belly.
“Good morning, Kennedy,” Nicole said brightly.
Kennedy collapsed in a chair. “I hope you’ve got bacon and eggs for breakfast. I’m starved.”
Nicole stared. She counted to ten. She recalled her years on the wards as a nurse, when patients were too ill to be polite, unable to do more than mumble. Kennedy was only pregnant, not sick, but still, this was a state Nicole had never endured, so she decided to be kind.
“I’ll be glad to make you some, Kennedy,” Nicole offered.
Kennedy buried her face in her hands.
Alarmed, Nicole came closer to the table. “Kennedy, do you feel all right?”
Kennedy didn’t raise her head. “I told you. I’m hungry.”
Without another word, Nicole set about microwaving bacon and scrambling eggs. She shaved slivers of cheddar into the eggs and added a pinch of basil. She squeezed oranges and set a fresh glass of juice in front of Kennedy. She placed a napkin and utensils near Kennedy’s place.
She had to admit, Kennedy had stamina. Nicole could never sit in steaming silence while another woman cooked for her.
Gosh. Maybe Kennedy was truly ill. Worry spurted into Nicole’s chest.
“Good morning, gorgeous!” James came out of the guest bedroom, smelling of soap and aftershave. “Morning, Nicole.”
“Hi, James. Would you like some eggs and bacon? I’m fixing some for Kennedy.”
To Nicole’s delighted surprise, James gave her a quick one-armed hug. “The answer is yes.” He poured himself a cup of coffee. “Where’s Wonder Boy?”
“Look out the window.”
“Ha! A fort! I remember building one like that as a boy. Is it okay with you that he’s creating havoc in your yard?”
“Of course. He’s having fun.”
“Where’s Sebastian?” asked James.
“Right here.” Sebastian came into the kitchen, fully dressed. “Hi, James. Hey, Kabey.” He used his old pet name for his daughter.
Kennedy lifted a beaming face to her father. “Hi, Daddy.”
“How do you feel?”
“Like a wheelbarrow full of potatoes,” Kennedy told her father.
“You don’t look it,” Sebastian lied, sitting down next to her.
Nicole placed the plate of eggs and bacon in front of Kennedy.
Kennedy stared ruefully down at the food. “Mommy always used to serve such
healthy
meals,” she said mournfully. “Fruit for breakfast, with granola and raisins and dried cranberries.”
Nicole stood very still. Her mind raced. Why was Kennedy so obviously setting her up? Kennedy had asked for bacon and eggs, and now that she had them, she wanted fruit and granola? Food was not the issue here, clearly. Nicole would not rise to the bait.
Forcing a smile, Nicole asked, “Kennedy, would you prefer fruit and granola? We have both.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble,” Kennedy pouted.
“No trouble at all,” Nicole purred. Reaching out, she moved the plate of bacon and eggs from Kennedy’s spot to James’s. “Here, James, why don’t you have these?”
“Great, thanks.” James picked up his knife and fork.
Smoothly but quickly, like Martha Stewart on ice skates, Nicole took out a bowl, a box of granola, and a spoon. She set them before Kennedy. She poured skim milk into a pitcher and set it next to the bowl.
Plucking a banana from the fruit bowl in the middle of the table, Nicole extended it to Kennedy. “Would you like to slice this onto your granola?”
Round one to me
, Nicole thought.
Kennedy nearly quivered with stifled indignation. Her eyes slid over to her husband, happily stuffing the rich creamy eggs into his mouth.
“Oh,” Kennedy bleated, pressing her belly. “I feel so awful.”
“Maybe you should go lie down,” Sebastian suggested.
“Try to eat a little,” Nicole urged in honeyed tones. “Your blood sugar is low in the morning.”
With a heavy sigh, Kennedy poured the milk, sliced the banana, and ate the granola.
“Feel better?” Nicole inquired sweetly.
Kennedy ignored her. “Daddy, would you take me shopping like you did when I
“Good morning, Kennedy,” Nicole said brightly.
