visit so she’ll stay with Layla.”

“I know it’s scary, but just look at him. He’s a love.” Andrew lifted his sleepy head off of her shoulder and smiled at Rebecca. Rebecca leaned over and kissed his cheek. She began shuffling papers around again.

“What are you searching for?” Emily asked her.

“I started a story for Layla, and I thought the last place I had it was here on the counter. I can’t remember where I put it. Have you seen it anywhere?”

“No. I love those stories. You are so talented. Andrew carries his around with him. He asks me to read it to him every night. He loves the different things you have him do. Andrew visits the Doctor, Andrew goes to the Dentist, and Andrew gets a new baby. They truly are treasures. You should make up some and sell them here at the store.”

“Jack mentioned something like that when we were putting your crib together.”

“Jack did? Wow, he never pays compliments, but he is right. You have been given a gift, maybe it’s time to see where that takes you.”

They walked out onto the sidewalk. Emily and Andrew waved goodbye as they walked to their car. Rebecca stood on the sidewalk holding the bouquet of flowers in her arms. She looked down the road and she noticed that the lights were on in Ethan’s apartment. She hesitated, and then decided that she was going to go home. She slowly walked down the opposite side of the street to her car. She got behind the wheel and sat there. Her heart was telling her to run to Ethan, wrap her arms around him and make passionate love to him. Her head, on the other hand, was fighting her every step of the way. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She started her car and pulled out of the parking lot.

When she got home she placed her keys on the side table near the garage door. She kicked off her shoes and looked through her mail. She was still getting Jack’s mail. She had to remember to give it to him when he dropped the kids off. She walked through her empty house and she felt a strange pang of emotion run through her. She walked upstairs and past Adam’s room. The bed was still unmade, so she carefully tucked in the sheets. She looked around and smiled at the posters of Selena Gomez and Transformers. He was growing fast, too. He was no longer the little shadow that she once had.

She walked past Riley’s room and stopped in the doorway. She knew better than to disrupt anything without incurring the wrath of a sixteen-year-old. She remembered when she and Jack painted Riley’s room. They chose a soothing light blue shade instead of the purples that most little girls had. Over the years, Riley made it her own with polka dot curtains and twinkling lights that ran around the ceiling. She had puffy, furry multicolored pillows all over her bed. Rebecca smiled when she thought about Riley digging herself deep within the pillows every night.

She walked into her own room. It bore no resemblance to when Jack was there. She changed everything so that it became her own space. She had always loved the idea of a black and white bedroom, so she found a white bed set with black flowers that were embroidered throughout it. The blanket was so thick and fluffy that when she fell on top of it she often felt lost in a cloud. She bought scatter rugs to match and throw pillows. She hung new, elegant curtains with black flowers on it. It was very soothing, and at least it took Jack out of the room.

She kicked off her clothes and took a long soak in her tub. The warm water soothed her aching body from the night before. She closed her eyes and let all her worries wash away with the bubbles. When she stepped out of the tub, she felt renewed. She threw on a cotton spaghetti-strapped night gown and wrapped her silk robe around her. The silk felt cool on her skin in the August heat. She turned on the AC and walked into the kitchen looking for something to eat. She closed the doors when she realized that she hadn’t been to the store because the kids were gone. There was no need without any kids to cook for. She pulled out a box of cereal and put it on the counter when her phone rang. She looked at the caller I.D. and saw that it was Tasha.

“Hey, Tash, how was your appointment today? I thought you were going to swing back by?”

“Sorry, I had to get back to the office and Ashlee had her fist date tonight. I’m feeling old and tired.”

“Well, at least you got your looks.” Rebecca cracked up laughing.

“Very funny, someday my looks are going to fade and I don’t have anyone to share it all with.”

“What are you saying?” Rebecca asked.

“I’m saying that I want a
somebody
.” I want a body to snuggle up to at night. I want someone to bring me tomato soup when I don’t feel well. I want someone to love me when I’m all wrinkly and gross.”

“Wow, Tasha, where is all this coming from? You’ve always loved your independence.”

“Ah, hell, Becca, independence is over rated. I like to have flings because I am such a control freak. I want someone who balances me out. I want to come home to someone at the end of the day.”

“Then go for it. There is nothing stopping you.”

“You are right. Richard proposed to Rochelle. They are planning on a spring wedding. He’s moved on.”

“Sweetie, you’ve been divorced for ten years.”

“I know, but he was still there. He was there when I was sick and sad, and now he won’t be. He’ll have to be there for her, she’ll be his wife. The thing that sucks the most is Ashlee loves her. They are like buddies.”

“Oh, I understand, trust me I understand. Jack is in Florida with my kids and his child-like girlfriend. The only difference, it doesn’t sound like she likes kids.”

“Ha, he deserves it. At least Richard didn’t leave me for another woman, I think that’s why this hurts do damn much.”