kiss away a child's tears. Suddenly it seemed as if she knew nothing at all, as if the simplest task required Herculean effort.
Fortunately although her brain shut down, routine took over. She brushed her teeth, did her hair and makeup, then dressed in her favorite pale blue Ralph Lauren.
She'd go to the store. She'd throw herself into her work and put all thoughts of motherhood from her mind. Maybe the test was wrong. After all, it was only a ten dollar box of chemicals. Certainly there was room for error, wasn't there? Maybe she wasn't pregnant at all. Maybe she was run-down, anemic, over-stressed and over-tired. There had to be another reason for the way she'd been feeling and sooner or later that reason would come to her. In the meantime, she was going to the store, the one place where she was in absolute control of things.
"She doesn't look very well," Caroline overheard one of her assistants saying later on that morning. "Do you think it's PMS?"
Caroline tossed down her tenth soda cracker and stormed into the showroom. "It is not PMS," she said, voice shrill. "And it's not a broken heart, business losses, or bad karma. Understood?"
Grabbing her purse and car keys, she raced from the store as if the hounds of hell were at her heels. "PMS," she muttered as she started her new silver-colored sports car. If only....
Ten minutes later she burst into Sam's bedroom in Rocky Hill, threw herself across the O'Rourke's queen-size bed, then broke into tears.
Sam, who was nursing baby James, looked up in surprise. "What on earth is the matter?" Her brow furrowed. "Dear God, did someone die?"
"You could say that," Caroline managed through her uncharacteristic sobs. "The rabbit did."
Sam stared at her for a long moment as comprehension dawned.
"You're--"
"Pregnant," said Caroline with a strangled laugh. "With child. Enceinte . The ever-popular knocked up."
Sam's gaze went from her own baby to her best friend then back once again to her baby. "A baby." She glanced at Caroline's belly. "You can't be far along."
"Five and a half weeks. Not that I'm counting."
Sam shifted the baby to her other breast and Caroline experienced an odd blend of longing and terror. She sat up, hung her legs over the side of the bed, and put her head between her knees the way Donohue had instructed her that evening at the hospital. Funny how handy his instructions had become these few weeks past.
"Poor Sam," she said, swallowing hard against a wave of nausea. "You look shocked."
Sam did her best to compose herself but her amazement was impossible to hide. "I--I didn't know you were seeing anyone special."
Caroline met her eyes. "I wasn't."
Her friend's high cheekbones blazed with color. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business."
"It was just one time," said Caroline, unable to stop herself. "It just...happened."
Sam, whose daughter had been born out of wedlock when Sam was only a teenager, nodded. "I understand. Really I do. You don't have to tell me anything about it."
"No, you don't understand." Sam had been deeply in love with Patty's father. The two teenagers had been planning to get married, but his father had had other ideas. Ideas that had torn the young lovers apart forever. "He wasn't some stranger I picked up in a bar."
"I never thought he was."
"Oh, come on, Sam. I'd be wondering the same thing if the situation was reversed."
Sam bristled. "Thanks a lot, kiddo. It's nice to know what you really think of my moral fiber."
"Listen to me," said Caroline. "It was Charlie Donohue."
"Look, I said you didn't have to tell me who the father is and I meant it."
"It's Charlie Donohue."
"I don't understand why you're being so arrogant, Caroline. If you don't want to tell me, don't tell me. I've already said it's none of my business."
Caroline glared at her best friend then reached over and clamped her hand over Sam's mouth. Her words were both measured and deadly serious. "The. Father. Is. Charlie.
Fortunately although her brain shut down, routine took over. She brushed her teeth, did her hair and makeup, then dressed in her favorite pale blue Ralph Lauren.
She'd go to the store. She'd throw herself into her work and put all thoughts of motherhood from her mind. Maybe the test was wrong. After all, it was only a ten dollar box of chemicals. Certainly there was room for error, wasn't there? Maybe she wasn't pregnant at all. Maybe she was run-down, anemic, over-stressed and over-tired. There had to be another reason for the way she'd been feeling and sooner or later that reason would come to her. In the meantime, she was going to the store, the one place where she was in absolute control of things.
"She doesn't look very well," Caroline overheard one of her assistants saying later on that morning. "Do you think it's PMS?"
Caroline tossed down her tenth soda cracker and stormed into the showroom. "It is not PMS," she said, voice shrill. "And it's not a broken heart, business losses, or bad karma. Understood?"
Grabbing her purse and car keys, she raced from the store as if the hounds of hell were at her heels. "PMS," she muttered as she started her new silver-colored sports car. If only....
Ten minutes later she burst into Sam's bedroom in Rocky Hill, threw herself across the O'Rourke's queen-size bed, then broke into tears.
Sam, who was nursing baby James, looked up in surprise. "What on earth is the matter?" Her brow furrowed. "Dear God, did someone die?"
"You could say that," Caroline managed through her uncharacteristic sobs. "The rabbit did."
Sam stared at her for a long moment as comprehension dawned.
"You're--"
"Pregnant," said Caroline with a strangled laugh. "With child. Enceinte . The ever-popular knocked up."
Sam's gaze went from her own baby to her best friend then back once again to her baby. "A baby." She glanced at Caroline's belly. "You can't be far along."
"Five and a half weeks. Not that I'm counting."
Sam shifted the baby to her other breast and Caroline experienced an odd blend of longing and terror. She sat up, hung her legs over the side of the bed, and put her head between her knees the way Donohue had instructed her that evening at the hospital. Funny how handy his instructions had become these few weeks past.
"Poor Sam," she said, swallowing hard against a wave of nausea. "You look shocked."
Sam did her best to compose herself but her amazement was impossible to hide. "I--I didn't know you were seeing anyone special."
Caroline met her eyes. "I wasn't."
Her friend's high cheekbones blazed with color. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have asked. It's none of my business."
"It was just one time," said Caroline, unable to stop herself. "It just...happened."
Sam, whose daughter had been born out of wedlock when Sam was only a teenager, nodded. "I understand. Really I do. You don't have to tell me anything about it."
"No, you don't understand." Sam had been deeply in love with Patty's father. The two teenagers had been planning to get married, but his father had had other ideas. Ideas that had torn the young lovers apart forever. "He wasn't some stranger I picked up in a bar."
"I never thought he was."
"Oh, come on, Sam. I'd be wondering the same thing if the situation was reversed."
Sam bristled. "Thanks a lot, kiddo. It's nice to know what you really think of my moral fiber."
"Listen to me," said Caroline. "It was Charlie Donohue."
"Look, I said you didn't have to tell me who the father is and I meant it."
"It's Charlie Donohue."
"I don't understand why you're being so arrogant, Caroline. If you don't want to tell me, don't tell me. I've already said it's none of my business."
Caroline glared at her best friend then reached over and clamped her hand over Sam's mouth. Her words were both measured and deadly serious. "The. Father. Is. Charlie.
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