Kennedy collapsed in a chair. “I hope you’ve got bacon and eggs for breakfast. I’m starved.”
Nicole stared. She counted to ten. She recalled her years on the wards as a nurse, when patients were too ill to be polite, unable to do more than mumble. Kennedy was only pregnant, not sick, but still, this was a state Nicole had never endured, so she decided to be kind.
“I’ll be glad to make you some, Kennedy,” Nicole offered.
Kennedy buried her face in her hands.
Alarmed, Nicole came closer to the table. “Kennedy, do you feel all right?”
Kennedy didn’t raise her head. “I told you. I’m hungry.”
Without another word, Nicole set about microwaving bacon and scrambling eggs. She shaved slivers of cheddar into the eggs and added a pinch of basil. She squeezed oranges and set a fresh glass of juice in front of Kennedy. She placed a napkin and utensils near Kennedy’s place.
She had to admit, Kennedy had stamina. Nicole could never sit in steaming silence while another woman cooked for her.
Gosh. Maybe Kennedy was truly ill. Worry spurted into Nicole’s chest.
“Good morning, gorgeous!” James came out of the guest bedroom, smelling of soap and aftershave. “Morning, Nicole.”
“Hi, James. Would you like some eggs and bacon? I’m fixing some for Kennedy.”
To Nicole’s delighted surprise, James gave her a quick one-armed hug. “The answer is yes.” He poured himself a cup of coffee. “Where’s Wonder Boy?”
“Look out the window.”
“Ha! A fort! I remember building one like that as a boy. Is it okay with you that he’s creating havoc in your yard?”
“Of course. He’s having fun.”
“Where’s Sebastian?” asked James.
“Right here.” Sebastian came into the kitchen, fully dressed. “Hi, James. Hey, Kabey.” He used his old pet name for his daughter.
Kennedy lifted a beaming face to her father. “Hi, Daddy.”
“How do you feel?”
“Like a wheelbarrow full of potatoes,” Kennedy told her father.
“You don’t look it,” Sebastian lied, sitting down next to her.
Nicole placed the plate of eggs and bacon in front of Kennedy.
Kennedy stared ruefully down at the food. “Mommy always used to serve such
healthy
meals,” she said mournfully. “Fruit for breakfast, with granola and raisins and dried cranberries.”
Nicole stood very still. Her mind raced. Why was Kennedy so obviously setting her up? Kennedy had asked for bacon and eggs, and now that she had them, she wanted fruit and granola? Food was not the issue here, clearly. Nicole would not rise to the bait.
Forcing a smile, Nicole asked, “Kennedy, would you prefer fruit and granola? We have both.”
“I don’t want to be any trouble,” Kennedy pouted.
“No trouble at all,” Nicole purred. Reaching out, she moved the plate of bacon and eggs from Kennedy’s spot to James’s. “Here, James, why don’t you have these?”
“Great, thanks.” James picked up his knife and fork.
Smoothly but quickly, like Martha Stewart on ice skates, Nicole took out a bowl, a box of granola, and a spoon. She set them before Kennedy. She poured skim milk into a pitcher and set it next to the bowl.
Plucking a banana from the fruit bowl in the middle of the table, Nicole extended it to Kennedy. “Would you like to slice this onto your granola?”
Round one to me
, Nicole thought.
Kennedy nearly quivered with stifled indignation. Her eyes slid over to her husband, happily stuffing the rich creamy eggs into his mouth.
“Oh,” Kennedy bleated, pressing her belly. “I feel so awful.”
“Maybe you should go lie down,” Sebastian suggested.
“Try to eat a little,” Nicole urged in honeyed tones. “Your blood sugar is low in the morning.”
With a heavy sigh, Kennedy poured the milk, sliced the banana, and ate the granola.
“Feel better?” Nicole inquired sweetly.
Kennedy ignored her. “Daddy, would you take me shopping like you did when I
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