private garden where red roses ascended white trellises, giving the illusion of wide-open spaces. Kate would love for Joely to paint something like that in her master bedroom when she was feeling better. If she ever felt better.
Pushing the metal bed frame into its vertical resting place, Kate saw hamster feces on the carpet. Yuck! Kate picked them up with a tissue. After she washed her hands, she returned and admired one of her favorite pictures on Joely’s dresser: she and Joely roller-skating for the first time. Their hair (Kate’s blond and Joely’s brunette) was up in matching pigtails. At the time Joely was still shorter than Kate and they hadn’t even a hint that their circumstances would soon drastically change. Both of them were laughing, bent stiffly at the waist, clinging to each other as they tried not to fall down. It wasn’t quite clear who was helping whom.
Behind the frame Kate saw some amber-colored prescription bottles. She brought Joely the recommended pills then visited the kitchen. She handed her a red ceramic cup filled with water.
Before Joely could take a drink, the glass slipped through her fingers and hit the coffee table edge, breaking into jagged triangles. “Shit!”
Kate bent over. “Don’t move. I’ll pick up the pieces.”
“That was Fiesta ware.”
Cringing, Kate realized the cup had sentimental as well as monetary value. “What happened?” She’d been sure Joely had a grip on the glass before she let go.
“All of a sudden I felt a jolt of pain in my hand.”
Kate swept the floor and brought Joely another glass. She watched as Joely raised it to her mouth with both hands, just like a child.
Unsure if it was a good time to mention it, Kate said, “I’ve been e-mailing a doctor out west. He’s doing some clinical trials on new lupus medications. I thought you might want to go meet him.”
“What would it matter?”
Kate reminded herself to hold onto her patience.
Joely stared at the wall. “I should’ve married Lucas.”
“Lucas? What are you talking about? You had nothing in common.”
“He wanted kids. Enough for his own basketball team.”
Kate didn’t respond. Lucas had been Joely’s high school boyfriend. He thought it was funny to take Joely to Hooters before the Homecoming dance and his motto had been “It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.” Joely claimed that he had a tender side that he kept hidden. Kate had been very outspoken about their incompatibility, confident Joely could find someone more suitable. And in college they both thought she had, an outgoing accounting major, named Jake. But they were wrong.
Kate looked around the room. When they were roommates in college, Kate cleaned more compulsively than her sister, but Joely never completely gave up like this. “Do you want me to tidy things up?” She sprung into motion, picking up Joely’s glass and other dishes.
“No, Mom .” Joely waved her hand dismissively, then grimaced. “Let’s talk about when you are going to put your mothering skills to better use.”
Kate’s heart accelerated as she walked toward the kitchen.
Joely’s voice suddenly softened. “Kate, you’re going to be such a good mom.”
Kate put the dishes into the sink, then returned to the living room. “Well, I don’t know about that.”
“You’re not backing out on me, are you?”
Instead of answering, Kate said, “I’m glad you brought this up because what you asked me isn’t really fair.”
“Asking you to be happy isn’t fair?”
Kate put her hand on her hip. “Who are you to decide that having a baby would make me happy?”
“Well, I’ve waited long enough for you to figure it out.”
“Joely, it’s just not that simple.”
“Sure it is. You told me you would have a kid. You and Mitch would be great parents. Therefore, you should have a kid.”
Hearing Mitch’s name made her squirm. She wasn’t used to keeping secrets from him.
Obviously becoming an aunt meant
Pushing the metal bed frame into its vertical resting place, Kate saw hamster feces on the carpet. Yuck! Kate picked them up with a tissue. After she washed her hands, she returned and admired one of her favorite pictures on Joely’s dresser: she and Joely roller-skating for the first time. Their hair (Kate’s blond and Joely’s brunette) was up in matching pigtails. At the time Joely was still shorter than Kate and they hadn’t even a hint that their circumstances would soon drastically change. Both of them were laughing, bent stiffly at the waist, clinging to each other as they tried not to fall down. It wasn’t quite clear who was helping whom.
Behind the frame Kate saw some amber-colored prescription bottles. She brought Joely the recommended pills then visited the kitchen. She handed her a red ceramic cup filled with water.
Before Joely could take a drink, the glass slipped through her fingers and hit the coffee table edge, breaking into jagged triangles. “Shit!”
Kate bent over. “Don’t move. I’ll pick up the pieces.”
“That was Fiesta ware.”
Cringing, Kate realized the cup had sentimental as well as monetary value. “What happened?” She’d been sure Joely had a grip on the glass before she let go.
“All of a sudden I felt a jolt of pain in my hand.”
Kate swept the floor and brought Joely another glass. She watched as Joely raised it to her mouth with both hands, just like a child.
Unsure if it was a good time to mention it, Kate said, “I’ve been e-mailing a doctor out west. He’s doing some clinical trials on new lupus medications. I thought you might want to go meet him.”
“What would it matter?”
Kate reminded herself to hold onto her patience.
Joely stared at the wall. “I should’ve married Lucas.”
“Lucas? What are you talking about? You had nothing in common.”
“He wanted kids. Enough for his own basketball team.”
Kate didn’t respond. Lucas had been Joely’s high school boyfriend. He thought it was funny to take Joely to Hooters before the Homecoming dance and his motto had been “It’s easier to get forgiveness than permission.” Joely claimed that he had a tender side that he kept hidden. Kate had been very outspoken about their incompatibility, confident Joely could find someone more suitable. And in college they both thought she had, an outgoing accounting major, named Jake. But they were wrong.
Kate looked around the room. When they were roommates in college, Kate cleaned more compulsively than her sister, but Joely never completely gave up like this. “Do you want me to tidy things up?” She sprung into motion, picking up Joely’s glass and other dishes.
“No, Mom .” Joely waved her hand dismissively, then grimaced. “Let’s talk about when you are going to put your mothering skills to better use.”
Kate’s heart accelerated as she walked toward the kitchen.
Joely’s voice suddenly softened. “Kate, you’re going to be such a good mom.”
Kate put the dishes into the sink, then returned to the living room. “Well, I don’t know about that.”
“You’re not backing out on me, are you?”
Instead of answering, Kate said, “I’m glad you brought this up because what you asked me isn’t really fair.”
“Asking you to be happy isn’t fair?”
Kate put her hand on her hip. “Who are you to decide that having a baby would make me happy?”
“Well, I’ve waited long enough for you to figure it out.”
“Joely, it’s just not that simple.”
“Sure it is. You told me you would have a kid. You and Mitch would be great parents. Therefore, you should have a kid.”
Hearing Mitch’s name made her squirm. She wasn’t used to keeping secrets from him.
Obviously becoming an aunt meant
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